A Collection of Prayers

Help Us Depend on Your Mercy

christhealingthesick

O God,
help us
in all discouragement,
difficulty,
danger,
distress,
and darkness
in this mortal life,
to build our hopes
on the sure foundation
of your infinite mercy
in Christ Jesus.
Deliver us from despair,
both now
and at the hour of death.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 85.

Original in traditional English:

Grant, O God, that amidst all the discouragements, difficulties, dangers, distress, and darkness of this mortal life, we may depend upon Thy mercy, and on this build our hopes, as on a sure foundation. Let Thine infinite mercy in Christ Jesus deliver us from despair, both now and at the hour of death. Amen.

Comfort and Strengthen Your People

In response to a prayer request.

Heavenly Father,
comfort and strengthen your people.
Send your Holy Spirit
and move us to believe
the promises in your Holy Word
that you do not leave
or forsake your people,
even when they suffer
from illnesses, weaknesses,
and oppression by the powers of darkness.
By his holy life,
death and resurrection,
your Son Jesus
has already overthrown
the powers of the devil.
Strengthen our faith in Jesus,
who alone can win the victories over sin,
Satan and temptation,
that we may share in his victory
and enjoy his glorious freedom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Paul C. Stratman, for N. and A Collection of Prayers.

Supplement Our Faith with Virtue

O Lord,
give us your grace,
that we may supplement
our faith with virtue,
and virtue with knowledge,
and knowledge with self-control,
and self-control with steadfastness,
and steadfastness with godliness,
and godliness with brotherly affection,
and brotherly affection with love:
that not forgetting
that we have been cleansed from our old sins,
we may bear fruit in every good work,
and be all the more diligent
to confirm our calling and election;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 76.

This prayer is a reflection on 2 Peter 1:5-10 and Colossians 1:10.

The phrase “confirm our calling and election” or “make our calling and election sure” are not referring to us doing something to make salvation certain, but to reflect Christ’s certain work of making us his own by the way we give witness to it by our lives.

Original in traditional English:

O Lord, impart to us Thy grace, that we may add to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity: that so, not forgetting that we have been purged from our old sins,we may be fruitful in good works, and give all diligence to make our calling and election sure, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Preserve Us from All Sins, Work in Us Your Virtues

O Lord,
preserve us
from the deadly sins
of pride, envy, anger,
gluttony, lust,
greed and laziness.
In their place
work in us
and help us to live our lives
with the heavenly virtues
of humility, mercy, meekness,
moderation, purity, contentment,
and happy diligence in our work;
for Jesus Christ’s sake.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 75.

This prayer recalls the traditional “Seven Deadly Sins.” Although any unrepented sin is deadly (that is, destructive of faith), the list of the Seven Deadly Sins can be useful for reflection and self-examination.

Original in traditional English:

Preserve us, O Lord, from the deadly sins of pride, envy, anger, gluttony, lust, avarice, and sloth. And in their stead, implant and cultivate the contrary heavenly virtues of humility, mercy, meekness, temperance, chastity, contentedness, and cheerful industry; for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

For the Spirit of Prayer

praying hands O Holy Jesus,
give us the gift
and spirit of prayer,
and by your own gracious intercession
at your Father’s right hand,
give us what we need,
when we do not know
what we should pray for.
Teach us always
to flee to you for mercy,
pardon and support,
and make us always conform
to your blessed will.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 56.

This prayer is a reflection on Hebrews 7:25 and Romans 8:26.

Original in traditional English:

O Holy Jesus, vouchsafe us the gift and spirit of Prayer, and do Thou by Thy gracious Intercession supply our ignorances. Teach us at all times to fly to Thee for mercy, pardon, and support, and make us in all things conform to Thy blessed will. Amen.

Let Your Holy Spirit Teach Us to Pray

praying hands Almighty God,
you commanded us
to pray to you without ceasing.
Let your Holy Spirit teach us how to pray.
Help us rightly understand what we truly lack,
and have a sense of our many weaknesses,
that we may obtain relief for all our needs;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 56.

This prayer is a reflection on 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and Romans 8:26.

Original in traditional English:

Almighty God, Who hast commanded us to pray to Thee without ceasing, let Thy Holy Spirit teach us how to pray; give us a just apprehension of our real wants, and a sense of our manifold infirmities, that we may obtain relief for all our necessities, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for the Holy Spirit

cathedra-holyspirit1 O most merciful Father,
send down your Holy Spirit
on us your servants,
and fill us with your grace
and heavenly blessing,
that we may be sanctified
and devoted to your service.
Since you mercifully descend to us
to make our hearts your Temple,
grant that we may never defile your sanctuary
by any impure or unholy thoughts,
but may preserve ourselves as fit dwellings
and resting places for you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Euchologion. A collection of Prayers, etc. for the use of families, 1847, p. 56.

This prayer is a reflection on 1 Corinthians 6:19.

Original in traditional English:

Send down Thy Holy Spirit, O most merciful Father, upon us Thy servants, and so fill us with Thy grace and heavenly benediction, that we may be sanctified and devoted to Thy service. And since Thou mercifully condescendest to make our hearts Thy Temple, grant that we may never defile Thy sanctuary by any impure or unholy thoughts, but may preserve it fit for Thy abode and resting place; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Litany

Do not remember, Lord, our offences or the offences of our forefathers,
and do not take vengeance for our sins:
Spare us, good Lord.

Spare your servants, whom you have redeemed with your most precious blood,
and do not be angry with us forever:
Spare us, O Lord.

