Gracious God and Father, watch over all your people, those who struggle with doubts, those who struggle with the labors of life, those who sometimes struggle as they seek you. Calm our hearts with your Word, and with your dear Son’s promise, “I will give you rest.” Pour out your abundant blessings on us, give us the assurance of your love in Jesus Christ. Give us confidence as we face the challenges ahead. Give us health of body and spirit, and blessings in all things; through your Son who gave himself for us so that we could be his, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Source: Paul C. Stratman, April 27, 2024, from an online request.
Us / we may be substituted with a name or names, him / her or they / them.
The book Prayers Ancient and Modern was also published under the title Great Souls at Prayer. Mary Wilder Tileston made a revised edition in 1928 in which she removed about a quarter of the prayers from the 1897 edition and added newer prayers. This revision is based on the 1897 edition to give preference to ancient prayers. A few prayers resisted revision and even rewriting. Prayers from the 1928 edition were included as replacements, noted, and the originals are included in an appendix.
Devotional writing in the late 1800s was often very flowery and redundant. (“Why use one word when ten will do?”) Many wordings of prayers were reduced. Passive verbs were reworked to be active and resulted in stronger, more direct prayers.
Devotional writing in the late 1800s was often pietistic, with perfectionist theology, us for God language dominating, and God for us language often lacking.
All the prayers in this edition have been modified, some more freely than others. Most I revised in such a way that they remain direct quotes of the originals.
Some prayers were completely rewritten, and the resulting content may have some different themes than the original. This kind of revision is indicated with “Adapted from N.” in the attribution. Prayers so noted should not be considered direct quotes from the original authors.
In all the revision and overhauling, I tried to keep some of the language and spirit of the originals. Prayers Ancient and Modern is available and downloadable from Google Books and from Archive.org if readers wish to compare this book with the original.
Prayers Ancient Made Modern is offered here as a print book through Lulu, and without cost in EPUB, PDF, and DOCX formats.
Blessed fountain of life, I praise you for your vital breath of life! Bless my life with growth in grace, and increase my knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Lengthen my patience, strengthen my soul in humility and zeal, and set my heart and mind on things above. I hunger and thirst for your righteousness. Heavenly Father, teach me to do what pleases you, lead me by your gracious Spirit, and renew your holy image within me. I ask and hope through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whom we have received all the fullness of your grace. Amen.
Source: Freely modified from a prayer by Philip Doddridge (1702-1751) in Prayers Ancient and Modern, p. 238 (August 25).
Original in traditional English:
O Thou ever blessed fountain of life, I bless Thee that Thou hast infused into me Thine own vital breath, so that I am become a living soul. It is my earnest desire that I may not only live, but grow; grow in grace, and in the knowledge of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May I grow in patience and fortitude of soul, in humility and zeal, in spirituality and a heavenly disposition of mind. In a word, as Thou knowest I hunger and thirst after righteousness, make me whatever Thou wouldest delight to see me. Draw on my soul, by the gentle influences of Thy gracious Spirit, every trace and every feature which Thine eye, O heavenly Father, may survey with pleasure, and which Thou mayest acknowledge as Thine own image. I ask and hope it through Him of whose fulness we have all received — Amen.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, for you have granted us to pass through this day and to reach the beginning of the night. Hear our prayers and those of all your people. Forgive our sins and hear our evening requests. Send down on us the fullness of your mercy. Arm us with the armor of your righteousness, fence us round with your truth, guard us with your power. Deliver us from every assault and device of evil, and grant that we may pass this evening, and the approaching night, and all the days of our life, in the fullness of peace and holiness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The Service of the Sacrament begins with the Great Thanksgiving, a prayer that leads up to the Words of Institution, and in some cases includes the Words of Institution.
The Great Thanksgiving begins with the same greeting as the Service of the Word. “The Lord be with you. And also with you.” Only here there is a full dialogue that follows as we begin “The Great Thanksgiving.” Some early liturgies have the Apostolic Greeting at the beginning of the Great Thanksgiving / Preface Dialogue instead of the Salutation and Response.
The Great Thanksgiving
The Great Thanksgiving, sung in Latin to the traditional Gregorian tunes.
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Below the preface dialogue is displayed in Latin with ancient notation, also in English with modern notation:
The preface dialogue is often called the Sursum Corda, the Latin for “Lift up your hearts.”
