Category: Christian Prayer

Do not remember, Lord, our offences or the offences of our forefathers,
and do not take vengeance for our sins:
Spare us, good Lord.

Spare your servants, whom you have redeemed with your most precious blood,
and do not be angry with us forever:
Spare us, O Lord.

From the guilt and burden of our sins,
from the stings and terrors of conscience,
from the illusions and assaults of the enemy,
and from the bitter pains of eternal death:
Deliver us, O Lord.

From all impatience under your discipline,
from dejection of spirit and lack of trust in your mercies,
from the fear of death,
and from the terrors of judgment:
Deliver us, O Lord.

By your many and great mercies,
by the all sufficient merits of your blessed Son, Jesus Christ,
by his agony and bloody sweat,
by his bitter cross and passion,
by his glorious resurrection and ascension,

Almighty God,
through the resurrection of your Son
you secured peace for our troubled conscience.
Always give us this peace,
that in the merit of your Son
we may finally come to the perfect peace of heaven;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.

Source: Adapted from The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941

Almighty God,
you bestowed on us the Paschal mysteries
as the token of the covenant of humanity’s redemption.
Give us the will to show forth in our lives
what we profess with our lips;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.

Source: Adapted from The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941

O almighty and eternal God,
through the resurrection of your Son
you sealed the covenant of man’s reconciliation.
As…

O Christ our Lord,
from your cross
you cried out
as one forsaken by the Father,
and by your death
you redeemed humanity
which was lost through sin.
We humbly pray,
that we may truly believe
that we will never be forsaken by you,
and that our trust
in your eternal power and Godhead
may always be steadfast.
Graciously hear our prayers,
and make us to serve you always
according to your good will and pleasure.

Source: Mozarabic. Freely modified from The Revised Prayer-Book of the Reformed Spanish Church, 1889

This version is modified to clarify doctrine. The English translation in the source read:

O Christ our Lord, from Whose cross went up a cry as of one forsaken by the Father, and Who by Thy death didst redeem mankind which was lost through sin; we humbly supplicate Thy mercy, that we who believe may never be forsaken by…

O blessed Jesus,
most mighty lion,
King immortal and most victorious,
remember the sorrow that you suffered
when all your powers of heart and body
failed you utterly,
and when you bowed your head and said,
“It is finished.”
Remembering your anguish and sorrow,
blessed Jesus, have mercy on me in my last hour.

Source: Sarum Primer, 1538

Source of this version: http://www.oursanctuary.net/sarum.html

Traditional English:

O blessed Jesu, most mighty lion, King immortal and most victorious, have mind of the sorrow that Thou sufferedst when all the powers of Thine heart and body for feebleness failed Thee utterly. And then Thou saidst, inclining Thine head thus: “It is all done.” For mind of thine anguish and sorrow, blessed Jesus, have mercy on me in my last end.

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

Merciful, eternal God,
you did not spare your own Son,
but gave him up for us all
to bear our sins on the cross.
Give our hearts such faith
that we may never be frightened
or despair;
through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Martin Luther

Source of this version: Translated for A Collection of Prayers. German source: Gebetbuch, enthaltend die sämtlichen Gebete und Seufzer Martin Luther’s, ….Evangelischer Bücher-Verein, 1866, #600.  [Die Gebete Luthers, #293]

Also found inDie pommersche Kirchen-Ordnung und Agenda, p. 288(1).

Original in German:

Barmherziger, ewiger Gott, der du deines einigen Sohnes nicht verschonet hast, sondern für uns alle dahingegeben, daß er unsre Sünde am Kreuz tragen sollte; verleihe, daß unser Herz in solchem Glauben nimmermehr erschrecke noch verzage, durch denselben deinen Sohn, Jesum Christum, unsern Herrn. Amen. Luther.