extended collect – Page 8 – A Collection of Prayers

My God, Give Yourself to Me

My God, I love you above all else,
and I desire to walk with you all the days of my life.
Always and in all things with my whole heart and strength I seek you.
If you do not give yourself to me, you give me nothing.
If I do not find you, I find nothing.
Grant, therefore, most gracious God,
that I may always love you for your own sake more than anything else,
and seek you always and everywhere in this present life,
so that at the last I may find you
and forever hold fast to you in the life to come.
Grant this for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Thomas Bradwardine

Source of this version: Modified from https://skyejethani.com/devotionals/2014/10/29/gods-not-chicken/

Also found here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/potts/prayermiddle.xiii.pr129.html

Help Us to Love You

O God,
whose greatness know no limits,
whose wisdom knows no bounds,
whose peace excels all understanding;
you love and help us beyond measure–
help us to love you.
Though we cannot fully do so
because of your infinite goodness,
increase and deepen our understanding
so that we may love you more and more;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Source of this version: http://www.didymus.org/uploads/3/4/2/1/3421357/bernard_of_clairvaux_on_monastic_and_scholastic_theology.pdf

Also found here: http://grimesfirstpresbyterianchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Mar-1-web-bulletin.pdf

“Greatness knows no limits”may be a reference to Ephesians 1:19

“Wisdom knows no bounds” may be a reference to Romans 11:33

“Peace excels all understanding” is a reference to Philippians 4:7

“Love you more and more” is a reference to Philippians 1:9

Restore Us to Your Right Path

veit-dietrich Lord God, heavenly Father,
we all like sheep have gone astray.
We let ourselves be led away from the right path
by Satan and our own sinful flesh:
Graciously forgive us all our sins
for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ;
and quicken our hearts by your Holy Spirit,
that we may remain in your Word,
and in true repentance and a steadfast faith
continue in your Church to the end,
and obtain eternal salvation;
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Veit Dietrich, d. 1549, Trinity 3

This revision/translation of The Collects of Veit Dietrich is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

Shepherd, Watch While We Sleep

wilhelm_loehe Beloved Shepherd of our souls and bodies,
you never slumber nor sleep.
Spread your holy protection over us
and cover us with your mighty wings,
that no terrors of the night may disturb us,
and let your divine majesty
watch over our minds while we sleep;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Wilhelm Löhe. Freely adapted from Seed Grains of Prayer, A Manual for Evangelical Christians, Wartburg Press, Chicago, 1914, #54

Also found here: A Minister’s Prayer Book © 1986 Fortress Press, Philadelphia

Guide Us by Your Holy Spirit

veit-dietrich

Lord God, heavenly Father,
keep us in your grace and guard us in all temptations,
that by the guidance of your Holy Spirit
we may live according to your will
and be comforted in every need by your goodness,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Veit Dietrich, 1506-1549

Source of this version: Freely paraphrased from several sources.

A Communion Prayer

veit-dietrich

O Lord God, heavenly Father,
we praise and thank you for your grace
that through your Son Jesus Christ
you established this supper
in which we eat his body and drink his blood.
By your Holy Spirit, help us
to use this gift worthily,
to confess and forsake our sins,
to confidently believe that we are forgiven through Christ,
and to grow in faith and love day by day
until we come at last to the joy of eternal salvation,
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Veit Dietrich, 1506-1549

Source of this version: Freely paraphrased from http://olcc.us/liturgical-resources/collects-veit-dietrich/

Give Us True Judgment

Grant to us, O Lord,
to know that which is worth knowing,
to love that which is worth loving,
to praise whatever pleases you most,
to esteem whatever is most precious to you,
and to dislike whatever is evil in your eyes.
Do not let us judge merely by what we see with our eyes,
nor to decide based on what we hear from ignorant men,
but to discern with true judgment between things visible and spiritual,
and above all to search out and to do what is well pleasing to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Thomas à Kempis

Source of this version: The following versions were compared and combined:

http://tomwills.typepad.com/thenewchristianyear/thomas_kempis/

http://godspace-msa.com/2012/03/05/a-prayer-by-thomas-a-kempis/

In “discern with true judgment,” Thomas may be referencing John 7:24.

Comfort and Relieve

God of love, whose compassion never fails;
we bring before you the griefs and perils of peoples and nations;
the necessities of the homeless;
the helplessness of the aged and weak;
the sighings of prisoners;
the pains of the sick and injured;
the sorrow of the bereaved.
Comfort and relieve them, O merciful Father,
according to their needs;
for the sake of your Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Source: Anselm of Canterbury, d. 1109

Source of this version: http://www.invitationtoprayer.org/w_prayers.html

Help Us Recognize Your Voice

File:Praying Hands - Albrecht Durer.png - Wikimedia Commons

O God in heaven, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus Christ, intercede for your people,
deliver us at the opportune time,
preserve in us the true genuine Christian faith,
collect your scattered sheep with your voice,
your divine Word as Holy Writ calls it.
Help us to recognize your voice,
help us not to be allured by the madness of the world,
so that we may never fall away from you,
O Lord Jesus Christ.

Source: Albrecht Dürer. The classic etching “Praying Hands” is also by Albrecht Dürer.

Source of this version: http://www.historyofpainters.com/durer.htm

The Voyage of Life

220px-sandro_botticelli_050

Blessed are your saints, O God and King,
who have traveled over the tempestuous sea of this mortal life,
and have made the harbor of peace and happiness.

Watch over us who are still in our dangerous voyage;
and remember such as lie exposed to the rough storms of trouble and temptations.
Frail is our vessel, and the ocean is wide;
but as in your mercy you have set our course,
so steer the vessel of our life toward the everlasting shore of peace,
and bring us at last to the quiet haven of our heart’s desire,
where you, O our God, are blessed,
and live and reign for ever and ever.

Source: St. Augustine of Hippo, 354-430

Source of this version: Modified from http://www.beliefnet.com/prayers/catholic/guidance/prayer-for-protection.aspx#stAJR5WhwHibqWSQ.99

Graphic by Sandro Botticeli from Wikipedia.com.