A Collection of Prayers

Radiance of the Father’s Splendor

The radiance of the Father’s splendor,
the Father’s visible image,
Jesus Christ our God,
peerless among counselors,
Prince of Peace,
for our sake became like a slave:
in the womb of Mary the virgin,
without assistance from any man,
he took flesh.…

Enable us, Lord,
to reach the end of this luminous feast in peace,
forsaking all idle words,
acting virtuously,
shunning our passions,
and raising ourselves above the things of this world.

Bless your church,
which you brought into being long ago
and attached to yourself
through your own life-giving blood.
Help all orthodox pastors, heads of churches, and teachers.

Bless your servants, whose trust is all in you;
bless all Christian souls,
the sick, those tormented by evil spirits,
and those who have asked us to pray for them.

Show yourself as merciful as you are rich in grace;
save and preserve us;
enable us to obtain those good things to come which will never know an end.

May we celebrate your glorious birth,
and the Father who sent you to redeem us,
and your Spirit, the Giver of life,
now and forever, age after age.
Amen.

Source: A Syriac Christmas liturgy

Source of this version: http://www.faithandworship.com/early_Christian_prayers.htm#ixzz4DB92AvUk
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

After “Prince of Peace” the original has the lines: “Father of the world to come, /
the model after which Adam was formed,”

St. Patrick’s Creed

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Our God, God of all people,
God of heaven and earth, sea and rivers,
God of sun and moon, of all stars,
God of highest mountain, of deepest valleys,
God over heaven and in heaven and under heaven.

He has his dwelling
in heaven and earth and sea
and all that is in them.

He inspires all,
he gives life to all,
he surpasses all,
he upholds all.

He ignites the light of the sun.
He surrounds the stars and tells them to shine.
He makes fountains in dry lands,
and dry islands in the sea,
and stars to serve the greater lights.

He has a Son,
coeternal with him and like him.
The Son is not younger than the Father,
neither is the Father older than the Son.

And the Holy Spirit breathes in them.
Not separate are the Father and Son and Holy Spirit.

Source: St. Patrick, fifth century, in The Tripartite Life of Patrick, 1887, p. 315-316
Translated for Prayers of the Ancient Celtic Church

Graphic: Saint Patrick stained glass window from Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, CA, from Wikimedia Commons

St. Patrick’s Creed (from ‘The Confession of St. Patrick’)

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There is no other God,
and there never was another,
nor will there be any after him
except God the Father, without beginning.
From him is all beginning.
He upholds all things.
And his Son Jesus Christ
whom together with the Father
we testify to have always existed.
Before the beginning of the world
he was spiritually present with the Father.
Begotten in an indescribable manner before all beginning.
By him all things visible and invisible were made.
He was made man,
and having overcome death
was received into heaven to the Father:
And the Father has bestowed on him
the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord and God.
In him we believe,
and we await his coming
who before long shall judge the quick and dead.
He will render to everyone according to his deeds,
and has poured out abundantly on us
the gift of the Holy Spirit,
even the pledge of immortality,
who makes those that believe and obey
to be the sons of God the Father
and joint-heirs with Christ.
Him we confess and adore —
one God in the Trinity of the sacred name.

Source: St. Patrick, fifth century, from The Confession of St. Patrick
The Confession of Patrick, Tr. Olden, 1853, p. 44-46

Graphic: Saint Patrick stained glass window from Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, CA, from Wikimedia Commons

Open My Eyes

Open my eyes and I shall see,
incline my heart and I shall desire,
order my steps and I shall walk
in the path of your commandments.

O Lord God, be my God,
and beside you let there be no other,
none else, nothing else with you.

Let me adore and worship you
and serve you in truth of spirit,
in reverence of body,
in blessing of lips,
in private and in public.

Source: Lancelot Andrewes, Preces Privatae

Source of this version: https://ia801404.us.archive.org/0/items/theprecesprivata00andruoft/theprecesprivata00andruoft.pdf

Also found here: http://www.elyrics.net/read/j/john-rutter-lyrics/open-thou-mine-eyes-lyrics.html

Original in traditional English:

Open Thou mine eyes and I shall see :
incline my heart and I shall fervently desire :
straighten my steps and I shall walk
in the way of thy commandments

O Lord God, be Thou to me a God :
beside Thee let there not be to me another,
none else, nought else with Thee.

Grant unto me to adore Thee
and to worship Thee in truth of spirit,
in comeliness of body,
in blessing of the mouth,
in private and in public :

Worthy Is Your Glorious Name

Worthy of praise from every mouth,
worthy of confession from every tongue,
worthy of worship from every creature,
is your glorious name, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

For you created the world in your grace,
and by your compassion you saved the world.

