O Lord, my Savior,
you have the power to remit sins.
Say to me, “Be loosed from your chains,
come out of the bonds of your sins.”
When you say it,
loosen those cords of my errors that ensnare me.
I am the most wicked of all people,
and should be despised because of continuing in sins,
but when you command,
I will be free from them. Amen.
Source: Ambrose, d. 397
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953
Merciful Lord,
Comforter and Teacher of your faithful people,
increase in your Church the desires you have given.
Strengthen the hearts of those who hope in you,
and show them the depth of your promises.
Lead all your adopted children to see with the eyes of faith,
and help them wait patiently for the light that is now hidden;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Source: Ambrose, d. 397
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953
O God,
you looked on man when he had fallen to death,
and resolved to redeem him
by giving your only Son.
Grant that all who confess his glorious incarnation
may also be admitted to the fellowship of him, their Redeemer;
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Source: Ambrose
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, ed. J. Manning Potts, The Upper Room, Nashville, Tennessee, © 1953 (Public domain in the U.S.)
“by giving your only Son” is a reference to John 3:16
Merciful Lord,
you comfort and teach your faithful people.
Increase in your Church the holy desires which you have given.
Strengthen the hearts of those who hope in you.
Empower us to understand the depth of your promises,
that all your adopted children may see with the eyes of faith,
and patiently wait for the good things
you have not yet revealed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Source: Ambrose
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, ed. J. Manning Potts, The Upper Room, Nashville, Tennessee, © 1953 (Public domain in the U.S.)
Be gracious to our prayers,
O merciful God,
and guard your people with loving protection.
May we who confess your only Son as God,
born in our human flesh,
never be corrupted by the deceits of the devil;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Source: Ambrose
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, ed. J. Manning Potts, The Upper Room, Nashville, Tennessee, © 1953 (Public domain in the U.S.)
O Lord,
you have mercy on all.
Take away my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of your Holy Spirit.
Take away my heart of stone
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore you,
a heart to delight in you,
to follow and to enjoy you,
for Christ’s sake. Amen.
Source: Ambrose, d. 397
Source of this version: Modified from https://anglicanprayer.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/lent-prayers-st-ambrose-give-me-a-heart-of-flesh/
Also quoted in The One Year Book of Personal Prayer, © 1991 Tyndale House Publishers (May 17)
The heart of stone and heart of flesh is a reference to Ezekiel 11:19 and Ezekiel 36:26.
O God Almighty,
who cleansed the lips of the prophet Isaiah with a burning coal:
Cleanse my heart and my lips.
So grant to cleanse me, of your mercy,
that I may be able to proclaim worthily your holy gospel:
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Source: Ambrose, d. 397
Source of this version: https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/trevinwax/2007/07/29/cleanse-me-so-i-can-preach/
Also quoted in The One Year Book of Personal Prayer, © 1991 Tyndale House Publishers (April 14)
The burning coal is a reference to Isaiah 6:6-7
Come, therefore, O Lord Jesus,
divest yourself of your garments
which you have put on for my sake.
Be naked, that you may clothe us with your mercy.
Gird yourself with a towel for our sakes,
that you may gird us with your gift of immortality.
Pour water into the basin; wash not only our feet but also the head,
and not only the footprints of the body, but also of the mind.
I wish to put off all the filth of our fraility,
so that I, too, may say:
“I have put off my garment, how shall I put it on?
I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?”
Source: Ambrose, d. 397
Source of this version: https://magdelene.wordpress.com/category/martin-luther-king/
Also quoted in The One Year Book of Personal Prayer, © 1991 Tyndale House Publishers (January 21)
The last two lines quote the Song of Songs 5:3
A Collection of Prayers 