Almighty God,
the refuge of all who are distressed,
in all troubles of this mortal life
draw us to you to find comfort
in knowing your loving-kindness
and tender mercy.
Shelter us in your mercy
that the storms of life may pass over us
and not shake the peace of God within us;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Source: George Dawson, d. 1876
Source of this version: Freely modified from Collects and Prayers for use in Church, United Lutheran Church in America, 1935, #247
Lord Jesus,
help us to remember you,
your holy life,
your innocent death,
your glorious resurrection,
all that you did to redeem us
and make us your own.
Lord Jesus,
help us to remember your holy Word,
that those who believe in you
have crossed over from death to life,
and that you will raise us up on the last day.
Lord Jesus,
help us to remember
what your gracious promises tell us
about what is to come,
that nothing in all creation
will separate us from your love,
and that one day you will wipe away all our tears
in your kingdom
where there will be no more mourning
or crying or pain.
Make these your truths our solid, and unmovable comfort,
so that with steadfast faith
we face any hardship,
and in spite of our tears,
find joy in you, your Word, your promise.
Amen.
Source: © 2016 Paul C. Stratman
This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.
O Lord,
you love unity
and dwell in the hearts of those who are peaceful.
Give all your faithful people
true peace and mutual love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 35 #3 (Trinity 17)
“dwell in the hearts…” is a reference to Ephesians 3:17 and Colossians 3:16
“unity” may be a reference to Psalm 133:1, Ephesians 4:3, Ephesians 4:13 and 1 Peter 3:8
Lord God, heavenly Father,
you generously give us
your blessing and our daily bread.
Preserve us from greed and awaken our hearts
that we willingly share your blessed gifts
with our neighbors in need.
Make us faithful stewards of your gifts
and be gracious to us when our time of stewardship is done
and we come before your judgment;
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one true God, now and forever.
Amen.
Source: Veit Dietrich, d. 1549
Source of this version: The Collects of Veit Dietrich in Contemporary English © 2016 Paul C. Stratman
This revision/translation of The Collects of Veit Dietrich is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.
Lord,
we pray that your grace
may always go before
and follow after us,
that we may be always be ready
to do your good works;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Source: Gregorian Sacramentary, 6th Century, Historic Collect for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity
Source of this version: Translation © 2016 Paul C. Stratman
This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.
O Lord,
in your continual mercy
cleanse and defend your Church.
Because we cannot continue in safety without you,
always help and guide us;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen
Source: Gelasian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity
Source of this version: Translation © 2016 Paul C. Stratman
This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.
O God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as surpass our understanding.
Pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we may love you above all things,
and lead us by faith to your eternal promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Source: Gelasian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity
Source of this version: Translation © 2016 Paul C. Stratman
This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.
Almighty and eternal God,
you are always more ready to hear than we are to pray,
and to give more than we ask or deserve.
Pour down on us the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid,
and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
Source: Gelasian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity
Source of this version: Translation © 2016 Paul C. Stratman
This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.
Merciful and eternal God,
you did not spare your only Son
but gave him up for us all
that he might bear our sins on the cross.
Grant that our hearts may be so fixed
with steadfast faith in him
that we may not fear any trouble;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Source: Saxon Agenda 1540, LXII (B)
O Lord God,
almighty and all merciful,
heal those I have wounded,
strengthen those I have weakened,
set right those I have misled,
call back to yourself those I have alienated from you.
Amen.
Source: Freely modified from The Old World and the New, ed. L. H. M. Soulsby, p. 12
A Collection of Prayers 