This dialogue between the president and the congregation is found as early as the third century in the West (Hippolytus, ca. 215, and Cyprian, ca. 252) and the fourth century in the East (Cyril of Jerusalem, ca. 350). Its universality shows that it developed from a dialogue at Jewish ritual meals where the grace or thanksgiving after the main meal was introduced by the president’s saying “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God” and the gathered company giving their assent. In the Eucharist the dialogue leads into the great thanksgiving, which traditionally begins with a preface culminating in the Sanctus. (From the commentary on www.englishtexts.org)The tune presented here may be just as old–older than the notation that preserves it!
“Lift up your hearts” may be derived from Colossians 3:1, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” It also reminds me of the psalmist’s expression of trust in Psalm 25:1, “To you, O Lord, I will lift up my soul.” Originally, it may have been an invitation to stand (Strey, Christian Worship, p. 131). There are other services where a dialogue precedes a prayer of thanksgiving (some versions of Evening Prayer in the thanksgiving for light, and Baptism liturgies), but “Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.” is used exclusively in the dialogue before Holy Communion.
“Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give him thanks and praise.”The response in Latin is simply “Dignum et justum est.” “It is right and just.”Like the Salutation, this also seems to be a “little ordination,” where the assembly tells the officiant, “Yes, let’s give thanks!”
The Proper Preface
The proper preface is a seasonal sentence that reflects on God’s work among his people, and emphasizes the reason we are giving thanks in Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, etc. The sentence at the end is a segue to the Sanctus that emphasizes that we are not alone in our praise. We join with saints of all time and the angels of heaven, singing the song Isaiah heard in chapter 6 and John heard in Revelation 4:8.Proper prefaces below are from Common Service Book (1917) with the exception of Advent, which is from The Lutheran Hymnal (1941).
It is truly meet, right, and salutary, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you, O Lord, holy Father, almighty everlasting God, through Jesus Christ our Lord,…
For Advent: …whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming him the Messiah, the very Lamb of God, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when he comes again in glory. Therefore with angels…, etc.
For Christmas: …for in the mystery of the Word made flesh, you have given us a new revelation of your glory; that seeing you in the person of your Son, we may be drawn to the love of those things which are not seen. Therefore with angels…, etc.
For Epiphany: …and now do we praise you, that you sent us your only Son, and that in him, being found in fashion as a man, you revealed the fullness of your glory. Therefore with angels…, etc.
For Lent: …who on the tree of the cross did give salvation to mankind; that where death arose, there life also might rise again: and that he who by a tree once overcame, might likewise by a tree be overcome, through Christ our Lord; through whom with angels…, etc.
For Easter: …but chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious Resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord: for he is the very Paschal Lamb, who was offered for us, and has taken away the sin of the world; by his death has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again, has restored to us eternal life. Therefore with angels…, etc.
For the Festival of the Ascension: …who, after his Resurrection, appeared openly to all his disciples, and in their sight was taken up into heaven, that he might make us partakers of his divine nature. Therefore with angels…, etc.
For the Festival of Pentecost: …who ascending above the heavens and sitting at your right hand, poured out [on this day] the Holy Spirit on the chosen disciples as he had promised, for this the whole earth rejoices with exceeding joy. Therefore with angels…, etc.
For the Festival of the Holy Trinity: …with you and the Holy Spirit, are one God, one Lord. And in the confession of the only true God, we worship the Trinity in Person, and the Unity in Substance, of majesty co-equal. Therefore with angels…, etc.
… Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify your glorious name; evermore praising you, and saying:
Holy, Holy, Holy – Sanctus
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Sanctus from Missa de AngelisSanctus often ascribed to J. S. Bach.
The Sanctus is part of the Great Thanksgiving, a part sung by choir or congregation. The song itself is derived from Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4, and it’s use in a prayer before Holy Communion has some doctrinal implications. Isaiah and John were in the presence of God when they heard the hosts of heaven sing, “Holy, holy, holy.” In Holy Communion, Jesus Christ comes to us. He is the one “who comes in the name of the Lord.”He is truly present with us, according to the promise embedded into his commands, “Take and eat; this is my + body, which is given for you. / , “Drink from it, all of you; this is my + blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.”
The Eucharistic Prayer / Prayer of Thanksgiving follows.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We give you thanks, O God, through your beloved servant, Jesus Christ, whom you have sent in these last times as Savior and Redeemer and messenger of your will. He is your Word, inseparable from you, through whom you made all things and in whom you take delight.
You sent him from heaven into the virgin’s womb, where he was conceived and took flesh. Born of the virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was revealed as your Son. In fulfillment of your will he stretched out his hands in suffering to release from suffering those who place their trust in you, and so won for you a holy people.
