The book Prayers Ancient and Modern was also published under the title Great Souls at Prayer. Mary Wilder Tileston made a revised edition in 1928 in which she removed about a quarter of the prayers from the 1897 edition and added newer prayers. This revision is based on the 1897 edition to give preference to ancient prayers. A few prayers resisted revision and even rewriting. Prayers from the 1928 edition were included as replacements, noted, and the originals are included in an appendix.
Devotional writing in the late 1800s was often very flowery and redundant. (“Why use one word when ten will do?”) Many wordings of prayers were reduced. Passive verbs were reworked to be active and resulted in stronger, more direct prayers.
Devotional writing in the late 1800s was often pietistic, with perfectionist theology, us for God language dominating, and God for us language often lacking.
All the prayers in this edition have been modified, some more freely than others. Most I revised in such a way that they remain direct quotes of the originals.
Some prayers were completely rewritten, and the resulting content may have some different themes than the original. This kind of revision is indicated with “Adapted from N.” in the attribution. Prayers so noted should not be considered direct quotes from the original authors.
In all the revision and overhauling, I tried to keep some of the language and spirit of the originals. Prayers Ancient and Modern is available and downloadable from Google Books and from Archive.org if readers wish to compare this book with the original.
Prayers Ancient Made Modern is offered here as a print book through Lulu, and without cost in EPUB, PDF, and DOCX formats.
This is the oldest part of the service. Many authorities (Reed, Pfatteicher, Strey) describe worship in the early church beginning with a simple greeting, and then the pattern of readings from the synagogue would follow: a reading from the law, a psalm, and a reading from the prophets. To this, readings from the letters and the “memoirs of the apostles”(Justin Martyr’s term for the gospels) were added. Old Testament readings later were reduced to one, and still later disappeared altogether with some exceptions (Epiphany).
In the mid-twentieth century, the use of the Old Testament and psalms were restored to use with the Historic Lectionary (See Service Book and Hymnal, 1958). The post-Vatican II lectionary and ILCW lectionary expanded the readings to a three-year series, still based on the traditional church year, with Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel readings, along with prescribed psalms. (See note on the Revised Common Lectionary below.)
In modern practice there is very little variation between denominations and traditions in the Service of the Word. Reading selections may vary, but the pattern of First Reading, Psalm, Second Reading, Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia Verse or Gradual) and Gospel seem to be widespread.
The Salutation often precedes the Prayer of the Day.
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Some have called the Salutation “the little ordination.” In worship we give the officiant the privilege to lead us in prayer. The congregation’s response is sometimes rendered “and with your spirit,” (from the Latin “et cum spirito tuo.”) It is meant to be a greeting bewteen pastor and people.We do not know for certain what the “simple greeting” was in the worship of the early church. It could have been “The Lord be with you, and with your spirit.” It could have been the apostolic greeting, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. And with your spirit.” We know that the latter was sometimes used in the preface dialogue before Holy Communion in early liturgies.
Collect / Prayer of the Day
Stir up your power, O Lord, and come, that by your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by your mighty deliverance; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Collects have been written throughout the history of the church. Some scholars have said, “The shorter they are, the older they are.” For information on the structure of collects see Anatomy of a Collect.
The readings below are for the First Sunday in Advent from the Historic Lectionary.
First Reading
The First Reading is from the twenty-third chapter of Jeremiah.
Listen, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, who will reign wisely as king and establish justice and righteousness on earth. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely. This is his name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.
7 So, mark my words, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when it will no longer be said, “As surely as the Lord lives who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,” 8 but, “as surely as the Lord lives who brought up the descendants of the house of Israel and led them out of a land in the north and from all the countries where I had driven them.” Then they will dwell in their own land. (Jeremiah 23:5-8, EHV)
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm 24
The earth is the Lord’s and everything that fills it, the world and all who live in it, 2 because he founded it on the seas, and he established it on the rivers. 3 Who may go up to the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, whose soul is not set on what is false, who does not swear deceitfully. 5 He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God who saves him. 6 Such are the people of Jacob who look for the Lord, who seek your face. 7 Lift up your heads, you gates. Lift yourselves up, you ancient doors, and the King of Glory will come in. 8 Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates. Lift up, you ancient doors, and the King of Glory will come in. 10 Who is he, this King of Glory? The Lord of Armies—he is the King of Glory.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.
Second Reading
The Second Reading is from the thriteenth chapter of Romans.
And do this since you understand the present time. It is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost over, and the day is drawing near. So let us put away the deeds of darkness and put on the weapons of light. 13 Let us walk decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual sin and wild living, not in strife and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not give any thought to satisfying the desires of your sinful flesh. (Romans 13:11-14, EHV)
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Gradual
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Let no one who waits on you be ashamed, O Lord Show me your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. (Psalm 25:3-4) Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Gospel
The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-first chapter. Glory be to you, O Lord.
