The Holy Spirit

O Holy Spirit, Love of God,
pour out your grace,
and descend plentifully into my heart.
Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling,
and scatter there your cheerful beams.
Dwell in that soul that longs to be your temple.
Water that barren soil, overrun with weeds and briars,
and lost for lack of cultivating,
and make it fruitful with your dew from heaven.
Come, refreshment of those who languish and faint.
Come, Star and Guide of those who sail in the tempestuous sea of the world. You are the only Haven of the tossed and shipwrecked.
Come, Glory and Crown of the living, and only Safeguard of the dying.
Come, Holy Spirit, in your great mercy, and make me fit to receive you. Amen.

Source: Augustine of Hippo, Fourth Century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

 

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Litany of the Holy Spirit (1)

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

God the Father in heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
Spirit of counsel and might,
Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord,
Spirit of love,
Spirit of joy,
Spirit of peace,
Spirit of patience, kindness and goodness,
Spirit of faith, humility and chastity, have mercy on us.

Holy Spirit, who who probes minds and hearts.
Dispenser of heavenly grace,
Joy of the angels,
Comfort of the sorrowing,
Light of the prophets,
Wisdom of the apostles,
Victory of the holy martyrs,
Anointing of the saints, have mercy on us.

Be gracious to us, Spare us, good Lord.
Be gracious to us, Help us, good Lord.

From every sin,
from the crafts and assaults of the Devil,
from heresy and pernicious doctrine,
from envy and ill-will to the brethren,
from impurity of body and soul,
from indifference in the service of God,
and from all evil spirits, deliver us, good Lord.

You proceed from the Father and the Son,
you overshadowed the Blessed Virgin.
you descended on the Son of God in the form of a dove,
you were poured out on the holy apostles,
you regenerated us in holy baptism,
you dwell in us,
you  intercede for us through wordless groans. help us, good Lord.

We poor sinners pray, hear us, good Lord.

To cleanse and sanctify all the members of your holy Church,
to adorn the Bride of Christ with abundant gifts,
to bless and protect our synod [church body], together with all its clergy and institutions,
to grant all of us the spirit of prayer and sincere worship,
to govern and sanctify our thoughts, words and actions,
to adorn our lives with patience and humility,
to kindle in us love and mercy,
to clothe us with purity,
to work in us the peace of God,
to keep us in your grace and to bring us to everlasting life, hear us, good Lord.

Lord God, Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Lord God, Son of the Father, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us your peace.

O Christ, hear us.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. 

Our Father in heaven…

Source: Loehe’s Agenda, in Liturgy for Christian Congregations of the Lutheran Faith, by William Loehe, Third Edition edited by J. Deinzer, 1902.

See also Featured Prayers: Pentecost

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Subjects for Daily Intercession

[It is suggested that these should be taken after the General Subjects for each day.]

1. Special Persons: Relations, Friends, Benefactors, Bereaved

2. Special Claims: People, Needs, Obligations, Guilds, &c.

3, All whom I shall meet (or have met) today; all who pray for me or desire my prayers.

Remember, O Lord my God all your servants [whose names you know], pour on them all the riches of your mercy and give to all what they ask for in prayer, as it is beneficial for salvation.

Remember, O Lord, all those whose names I have not recalled through my ignorance or forgetfulness, or because of many distractions, for you know the name and condition of each one. You know each one from his mother’s womb.

For you, O Lord, are the help of the helpless, the hope of the hopeless, the healer of the sick, a shelter in the tempest, a refuge from the storm.

Be their all in all, for you are conscious of each one’s request and circumstances and need. Through the grace and mercy and loving-kindness of your only Son, with whom in the unity of the Holy and life-giving Spirit you are blessed and glorified now and forever.

Source: Modified from Sursum Corda: A Handbook of Intercession and Thanksgiving arranged by W. H. Frere and A. L. Illingworth,  1894, p. 41

For Heavenly-Mindedness

O Lord,
you teach us not to worry about earthly things,
but to love heavenly things.
Even now,
while we live among things that are passing away,
help us cling to those things that will remain forever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Leonine Sacramentary,  New Ancient Collects, #259

 

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For Love of God’s Law

O Lord,
be gracious to your people,
that they reject the things that displease you
and love your commandments.
Support them with your comfort in this mortal life
and bring them to the full enjoyment of life immortal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Leonine Sacramentary,  New Ancient Collects, #281

 

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For Communicants

Hear us, O merciful Father,
and grant that all communicants of your Church this day,
who partake of this bread and wine,
and receive his most blessed Body and Blood
according to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ’s holy institution,
remember of his death and passion
in true repentance and living faith;
to him, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be all honor and glory,
now and forever. Amen.

Source: An Ancient Liturgy, fifth century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

As a paragraph:

Hear us, O merciful Father, and grant that all communicants of your Church this day, who partake of this bread and wine, and receive his most blessed Body and Blood according to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ’s holy institution, remember of his death and passion in true repentance and living faith; to him, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.

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For Refreshment

O Lord our God,
let us find hope under the shadow of your wings.
You will support us,
both when little,
and even to gray hairs.
When our strength is from you, it is strength.
When our own, it is weakness.
We return to you, O Lord,
that our weary souls may rise towards you,
leaning on the things which you have created,
and passing on to yourself,
since you have wonderfully made them;
for with you is refreshment and true strength. Amen.

Source: Augustine of Hippo, fourth century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

 

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Invocation

Lord,
God of inconceivable power,
incomprehensible glory,
immeasurable mercy,
unspeakable kindness,
look on us in your tender love
and show your rich mercy and compassion
to us and those who pray with us.
Amen.

Source: Liturgy of St. Chrysostom, fourth century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

 

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For Converts in Mission Fields

Remember, O Lord,
all in heathen lands who are being instructed for Holy Baptism.
Have mercy on them and confirm them in the faith.
Remove every remnant of idolatry and superstition from their hearts,
that being devoted to your law, your precepts,
your fear, your truths, and your commandments,
they may grow to a firm knowledge of the word
in which they have been instructed,
and may be found worthy temples of the Holy Spirit,
by the washing of regeneration,
for the forgiveness of their sins;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: St. Basil, fourth century.

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

 

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