To your majesty, O God,
ten thousand times ten thousand bow down and adore,
singing and praising without ceasing, and saying:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts;
heaven and earth are full of your praises.
Hosanna in the highest.

Source: Nestorian Liturgy, Fifth Century

Source of this version: http://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/05/traditional-litany-for-trinity-sunday.html

Also found here: http://www.beswick.info/rclresources/TSC9598OS.htm

Martin Luther’s Evening Prayer

Martin Luther’s Evening Prayer from Dave Lassanske on Vimeo.

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

I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have graciously kept me this day. And I pray that you would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into your hands I commend myself, my body, my soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Source: Martin Luther [Die Gebete Luthers, #26]

Source of this version: (This video)

Variant:

I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have graciously kept me this day. Forgive me all my sins, and graciously keep me this night. 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.

Martin Luther’s Morning Prayer

Martin Luther’s Morning Prayer from Dave Lassanske on Vimeo.

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

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

Source: Martin Luther [Die Gebete Luthers, #25]

Source of this version: (This video)

Variant:

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.

God, Our Refuge

Eternal God,
the refuge of all your children,
in our weakness you are our strength,
in our darkness our light,
in our sorrow our comfort and peace.

May we always live in your presence,
and serve you in our daily lives,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Boniface

Source of this version: https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/trevinwax/2015/03/08/eternal-god-the-refuge-of-all-your-children/

Also found here: http://www.henrystrobel.com/saintboniface/prayers.htm

Glorified by Angels and Saints

O most glorious and exalted Lord,
you are glorified in the heights above
by servants of fire and spirit in most holy fashion,
yet in your love you wished to be glorified
by humanity on earth as well,
so that you might exalt our mortal race
and make us like supernal beings
and brothers in your dominion.
Free us, Lord, in your compassion
from whatever cares hinder the worship of you,
and teach us to seek the kingdom and its righteousness
in accordance with your holy commandments that bring freedom;
and bring us at last to your heavenly kingdom
along with all the saints in your glory,
where we will sing your praises.

Source: Maronite Shehimto, Syrian Orthodox Daily Office Book

Also found here: Modified from http://ccnh.org/pages/worship/Readings/Surrender/O%20most%20glorious%20and%20exalt.doc

Original reads:

“…in accordance with your holy commandments that bring life; and may we become worthy of that kingdom along with all the saints who have done your will, and may we sing your praises.”

Alteration was made to be in line with Galatians 3:21, James 1:25 and Revelation 7:14

“Servants of fire and spirit” is a reference to Psalm 104:4

An Expanded Lord’s Prayer

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Let us heartily make our prayer to God the Father of all mercy, believing assuredly that he will graciously hear us through our Lord Jesus Christ, who commanded us to pray, and promised us saying, “Ask and ye shall have; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you.” Wherefore, in consideration of the same commandment and promise, lift up your hearts, and say thus with me in your prayer:

O Lord God, our Father in heaven, we thy miserable children upon earth beseech thee, that thou wilt mercifully look on us and lend us thy grace; that thy holy name may be sanctified among us and in all the world, through the sincere teaching of the Word, and through earnest charity in our daily living, and our conversation. Seclude thou graciously all false doctrine and evil living, whereby thy worthy name might be blasphemed and slandered.

Oh, let thy kingdom come, and be great. All sinful, blind people, and such as are holden captive of the devil in his kingdom, those bring thou to the knowledge of the true faith in Jesus Christ thy Son.

Strengthen us, Lord, with thy Spirit, to do and to suffer thy will both in life and death, in weal and woe; that our will may alway be broken, offered up, and mortified.

And give us our daily bread. Preserve us from covetous desire, and carefulness of the belly; that of thee we may be assured to have abundance of all good things.

Forgive us our trespass, as we forgive them which offend us; that our heart may have a sure and glad conscience, and that we never fear, nor be afraid for any sin.

Lead us not into temptation, but help us through thy Spirit to subdue the flesh, to despise the world with his vanities, and to overcome the devil with all his crafty assaults.

And finally, deliver thou us from all evil, both bodily and ghostly, temporal and eternal. Amen.

They that earnestly desire all this, let them say, “Amen!” believing without any doubt that it is granted and heard in heaven, according as Christ promised us, saying, “When ye pray, believe assuredly that ye shall have it, and it shall come to pass.” Amen.

Souce: Miles Coverdale

Souce of this version: http://liturgicalvariations.blogspot.ru/search/label/miles%20coverdale

Coverdale was an early English Bible translator. His translation was heavily influenced by the German translation of Martin Luther.

Compare with Luther’s Lord’s Prayer paraphrase.