October 2016 – Page 2 – A Collection of Prayers

Guide and Empower Us to Do What is Right

O God,
all good things come from you.
Inspire your humble servants
to think those things that are right,
and guide and empower us to do them;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gelasian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Fifth Sunday after Easter

This prayer is also in the Leonine Sacramentary in a shorter form.

Original in Latin:

Largire nobis, quaesumus, Domine, semper spiritum cogitandi quae recta sunt, propitius et agendi: ut, qui sine te esse non possumus, secundum te vivere valeamus.

This prayer also appears in Die pommersche Kirchen-Ordnung und Agenda, p. 298.

O Herr, wir bitten, gib uns allezeit guadiglich einen Geist zu gedenken und zu thun, was recht ist, auf daß wir, die wir ohne dich nicht sei können, nach dir auch leben mögen, durch Jesum Christum unsern Herrn, der mit dir in vereinigter Gottheit des heiligen Geistes lebet und regieret immer und ewiglich, Amen.

Translation of the German:

O Lord,
graciously give us your Spirit
to always think and do
those things that are right.
Since we cannot do anything good without you,
empower us to live according to your will;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

These translations are licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

Govern Us in Body, Preserve Us in Soul

O almighty God,
mercifully look on your people,
By your great goodness
govern us in body and preserve us in soul;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gregorian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

Relieve Us by the Comfort of Your Grace

Almighty God,
grant that we who deserve to be afflicted for our evil deeds
may mercifully be relieved by the comfort of your grace;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gregorian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

Be Our Sure Defense

Almighty God,
look on the humble desires of your servants.
Stretch forth the right hand of your majesty
and be our sure defense;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gregorian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Third Sunday in Lent

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

Prayer for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

O Lord Jesus Christ,
to whom glory in the highest is always sung
in heaven and on earth,
grant your good will to us and to all your people,
cleanse us from all our sins,
and give us your peace forever;
through your mercy, O our God,
you are blessed,
and live and govern all things,
now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 37 #1 (Trinity 20)

“glory in the highest ” is a reference to Luke 2:14, Luke 19:38

“cleanse us from all our sins” is a reference to 2 Peter 1:9, 1 John 1:9

Keep Us both Outwardly and Inwardly

O God,
you see that we have no strength in ourselves.
Keep us both outwardly and inwardly.
Defend us from all adversities which hurt the body,
and cleanse us from all evil thoughts
which afflict the mind;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gregorian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Second Sunday in Lent

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

“which afflict the mind,” the Latin word mentes can also be translated as “soul.”

A General Prayer (Christmas)

wilhelm_loehe Blessed Immanuel, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, we thank you for taking on yourself our nature, coming down from heaven and becoming fully human, and making us partakers of the divine nature. You revealed to us the loving heart of your Father. You brought us peace and quenched his divine anger against us. By your blessed birth we are made new creatures. You are our great High Priest through whom we have access to the Father. Enable us, O blessed Lord and loving Immanuel, to confess your appearing in the flesh, always to be mindful of your great love and humiliation, most heartily to rejoice and comfort ourselves in the same, and evermore partake of its power. Open our hearts and lips that with the holy angels we may ever praise and magnify you. Finally take us into your heavenly kingdom, that we may praise and serve you there, forever and ever. Amen. Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel. Blessed be his holy name. Let the whole earth be full of his glory. Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Liturgy for Christian Congregations of the Lutheran Faith by Wilhelm Löhe, Christmas Prayer 6, p. 124-125

Defend Us from All Evil

O Lord,
mercifully hear our prayers.
Set us free from the bonds of sin.
Defend us from all evil;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gregorian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for Quinquagesima

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

A General Prayer (Advent 2)

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Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, you came into the world in the name of your Father to be a King, to justify many, and to save your people from their sins. You came to your own, and your own people did not receive you. You came to us poor Gentiles and still visit us in your Word and Sacrament. O Lord Jesus, Son of David, precious Savior, only Hope for humanity, blessed are you who come in the name of the Lord.

In you our hearts rejoice and all that is within us is glad because of your help and deliverance. You are the one who was to come and we will not look for another. Abide with us and fill our hearts daily with your presence.

By your Spirit dwell in us that we may praise your holy name, as did your disciples and the people of Jerusalem when you entered in triumph. O blessed Savior, as you kept your people faithful in ages past, keep us steadfast until death. When you return again at the end of the world to deliver us from all evil, grant that we may await with joy the time of our redemption, watch and pray that we may escape those things which will then come to pass, and finally stand before the Son of Man. All these blessings we ask for the sake of your infinite love. Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Liturgy for Christian Congregations of the Lutheran Faith by Wilhelm Löhe, Advent Prayer 2, p. 120-121

A General Prayer (Advent 1)

wilhelm_loehe

O Lord, our heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the comfort you have given us in the gift of your dear Son Jesus Christ, whom you sent to be a King and Savior to redeem his people from their sin and to deliver them from the might of Satan and the power of everlasting death. Give us your Holy Spirit to enlighten, govern, and sanctify our hearts, that we may confess him as our King and Savior, and always cling to him. Give us a true and living faith so that we may not be offended at his humiliation, Word and Kingdom, which the world esteems so lightly; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Accept also, O Lord, the prayers of your faithful people for the well being of your holy Church throughout the world. Govern and sanctify it, with all its pastors and ministers, by your Holy Spirit, that we may be kept by your Word in true faith and fervent love toward you and one another.

Grant also health and prosperity to all who are in authority, especially, the president of our nation and the governor of our state,* that they may rule over us according to your will to maintain righteousness and hinder and punish of wickedness, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty.

Grant also that our enemies may cease their enmity and be inclined to walk with us in meekness and in peace.

All who are in trouble, want, sickness, anguish of labor or any other trouble, especially those who suffer for your name and for your truth’s sake, comfort, O God, with your Holy Spirit, that they may receive and confess their afflictions as the manifestation of your Fatherly will.

Cause also the fruits of the earth to prosper, and give us all other things you would have us ask for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Liturgy for Christian Congregations of the Lutheran Faith by Wilhelm Löhe, Advent Prayer 1, p. 119-120

* “the president of our nation and the governor of our state” should be modified to fit the circumstances of a country’s national, provincial or district authorities.