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You, O Lord, Are My Defender

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Even though there are many
who say of me,
“His God will not help him,”
you, O Lord, are my Defender,
my Worship,
the One who lifts up my head.
Do not forsake me
when I am in need,
but defend me
until the trouble
is past.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Priest’s Prayerbook, 1865, #238

Original in traditional English:

Many a one there be that say of my soul, There is no help for him in his GOD: but Thou, O LORD, art my Defender, Thou art my worship, and the lifter up of my head. Depart not from me in the time of my need but defend Thou me until this tyranny be overpast. Through…

The Hope You Have Given Us by Your Word

croce_camargue O God,
you never forsake
those who hope in you.
Grant that we
may live in the hope
you have given us by your Word
as an anchor of our souls,
sure and steadfast,
to preserve us unshaken and secure
in all the storms of this life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Priest’s Prayerbook, 1865, #235

Original in traditional English:

O GOD, Who never forsakest those that hope in Thee: grant that we may ever keep that which Thou hast given us by Thy Word as an anchor of our souls, sure and steadfast, to preserve us unshaken and secure in all the storms of this life; Through…

O Lord, Hedge Up My Way

Launcelot Andrews (1555-1626)
O Lord,
hedge up my way with thorns,
that I may find no path
for following vanity.
Hold me in
with bit and bridle,
lest I fall away from you.
O Lord, compel me
to come to you:
to bruise the serpent’s head,
to remember my life’s end,
to cut off opportunities for evil,
to be alert,
not to sit idle,
to shun what is evil,
to cling to what is good,
to look at no worthless things,
to bring my body into subjection,
to devote myself to prayer,
to search my heart with penitence.

Source: Adapted from Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626) for A Collection of Prayers from The devotions of Lancelot Andrewes (The Hedge of the Law).

For Patience

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O God,
by the meek endurance
of your only Son
you beat down the pride
of the old enemy.
Help us rightly
to treasure in our hearts
what our Lord has borne
for our sakes,
that following his example
we may bear
all our troubles
with patience;
through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Missale Romanum (16th Century?), English translation freely modified from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, # 29.

Original in Latin:

Deus, qui Unigeniti tui patientia antiqui hostis contrivisti superbiam: da nobis, quaesumus, quae idem pie pro nobis pertulit, digne recolere; sicque exemplo ejus, nobis adversantia aequanimiter tolerare. Per Dominum… Amen.

Litany for the Church

Lord, be merciful to us.
Heal our souls, for we have sinned against you.

Show us your unfailing love, Lord,
and grant us your salvation. (Psalm 85:7)

Turn again, O Lord,
and be gracious to your servants.

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:22)

Let us pray for the Holy Church of God:
May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. (Psalm 51:18)

May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels. (Psalm 122:7)

May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;
may your faithful people sing for joy. (Psalm 132:9)

Let us pray for our pastors and teachers:
Never take the word of truth from their mouths. (Psalm 119:43)

That they will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of your name, O Lord our God. Amen. (Micah 5:4)

Source: Attributed to Abendgebet of the German Lutheran Church in Book of Prayers for Church and Home, ed. by Paine and Thompson, Philadelphia: Christian Education Press, 1962, p. 57.

Modified with scriptures taken or adapted from the New International Version, 2011.

Raise Us from Our Sins

O holy Jesus, most loving Savior,
you called out to Lazarus
and made him come out of his tomb.
May we hear you with our hearts, arise from our sins,
and serve you in newness of life;
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. 24 #1 (Lent 5)

“you called out to Lazarus” is a reference to John 11

“May we hear you with our hearts, arise from our sins” may be a reference to Ephesians 5:14

Help Us Depend on Your Mercy

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O God,
help us
in all discouragement,
difficulty,
danger,
distress,
and darkness
in this mortal life,
to build our hopes
on the sure foundation
of your infinite mercy
in Christ Jesus.
Deliver us from despair,
both now
and at the hour of death.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 85.

Original in traditional English:

Grant, O God, that amidst all the discouragements, difficulties, dangers, distress, and darkness of this mortal life, we may depend upon Thy mercy, and on this build our hopes, as on a sure foundation. Let Thine infinite mercy in Christ Jesus deliver us from despair, both now and at the hour of death. Amen.

Comfort and Strengthen Your People

In response to a prayer request.

Heavenly Father,
comfort and strengthen your people.
Send your Holy Spirit
and move us to believe
the promises in your Holy Word
that you do not leave
or forsake your people,
even when they suffer
from illnesses, weaknesses,
and oppression by the powers of darkness.
By his holy life,
death and resurrection,
your Son Jesus
has already overthrown
the powers of the devil.
Strengthen our faith in Jesus,
who alone can win the victories over sin,
Satan and temptation,
that we may share in his victory
and enjoy his glorious freedom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Paul C. Stratman, for N. and A Collection of Prayers.

Supplement Our Faith with Virtue

O Lord,
give us your grace,
that we may supplement
our faith with virtue,
and virtue with knowledge,
and knowledge with self-control,
and self-control with steadfastness,
and steadfastness with godliness,
and godliness with brotherly affection,
and brotherly affection with love:
that not forgetting
that we have been cleansed from our old sins,
we may bear fruit in every good work,
and be all the more diligent
to confirm our calling and election;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 76.

This prayer is a reflection on 2 Peter 1:5-10 and Colossians 1:10.

The phrase “confirm our calling and election” or “make our calling and election sure” are not referring to us doing something to make salvation certain, but to reflect Christ’s certain work of making us his own by the way we give witness to it by our lives.

Original in traditional English:

O Lord, impart to us Thy grace, that we may add to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity: that so, not forgetting that we have been purged from our old sins,we may be fruitful in good works, and give all diligence to make our calling and election sure, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Preserve Us from All Sins, Work in Us Your Virtues

O Lord,
preserve us
from the deadly sins
of pride, envy, anger,
gluttony, lust,
greed and laziness.
In their place
work in us
and help us to live our lives
with the heavenly virtues
of humility, mercy, meekness,
moderation, purity, contentment,
and happy diligence in our work;
for Jesus Christ’s sake.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 75.

This prayer recalls the traditional “Seven Deadly Sins.” Although any unrepented sin is deadly (that is, destructive of faith), the list of the Seven Deadly Sins can be useful for reflection and self-examination.

Original in traditional English:

Preserve us, O Lord, from the deadly sins of pride, envy, anger, gluttony, lust, avarice, and sloth. And in their stead, implant and cultivate the contrary heavenly virtues of humility, mercy, meekness, temperance, chastity, contentedness, and cheerful industry; for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.