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 telling them, “Go to the village ahead of you. Immediately you will find a donkey tied there along with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 Tell the daughter of Zion: Look, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their outer clothing on them, and he sat on it. 8 A very large crowd spread their outer clothing on the road. Others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them out on the road. 9 The crowds who went in front of him and those who followed kept shouting,
Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! (Matthew 21:1-9, EHV)
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise be to you, O Christ.
Advocates of the Historic Lectionary point to the series rising organically from the early church. Most of the readings date back to St. Jerome and his Comes from around the year 471. Some selections in the Historic Lectionary suggest switches (judging by the readings from 1 Peter, Misericordias Domini may have originally been Easter 4 instead of Easter 3) and some brief and incomplete Lectio Continua in the Epistles suggest remnants of longer series. The -gesima Sundays suggest a remnant of a longer Lenten season. Practically, a one-year series has advantages for faith formation in worship–working with the memory of the hearers by repeating readings each year.
The three-year lectionary came about as the result of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) when a three-year series was suggested using Matthew, Mark and Luke as the basis for the Gospel selections for the three years, with John filling in some gaps in Mark and elsewhere. Originally, some Lectio Continua remained in the Epistles. The goal of a three-year lectionary was to increase the amount of Scripture read in worship, from two readings each for about sixty Sundays and festivals repeated each year, to three readings and a psalm each for about 180 Sundays and festivals over the course of three years.
The Revised Common Lectionary has made the three-year series truly ecumenical, being used or adapted by many denominations. For more information on the Revised Common Lectionary and to view readings and charts, see this site from Vanderbilt University.
There is much that could be said here about the history of preaching and the role of the sermon in the service. In some points of Church history, preaching or a homily had a minor role in the service. At first, the sermon was a few comments after the reading of the Gospel. After the Reformation, following the educational reforms of Martin Luther, and following the example of his own preaching, the Sermon took on a greater role. The Sermon is educational–and for some, it may be the only instruction in the Word of God they will hear in the course of a week. The Sermon is devotional, delighting in the truths of God. The Sermon is formative, impressing the same truths from the readings on our hearts and minds yet again. The rest of the liturgy is not merely a frame for the Sermon. Rather, rite, song, Scripture, creed, prayer, and sacrament are all parts of a whole–the Divine Service, God himself, presenting us with the gifts of his grace.
Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. (The text of the Nicene Creed is from http://www.englishtexts.org)
The Creed is a reflection of the doctrine of the Means of Grace. The Word of God has created the Creed as the response of God’s people to his Word. It’s recitation is a delightful and an exciting confession of faith. It is a response of faith in his Word, a faith formed and fashoined by that Word. As we recite it, we are also saying to one another, “You’re not alone! This is what I believe, too, in union not only with you, but with the church universal for the last 2000 years.“
Traditionally the Apostles’ Creed is the individual’s baptismal creed, hence the pronoun I.
The Nicene Creed is the confession of the church collectively, hence the pronoun We. It is the confession of the church militant in her battles for the truth and against heresy. When the creed was sung, the officiant sang the first line by himself, similar to the practice in the Gloria. (See Deutschlander, The Western Rite.)
Prayer of the Church / Prayers of the People
Jesus Christ, Righteous Branch of David, come to us and reign in our hearts.
To you, Lord our God, we lift up our souls. We trust in you. Show us your ways.
Awaken us by your Holy Spirit. Release our feet from the devil’s snares and clothe us with your righteousness.
To you, Lord our God, we lift up our souls. We trust in you. Show us your ways.
Forgive us our sins. Instruct us to follow your ways. Deliver us from all our enemies.
To you, Lord our God, we lift up our souls. We trust in you. Show us your ways.
Relieve those who are troubled in heart and free them from their anguish. [We pray especially for…] Guard their lives and rescue them, for they take refuge in you.
To you, Lord our God, we lift up our souls. We trust in you. Show us your ways.
Special prayers and intercessions may follow.
Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.
Silent prayer.
Hosanna! Save us now, Jesus, Son of David. As you once came to your people clothed in human flesh, you come also to us clothed in your holy Word. Remember us. Be present with us day by day, and make us ready for your day of salvation; you live and reign, now and forever. Amen.
The Mass of the Catechumens ended with the Sermon after the Gospel. A few brief prayers for the catechumens or penitents were prayed, and then they were dismissed. The baptized faithful remained, which is where the term “Prayers of the Faithful” comes from.
There was a time when the concerns of the congregation were prayed about within the Great Thanksgiving in the Service of the Sacrament. There are many Prayers of the Church (also called the Prayers of the People or the Prayers of the Faithful). Some are written as seasonal prayers. The prayer above is written specifically for the First Sunday in Advent in the Historic Lectionary.
One worship book gives these directions for the Prayers, with the intention that the presider will write or gather petitions for the occasion:
Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.
Prayers are included for the whole church, the nation, those in need, the parish, special concerns.
The congregation may be invited to offer petitions and thanksgivings.
Prayers of confession may be included if the Brief Order for Confession and Forgiveness has not been used earlier.
