Christian Prayer – Page 91 – A Collection of Prayers

For Patience

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O God,
by the meek endurance
of your only Son
you beat down the pride
of the old enemy.
Help us rightly
to treasure in our hearts
what our Lord has borne
for our sakes,
that following his example
we may bear
all our troubles
with patience;
through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Missale Romanum (16th Century?), English translation freely modified from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, # 29.

Original in Latin:

Deus, qui Unigeniti tui patientia antiqui hostis contrivisti superbiam: da nobis, quaesumus, quae idem pie pro nobis pertulit, digne recolere; sicque exemplo ejus, nobis adversantia aequanimiter tolerare. Per Dominum… Amen.

Litany for the Church

Lord, be merciful to us.
Heal our souls, for we have sinned against you.

Show us your unfailing love, Lord,
and grant us your salvation. (Psalm 85:7)

Turn again, O Lord,
and be gracious to your servants.

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:22)

Let us pray for the Holy Church of God:
May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. (Psalm 51:18)

May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels. (Psalm 122:7)

May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;
may your faithful people sing for joy. (Psalm 132:9)

Let us pray for our pastors and teachers:
Never take the word of truth from their mouths. (Psalm 119:43)

That they will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of your name, O Lord our God. Amen. (Micah 5:4)

Source: Attributed to Abendgebet of the German Lutheran Church in Book of Prayers for Church and Home, ed. by Paine and Thompson, Philadelphia: Christian Education Press, 1962, p. 57.

Modified with scriptures taken or adapted from the New International Version, 2011.

Raise Us from Our Sins

O holy Jesus, most loving Savior,
you called out to Lazarus
and made him come out of his tomb.
May we hear you with our hearts, arise from our sins,
and serve you in newness of life;
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. 24 #1 (Lent 5)

“you called out to Lazarus” is a reference to John 11

“May we hear you with our hearts, arise from our sins” may be a reference to Ephesians 5:14

Help Us Depend on Your Mercy

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O God,
help us
in all discouragement,
difficulty,
danger,
distress,
and darkness
in this mortal life,
to build our hopes
on the sure foundation
of your infinite mercy
in Christ Jesus.
Deliver us from despair,
both now
and at the hour of death.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 85.

Original in traditional English:

Grant, O God, that amidst all the discouragements, difficulties, dangers, distress, and darkness of this mortal life, we may depend upon Thy mercy, and on this build our hopes, as on a sure foundation. Let Thine infinite mercy in Christ Jesus deliver us from despair, both now and at the hour of death. Amen.

Comfort and Strengthen Your People

In response to a prayer request.

Heavenly Father,
comfort and strengthen your people.
Send your Holy Spirit
and move us to believe
the promises in your Holy Word
that you do not leave
or forsake your people,
even when they suffer
from illnesses, weaknesses,
and oppression by the powers of darkness.
By his holy life,
death and resurrection,
your Son Jesus
has already overthrown
the powers of the devil.
Strengthen our faith in Jesus,
who alone can win the victories over sin,
Satan and temptation,
that we may share in his victory
and enjoy his glorious freedom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Paul C. Stratman, for N. and A Collection of Prayers.

Supplement Our Faith with Virtue

O Lord,
give us your grace,
that we may supplement
our faith with virtue,
and virtue with knowledge,
and knowledge with self-control,
and self-control with steadfastness,
and steadfastness with godliness,
and godliness with brotherly affection,
and brotherly affection with love:
that not forgetting
that we have been cleansed from our old sins,
we may bear fruit in every good work,
and be all the more diligent
to confirm our calling and election;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 76.

This prayer is a reflection on 2 Peter 1:5-10 and Colossians 1:10.

The phrase “confirm our calling and election” or “make our calling and election sure” are not referring to us doing something to make salvation certain, but to reflect Christ’s certain work of making us his own by the way we give witness to it by our lives.

Original in traditional English:

O Lord, impart to us Thy grace, that we may add to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity: that so, not forgetting that we have been purged from our old sins,we may be fruitful in good works, and give all diligence to make our calling and election sure, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Preserve Us from All Sins, Work in Us Your Virtues

O Lord,
preserve us
from the deadly sins
of pride, envy, anger,
gluttony, lust,
greed and laziness.
In their place
work in us
and help us to live our lives
with the heavenly virtues
of humility, mercy, meekness,
moderation, purity, contentment,
and happy diligence in our work;
for Jesus Christ’s sake.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 75.

This prayer recalls the traditional “Seven Deadly Sins.” Although any unrepented sin is deadly (that is, destructive of faith), the list of the Seven Deadly Sins can be useful for reflection and self-examination.

Original in traditional English:

Preserve us, O Lord, from the deadly sins of pride, envy, anger, gluttony, lust, avarice, and sloth. And in their stead, implant and cultivate the contrary heavenly virtues of humility, mercy, meekness, temperance, chastity, contentedness, and cheerful industry; for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

For the Spirit of Prayer

praying hands O Holy Jesus,
give us the gift
and spirit of prayer,
and by your own gracious intercession
at your Father’s right hand,
give us what we need,
when we do not know
what we should pray for.
Teach us always
to flee to you for mercy,
pardon and support,
and make us always conform
to your blessed will.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 56.

This prayer is a reflection on Hebrews 7:25 and Romans 8:26.

Original in traditional English:

O Holy Jesus, vouchsafe us the gift and spirit of Prayer, and do Thou by Thy gracious Intercession supply our ignorances. Teach us at all times to fly to Thee for mercy, pardon, and support, and make us in all things conform to Thy blessed will. Amen.

Let Your Holy Spirit Teach Us to Pray

praying hands Almighty God,
you commanded us
to pray to you without ceasing.
Let your Holy Spirit teach us how to pray.
Help us rightly understand what we truly lack,
and have a sense of our many weaknesses,
that we may obtain relief for all our needs;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 56.

This prayer is a reflection on 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and Romans 8:26.

Original in traditional English:

Almighty God, Who hast commanded us to pray to Thee without ceasing, let Thy Holy Spirit teach us how to pray; give us a just apprehension of our real wants, and a sense of our manifold infirmities, that we may obtain relief for all our necessities, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for the Holy Spirit

cathedra-holyspirit1 O most merciful Father,
send down your Holy Spirit
on us your servants,
and fill us with your grace
and heavenly blessing,
that we may be sanctified
and devoted to your service.
Since you mercifully descend to us
to make our hearts your Temple,
grant that we may never defile your sanctuary
by any impure or unholy thoughts,
but may preserve ourselves as fit dwellings
and resting places for you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 56.

This prayer is a reflection on 1 Corinthians 6:19.

Original in traditional English:

Send down Thy Holy Spirit, O most merciful Father, upon us Thy servants, and so fill us with Thy grace and heavenly benediction, that we may be sanctified and devoted to Thy service. And since Thou mercifully condescendest to make our hearts Thy Temple, grant that we may never defile Thy sanctuary by any impure or unholy thoughts, but may preserve it fit for Thy abode and resting place; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.