holy spirit – A Collection of Prayers

Grant Us Your Holy Spirit to Protect Us

Lord God, heavenly Father,
through your Son you promised us
that whatever we ask in his name you will give us.
Keep us in your Word
and grant us your Holy Spirit,
that he may govern us according to your will,
protect us from the power of the devil,
from false doctrine and false worship.
Defend our lives against all danger
and grant us your blessing and peace,
that we may in all things
know your merciful help
and praise and glorify you as our gracious Father
now and forever;
through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one true God, now and forever.

Source: Veit Dietrich, d. 1549, Easter 5, Rogate

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.

Prepare Our Hearts by Your Holy Spirit

Lord God, heavenly Father,
we thank you that through your Son Jesus Christ
you have sown your holy Word among us.
Prepare our hearts by your Holy Spirit
that we may diligently and reverently hear your Word,
keep it in good hearts
and bring forth fruit with patience.
Do not let our hearts incline to sin,
but subdue them by your power
and in all persecutions comfort us
with your grace and continual help;
through your beloved Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
ever one God, now and forever.

Source: Veit Dietrich, d. 1549, Sexagesima

Pentecost

O God,
on this day you taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit.
By that same Spirit
give us a right judgment in all things
that we may always rejoice in his holy comfort;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
one God, now and forever.

Source: Historic collect for Pentecost, Gregorian

Original in Latin:

Deus, qui hodierna die corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de ejus sember consolatione gaudere.

Cranmer 1459 has it as:

GOD, whiche as upon this daye haste [hast] taughte the heartes of thy faithful people, by the sending to them the lyght of thy holy spirite; graunte us by the same spirite to have a right judgement in al thinges, and evermore to rejoyce in hys holy coumforte; through the merites of Christ Jesus our saviour; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unitie of the same spirite, one God, worlde without ende.A

A prayer in the office of Terce is identical, with the omission of “on this day.”

See commentary by Bosco Peters.

Litany of the Holy Spirit (3)

cathedra-holyspirit1

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

God, the Father in heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Spirit, most merciful and patient, always striving for humanity in all its wanderings,
Holy Spirit, by your power the blessed virgin conceived and bore a Son,
Holy Spirit, through you the holy child Jesus grew strong in spirit and was filled with wisdom,
Holy Spirit, you descended on Jesus at his baptism and anointed him without measure,
Holy Spirit, by your power Jesus fulfilled his earthly ministry, teaching and working miracles, and preaching the kingdom of God,
Eternal Spirit, through you Jesus offered himself without blemish to God as our Priest and Victim,
Comforter, you proceed from the Father and were promised by the Lord to his disciples in their hour of sorrow, have mercy on us.

Holy Spirit, you were given to the apostles by the breath of Christ,
Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost you descended on the apostles as tongues of fire,
Holy Spirit, you blessed the apostles with wisdom and power to preach the gospel, to build the Church, and to send messengers tor the extension of Christ’s kingdom,
Holy Spirit, you inspired the apostles and evangelists to write the holy books of the New Testament for the comfort and edification of the Church,
Holy Spirit, Lord and giver of life in both the new and old creation, by your divine power you quicken the whole body of Christ,
Holy Spirit, by your supernatural work you give power and efficacy to the means of grace,
Holy Spirit, in all ages you comforted and strengthened martyrs and confessors, and enlightened the teachers of your Church with heavenly wisdom, have mercy on us.

Blessed Paraclete, you have always been the sustaining comfort and sweet refreshment of the sorrowful and suffering,
Holy Spirit, you spread abroad love, joy and peace in the hearts of the faithful and obedient followers of Christ,
Most gracious and patient Spirit, in your unending mercy you always seek to recall us from our wandering and bring us back in to God in repentance, have mercy on us.

By your life-giving power and might,
by your all powerful grace and strength,
by your continual presence in the church, good Lord, deliver us.

We sinners pray, hear us, Holy Spirit.

That we who have been made members of Christ’s body may be filled with all the fullness of your gifts of grace,
that we may never resist your holy work, but by your inspiration think those things that are good, and by your guidance do them,
that we may always enjoy the full blessing of Christ’s sacramental gifts through you,
that we may be led by you, live and walk in you, and rightly using the freedom with which Christ has made us free,
that as there is one body and one Spirit, the Church may be enabled to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,
that you would enlighten all ministers and stewards of your mysteries with true knowledge and understanding of your holy Word,
that you would give all your people a right understanding of Christian truth, and a brotherly love and affection towards one another, hear us, good Lord.

That you would take away from us all hatred and prejudice and whatever else hinders us from godly union and concord,
that you would give us the gift of perseverance, that being faithful to the point of death, we may hereafter be glorified with Christ,
that you would bring new life to your Church, that reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ, when he appears in glory at the end of time, hear us, good Lord.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
pour out your Holy Spirit on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
send us the promised Spirit from the Father.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
give us the Spirit of peace.

