Christian Prayer – Page 114 – A Collection of Prayers

Our Souls Long for You

antifonariodelec3b3n1 As watchmen wait for the morning,
so do our souls long for you, O Christ.
Come with the dawning of the day,
and make yourself known to us in the breaking of bread;
for you are our God for ever and ever.
Amen.

Source: Mozarabic Rite

Source of this version: http://1stholistic.com/Spl_prayers/prayer_mozarabic-morning-prayer.htm

Also found here: https://attentiontothemoment.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/the-mozarabic-sacramentary/

“As watchmen wait for the morning” is a reference to Psalm 130:6

“known in the breaking of bread” is a reference to Luke 24:35

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

The Collects of Veit Dietrich

veit-dietrich Veit Dietrich was a younger associate of Martin Luther, sometimes serving as Luther’s secretary in the Table Talk and in some of the notes connected with Luther’s translation of the Bible. Dietrich was one of many theologians in the early Reformation who wrote volumes to educate both laity and clergy. He wrote a book Summaria Christlicher Lehr (1548) which was a devotional commentary on the Sunday lessons in the Historic Lectionary. After the summaries of the lessons for a certain day, he had a prayer based on the Gospel for the day. These prayers or collects were similar to the classic collects (now often called the ‘prayer of the day’ which is read before the lessons) only they were longer, more meditative, somewhat didactic (‘teachy’), and more closely connected to the thematic content of the Gospel.

Veit Dietrich’s collects appeared in English translation in The Lutheran Hymnary (1913) and in slightly updated English in Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (1996). There were a few prayers in Summaria… that did not appear in either book. They have been newly translated for this work.

The Collects of Veit Dietrich in Contemporary English, prepared for A Collection of Prayers is available here: Veit Dietrich Collects CE. The pdf now has a cross-reference thematic use with the Christian Worship Lectionary (1993).

And also at Academia.edu here: https://www.academia.edu/27888007/The_Collects_of_Veit_Dietrich

A Prayer for Peace

antifonariodelec3b3n1 O God, you are the author of peace.
Spread abroad your peace in our hearts and minds,
guard and protect us in all danger,
and lead us to always trust in your defense,
that we may serve you without fear
all the days of our life;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Source: from Mozarabic Morning Prayer from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 58-59

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

A Prayer for Grace

antifonariodelec3b3n1

O Lord Jesus Christ,
you took on yourself the weakness of our mortal nature.
Grant that we may pass this day in safety without sin,
resisting all the temptations of the enemy,
that in the evening, we may joyfully praise you,
O King eternal, through your mercy.
O our God, you are blessed, and live and rule over all things,
forever and ever.
Amen.

Source: from Mozarabic Morning Prayer from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 58-59

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

Mozarabic Morning Prayer and Blessing

antifonariodelec3b3n1

May the everlasting God bless us this day.
May he save and defend us from all that is evil,
and make us partakers of his heavenly kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

In the name of Jesus + Christ our Lord,
let us go to the work to which we are called this day, in peace.
Amen.

Source: from Mozarabic Morning Prayer from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 58-59

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

The Purpose of Crosses

May the almighty and gracious God,
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
forgive us all our sins,
help us to live in daily repentance,
and grant that whatever crosses he sends
serve to lead us to despise and avoid what is evil
and love and practice what is good,
until we depart this life and enter eternal life.
Amen.

Translation of “Der allmaechtige und guetige Gott” by Paul C. Stratman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

Original in German:

Der allmaechtige und guetige Gott, der Vater unsers Herrn Jesus Christi, vergebe uns alle unsere Suende; helfe, dass wir in taeglicher Busse leben, und verleihe, dass uns das liebe Kreuz diene, dazu er uns solchest zuschickt, dass wir das Boese neiden und meiden, und das Gute lieben und ueben, bis zum Ausgang aus diesem zeitlichen, und zum Eingang in jenes ewige Leben. Amen.

A Morning Prayer

O Lord,
King of heaven and earth,
order, hallow, rule and govern
our hearts and bodies, and our thoughts, words and actions
according to your commandments;
through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen

Source: Breviarium Romanum (Prime)

Source of this version: Modified from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, Board of Publication of the United Lutheran Church in America, Philadelphia, 1919, p. 222 #60

This prayer may be trying to parallel the Lord’s Prayer. “Hallow, rule and govern…” seem to parallel “Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done.”

Awaken and Illuminate Us

O God,
you divide the day from the night.
Separate us and all we do
from the gloom of darkness.
As you have awakened our bodies from sleep,
awaken our souls from sin.
As the light of the day has brightened our eyes,
illuminate our hearts with the light of your Word and the Holy Spirit.
Today, empower us as children of the light
to walk in obedience to you,
that in all our thoughts, words, and actions
we may strive to keep faith and a clean conscience
toward you, and toward all;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source of this version: A Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland, 1896, p. 191 #2

This prayer may be an expansion of the thoughts in “Hearts and Minds Unshadowed”

Prayer Reflecting on Violence in Milwaukee, August 13-14, 2016

O, dear Lord Jesus Christ,
you told your disciples,
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).
When we see violence instead of peace,
it is so tempting to let our hearts be troubled and afraid.
That Thursday night in that upper room
the peace you spoke of was the peace of forgiveness,
the peace of being connected to you,
the peace of being children of God in faith.
Turn our eyes to your cross
to remember how from the violence of your cross
you brought forth peace and reconciliation for the world.
Renew in our hearts the peace you promised,
and make us your people who share that peace.
Guide us so that when we feel frustrated and angry,
we still seek to glorify you
and love and serve our neighbors.
From your holy Gospel,
bring your peace and reconciliation
to individual hearts,
and so dispel trouble and calm fear;
in your most holy name we ask it.
Amen.

Shortened:

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, you told your disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.’ (John 14) When we see violence instead of peace, we are tempted to let our hearts be troubled and afraid. Turn our eyes to your cross and remind us how from the violence of your cross you brought forth peace and reconciliation for the world. Renew in our hearts the peace you promised, and make us your people who share that peace. From your holy Gospel, bring your peace to people’s hearts, and so dispel trouble and calm fear; in your most holy name we ask it. Amen.

Prayer Reflecting on Violence in Milwaukee, August 13-14, 2016 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 the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

O God,
you are the well of life,
and in your light we shall see light.
When we thirst give us living water
and enlighten our darkened minds with heavenly light;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 34 #1 (Trinity 12)