He freely accepted the death to which he was handed over in order to destroy death and to shatter the chains of the evil one; to trample underfoot the powers of hell and to lead the righteous into light; to fix the boundaries of death and to manifest the resurrection.
Remembering therefore his death and resurrection, we set before you this bread and cup, thankful that you have counted us as your priestly people.
We ask you to send your Holy Spirit upon the offering of the holy church. Gather into one all who share these holy mysteries, filling them with the Holy Spirit and confirming their faith in the truth, that together we may praise you and give you glory, through your servant, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Anaphora of Hippolytus is the basis for Eucharistic Prayer II in the Roman Rite, Eucharistic Prayer IV in Lutheran Book of Worship, Eucharistic Prayer XI in Evangelical Lutheran Worship, in the Holy Eucharist in Rite Two in The Book of Common Prayer (1979), and in Setting One in Christian Worship: Hymnal (2021).
When Martin Luther was assembling his Formula Missae, his Latin order of service, he removed the Prayer of Thanksgiving, also called the Canon, because the prayer in common use at his time had numerous references to the Mass as a sacrifice. (The Tridentine Canon, and the present Canon of the Mass also refers to the Mass as Sacrifice.)Beginning with Service Book and Hymnal (1958) Lutherans have been reintroducing Prayers of Thanksgiving, often using historic models as their basis.
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer has long been connected with the Words of Institution, in some rites preceding, in some rites following. The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer of the family of God, hence, “Our Father…”. One writer says that the use of the Lord’s Prayer is not so much part of the consecration of the elements as it is a consecration of the people (Reed, p. 364). Older rubrics directed the officiant to read the Lord’s Prayer with the congregation responding with the Doxology (“For the kingdom… / For thine is the kingdom…”). Modern practice is often to use it as a congregational prayer.
Words of Institution
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my + body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; this is my + blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
The Words of Institution are chiefly a proclamation of the gospel from the words of Jesus. “My body … is given for you. … my blood … is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.” They are not a prayer that makes a transformation take place. They are a repetition of the words of Jesus which make the sacrament what it is.
The peace of the Lord be with you always. Amen.
“The peace of the Lord…” is called the Pax Domini. Sometimes it is followed by a simple Amen by the people. Sometimes it is treated as a greeting, as used elsewhere, “The peace of the Lord be with you always. And also with you.” Some traditions “share the peace” at this point. Peace and forgiveness go together.
Lamb of God – Agnus Dei
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace.
Lamb of God – Agnus Dei is derived from the short sermon of John the Baptist, “Behold, the Lamb of God…” The repetition is reminiscent of the later use of the Kyrie. It is sometimes called the Fraction Anthem, which means that the bread was broken as it was sung.Just as the Sanctus teaches the real presence of Christ in the Supper, Lamb of God teaches us the purpose and benefit of the Lord’s Supper. As Luther says in the Small Catechism, “That is shown us by these words, “Given” and “poured out for you for the forgivneness of sins.”
Distribution
During the distribution, hymns or choir anthems are sung. Among Lutherans, some classic communion hymns teach the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper in song. Click the links in the titles to see the texts:
Adoro te devote is a favorite Catholic hymn, also fitting for the distribution.
The Post-Communion
Among Roman Catholics, the Post-Communion is often the salutation, followed by, “Go, the Mass is ended.”
Luther’s orders do not include a post-communion canticle. The Swedish liturgy of 1531 and a few German liturgies of the sixteenth century included the Nunc Dimittis.
The Post-Communion collect (prayer) below is by Martin Luther, found in his German Mass and Order of Service (Deutsche Messe). There are many other collects available. In some worship books, the collect was preceded by a versicle and response.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His mercy endures forever.
or
Whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
We give thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us with this saving gift. We pray that through it you will strengthen our faith in you and increase our love for one another. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Luther suggested the Aaronic Blessing (below) or verses from Psalm 67 as a blessing to conclude the service.
Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and + give you peace. Amen.
The Noveritis, also known as the Epiphany Proclamation, is a listing of liturgical dates of moveable feasts in the year ahead. Noveritis is the first word of a refrain when the text is sung.
According to ancient custom, the date of Easter was announced on the feast of Epiphany. This tradition dated from a time when calendars were not readily available, and the church needed to publicize the date of Easter, since many celebrations of the liturgical year depend on it. (Wikipedia)
The proclamation may be read or sung, either after the reading of the Gospel or after the postcommunion prayer.
