Author: pastorstratman

Lutheran pastor and musician serving St. Stephen's in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

Thanksgivings for the Birthday of an Aged Christian

O Lord, our times are in your hands and every day is a gift of your grace. We give thanks with _______ (name) for blessing him with your mercies for the ____ (or many) years of his life. Continue to lead him on your path of righteousness all the days of his life that he may lead others to glorify you for your grace and mercy.

Lord Jesus, you promised your disciples that you would be with them always, to the very end of the age. We thank you for being with ______ (name) for the _____ (or many) years of his life and for guiding him with your word of truth, and for blessing and keeping him in your love. Continue your blessing on him in the days and years to come.

Precious Lord, for _____ (or many) years you have led your servant ________ (name) by the hand. You have strengthened him, healed him, and led him through troubles of all kinds. You comforted him with your precious Word and with your promise that you are always at his side. We give you thanks for your promise, guidance and care. With boldness and confidence we ask for your continued love in his life—and when this life is done, the fulfillment of your promise of the crown of life.

Source: From The St. Stephen’s Breviary: Short Prayers for Many Occasions, St. Stephen’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Prayers were written by Pastor Paul C. Stratman.

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

Thanksgivings for Wedding Anniversaries

Loving Father, we love because you first loved us. We praise and thank you for your love for _______ and _______ through the _____ years of their marriage. Continue to bless them. Lift and strengthen them by the power of your Word that their love for each other continues to reflect your love for them.

Mighty Father, in Eden you brought Adam and Eve together in marriage and then pronounced your creation “very good.” We thank you for the many good blessings you have given to ______ and ______ in the ___ years of their marriage. Continue to provide for all their needs. Sustain them through all troubles. Let them continue to grow in their love for you and for each other.

Loving Father, your holy Word tells us “Love is patient, love is kind, … love never fails.” We give thanks for your never-failing love you have shown us in your Son, Jesus Christ. We also give thanks for the reflection of that love in the ___ years of _____ and _____’s married life. Guide them in your love each day and help them grow closer to you and to one another.

Source: From The St. Stephen’s Breviary: Short Prayers for Many Occasions, St. Stephen’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Prayers were written by Pastor Paul C. Stratman.

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

Intercessions for the Family of One Who Has Died in the Lord

Gracious Father, life and death are in your hands. We thank you for the blessings you gave to ________ (name) in his earthly life, and praise you for now  giving him the crown of eternal life. Comfort his family with Jesus’ promise that those who believe in him will never die.

Lord Jesus, you have told us that you are the Resurrection and the Life, and that those who believe in you will never die. With that promise, comfort those who mourn for ________ (name), that they may be confident of a blessed reunion in heaven.

All wise and mighty Father, our times are in your hands, and you work all things for the good of those who love you. Strengthen our faith in your promises, and comfort those who mourn for _________ (name), that with faith we may look forward to seeing our loved ones again, and seeing you face to face.

Lord Jesus, your holy Word promises that you will wipe away every tear from our eyes in that Day when there is no more death or mourning or pain. With your promise, dry the tears of those who weep for __________ (name), that with faith, we look forward to the blessed joy of heaven with you.

Lord God, you work all things for the good of those who love you. We pray for the family of ________ (name), whose soul you have taken to yourself. Assure us with your holy Word that nothing… not even life or death nor anything in all creation can separate us from your love which is ours in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Dearest Savior, you told us not to let our hearts be troubled because you have gone to prepare a place for us. We give you thanks that you have received ________ (name) into the mansion prepared for him. Calm our troubled hearts through trust in your gracious promise.

During Morning Praise (Matins) or for the Easter Season

Lord Jesus, you overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Come, Lord, and help your people who mourn for ________ (name), whom you bought with your own blood. Remind us that you have set us free from death. Bring us at last with all your saints to glory everlasting.

