A Collection of Prayers

Remember the Value of Your Precious Blood

O Christ, Lamb of God,
only Son of the Father,
for us and for the whole world
you offered yourself
as payment on the cross,
dying innocently at the hands of the wicked.
Remember the infinite value
of your precious blood
and blot out the sins of all your people.

You were reviled and stricken.
You were bound with cords,
and beaten with stripes.
You wore the crown of thorns,
and were nailed to the cross.
You suffered the bitter pains of death,
your side was pierced
and your body was laid in the tomb.

Grant us poor creatures,
for whom you endured so much,
the everlasting joy of your heavenly kingdom,
so that those who worship you,
remembering your passion,
and praising you as the Lamb who was slain,
may be raised to heavenly places
to see the glory of your resurrection.
Amen.

Through your mercy, O our God.
You are blessed
and live and govern all things,
now and forever.
Amen.

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

O Christ, Lamb of God, the only begotten Son of the Father, Who for our sakes and for the whole world didst offer Thyself in propitiation upon the cross, dying innocently at the hands of wicked men, remember the infinite value of Thy precious blood, and blot out the sins of all Thy people. O Thou Who wast reviled and buffeted ; Who wast bound with cords, and beaten with stripes; Who wore the crown of thorns, and wast nailed to the cross; Who didst suffer the bitter pains of death; Whose side was pierced and Whose body was laid in the tomb ; grant unto the miserable creatures for whom Thou didst endure so much, the everlasting joy of Thy heavenly kingdom; so that as many as prostrate themselves before Thee, remembering Thy passion, and worshipping Thee as the Lamb which was slain, may be raised to heavenly places and enjoy the gladness of Thy glorious resurrection.
Ans. Amen.
Mm. Through Thy mercy, O our God, Who art blessed and dost live and govern all things, world without end.
Ans. Amen.

Today, O Good Jesus, …

Today, O good Jesus,
you did not hide your face from shame and spitting for us.

Today, Jesus our Redeemer,
you were mocked,
struck by unbelievers,
and crowned with thorns for us.

Today, good Shepherd,
you laid down your life for the sheep on the cross,
and you were crucified with robbers,
and had your sacred hands nailed through.

Today you were laid in the guarded tomb,
and the saints burst open their tombs.

Today, good Jesus,
you put an end to our sins,
that on the day of your resurrection
we may joyfully receive your holy body,
and be refreshed with your sacred blood. Amen.

Source: Mozarabic Sacramentary, 7th Century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954. (New Ancient Collects, #151)

About the Eucharist, from the Didache

Now about the Eucharist, this is how to give thanks: First in connection with the cup:

We thank you, our Father, for the holy vine of David, your servant, which you have revealed through Jesus, your Son. To you be glory forever.

Then in connection with the piece broken off the loaf:

We thank you, our Father, for the life and knowledge which you have revealed through Jesus, your Son. To you be glory forever.

As this piece of bread was scattered over the hills and then was brought together and made one, so let your Church be brought together from the ends of the earth into your Kingdom. For yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever.

You must not let anyone eat or drink of your Eucharist except those baptized in the Lord’s name. For in reference to this the Lord said, “Do not give what is sacred to dogs.”

After you have finished your meal, say grace in this way:

We thank you, holy Father, for your sacred name which you have lodged in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you have revealed through Jesus, your Son. To you be glory forever.

Almighty Master, you have created everything for the sake of your name, and have given people food and drink to enjoy that they may thank you. But to us you have given spiritual food and drink and eternal life through Jesus, your Son.

Above all, we thank you that you are mighty. To you be glory forever.

Remember, Lord, your Church, to save it from all evil and to make it perfect by your love. Make it holy, and gather it together from the four winds into your Kingdom which you have made ready for it. For yours is the power and the glory forever.

Let grace come and let this world pass away.
Hosanna to the God of David!
If anyone is holy, let him come.
If not, let him repent.
Our Lord, come!
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Didache, ed. Cyril Richardson, 1953. CCEL. The Didache also known as The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, is a brief anonymous early Christian treatise, dated by most modern scholars to the first century. Some elements of The Didache are similar to the Gospel of Matthew, some seem to be apocryphal additions.