The minister gives thansk for the faithful departed, especially for those who recently have died.
After each portion of the prayers:
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
OR
Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
The prayers conclude:
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Glory be to you, almighty Father,
you have given to those who fear you
the heavenly bread of life,
that we may be mindful of the marvels
which you have done on the earth,
by sending us your only Son,
fully human,
born of a pure virgin.
We give you thanks, holy Father,
for you created us before we were,
and while we were still sinners you made us partakers of your heavenly grace;
through your Son, our Lord and God,
who with you and the Holy Spirit
makes, orders, and rules all things, now and forever. Amen.
Source: Dunstan of Canterbury
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.
A new book of prayers is available from Northwestern Publishing House. There’s a Prayer for That. It contains 494 prayers, with many of them newly composed for this book. Two of them, 18. Presentation of the Augsburg Confession, and 84. Thanks for Freedom from Satan’s Power are by Pastor Paul Stratman, the editor of A Collection of Prayers.
The Word encourages you to pray in every circumstance. Whether life leads you to bring thanks, praise, or troubles before God, he will listen.
There’s a Prayer for That guides you in this continual conversation with God. This collection contains over 450 prayers, including some from Meditations Daily Devotional, for the people and situations in your life. Whether you are thinking about your family and friends, your future, or your faith, this book will guide you in prayer.
God may not always respond in obvious or expected ways. Yet, the messages from Scripture included in There’s a Prayer for That assure you that his answers are lovingly given for the good of your soul.
No matter what tomorrow brings, there’s a prayer for that, and there’s a loving Father who wants you to talk to him.
O Lord,
I come according to will
and obeying your command,
bringing all my petitions,
especially the things that would prevent
me from coming to you—
my sins that trouble me greatly,
and I ask you to remove and forgive them.
Amen.
Dearest Lord,
I should pray
and want to pray
because of your command
and invitation,
but I can’t do it well,
and it does not work
to pray in my name.
So let it work
and be right
to pray in
my Lord Christ’s name.
Amen.
Lieber Herr! Ich soll und will beten auf dein Gebot und Verheißung; kann ich’s nicht gut machen, und es nicht taugt noch gilt in meinem Namen, so laß es gelten und gut sein in meines Herrn Christi Namen. Amen.
Lord,
it is your glory and worship
that you should be praised,
and that I should pray to you.
Therefore, dearest Lord,
do not look on my unworthiness,
but on my need your help,
for you are the only help for all sinners.
Therefore, to your glory,
I call to you.
I will not refuse your help,
and you can and will give it
to those who pray.
Amen. Amen.
Herr, es ist deine Ehre und dein Gottesdienst, dadurch du gerühmt wirst, daß ich vor dir bettele; darum, lieber Herr, siehe nicht an, daß ich so unwürdig bin, sondern daß ich deiner Hülfe nothdürftig bin, und du der rechte einzige Nothhelfer bist aller Sünder. Darum dir geschieht’s zu Ehren, daß ich dich anrufe; so kann ich deiner Hülfe nicht entrathen, und du kannst und willst geben denen, die dich bitten. Amen. Amen.
Translator’s note:
Entrathen seems to be an older German word, or a word that is no longer in use in that form. Dictionary searches for entrathen and entraten yeilded answers like “surrender.” Raten can mean “guess.” So in the context, I decieded entraten must mean something like “second guess,” and “refuse” seemed to fit.
Dearest Lord God,
O that we were just as eager to pray,
even with the most meager sighs of the heart
as you are eager to urge, invite,
command, and compel us to pray.
O, we are lazy and unthankful.
Forgive us for this, dearest Lord,
and strengthen our faith. Amen.
Lieber Herr Gott! O daß wir so fleißig wären zu beten, zum wenigsten mit Seufzen des Herzens, als du bist mit Reizen, Locken und Gebieten, Verheißen und Nöthigen zum Gebet! Ach, wir sind faul und undankbar, das vergieb du uns, lieber Herr, und starke uns den Glauben. Amen.
Lord,
since it is your will and command
that I should come to you and pray,
I come.
In prayer I bring to you
what hinders me the most
and keeps me from you the most–
my sins.
They weigh heavy on my neck
and press on me hard.
But you yourself will take them from me
and forgive them for Christ’s sake.
Amen.
Herr, weil du willst und heißest, daß ich beten und zu dir kommen soll, so will ich kommen, und zu beten genug bringen, und eben das, was mich am meisten hindert und von dir zurücktreibt, welches ist meine Sünde, die mir auf dem Halse liegt und drücket, daß du dieselbe von mir nehmen und vergeben wollest, um Christi willen. Amen.
Almighty God,
you have given us grace at this time
to make our common prayers to you,
and you promise that when two or three
are gathered together in your name
you will grant their requests.
O Lord, fulfill the desires and prayers of your servants,
as you know what is best for us,
granting us in this world knowledge of your truth,
and in the world to come, life everlasting.
Amen.
O Lord,
Dearest Lord,
A Collection of Prayers 