Christian Prayer – Page 113 – A Collection of Prayers

A Prayer for Enlightenment

6069369723_ee697728eb_z_d O God, author of eternal light,
shed forth continual day upon us who watch for you,
that our lips may praise you,
our lives may bless you,
and our meditations in the morning glorify you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Sarum Missal

Also found here: http://kenanderson.net/bible/html/may.html

Graphic: Page from an English Psalter, from Flickr, Walters Art Museum, Public Domain.

Preserve Us with Your Mercy

O Lord,
preserve your church with your perpetual mercy.
Without you, our mortal flesh can only fail.
Keep us and lead us away from all things hurtful,
and lead us to all things beneficial for our salvation;
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

A new translation of the Historic Collect for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Translation of “Custodi, Domine, quaesumus…” by Paul C. Stratman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

Prayer for Grace

6069369723_ee697728eb_z_d O Lord, our heavenly Father,
almighty and everlasting God,
who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day;
defend us in the same with thy mighty power;
and grant that this day we fall into no sin,
neither run into any kind of danger,
but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance,
to do always that is righteous in thy sight;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Sarum Breviary

Source of this version: Book of Common Prayer (Unaltered).

Variant:

O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to this new day. Defend us with your mighty power, and grant that this day we neither fall into sin nor run into any kind of danger; and in all we do, direct us to what is right in your sight, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.

Graphic: Page from an English Psalter, from Flickr, Walters Art Museum, Public Domain.

I Arise Today (Celtic Prayer)

I arise today
embraced in the arms
of God the Father,
empowered by the strength
of God the Spirit,
immersed in the love
of God the Son.
I arise today
in the company
of the Trinity,
Father, Spirit and Son.
I arise today.

Source: Unknown, attributed as “A Celtic Prayer”

Source of this version: http://stoswaldsoswestry.org.uk/prayer-room/morning-and-evening-prayers/

See: St. Patrick’s Breastplate.

A Morning Prayer

I arise in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, the crucified,
who has redeemed me with his precious blood.
May he guard me from evil,
preserve me in body and soul,
and give me what will further and strengthen me
in all good to everlasting life.

Source: Freely adapted from Seed Grains of Prayer, A Manual for Evangelical Christians, Wartburg Press, Chicago, 1914 #106.

The Medicine of Heavenly Grace

O God,
you always govern your creatures
with tender affection.
Hear our prayers
and graciously help your servant
who is suffering from bodily sickness.
Visit him with your salvation
and give him the medicine of heavenly grace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Gelasian Rite

Source of this version: Freely modified from Benediction of a Parish House or Mission Room, Book of Offices, 1914

Our Only Help in Time of Need

Prayer Book Bible Reading Book Of Common Prayer

O Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
our only help in time of need,
see, visit, and relieve your sick servant N.,
for whom our we pray.
Look on him with mercy,
comfort him with your goodness,
preserve him from the temptations of the enemy,
and give him patience under his affliction.
In your good time restore him to health
and enable him to lead the rest of his life
in your fear and to your glory,
and grant that he may dwell with you
in life everlasting;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Order for Visitation of the Sick, U. S. Book of Common Prayer, 1928

This prayer combines two prayers from the Book of Common Prayer:

O LORD, look down from heaven, behold, visit, and relieve this thy servant. Look upon him with the eyes of thy mercy, give him comfort and sure confidence in thee, defend him in all danger, and keep him in perpetual peace and safety; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O FATHER of mercies, and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need; We fly unto thee for succour in behalf of this thy servant, here lying in great weakness of body. Look graciously upon him, O Lord; and the more the outward man decayeth, strengthen him, we beseech thee, so much the more continually with thy grace and Holy Spirit in the inner man. Give him unfeigned repentance for all the errors of his life past, and stedfast faith in thy Son Jesus; that his sins may be done away by thy mercy, and his pardon sealed in heaven; through the same thy Son, our Lord and Saviour. Amen

Restore Health of Body and Mind

Prayer Book Bible Reading Book Of Common Prayer

Almighty and immortal God,
giver of life and health,
hear our prayer for your servant N.
Bless him and those who serve him with your healing gifts,
and as it pleases you,
restore to him health of body and of mind,
that he may give thanks to you in your holy Church;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: freely modified from The Order for the Visitation of the Sick, Book of Common Prayer, Church of Scotland, 1912

Prayer for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

O Lord Almighty, only Son of the Father,
free us from the bonds of our sins
and fill us with all spiritual gifts.
Let your grace go before us and follow us,
that we may faithfully serve you here,
and be numbered with your saints in glory everlasting;
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. 34 #2 (Trinity 13)

“free form the bonds of our sins” may be a reference to Romans 8:21

“all spiritual gifts” may be a reference to 1 Corinthians 12:1 and 1 Corinthians 14:1

“Let your grace go before us and follow us” may be a reference to 2 Corinthians 9:8

“be numbered with your saints in glory everlasting” is a reference to the Te Deum Laudamus

Prayers from the Gospel of Matthew in the Altenburger Bibelwerk

The Altenburger Bibelwerk was a devotional edition of the Bible based on the notes and commentaries by Luther, his associates and students. It was different from the study Bibles we have today. Chapters or parts of chapters had a written introduction followed by the Bible text, a summary or commentary, and a short reflective prayer or blessing (called a Votum). These prayers or blessings were written by Franciscus Vierling and were first published in the 1676 edition. What follows are translations of all the Vota from the Gospel of Matthew. These can be used devotionally as you read the given portion of the Scripture, or they can be used on their own as prayers and blessings.

Franziskus Vierling, prayers from the Gospel of Matthew

This is also available through Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/27908970/Translations_of_the_Vota_from_the_Gospel_of_Matthew_in_the_Altenburger_Bibelwerk_by_Franciscus_Vierling