From the guilt and burden of our sins,
from the stings and terrors of conscience,
from the illusions and assaults of the enemy,
and from the bitter pains of eternal death:
Deliver us, O Lord.

From all impatience under your discipline,
from dejection of spirit and lack of trust in your mercies,
from the fear of death,
and from the terrors of judgment:
Deliver us, O Lord.

By your many and great mercies,
by the all sufficient merits of your blessed Son, Jesus Christ,
by his agony and bloody sweat,
by his bitter cross and passion,
by his glorious resurrection and ascension,
by his continual intercession for us at your right hand,
and by the graces and comforts of the Holy Spirit:
Deliver us, O Lord.

In all the changes and trials of this mortal life,
in all time of our tribulation, and in all time of our wealth,
in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment:
Deliver us, O Lord.

We poor sinners pray, hear us, O Lord:
Son of God, we pray, hear us.

That it may please you to look on us with the eye of your mercy,
to give us a hearty faith and confidence in you,
and in all our dangers and adversities
to stretch forth the right hand of your majesty,
to help and defend us,
and to keep us in perpetual peace and safety:
We pray, hear us, O Lord.

That it may please you to remember us with your favor,
and to give us grace to follow the good examples of your servants
who have departed this life in your faith and fear,
that with them we may become partakers of your heavenly kingdom:
We pray, hear us, O Lord.

That it may please you to give us an entire resignation to your holy will,
to wean our affection from things below,
to fill us with ardent desires after heaven,
and finally, to make us partakers of all your blessings and promises in Christ Jesus:
We pray, hear us, O Lord.

That it may please you to fill our souls with the peace and love of God,
that when you call us to walk through the valley and shadow of death,
we may fear no evil but fall gently asleep in Jesus
and wake up in the glory of your presence:
We pray, hear us, O Lord.

Son of God, we pray, hear us
We pray, hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
Have mercy on us.

O Christ, hear us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us, and grant us your peace.

Almighty God, you accept the penitence and confession of the contrite that they may share in your mercy and live. Be merciful and gracious to us, forgive us all our sins, establish us in your grace, grant us the comforts of the Holy Spirit, and bring us to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Source: Modified from A Morning Litany, Order of Worship for the Reformed Church in the United States, 1866, p. 296-298.

Available also in pdf and in docx formats.

A Litany for the Dying (1)

O God, the Father in heaven:
Have mercy on us.
O God, the Son, Redeemer of the world:
Have mercy on us.
O God, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter:
Have mercy on us.

Do not remember, Lord, our offences or the offences of our forefathers:
Spare us good Lord.

Spare your servant before you, whom you have redeemed with your precious blood:
Spare us good Lord.

From all evil and harm,
from the power of sin and the snares of the devil,
from your wrath,
and from everlasting damnation:
Good Lord, deliver him.

By the mystery of your holy incarnation,
by your agony and bloody sweat,
by your cross and passion,
by your precious death and burial,
by your glorious resurrection and ascension,
and by the coming of the Holy Spirit,
in the hour of death and in the day of judgment:
Good Lord, deliver him.

We sinners pray, hear us:
Son of God, we pray, hear us

That it may please you to uphold him with your free Spirit,
to grant him true repentance,
to forgive him all his sins,
to strengthen and confirm him in your grace,
and to beat down Satan under his feet:
We pray, hear us, O Lord.

O Son of God, Redeemer of the world:
Hear us.

O Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
Have mercy on him.

O Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
Have mercy on him.

O Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
Grant him your peace.

O Lord God, our heavenly Father, you have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that they turn from their ways and live. Regard this sick person with an eye of compassion. Do not let him be overwhelmed by any pains of body or any anguish of soul, but grant to him in this world your pardon and peace, and in the world to come life everlasting; through the abounding merits and the glorious mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Modified from A Litany for the Dying, Order of Worship for the Reformed Church in the United States, 1866, p. 296-298.

Available also in pdf and in docx formats.

A Litany (Name of Jesus)

Lord, have mercy on us:
Have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us:
Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us and grant us your peace:
Hear us and grant us your peace.

Jesus, the Son of the living God,
the eternal Word,
the brightness of the Father’s glory
and express image of his person:
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, the Son of Man,
conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
meek and humble of heart,
obedient unto death,
the example of all virtues,
the way, the truth, and the life:
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, the author of life,
the captain of salvation,
the eternal high priest,
the prince of peace:
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, the joy of angels,
the hope of the patriarchs,
the inspirer of the prophets,
the teacher of the apostles,
the strength of martyrs,
the King of saints:
Have mercy on us.

From all sin and evil,
from death and hell:
Deliver us, O Lord Jesus.

By your holy nativity and circumcision,
by your holy words and deeds,
by your agony and bloody sweat,
by your bitter cross and passion,
by your death and burial,
by your glorious resurrection and ascension,
by your sitting at the right hand of the Father Almighty,
and by your return to judge the quick and the dead:
Deliver us, O Lord Jesus.

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:
Hear our prayers.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
Grant us your peace.

Almighty God, you accept the penitence and confession of the contrite that they may share in your mercy and live. Be merciful and gracious to us, absolve us from all sin, establish us in your grace, grant us the comforts of the Holy Spirit, and bring us to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Modified from An Evening Litany, Order of Worship for the Reformed Church in the United States, 1866, p. 298-300.

This litany appears to be a shortened version of the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, which appeared in Italy in the early 1400s. That litany, along with the Latin original, can be found here: https://www.fisheaters.com/litanyholyname.html

This is the litany that is in the graphic of the open prayer book on this page and on our Facebook page.

Available also in pdf and in docx formats.