A Collection of Prayers

Three Blessings by Philip Melanchthon

0940_Cranach_nR 001 Son of God,
Lord Jesus Christ,
crucified on a cross for us
and raised up from the grave,
to you we pray.
Receive us into your eternal church
and keep us always.
With your Holy Spirit, guide us
in the light of your Word.

The almighty God,
Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
mercifully protect you,
strengthen you,
and guide you.

May the almighty God,
Father of our Savior Jesus Christ,
who through his gospel is gathering
an eternal church among men and women,
strengthen you in body and soul,
and graciously keep and guide you,
now and forever.

Source: Philip Melanchthon, found on http://www.biblia.work/sermons/prayersbible-prayers-short/ (modified)

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.

A Passion Blessing

May the almighty Lord,
who bore the reproach of the cross,
bless all this family present here.
Amen.

May he, who hung on the tree,
himself lead us to the heavenly kingdom.
Amen.

May he place us at the right hand of the Father,
who was made the cause of our peace.
Amen.

Through the mercy of our God,
who is blessed and reigns,
and governs all things,
now and forever.

Source: Mozarabic Breviary, found on http://www.biblia.work/sermons/prayersbible-prayers-short/

Bind Up Broken Hearts

christhealingthesick O Jesus,
anointed by your Father
with his Spirit of power,
bring your good news to us,
bind up our broken hearts,
proclaim liberty to us captives,
open our prisons,
loosen our bonds,
proclaim your grace
and favor to us,
year by year,
day by day,
hour by hour,
that you alone
can and will
set everything right.
Comfort us in our sorrows,
and adorn us
with your holiness,
goodness,
righteousness,
and joy.
Amen.

Source: Paul C. Stratman, based on Isaiah 61.

Help Us Overcome

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O God,
you are the healer
of soul and body.
Save us
and make us whole.
Even when
we suffer
under all our sickness
and all our infirmity,
help us overcome
the temptations of the enemy
by your strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Priest’s Prayerbook, 1865, #262

Original in traditional English:

O GOD, Who art the Healer of soul and body, send forth Thy salvation, and make us whole; that while we deplore all our sickness and all our infirmity, we may by Thy strength overcome the temptations of the enemy. Through…

You, O Lord, Are My Defender

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Even though there are many
who say of me,
“His God will not help him,”
you, O Lord, are my Defender,
my Worship,
the One who lifts up my head.
Do not forsake me
when I am in need,
but defend me
until the trouble
is past.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Priest’s Prayerbook, 1865, #238

Original in traditional English:

Many a one there be that say of my soul, There is no help for him in his GOD: but Thou, O LORD, art my Defender, Thou art my worship, and the lifter up of my head. Depart not from me in the time of my need but defend Thou me until this tyranny be overpast. Through…

The Hope You Have Given Us by Your Word

croce_camargue O God,
you never forsake
those who hope in you.
Grant that we
may live in the hope
you have given us by your Word
as an anchor of our souls,
sure and steadfast,
to preserve us unshaken and secure
in all the storms of this life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Priest’s Prayerbook, 1865, #235

Original in traditional English:

O GOD, Who never forsakest those that hope in Thee: grant that we may ever keep that which Thou hast given us by Thy Word as an anchor of our souls, sure and steadfast, to preserve us unshaken and secure in all the storms of this life; Through…

O Lord, Hedge Up My Way

Launcelot Andrews (1555-1626)
O Lord,
hedge up my way with thorns,
that I may find no path
for following vanity.
Hold me in
with bit and bridle,
lest I fall away from you.
O Lord, compel me
to come to you:
to bruise the serpent’s head,
to remember my life’s end,
to cut off opportunities for evil,
to be alert,
not to sit idle,
to shun what is evil,
to cling to what is good,
to look at no worthless things,
to bring my body into subjection,
to devote myself to prayer,
to search my heart with penitence.

Source: Adapted from Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626) for A Collection of Prayers from The devotions of Lancelot Andrewes (The Hedge of the Law).

For Patience

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O God,
by the meek endurance
of your only Son
you beat down the pride
of the old enemy.
Help us rightly
to treasure in our hearts
what our Lord has borne
for our sakes,
that following his example
we may bear
all our troubles
with patience;
through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Missale Romanum (16th Century?), English translation freely modified from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, # 29.

Original in Latin:

Deus, qui Unigeniti tui patientia antiqui hostis contrivisti superbiam: da nobis, quaesumus, quae idem pie pro nobis pertulit, digne recolere; sicque exemplo ejus, nobis adversantia aequanimiter tolerare. Per Dominum… Amen.

Litany for the Church

Lord, be merciful to us.
Heal our souls, for we have sinned against you.

Show us your unfailing love, Lord,
and grant us your salvation. (Psalm 85:7)

Turn again, O Lord,
and be gracious to your servants.

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:22)

Let us pray for the Holy Church of God:
May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. (Psalm 51:18)

May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels. (Psalm 122:7)

May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;
may your faithful people sing for joy. (Psalm 132:9)

Let us pray for our pastors and teachers:
Never take the word of truth from their mouths. (Psalm 119:43)

That they will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of your name, O Lord our God. Amen. (Micah 5:4)

Source: Attributed to Abendgebet of the German Lutheran Church in Book of Prayers for Church and Home, ed. by Paine and Thompson, Philadelphia: Christian Education Press, 1962, p. 57.

Modified with scriptures taken or adapted from the New International Version, 2011.

Raise Us from Our Sins

O holy Jesus, most loving Savior,
you called out to Lazarus
and made him come out of his tomb.
May we hear you with our hearts, arise from our sins,
and serve you in newness of life;
through your mercy, O our God,
you are blessed,
and live and govern all things,
now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 24 #1 (Lent 5)

“you called out to Lazarus” is a reference to John 11

“May we hear you with our hearts, arise from our sins” may be a reference to Ephesians 5:14