“As this piece of bread…” is similar in thought to 1 Corinthians 10:17.

“Do not give what is sacred to dogs” is from Matthew 7:6.

“But you have given spiritual food… is similar to 1 Corinthians 10:3.

“Remember, Lord, your Church, to save it from all evil…” is similar to
Matthew 6:13.

“Make it holy, and gather it together from the four winds…” is similar to
Matthew 24:31

“To you be glory forever” and “For yours is the power and the glory forever” is similar to Romans 11:36, Revelation 1:6, and many doxological phrases in the New Testament.

For Light to Follow You

O Lord,
direct our steps this day
into the way of peace,
and strengthen our hearts
to obey your commandments.
May the Dayspring visit us from on high,
and give light
to those who sit in darkness
and the shadow of death,
that they may adore you for your mercy,
follow you for your truth,
desire you for your sweetness,
for you are the blessed Lord God of Israel,
now and forever. Amen.

Source: An ancient Collect, A. D. 440
Source of this version: Freely modified from Service and Prayers for Church and Home, Ed. Wilbur Patterson Thirkield, Methodist Book Concern, 1918

Version in traditional English:

DIRECT our steps this day, O Lord, into the way of peace, and strengthen our hearts to obey thy commandments; may the Dayspring visit us from on high, and give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, that they may adore thee for thy mercy, follow thee for thy truth, desire thee for thy sweetness, who art the blessed Lord God of Israel, both now and evermore. Amen.

Morning Thanksgiving

We give you sincere thanks
for the rest of the past night
and for the gift of a new day,
with its opportunities for pleasing you.
Grant that we may pass its hours
in the perfect freedom of your service,
that at evening,
we may again give you thanks;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Daybreak Office of the Eastern Church
Source of this version: Freely modified from Service and Prayers for Church and Home, Ed. Wilbur Patterson Thirkield, Methodist Book Concern, 1918

Version in traditional English:

WE give thee hearty thanks for the rest of the past night and for the gift of a new day, with its opportunities of pleasing thee. Grant that we may so pass its hours in the perfect freedom of thy service, that at eventide we may again give thanks unto thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For Cheerfulness

O God,
you have have folded back
the mantle of the night
to clothe us in the golden glory of the day.
Drive from our hearts
all gloomy thoughts,
and make us glad
with the brightness of your hope,
that we may aspire
to heavenly virtues;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: An Ancient Collect, A. D. 590
Source of this version: Freely modified from Service and Prayers for Church and Home, Ed. Wilbur Patterson Thirkield, Methodist Book Concern, 1918

Version in traditional English:

O GOD, who hast folded back the mantle of the night to clothe us in the golden glory of the day, chase from our hearts all gloomy thoughts, and make us glad with the brightness of hope, that we may effectively aspire to unwon virtues, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For Spiritual Light

Almighty God,
in you there is no darkness at all.
Give us your eternal light.
When we cannot see the way before us,
may we continue to put our trust in you,
that under your guidance and protection
we may be kept from falling this day,
and finally, by your mercy,
enter into our rest;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Unknown
Source of this version: Freely modified from Service and Prayers for Church and Home, Ed. Wilbur Patterson Thirkield, Methodist Book Concern, 1918

Original in traditional English:

ALMIGHTY GOD, in whom is no darkness at all, grant us thy light perpetually, and when we cannot see the way before us, may we continue to put our trust in thee, that so being guided and guarded, we may be kept from falling this day, and finally, by thy mercy, enter into our rest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

You Lay Bare our Sins

O God,
you lay bare our sins
when we cloak them with empty excuses,
and in your compassionate wisdom
you remove all doubt
from things uncertain,
and bring forth to light
what was hidden.
When our evil
has been brought home to our conscience,
sprinkle on us the dew of your mercy
and make us white as snow.
Help us amend our lives,
turn your face from our sins,
blot out all our iniquities
and renew our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that rejoicing in his indwelling,
we may continually open our lips
to declare your praise;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Mozarabic
Source of this version: Freely modified from A Century of Collects, [27] selected and translated by Atwell M. Y. Baylay, 1913.

