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Graces from the Book of Common Worship (1906)

The Lord make us grateful for all his mercies, and add his blessing, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Almighty God who provides for us, nourish our souls with the Bread of Life in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Bless us, O Lord, as we bless you when we receive your gift of daily bread. Amen.

The Lord bless this food to our use and us to his service. Amen.

Lord, help us to receive all good things as from your hand and to use them to your praise. Amen.

Heavenly Father, make us thankful to you and mindful of others as we receive these blessings, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Father in heaven, sustain our bodies with this food, our hearts with true friendship, and our souls with your truth, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Source: Slightly modified from “Forms of Grace before Meat,” The Book of Common Worship, Henry Van Dyke, editor, Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School Work, 1906, p. 167.

Another prayer, “Lord Jesus, be our holy Guest” has been given its own page.

Offering Prayers

O Lord, stir up the wills of your faithful people, that those who have freely received your blessings may give from your blessings; through Jesus Christ our Lord. [1]

Source: Freely modified from Bishop John Dowden, 1840-1910

Most merciful and gracious God, we have all received the gifts of your goodness. Receive this offering of your people and follow it with your blessing, that it may be used to spread peace and good will among all people and advance the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. [2]

Source: Based on a prayer in The Book of Common Worship, Henry Van Dyke, Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School Work, 1906, p. 7.

All gracious God, in your infinite love you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins and rise again for our justification, and have made us partakers of the divine nature through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Receive the offering we present to you and grant that our bodies, souls and spirits may be living sacrifices to you, holy and pleasing in your sight, and that we may go forth in your strength to freely serve you in all things; through Jesus Christ our Lord. [3]

Source: Based on a prayer in The Book of Common Worship, Henry Van Dyke, Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School Work, 1906, p. 16.

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son once offered up himself on the cross once for all. Accept this our spiritual act of worship of praise. O Lord, we offer and present ourselves, our souls and bodies to be a holy and living sacrifice acceptable to you through Jesus Christ your Son. [4]

Source: Based on a prayer in The Book of Common Worship, Henry Van Dyke, Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School Work, 1906, p. 37

Short Offering Prayers

Lord Jesus, our heavenly King, grant that the closer we draw to Judgment Day the more sharply we may recognize and acknowledge the claim—the blood-bought claim—which you have on our whole lives. [1]

Jesus, our only Savior, grant that the gifts we bring you each week may more and more get to show that we are just as diligent and just as interested in the Lord’s business as we are in our own business. [2]

Dear Savior, you have taught us: “A man’ s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Teach us to realize more and more that happiness in life does not depend on the number of things we can call our own. Rather, Jesus, help us to find joy in the uses that we as stewards make of the money you’ve placed in our hands. [3]

Dear Savior, grant that the gifts we bring you each week may not be evidence of a weak and undernourished faith, but of a healthy faith; a faith that is growing in the lovely grace of Christian liberality. [4]

Heavenly Father, fill the heart of every member of ______________Congregation with your deep concern for lost souls; with your Son’s spirit of willing sacrifice; and with your Holy Spirit’s power to spread the Gospel far and near.[5]

Majestic Lord, accept these little gifts which we have laid on your altar. Grant that bringing these gifts may have brought real joy to the heart of the givers. Grant that these gifts may bring joy to the heart of the Savior, to whom they have been given. [6]

Heavenly Father, grant that the gifts we have placed on your altar this morning may be an accurate expression of the deep appreciation we feel toward the only Savior we’re ever going to have. [7]

Heavenly Father, grant that the gifts we have placed on your altar this morning may be an accurate expression of the deep appreciation we feel toward our only Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Modified from [7] above.)

Dearest Savior, grant that our offering may show that we remember what many seem to forget—that real happiness does not come by acquiring and possessing, but by giving and serving. [8]

Lord of all, again this morning we saw how your fatherly heart toward us is laid bare in Jesus Christ. Grant that the gifts we bring you each week may give evidence that your love is producing fruit in us, leading us to respond to you as the Lord of our lives. [9]

Dear Savior, help us to believe that when you ask us to worship you with our gifts this is not just a business proposition, and surely not an invasion of our privacy, but rather an exercise of our faith, and a fitting response to the mercy you have shown us. [10]

Dear Savior, we thank you for giving us your love and also the means to share your love with others. [11]

Lord Jesus, purify our love for you, and strengthen our resolve to give you first place in our lives in the week just ahead. [12]

Lord of all, forgive us for so often arguing with your claim on our lives. Accept these gifts as evidence of our determination today to accept your guidance and your help, as you seek to equip us for the life of service to which you have called us. [13]

Jesus, in faith today I give you my head, my heart, and my hands. Please use me this week. [14]

John-Jeske-1419607459[1] Source: Professor John C. Jeske (1924-2014), from his essay: “Christian Stewardship Is Taking God At His Word” available at this link from the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary essay file: http://wlsessays.net/bitstream/handle/123456789/2367/JeskeChristian.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

A Confession of Sins

I, a poor sinner,
confess before you, my God and Creator,
that I have grievously sinned against you in many ways,
not only by gross outward sins,
but much more through inward natural blindness,
unbelief, doubts, despondency, impatience, pride,
covetousness, secret envy, hatred, malice,
and other sinful affections
which you see in me, my Lord and God,
and which, alas, I cannot always see in myself.
I repent of these, and cry to you for your mercy,
through your beloved Son Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Source: Palatinate Liturgy, 1563, and Lutheran Liturgy of Wuerttemberg, 1536.

