Bless, O Lord, your gifts
which we are about to receive
from your goodness.
May your gifts, O Lord,
be our refreshment,
and your grace our comfort;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Source: Gelasian Sacramentary
Source of this version: Freely modified from Ancient Collects, and Other Prayers, ed. William Bright, 1902, p. 175 #2
Graphic, Gelasian Sacramentary, from Wikipedia.com
What blessing,
what praise,
what thanksgiving
can we give you, O God, lover of all?
For when we were in the darkness of death
and drowning in the depths of sin
you granted us freedom
and gave us this immortal and heavenly food,
and showed us the mystery kept secret for long ages.
Help us understand your supreme mercy
and the greatness of your goodness
and Fatherly care for us.
Source: The Coptic Liturgy of St. Cyril
Source of this version: Freely modified from Ancient Collects, and Other Prayers, ed. William Bright, 1902, p. 148 #1
“What blessing … can we give you” is be a reference to Psalm 116:12
“For when we were…” is a reference to Romans 5:8
“Mystery kept secret…” is a reference to Romans 16:25
Hear us, holy Lord,
Father almighty,
everlasting God,
and send your holy angels from heaven
to guard, cherish, protect, visit
and defend all who dwell in this house;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Source: Gelasian Sacramentary
Source of this version: Freely modified from Ancient Collects, and Other Prayers, ed. William Bright, 1902, p. 104 #1
Graphic, Gelasian Sacramentary, from Wikipedia.com
You have healed our wounds, O Lord,
by the wounds of your only Son.
What then should we do
since we have been bought at so great a price?
How shall we serve such a Lord,
who has promised such liberty
and has offered such an inheritance to us?
Work in us, O Lord, what pleases you.
Possess us so that we may possess you.
We will not perish,
you will let us live,
and we will call upon your name.
Source: Mozarabic Rite
Source of this version: Freely modified from Ancient Collects, and Other Prayers, ed. William Bright, 1902, p. 72 #3
“You have healed our wounds” is a reference to Isaiah 53:5
“What then should we do… How shall we serve” may be a reference to Psalm 116:12
“bought at so great a price” is a reference to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“We will not perish” is a reference to Psalm 118:17
“We will not perish” in the original is “We will not go back from you.” Changed to “We will not perish” to broaden the reference to psalm 118.
Graphic: Mozarabic manuscript from the Cathedral of Leon, from Wikimedia Commons.
O Lord God,
Life of mortals,
Light of the faithful,
Strength of those who labor,
and the Rest for your saints,
give us a peaceful night
free of all trouble,
that after quiet sleep,
we may enjoy your blessings
at the return of the light,
and be moved to action
by your Holy Spirit,
and moved to give you thanks.
Source: Mozarabic Rite
Source of this version: Freely modified from Ancient Collects, and Other Prayers, ed. William Bright, 1902, p. 11 #2
Graphic: Mozarabic manuscript from the Cathedral of Leon, from Wikimedia Commons.
Yours is the day, O Lord,
and yours is the night.
Let your Sun of righteousness
remain in our hearts
to drive away the darkness
of wicked thoughts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Source: Gelasian Sacramentary
Source of this version: Freely modified from Ancient Collects, and Other Prayers, ed. William Bright, 1902, p. 10 #4
Graphic, Gelasian Sacramentary, from Wikipedia.com
Almighty and everlasting God,
at evening, and morning, and noonday,
we humbly ask,
to drive from our hearts the darkness of sin,
and lead us to the true Light,
which is Christ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Source: Gelasian Sacramentary
Source of this version: Freely modified from Ancient Collects, and Other Prayers, ed. William Bright, 1902, p. 10 #3
Graphic, Gelasian Sacramentary, from Wikipedia.com
O God, by the light of your Word
you scatter the darkness of ignorance.
Increase in our hearts the power of faith
which you have given us,
that no temptations may put out the fire
your grace has caused to burn in our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Source: Gelasian Sacramentary
Source of this version: Freely modified from Ancient Collects, and Other Prayers, ed. William Bright, 1902, p. 7 #3
Graphic, Gelasian Sacramentary, from Wikipedia.com
After the night our spirits awaken to you, O God,
for your Word is a light to us.
Teach us, O God, your righteousness,
your commandments, and your judgments.
Enlighten the eyes of our minds,
so that we do not sleep in the death of sin.
Drive away all darkness from our hearts.
Give us your Sun of Righteousness.
Guard our lives from all blame by the seal of your Holy Spirit.
Guide our steps into the way of peace.
Let us see the dawn and the day with joy,
that we may offer our prayers to you in the evening.
Source: Daybreak Office of the Eastern Church
Source of this version: Freely modified from Ancient Collects, and Other Prayers, ed. William Bright, 1902, p. 5 #1
Compassionate Father,
we pray for those who struggle with loss
and are weighed down by temptations to despair.
Drive away their darkness with the light of Christ
who came to bear our griefs and carry our sorrows.
Cheer their hearts with the goodness
of your many blessings they still enjoy.
Remind them despite their losses
that they will not lose the treasure of Christ
or his gospel that declares them his own.
Source: From The St. Stephen’s Breviary: Short Prayers for Many Occasions, St. Stephen’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Prayers were written by Pastor Paul C. Stratman.
This work is licensed by Pastor Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.
A Collection of Prayers 