Meditations for the Days of Holy Week

These short meditations may be used as personal devotions, school devotions, or devotions at the beginnings of church meetings.

Monday of Holy Week

Verses and Prayer

All of us like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way,
but the LORD has laid on him the guilt of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

Almighty God, grant that in our failures and weaknesses we may be restored through the passion and intercession of your only-begotten Son; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Reading: Matthew 22:41-46

On Monday of Holy Week, Jesus taught in the Temple courts and was challenged by his enemies.

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The Son of David.” He said to them, “Then how can David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’?” “So if David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” No one was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. (EHV)

Prayer

O God, Son of God, you took on yourself our nature and suffered death on the cross for us. By your Passion you have set us free from eternal death. Preserve us in your grace; through your mercy, O our God, you are blessed, and live and govern all things, now and forever.
Amen.

Blessing

The LORD is good to all. His compassion extends over all he has made. (Psalm 145:9)
Amen.

Tuesday of Holy Week

Verses and Prayer

He was pierced because of our rebellious deeds. He was crushed because of our guilt.
The punishment to bring us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

Almighty and everlasting God, grant us grace as we meditate on the passion of our Lord that we may there find the forgiveness of our sins; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Reading: Matthew 24:36-51

On Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus taught in the Temple courts and instructed his disciples about faithfulness.

“No one knows when that day and hour will be, not the angels of heaven, not even the Son, but only the Father. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be when the Son of Man returns. In fact, in the days before the flood people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the very day that Noah entered the ark. And they did not realize what was coming until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man returns. “At that time two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. So be alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: If the master of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. You also need to be ready for this reason: The Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect him. “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing this when he returns. Amen I tell you: He will put him in charge of all that he has. But if that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will return on a day when he does not expect it and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (EHV)

Prayer

Blessing

May your mercy, O Lord, be on us, even as we wait confidently for you. (Psalm 33:22)
Amen.

Wednesday of Holy Week

Verses and Prayer

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.
Like a lamb he was led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent in the presence of her shearers, so he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)

Almighty God, grant that we who are continually afflicted because of our evil deeds may be freed by the passion of your only-begotten Son; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Reading: Matthew 26:1-16

On Wednesday of Holy Week, Jesus may have rested. Matthew gives us a flashback to Jesus being anointed at Bethany and Judas beginning his plot.

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days it will be the Passover, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas. They plotted together how to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, “Not during the Festival, or else there might be a riot among the people.” When Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, a woman approached him holding an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She poured it on his head as he was reclining at the table. But when his disciples saw this, they were upset and said, “Why this waste? This perfume could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.” Jesus was aware of this and said to them, “Why are you causing trouble for this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. You are always going to have the poor with you, but you are not always going to have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Amen I tell you: Wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.” Then one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. From that time on Judas was looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus. (EHV)

Prayer

Blessing

Blessed be God, who has not turned aside our prayer or turned aside his mercy from us! (Psalm 66:20)
Amen.

_____________

All Scripture is taken or modified from The Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version.

The opening prayers are the Historic Collects for the days of Holy Week, freely modified from The Lutheran Hymnal.

The closing prayer is a Mozarabic Collect for Holy Week.

For Holy Week

O Father, most merciful,
in the beginning you created us,
and by the passion of your only Son
you created us anew.
Work in us now,
both to will and to do what pleases you.
Since we are weak and can do no good thing by ourselves,
grant us your grace and heavenly blessing,
that in whatever work we engage
we may do all to your honor and glory.
Keep us from sin
and empower us daily to do good works,
that as long as we live in the body
we may always perform service to you.
Since you have given us pardon of all our sins,
after our departure receive us to eternal life;
through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Source: St. Anselm, eleventh century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.