A Collection of Prayers

Cleanse and Renew My Heart

O my Lord,
give me that purity of conscience
which alone can receive your inspirations.
My ears are dull,
so that I cannot hear your voice.
My eyes are dim,
so that I cannot see your presence.
You alone can quicken my hearing,
and purge my sight,
and cleanse and renew my heart.
Teach me, like Mary,
to sit at your feet,
and to hear your Word

Source: John Henry Newman

Source of this version: Modified from https://pollypilgrim.wordpress.com/prayer-page/a-prayer-from-john-henry-newman/

Also found in context here: http://www.newmanreader.org/works/meditations/meditations11.html

Prayer Reflecting on the Shooting in Dallas, Texas, July 8, 2016

Father in heaven, your holy Word tells us to mourn with those who mourn, and to not repay evil with evil, but to overcome evil with good (Romans 12).

Your Word also tells us that those who serve to guard and protect us are your servants who work and act for our good (Romans 13).

Day by day your people pray “Deliver us from evil.” It grieves us to see evil and violence. We are grieved once again by the shooting of police officers Dallas, Texas.

We pray for those who live with anger—move them to seek help and move friends, family and others who sense that anger to help them.
We pray for those who were injured—if it is your will, speed the healing of wounds to body and mind.
We pray for those who have the duty to protect and serve—give them strength to do their work with perseverance and patience.
We pray for the friends and families of those who were killed—draw them to yourself. Lead them to find comfort, hope, healing and peace in you.
We also pray that we may give faithful witness for the hope that we have, with gentleness and respect, that those around us may be led by us to you, and that they may be moved and enlightened by your gospel of peace.

…through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer Reflecting on the Shooting in Dallas, Texas, July 8, 2016 by Paul C. Stratman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

Look on Us in Your Tender Love

Lord our God,
of might inconceivable,
of glory incomprehensible,
of mercy immeasurable,
of goodness unspeakable;
O Master, look down on us in your tender love,
and show us and those who pray with us
your rich mercy and compassion.
Amen.

Source: The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Original in Greek

Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν,
οὗ τὸ κράτος ἀνείκαστον
καὶ ἡ δόξα ἀκατάληπτος·
οὗ τὸ ἔλεος ἀμέτρητον
καὶ ἡ φιλανθρωπία ἄφατος·
αὐτός, ∆έσποτα, κατὰ τὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν σου, ἐπίβλεψον ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς
καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιον οἶκον τοῦτον,
καὶ ποίησον μεθ’ ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν συνευχομένων ἡμῖν,
πλούσια τὰ ἐλέη σου καὶ τοὺς οἰκτιρμούς σου.

Abba, Father

Abba, Father,
be a tender father toward us your servants.
Govern, protect, preserve,
sanctify, guide, and console us.
Let us be so warmed with love for you,
that we may never forget you,
O most merciful Lord, most tender Father;
for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Source: Old Gallican Sacramentary

Also found here: Ancient Collects, and Other Prayers, ed. William Bright, 1902, p. 78 #2

“Abba, Father” is a reference to Romans 8:15

“Let us be so warmed with love…” in the original is “Let us be so warmed with love for you, that we may not be despised by you,”

Joy and Gladness

Praise to you, O Lord,
for you have nourished us from youth
and you give food to all living things.
Fill our hearts with joy and gladness
and provide for all our needs,
that we may abound in every good work;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
To him, with you and the Holy Spirit
be glory, honor, might, majesty and dominion,
forever and ever.
Amen.

Source: Apostolic Constitutions

“nourished us from youth” is a reference to Ecclesiasticus 50:22 (Apocrypha)

“give food to all living things.” is a reference to Psalm 145:16

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

csblc O almighty God,
to know you is eternal life.
Teach us to know your Son Jesus Christ
as the Way, the Truth, and the Life;
that following him
we may steadfastly walk
in the way that leads to eternal life;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Modified from Book of Common Prayer, St. Philip and St. James

“…as the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” is a reference to John 14:6

Direct Us in All Our Doings

Prayer Book Bible Reading Book Of Common Prayer

O Lord,
with your love
direct us in all our doings,
and always help us,
that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you,
we may glorify your holy name;
and finally, by your mercy obtain eternal life;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: 1789 U. S. Book of Common Prayer, Prayer to be Used at Sea

Original in traditional English:

PREVENT us, O Lord, in all our doings with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

(Prevent as used in King James/Book of Common Prayer era English means go before or lead. That is the reason for our rendering of “direct.”)

Guide Our Souls

0940_Cranach_nR 001 O God, be present with us always,
dwell within our hearts.
With your light and your Spirit
guide our souls, our thoughts, and all our actions,
that we may teach your Word,
that your healing power may be in us
and in your church universal. Amen

Source: Philip Melanchthon

Source of this version: http://www.thirdmill.org/files/english/html/worship/invok.html

Prayers by Philip Melanchthon are included in Prayers from the Evangelical-Lutheran Heritage, available from Amazon.com, and also available for Amazon Kindle. It is a collection of prayers from the history of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church from Luther to Loehe. The collection includes prayers by Johannes Bugenhagen, Georg C. Dieffenbach, Veit Dietrich, Matthias Flacius, Wilhelm Loehe, Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, Joachim Mynsinger, Johann G. Olearius, Johann Jacob Rambach, and the early agendas and prayer books of the Austrian, Brunswick, Hamburg, Lueneberg, Norwegian, Nuremberg, Pomeranian, Riga, Russian, Saxon, Schleswig-Holstein, and Swedish Evangelical-Lutheran churches.

Let the Brightness of Your Glory Shine

Almighty God,
let the brightness of your glory shine on us,
and let the Light from Light by your Holy Spirit
shine in the hearts of all who have been born again by your grace;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Roman Mass for the Vigil of Pentecost

Original in Latin:

PRÆSTA, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, ut claritatis tuæ super nos splendor effulgeat; et lux tuæ lucis corda eorum, qui per gratium tuam renati sunt, Sancti Spiritus illustratione confirmet. Per Dominum.

“let the brightness of your glory shine on us” may be a reference to Numbers 6:25 and Psalm 67:1

“Light from Light” is a reference to the Nicene Creed, and is referring to Jesus Christ

“shine in the hearts of all is a reference to 2 Corinthians 4:6

“let the brightness of your glory shine on us” may have been the source of the lines from Luther’s hymn, “Come Holy Ghost, God and Lord,”

“Lord, by the brightness of your light
In holy faith your church unite”

To God Be Glory

To God be glory,
to the angels honor,
to Satan confusion,
to the cross reverence,
to the church exaltation,
to the departed quickening,
to the penitent acceptance,
to the prisoners release,
to the sick and infirm,
recovery and healing,
and to the four quarters of the world
great peace and tranquility.
And also on us who are weak and sinful
may the compassion and mercies of our adorable God come,
and may they overshadow us, and be poured forth,
and remain firm and reign continually.
Christ + the hope of our nature,
now and at all times,
and forever and ever. Amen.

Source: East Syrian Church, Monday Vespers

Source of this version: East Syrian Daily Office, translated and edited by Arthur John Maclean, Rivingtom, Percival & Co., London, 1894, p. 20