Dear brothers and sisters, the glory of the Lord is dawning upon us, and will always shine on us until the day of his return.
We will celebrate the mysteries of our salvation in the course of the coming year:
Ash Wednesday will be on the _____ of _____, the beginning of the season of Lent.
We will celebrate Resurrection of our Lord on the _____ of _____, with Easter joy.
The Ascension of our Lord will be on the _____ of _____.
The Day of Pentecost will be on the _____ of _____.
The First Sunday of Advent will be on the _____ of _____.
To Jesus Christ, who is, who was, and who is coming, the Lord of all time and history, be endless praise, forever and ever. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters, the glory of the Lord is dawning upon us, and will always shine on us until the day of his return.
We will celebrate the mysteries of our salvation in the course of the coming year:
Ash Wednesday will be on the 14th of February, the beginning of the season of Lent.
We will celebrate Resurrection of our Lord on the 31st of March, with Easter joy.
The Ascension of our Lord will be on the 9th of May.
The Day of Pentecost will be on the 19th of May.
The First Sunday of Advent will be on the 1st of December.
To Jesus Christ, who is, who was, and who is coming, the Lord of all time and history, be endless praise, forever and ever. Amen.
For 2025
Dear brothers and sisters, the glory of the Lord is dawning upon us, and will always shine on us until the day of his return.
We will celebrate the mysteries of our salvation in the course of the coming year:
Ash Wednesday will be on the 5th of March, the beginning of the season of Lent.
We will celebrate Resurrection of our Lord on the 20th of April, with Easter joy.
The Ascension of our Lord will be on the 29th of May.
The Day of Pentecost will be on the 8th of June.
The First Sunday of Advent will be on the 30th of November.
To Jesus Christ, who is, who was, and who is coming, the Lord of all time and history, be endless praise, forever and ever. Amen.
For 2026
Dear brothers and sisters, the glory of the Lord is dawning upon us, and will always shine on us until the day of his return.
We will celebrate the mysteries of our salvation in the course of the coming year:
Ash Wednesday will be on the 18th of February, the beginning of the season of Lent.
We will celebrate Resurrection of our Lord on the 5th of April, with Easter joy.
The Ascension of our Lord will be on the 14th of May.
The Day of Pentecost will be on the 24th of May.
The First Sunday of Advent will be on the 29th of November.
To Jesus Christ, who is, who was, and who is coming, the Lord of all time and history, be endless praise, forever and ever. Amen.
A shorter form, based on the Latin text:
Dear brothers and sisters, as we have rejoiced in the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, so by God’s mercy we announce to you the joy of our Savior’s resurrection.
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, will occur on the _____ of _____.
The Resurrection of our Lord will occur on the _____ of _____.
The Ascension of the Lord will be commemorated on the _____ of _____.
Pentecost, the conclusion of the season of Easter, will be celebrated on the _____ of _____.
Thus the First Sunday of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ will be the _____ of _____.
With Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei as some of the top hits, I see a pattern of interest in the history of the Western Rite. Perhaps that could be a subject for a series of posts, or maybe even a book!
The chief views continue to be from English speaking countries (U.S., U. K., Canada and Australia), but there is growing usage from the Philippines, India and South Africa. There are very few countries that haven’t viewed A Collection of Prayers.
Links to A Collection of Prayers
WordPress lets me see referrers, that is, other websites that have a link to A Collection of Prayers. The biggest referrers are a liturgy website (www.liturgies.net), Christian spirituality websites (www.christianity.com, www.crosswalk.com) followed by individual ministries, churches, and even denominational websites.
The past year was more significant for the production and sales of books than for the database of prayers on the website.
I moved all my books from Lulu to Amazon KDP. Lulu’s system brought minimal returns for royalties when books were purchased through other retailers. Amazon KDP also sells through multiple retailers with a better return. Because many people use Amazon, using Amazon KDP makes my books easier to find. The whole Praying with the Readingsseries has been moved to Amazon KDP, and is getting more exposure. Now and Forever: Contemporary Collectswas also re-edited to be a part of the Praying with the Readings series, now including the collects arranged for use with the Historic Lectionary.
Beyond This Website, Books and Products
Various denominational and devotional publishers have contacted me about using A Collection of Prayers as a source. I am always happy to share my work. People who share free worship materials on their websites have contacted me for permission to use and share–which is what A Collection of Prayers is all about.
A Collection of Prayers 