Translation based on Tercentenary Monument: In Commemoration of the Three Hundredth Anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism M. Kieffer & Company, 1863

For Those Who Have Forgotten You

O God,
no one can escape your Spirit,
and none may flee from your presence.
We pray for those who have forgotten you
and have wandered in disobedience to your will
and neglected your holy Word and Sacraments.
May your Holy Spirit continue to strive with them,
may your exceeding great love still plead with them,
to bring them home to yourself again,
that they may rejoice in your salvation
and glorify your blessed name.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from A Book of Prayers: Together with Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Ancient and Modern, Morehouse Publishing Company, 1921, p. 54

Original has: “and neglected your holy Church and Sacraments.”

Lead Us to Love You Sincerely

O Lord Jesus Christ,
by your almighty power
you opened the eyes of the blind,
and showed yourself to them.
Turn our eyes away from worthless things,
and lead us to love you sincerely;
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. 22 #3 (Lent 3)

“you opened the eyes of the blind” is a reference to Mark 8:23, John 9:17ff,

“Turn our eyes away from worthless things” is a reference to Psalm 119:37

Shield Us from the Devil’s Cunning and Terror

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Lord God, heavenly Father,
since that evil spirit, the devil,
always prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking to devour us,
you want to shield us
by your dear holy angels
from all of his cunning and terror,
for your dear Son’s sake.
Through your Holy Spirit,
give us repentant hearts,
that we may serve you
in all soberness and vigilance;
through Jesus Christ,
your dear Son,
our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Die pommersche Kirchen-Ordnung und Agenda, p. 287

Original in German:

Herr Gott, himmlischer Vater, wir bitten dich, weil der böse Geist allzeit als ein brüllender Löwe um uns hergehet und suchet, ob er uns verschlingen könne, du wollest uns um deines lieben Sohnes willen mit den lieben heiligen Engeln wider alle feine List und Gewalt beschirmen, und uns durch deinen Geist bußfertige Herzen verleihen, daß wir in Mäßigkeit und Nüchternheit dir dienen mögen, durch Jesum Christum deinen lieben Sohn, unsern Herrn. Amen. Pommersche Agende

Move Us to Thanks for Jesus’ Suffering

matthiasgrunewald_thecrucifixion2 Almighty Father, eternal God,
for us you sent your Son
and let him suffer
the pain of the cross,
that he might drive away from us
all the terror of the evil foe.
Move us to joyfully give thanks for his suffering
through which we have received
forgiveness of sins
and redemption from eternal death;
through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Martin Luther [Die Gebete Luthers, #14]

Source of this version: Translated for A Collection of Prayers. German source: Gebetbuch, enthaltend die sämtlichen Gebete und Seufzer Martin Luther’s, ….Evangelischer Bücher-Verein, 1866, #590.

Also found in Die pommersche Kirchen-Ordnung und Agenda, p. 288(2).

Original in German:

Allmächtiger Vater, ewiger Gott, der du für uns hast deinen Sohn des Kreuzes Pein lassen leiden, auf daß du von uns des Feindes Gewalt treibest: verleihe uns also zu begehen und zu danken seinem Leiden, daß wir dadurch der Sünden Vergebung und vom ewigen Tode Erlösung erlangen, durch denselben deinen Sohn Jesum Christum, unsern Herrn. Amen. Luther.

Gewalt can be translated as “power,” “violence,” “force,” “might,” or “control.” “Terror” seemed to sum up all these well.

Send Your Holy Spirit

800px-lucas_cranach_d-c384-_-_martin_luther2c_1528_28veste_coburg29_28cropped29 Dear God,
send us your Holy Spirit,
that he may take the Word we have heard
and write it in our hearts,
so that we grasp it,
believe it,
and find our joy
and comfort in it
forever.
Amen.

Source: Martin Luther

Original in German:

Lieber Gott, gieb uns deinen heiligen Geist, der das gehörte Wort in unser Herz schreibe, also, daß wir annehmen, glauben, und uns dessen in Ewigkeit erfreuen und trösten mögen. Amen. Luther.

Let Your Rich Mercy Be with Us

800px-lucas_cranach_d-c384-_-_martin_luther2c_1528_28veste_coburg29_28cropped29 Almighty God,
you are the protector
of all who hope in you.
Without your grace,
no one can do anything,
or merit anything before you.
Let your mercy be with us richly,
so that as you dwell in us,
we think what is right
and by your work in us,
we do what is right;
for the sake of Jesus Christ,
your Son, our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Martin Luther

Original in German:

Allmächtiger Gott, der du bist ein Beschützer aller, die auf dich hoffen, ohne welches Gnade niemand nichts vermag, noch etwas vor dir gilt, laß deine Barmherzigkeit uns reichlich widerfahren, auf daß wir durch dein heilig Eingeben, denken was recht ist und durch deine Wirkung dasselbige vollbringen, um Jesu Christi, deines Sohnes, unsers Herrn willen. Amen. Luther.

This prayer is Luther’s German translation of this Gregorian prayer in Latin.