Tag: 20th Century

A Prayer for a Dying Person

O almighty and merciful God,
you are our rod and staff in the shadow of death.
We pray, visit this sick person,
his body and soul,
with your mercy,
and graciously to forgive all his sins.
Take the sacrifice of the innocent death
of Jesus Christ your dear Son
as payment for his transgressions
since he was baptized in Christ’s name
and cleansed by Christ’s blood.
Deliver him from bodily pains or shorten them.
Sustain him against the accusations of conscience
and all attacks of the wicked one
that he may fight a good fight and overcome.
Grant him a blessed departure for the life everlasting.
Send your holy angels
that they escort him to the gathering
of the elect in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.

Source: The Abridged Treasury of Prayers: An Epitome from the Larger Gebets-Schatz, 1906,  #61

“you are our rod and staff in the shadow of death” is a reference to Psalm 23:4

“Take the sacrifice of the innocent death of Jesus Christ your dear Son as payment for his transgressions” is a reference to Isaiah 53:5

“Sustain him against the accusations of conscience and all attacks of the wicked one” may be a reference to Ephesians 6:16

“that he may fight a good fight and overcome” is a reference to 1 Timothy 6:12

“Send your holy angels” is a reference to Luke 16:22

prayer for the dead in middle ages

prayers for the dead

Transform Loneliness into Comfort

Lord Jesus,
you were alone
in your suffering on the cross.
Be near those who are alone
in their pain and sorrow today.
Let your gracious presence
transform their loneliness into comfort,
since you are the sure refuge
of the weary and heavy laden.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Old World and the New, ed. L. H. M. Soulsby, p. 12

“weary and heavy laden” is a reference to Matthew 11:28

For All in Affliction or Sorrow

God of all comfort,
we commend to your mercy
all those who bear any cross or trouble:
the nations who are afflicted with famine, pestilence, or war,
our fellow Christians who suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel,
all who travel and are in danger by sea or land or air,
and all who are oppressed with poverty, sickness,
or any infirmity of body or sorrow of mind.
We pray particularly for the sick and afflicted members of this church,
and for those who desire to be remembered in our prayers,
and for those we name in our hearts before you.
May it please you to show them your fatherly kindness,
disciplining them for their good
that their hearts may turn to you
and receive complete comfort and deliverance
from all their troubles;
for Christ’s sake.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Book of Common Worship (Presbyterian), 1906

As a paragraph:

God of all comfort, we commend to your mercy all those who bear any cross or trouble: the nations who are afflicted with famine, pestilence, or war, our fellow Christians who suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel, all who travel and are in danger by sea or land or air, and all who are oppressed with poverty, sickness, or any infirmity of body or sorrow of mind. We pray particularly for the sick and afflicted members of this church, and for those who desire to be remembered in our prayers, and for those we name in our hearts before you. May it please you to show them your fatherly kindness, disciplining them for their good that their hearts may turn to you and receive complete comfort and deliverance from all their troubles; for Christ’s sake. Amen.

For Those in Sorrow and Affliction

Prayer Book Bible Reading Book Of Common Prayer

O heavenly Father,
your blessed Son Jesus Christ
wept at the grave of Lazarus his friend.
Look with compassion on those
who are now in sorrow and affliction.
Comfort them, O Lord, with the message of your grace.
Show them that all things
work together for good to those who love you;
and grant them always a sure trust and confidence
in your fatherly care;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Modified from The Scottish Book of Common Prayer (1912), Burial of the Dead.

“all things work together for good to those who love you” is a reference to Romans 8:28

Original in traditional English:

O HEAVENLY Father, whose Blessed Son Jesus Christ did weep at the grave of Lazarus his friend: Look, we beseech thee, with compassion upon those who are now in sorrow and affliction; comfort them, O Lord, with thy gracious consolations; make them to know that all things work together for good to them that love thee; and grant them evermore sure trust and confidence in thy fatherly care; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

prayer for the dead in middle ages

prayers for the dead

For Those Who Suffer Injury by Accident

O God, our Father,
through your Son you reached out
to the sick and broken in body.
Mercifully reach those
who suffer injury of body
and anguish of mind
because of accident.*
By your Holy Spirit
direct them to pray to you
to heal their broken bodies,
so that they may also bring
their broken hearts
to be made whole by your grace
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Dr. H. D. Hoover (a minister and professor in The Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the United States and later in The United Lutheran Church in America, active around 1922).

Source of this version: Freely modified from Collects and Prayers for use in Church,  United Lutheran Church in America, 1935, #245

*the word accident can be replaced with something more specific if needed: violence, terrorism, etc.

Swedish Morning Prayer

O Lord God, heavenly Father,
we thank you with all our heart
that you have brought us to the beginning of this day
on which we will hear your holy gospel.
Graciously preserve among us the light of your truth,
and so direct and rule our hearts by your Holy Spirit,
that we may never turn away from it,
but remain steadfast in your Word,
and finally, by your grace, receive salvation;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Swedish Rite: a translation of “Handbok för svenska kyrkan” by Eric Esskildsen Yelverton, 1921, Prayer at Mattins, p. 3

Swedish Prayer at Evensong

We thank you, O Lord, heavenly Father,
for all the good things that we have this day received from you,
and more especially for your holy Word of salvation.
Bless, O God, with your Spirit
whatever has been sown in our hearts,
and grant that it may bear fruit for eternal life.
Keep your whole church under your gracious protection.
Grant that it may be built up in unity and strength
on Jesus Christ, its living foundation,
and deliver it from false doctrine and all other ill.
Protect and bless with your mighty hand our beloved king and all his house.
Prosper every good word and grant to all estates of men
to feel your help and blessing.
Bless the earth, that it may bring forth its fruit,
and give us after your great goodness whatever is needful to us temporally.
Remember, O God, all who are in sickness and distress,
and be their comfort and help.
Be with us every day and teach us rightly
to use our short and precious time of grace.
Preserve us in body and in soul through the coming night.
Into your hands we commend ourselves and all that we have.
Praised be your holy name.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Swedish Rite: a translation of “Handbok för svenska kyrkan” by Eric Esskildsen Yelverton, 1921, General Prayer at Evensong, p. 37-38