Good Shepherd Sunday or 23rd Psalm

Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who laid down your life for us sheep, only to take it up again. Restore our souls with the comfort of your Word. Still the doubts and fears and soothe the pain of those who mourn for ________ (name), and guide us all on the path of righteousness until we all dwell in your house forever.

Near Christmas or for an agéd Christian

Lord Jesus, agéd Simeon took you in his arms and knew that he could depart in peace because he had seen his Savior. We give thanks that you revealed your saving love to ________ (name) and have now taken him in peace. You have given him what you have promised. Let your salvation be the light in our darkness, and our gladness in the midst of sorrow.

Source: From The St. Stephen’s Breviary: Short Prayers for Many Occasions, St. Stephen’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Prayers were written by Pastor Paul C. Stratman.

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

To Go Forward with Your Help

O God,
set us on fire with your Spirit.
Strengthen us with your power.
Enlighten us with your splendor.
Fill us with your grace.
Draw us forward with your help.
O Lord, give us
a right faith,
perfect love,
true humility.
O Lord, give us
simple affection, brave patience,
persevering obedience,
perpetual peace,
a pure mind,
a right and clean heart,
a good will,
a sharpened conscience,
spiritual strength,
a life unspotted and blameless.
And having finished the course,
enter your kingdom by your grace. Amen.

Source: Gallican Sacramentary

Source of this version: Modified from Ancient Collects and Other Prayers, Ed. by W. Bright: J.H. & Jas. Parker, London, 1902, p. 93 #3

 

AncientCollectsAd

A New Testament Blessing (Ephesians)

May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith.
Then, being rooted and grounded in love,
I pray that you would be able to comprehend, along with all the saints,
how wide and long and high and deep his love is,
and that you would be able to know
the love of + Christ that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.

Source: adapted from Ephesians 3:17-19 (Evangelical Heritage Version)

A Trinitarian Blessing

The Lord God almighty, Father, + Son and Holy Spirit,
the holy and undivided Trinity,
guard you, save you,
and bring you to that heavenly city,
where he lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Original source: Unknown, used in the Church of England

Source of this version: https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/principal-services/holy-communion/presedseasonal/trinity2.aspx

Also found here: http://justus.anglican.org/~ss/commonworship/funeral/prayers2.html

A Mozarabic Blessing (1)

antifonariodelec3b3n1May the rich blessing of the Lord attend us,
and grant us all remission of sins.
May the Lord graciously protect us from all evil
and mercifully preserve and keep us in all good,
and may he who created and redeemed us
preserve us for himself unspotted to the end.
Amen.

Source: Mozarabic Psalter

Source of this version: http://rockhay.tripod.com/worship/benewip.htm

Also found here: http://blogs.gcu.edu/spiritual-life/weekly-devotional-shattered-glass/

And here: http://www.gracewoodlands.org/filerequest/1851.pdf

Graphic: Mozarabic manuscript from the Cathedral of Leon, from Wikimedia Commons.

 

Mozarabic, ad.

A Gallican Blessing

May God the Father bless us,
who created all things in the beginning,
May the + Son bless us, who for our salvation
came down from his throne on high,
May the Holy Spirit bless us,
who rested as a dove on the Christ in Jordan.

May  he sanctify us in the Trinity
whose coming in judgment all nations look for.
Amen.

Source: Gallican Missal

Source of this version: http://rockhay.tripod.com/worship/benewip.htm

Also found here: http://newlife.org.my/shahalam/be-blessed/

 

AncientCollectsAd

A Blessing from the Psalms

May God be gracious to us and bless us.
May his face shine on us–
so that his way may be known on earth,
his salvation among all nations.
God, our God, will + bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Source: From Psalm 67 (Evangelical Heritage Version)

This blessing was sung to the chant tune of the Magnificat in German Lutheran liturgy in the 1600s and 1700s. (Text is from the English Standard Version)

Psalm 67

With German text from Schatz des liturgischen Chor- und Gemeindegesangs

Ps 67