Our Father …

Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God, send us your Holy Spirit, and by his gracious indwelling, make us a temple of his glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Treasury of Devotion: A Manual of Prayer for General and Daily Use, 1869, edited by T. T. Carter, 1808-1901.

Litany of the Holy Spirit (2)

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

God the Father in heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Spirit,
by your power, you worked the incarnation of our Lord in the virgin’s womb,
you teach us all things and guide us into all truth,
you intercede for us groans that cannot be expressed in words,
you have given us new birth and have made us heirs of eternal life,
you help us in our weakness,
you bring us to life and purify our hearts with faith,
you judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart, have mercy on us.

From all evil. Deliver us, Holy Spirit.
Be merciful to us. Spare us, Holy Spirit.
Be merciful to us. Hear us, Holy Spirit.

From all sins of thought, word, and action,
from the crafts and assaults of the devil,
from pride and despair,
from unbelief and hardness of heart,
from uncleanness of heart and life,
from anger, hatred and ill will,
from impurity of body and soul,
from obstinacy and impenitence,
from indifference to the service of God, deliver us, Holy Spirit.

You proceed from the Father and the Son,
you overshadowed the virgin,
you descended on the Son in the form of a dove,
you were poured out on the holy apostles,
you are the Spirit of love,
you are the Spirit of joy,
you are the Spirit of peace,
you dwell in us, help us, good Lord.

By your inward anointing,
by the abundance of your grace, hear us, good Lord.

We sinners pray, hear us, Holy Spirit.

To cleanse and sanctify all members of your holy Church,
to adorn the Bride of Christ with abundant gifts,
to bless and protect our synod [church body], together with all its clergy and institutions,
to grant all of us the spirit of prayer and sincere worship,
to adorn our lives with patience and humility,
to kindle love and mercy in us,
to clothe us with purity,
to help us so that we do not grieve you, Holy Spirit, for you have sealed us for the day of redemption,
to work in us your grace and bring us to eternal life, hear us, Holy Spirit.

Lord God, Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

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; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us your peace.

O Christ, hear us.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father in heaven…

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

Almighty God, send the Holy Spirit into our hearts that he may rule and direct us according to your will, comfort us in all temptations and afflictions, defend us from all error, lead us into all truth, keep us steadfast in the true faith, and help us increase in love and in all good works, that in the end we obtain eternal life; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Source: Loehe’s Agenda, in Oremus, ed. Paul Zeller Strodach, 1925.

For Whitsunday (Pentecost)

O God the Trinity,
your name is wonderful.
You purify the depths of the heart from vices
and make it whiter than the snow.
Give us your compassion.
Renew our hearts by your Holy Spirit
so that we may declare your praise.
Strengthen us by your righteous and royal Spirit
and give us a place in the heavenly Jerusalem;
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Source: Sarum Rite

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.

Pentecost

O God,
my heart is a vain heart,
a wandering and unstable heart
when it is led by its own judgment
and lacking divine counsel,
and it cannot subsist in itself.
When it seeks other ways,
it finds nothing,
but remains miserable in its labor,
and empty of peace.
It does not agree with itself,
it dissents from itself,
it alters resolutions,
changes its judgment,
frames new thoughts,
pulls down the old,
and builds them up again.
It wants and does not want,
and never remains in the same state.

Come, Holy Spirit,
and bring from heaven a ray of your light!
Come, Father of the poor,
giver of gifts,
light of the world,
blessed Comforter,
dear guest of the soul,
and its sweetest refreshment!
Our rest in labor,
our coolness in heat,
our comfort in affliction!
O most blessed Spirit,
fill full the hearts of your faithful people!
Without your influence, there is nothing in us
which is not weakness and guilt.
Oh, cleanse those who are filthy.
Refresh those who are dried up.
Heal those who are wounded.
Bend those who are stubborn.
Cherish in your heart those who are cold.
Guide those who are wandering.
Grant your servants,
who put their trust in you,
the merit of your righteousness.
Give them final salvation.
Grant them eternal joy!

O Lord, hear our prayer,
and let our cry come to you. Amen.

Source: Bernard of Clairvaux, 12th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.

For the Holy Spirit

O Holy Spirit, Comforter,
with the Father and the Son
you live as one God.
Descend to our hearts this day,
that while you make intercession for us,
we may call on our Father with full confidence;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Mozarabic Liturgy

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954

For the Holy Spirit

Strengthen me, O God,
by the grace of your Holy Spirit.
Strengthen my inner man,
and empty my heart of all useless care and anguish.
O Lord, grant me heavenly wisdom,
that I may learn to seek and to find you above all things,
to relish and to love you above all things,
and to think of all other things
as being at the disposal of your wisdom.

Source: Thomas à Kempis
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.

For the Presence of the Holy Spirit

O holy Counselor,
sweetest consolation of the sorrowful,
gracious Spirit come down now with your mighty power
into the depths of our hearts.
Gladden there with your brightness every dark retreat,
and enrich all with the dew of your abundant comfort.
Kindle our hearts with holy favor,
that the incense of our prayers and praises
may ever go up to you, our God;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Source: St. Anselm, eleventh century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.