Christian Prayer – Page 145 – A Collection of Prayers

The Morning Suffrages

INVOCATION

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

LORD, HAVE MERCY

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

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.

APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

LESSONS AND PSALM

PRECES (Responsive Verses)

I cry to you, O Lord,
and in the morning my prayer comes before you. (Psalm 88:13)

My mouth is filled with praise for you
and with your splendor all day long. (Psalm 71:8)

Hide your face from my sins.
Erase all my guilty deeds. (Psalm 51:9)

Create in me a pure heart, O God.
Renew an unwavering spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

Do not cast me from your presence.
Do not take your Holy Spirit from me. (Psalm 51:11)

Restore to me the joy of your salvation.
Sustain me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:12)

O Lord, preserve us this day,
and keep us from all sin.

Have mercy on us, Lord,
have mercy on us.

May your mercy, O Lord, be on us,
even as we wait confidently for you. (Psalm 33:22)

O Lord, hear my prayer,
and let my cry for help come to you. (Psalm 102:1)

PRAYER FOR GRACE

Lord God, almighty Father, eternal God, you have brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us today with your saving power so that we neither fall into sin nor run into any danger, but in everything we do, subject our words and direct our thoughts to what is right in your sight; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Additional prayers may be prayed here.

MORNING PRAYER

I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger. Keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please you. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

BLESSING

The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Amen.

This version of the suffrages combines elements from Common Service Book (1919) and The Lutheran Hymnal (1941)

Scriptures are from the Evangelical Heritage Version (www.wartburgproject.org)

Clasp Us Close

Come, Lord, work upon us,
set us on fire and clasp us close.
Be fragrant to us.
Draw us to your loveliness.
Let us love, let us run to you.

Source: St. Augustine of Hippo, 354-430

Source of this version: http://www.thebreadboxletters.com/2013/08/be-fragrant-to-us.html

“Be fragrant to us” may be a reference to Song of Songs 1:3
“Let us run to you” may be a reference to Song of Songs 1:4

Give Us True Judgment

Grant to us, O Lord,
to know that which is worth knowing,
to love that which is worth loving,
to praise whatever pleases you most,
to esteem whatever is most precious to you,
and to dislike whatever is evil in your eyes.
Do not let us judge merely by what we see with our eyes,
nor to decide based on what we hear from ignorant men,
but to discern with true judgment between things visible and spiritual,
and above all to search out and to do what is well pleasing to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Thomas à Kempis

Source of this version: The following versions were compared and combined:

http://tomwills.typepad.com/thenewchristianyear/thomas_kempis/

http://godspace-msa.com/2012/03/05/a-prayer-by-thomas-a-kempis/

In “discern with true judgment,” Thomas may be referencing John 7:24.

Comfort and Relieve

God of love, whose compassion never fails;
we bring before you the griefs and perils of peoples and nations;
the necessities of the homeless;
the helplessness of the aged and weak;
the sighings of prisoners;
the pains of the sick and injured;
the sorrow of the bereaved.
Comfort and relieve them, O merciful Father,
according to their needs;
for the sake of your Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Source: Anselm of Canterbury, d. 1109

Source of this version: http://www.invitationtoprayer.org/w_prayers.html

Persevere with Steadfast Faith

Almighty and everlasting God,
in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations.
Preserve the works of your mercy,
that your Church throughout the world
may persevere with steadfast faith
in the confession of your name;
through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Source: Gelasian Sacramentary

Source of this version: http://www.plts.edu/docs/jacobson/pentecost_2006.pdf

Graphic, Gelasian Sacramentary, from Wikipedia.com

The Collect for Peace

O GOD, from whom all holy desires,
all good counsels, and all just works do proceed;
Give unto thy servants that peace
which the world cannot give;
that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments,
and also that by thee, we,
being defended from the fear of our enemies,
may pass our time in rest and quietness;
through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Source: attributed to the Gelasian Sacramentary

Source of this version: Book of Common Prayer

Lord God, all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works come from you. Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments. Defend us also from the fear of our enemies that we may live in peace and quietness, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Variant:

Almighty and everlasting God, you are the fountain of all peace, spiritual and temporal. We humbly pray, in your great goodness grant us that peace which the world cannot give, that we may ever live in your fear, obedient to your commandments, to the end that you may deliver us from all our enemies; through your dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Source of this variant: Modified from Altar Book of the Norwegian Church, Augsburg Publishing House, 1915

A devotion on this prayer can be found on Pastor Stratman’s Blog.

Graphic, Gelasian Sacramentary, from Wikipedia.com

Jesus Satisfies Our Longings

Ah! sweet Jesus, pierce the marrow of my soul with the healthful arrows of your love, that it may truly burn, and melt, and languish, with the desire for you alone; that it may desire to be dissolved, and to be with you; let it hunger alone for the bread of life; let it thirst after you, the spring and fountain of eternal light, the stream of true pleasure; let it always desire you, seek you, and find you, and sweetly rest in you. Amen. Source: Bonaventura, d. 1274 Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.

Give Us Wisdom to Seek You

O gracious and holy Father,
give us wisdom to perceive you,
intelligence to understand you,
diligence to seek you,
patience to wait for you,
eyes to see you,
a heart to meditate on you,
and a life to proclaim you,
through the power of the spirit
of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: St. Benedict

Source of this version: http://1stholistic.com/Spl_prayers/prayer_benedict-guidance.htm

Collect for Purity

Prayer Book Bible Reading Book Of Common Prayer

Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may love you completely,
and rightly magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: 11th-century Leofric missal, also attributed to the Gregorian Sacramentary (7th Century)

Source of this version: Modified from 1980 Alternative Service Book via wikipedia.com

Traditional English:

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name: through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Book of Common Prayer

Latin:
Deus cui omne cor patet et omnis voluntas loquitur: et quem nullum latet secretum: purifica per infusionem sancti spiritus cogitationes cordis nostri: ut te perfecte diligere et digne laudare mereamur, per dominum nostrum iesum christum filium tuum qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate eiusdem spiritus sancti deus, per omnia secula seculorum. Amen.

This prayer has its own page on wikipedia.

Variant:

…of your Holy Spirit, that every thought and word of ours may begin from you, and in you be perfectly completed, through Christ our Lord. (The Catholic Prayer Book, 1984, 1986)

Sarum version begins:

O God, unto whom all hearts be open…

Breathe in Me

220px-sandro_botticelli_050 Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
that I always may be holy.
Amen.

Source: St. Augustine of Hippo, 354-430

Source of this version: https://prayerandverse.com/2016/05/17/make-me-holy/#more-2147

Also found here: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1116

Graphic by Sandro Botticeli from Wikipedia.com.