19th Century – Page 11 – A Collection of Prayers

God Listen to My Prayer

CelticCapital2 God listen to my prayer,
bend to me your ear,
let my supplications and my prayers
ascend to you upwards.
Come King of Glory,
to protect me down,
King of life and mercy
with the aid of the Lamb,
Son of Mary Virgin,
to protect me with power.

Source: Invocation of the Graces, written down by Margaret MacDonald, (1888) Carmina Gadelica, Hymns and Incantations…, Vol. I, p. 13

Graphic is from, Carmina Gadelica, Hymns and Incantations…, Vol. I, p. 12

In the original, the prayer ends with these two lines:

Son of the lovely Mary
of purest fairest beauty

God with Me Lying Down

CelticCapital3 God with me lying down,
God with me rising up,
God with me in each ray of light,
Nor I a ray of joy without him,
Nor one ray without him.

Christ with me sleeping,
Christ with me waking,
Christ with me watching,
Every day and night,
Each day and night.

God with me protecting,
The Lord with me directing,
The Spirit with me strengthening,
Forever and forevermore,
Ever and evermore, Amen.
Chief of chiefs, Amen.

Source: Mary Macrae, Isle of Harris (1866), Carmina Gadelica, Hymns and Incantations…, Vol. I, p. 5

Graphic is from Carmina Gadelica, Hymns and Incantations…, Vol. I, p. 4

A Morning Commendation

Short prayers to be committed unto perfect memory for our first Holy Exercise in the beginning of the day.

__________

When we first awake.

Light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. (Psalm 13:3)

Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. (Ephesians 5:14)

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. (Psalm 119:18)

At our uprising.

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

Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for evermore.

Or this.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified for me, I arise from my own rest to do him service. By His Cross and Passion, may he save me, bless me, govern me and keep me this day and forever. Amen.

I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. (Psalm 3:5)

At apparelling.

Clothe me with the garments of salvation; cover me with the robe of righteousness. (From Isaiah 61:10)

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:14)

At the washing of our hands.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! (Psalm 51:2)

Cleanse me, O Lord, in the bright fountain of your mercy, and water me with the dew of your abundant grace, that being purified from my sins I may grow up in good works truly serving you in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life.

And then humbly commending ourselves to God’s protection upon our knees.

Into the hands of your blessed protection and boundless mercy, O Lord, I commend this day my soul and my body,with all the faculties, powers and actions of them both. Always be with me to direct, sanctify and govern me in the ways of your laws and in the works of your commandments, that through your most mighty protection, both here and ever, I may be preserved in body and soul to serve you, the only true God, through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen

Source: Modified from Collection of Private Devotions in the Practice of the Ancient Church, Called the Hours of Prayer, Ed. John Cosin, James Parker & Co, 1867, p. 47-49

The final prayer is also found in the Sarum Psalter.

Help Us Bear Burdens

O God,
you are love.
Help your children
to bear one another’s burdens
in perfect goodwill
that your peace
which passes understanding may
keep our hearts and minds
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Source: Book of Hours 1865

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers Ancient and Modern
by Mary Wilder Tileston, Boston, Little Brown, 1914, p. 285 #2

Deliver Our Hearts

1538547_de6ab6b6

O most merciful and gracious God,
hear our prayers,
and deliver our hearts
from the temptation of evil thoughts,
that by your goodness,
we may be a fitting dwelling for your Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Source: Priest’s Prayer Book

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers Ancient and Modern
by Mary Wilder Tileston, Boston, Little Brown, 1914, p. 123 #1

Speak the Truth in Love

O Lord,
may all who contend for the faith
never injure it by discord and impatience,
but speaking your precious truth in love,
present it that it may be loved,
and that people may see your truth
as goodness and beauty. Amen.

Source: William Bright

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers Ancient and Modern
by Mary Wilder Tileston, Boston, Little Brown, 1914, p. 107 #2

Cleanse and Renew My Heart

O my Lord,
give me that purity of conscience
which alone can receive your inspirations.
My ears are dull,
so that I cannot hear your voice.
My eyes are dim,
so that I cannot see your presence.
You alone can quicken my hearing,
and purge my sight,
and cleanse and renew my heart.
Teach me, like Mary,
to sit at your feet,
and to hear your Word

Source: John Henry Newman

Source of this version: Modified from https://pollypilgrim.wordpress.com/prayer-page/a-prayer-from-john-henry-newman/

Also found in context here: http://www.newmanreader.org/works/meditations/meditations11.html

Take, Enlighten, Teach

Take from us
all impurity of thought and desire,
all envy, pride and hypocrisy,
all falsehood and deceit,
all covetousness, arrogance and laziness,
all malice and anger,
everything that is against your will,
O most holy Lord.

Enlighten our understanding
that we may know
the greatness of your love in Christ,
the mysteries of your kingdom,
and the riches of your eternal glory.

Teach us what you would have us do,
and uphold us with your mighty power,
that in everything we do
we begin, proceed, and end
with your blessing.
Amen.

Source of this version: A Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland, 1896, p. 263 #3

“that in everything we do…” in the Book of Common Order is “that every work of ours may begin always from Thee, and in Thee be happily ended.”

With You There Is No Darkness

O God,
with you there is no darkness,
but the night shines like the day.
Keep and defend us and all your saints
in soul and body
during the coming night.
May we rest knowing your favor,
in the peace of a clear conscience,
in the hope of your blessing,
in faith in your providence,
in the love of your Spirit.

May we rise again
diligently carrying out our callings,
to do God’s work while it is day,
for the night comes when no one can work.
Whether we wake or sleep,
we live together with Christ.
Amen.

Source of this version: A Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland, 1896, p. 193 #4

“No darkness” may be a reference to 1 John 1:5

Variant:

O God, with whom there is no darkness, but the night shines as the day: keep and defend us and all your children, we beseech you, throughout the coming night. Renew our hearts with your forgiveness and our bodies with untroubled sleep, that we may wake to use more faithfully your gift of life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Source of this version: http://ourladyofloreto.org/bulletins_2014/Mar_16.pdf

“Work while it is day…” is a reference to John 9:4

For those in Affliction

Almighty and eternal God,
you are the comfort of the sorrowful
and the strength of the weak.
Graciously hear the prayers of those
who call out to you in any trouble or distress,
that in all their needs
they may receive your abundant help
and know your immeasurable comfort;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Modified from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, Board of Publication of the United Lutheran Church in America, Philadelphia, 1919, p. 223 #62