O God,
in wonderful ways
you created and redeemed mankind.
Give us steadfast minds
to resist the allurements of sin
that we may attain the joys of eternal life.
Hear us, O Lord. Amen.
Source: Gregorian Sacramentary
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954
Raise up your power and deliver us,
O Lord our God.
When we are overwhelmed by the storms of temptation
raise us up by your strength.
Hear us, O Lord. Amen.
Source: Mozarabic Breviary. Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, ed. J. Manning Potts.
O God,
you make all things work together
for good to those who love you.
Fill us with the invincible power of your love
that the holy desires you have put in our hearts
may not be changed by any temptation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Source: Gelasian, freely modified from Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 77.3
Lord God, heavenly Father,
you know that we are set
in the midst of so many and great dangers,
that by reason of the frailty of our nature
we cannot always stand upright:
Grant us such strength and protection,
to support us in all danger,
and carry us through all temptations;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Source: Martin Luther, the German Litany, Third Collect, [Die Gebete Luthers, #5]
O God the Father,
graciously give us
all that we need
for body and soul.
O + Son of God,
deliver us from sin,
be gracious to us,
and give us your Spirit.
O God, Holy Spirit,
heal, comfort
and strengthen us
against the devil,
and give us endless victory
and resurrection from death.
Amen.
Source: Martin Luther, 1483-1546
Source of this version: Translated for A Collection of Prayers. German source: Gebetbuch, enthaltend die sämtlichen Gebete und Seufzer Martin Luther’s, ….Evangelischer Bücher-Verein, 1866, #22. [Die Gebete Luthers, #175]
Original in German:
Ach Gott Vater, gieb uns gnädig, was zu Leib und Leben gehöret!
Ach du Sohn Gottes, hilf uns von Sünden, sei uns gnädig, und gieb uns deinen Geist!
Ach Gott , heiliger Geist, heile, tröste und stärke uns wider den Teufel, und gieb uns endlich Sieg, und die Auferweckung vom Tode.
Amen.
O Lord,
help us when we are tempted.
Let nothing move us to distrust your care for us,
or mislead us to use your gifts and forget you, their Giver.
May we never assume your protection
when we forsake your paths, and tempt you.
May we never, for the sake of any supposed gain or advancement,
quench the testimony of your Spirit,
or prove disloyal to your service.
Support us in all temptations
so that when we have been tried,
we may receive the crown of life,
which you have prepared for them that love you.
Amen.
Source: Henry Alford, d. 1871
O Father in heaven,
look upon all your people
who struggle
with anger, anxiety,
doubt, frustration,
guilt, hopelessness,
loss, memories,
lack of patience,
pain, regret,
sadness, selfishness,
temptation and weakness.
Your holy Word tells us
“All things work together
for the good of those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.”
And that means that you make all these things work
for your good purpose in our lives,
even when we do not understand.
Remind us of your invitation,
“Cast all your cares upon me,”
and of your assurance that goes with it,
“because I care for you.”
…through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Source: Paul C. Stratman, 2017
“All things work together…” is a reference to Romans 8:28
“Cast all your cares… is a reference to 1 Peter 5:7
Abide with us, Lord,
for it is toward evening and the day is far spent;
abide with us, and with your whole Church.
Abide with us in the evening of the day,
in the evening of life,
in the evening of the world.
Abide with us in your grace and mercy,
in holy Word and Sacrament,
in your comfort and your blessing.
Abide with us in the night of distress and fear,
in the night of doubt and temptation,
in the night of bitter death,
when these shall overtake us.
Abide with us and with all your faithful ones,
O Lord, in time and in eternity.
Amen.
Source: Georg Christian Dieffenbach (1822-1901)
Part of this prayer is found here: The Oxford Book of Prayer, ed. Appleton, © 1985, 1992
A reflection on Luke 24:29
A version of this prayer is found in Lutheran Worship (LCMS 1982) as an alternative collect for Easter Eve.
Original in German:
Bleibe bei uns, Herr,
denn es will Abend werden,
und der Tag hat sich geneigt.
Bleibe bei uns und bei deiner ganzen Kirche.
Bleibe bei uns am Abend des Tages,
am Abend des Lebens, am Abend der Welt.
Bleibe bei uns mit deiner Gnade und Güte,
mit deinem heiligen Wort und Sakrament,
mit deinem Trost und Segen.
Bleibe bei uns,
wenn über uns kommt
die Nacht der Trübsal und Angst,
die Nacht des Zweifels und der Anfechtung,
die Nacht des bitteren Todes.
Bleibe bei uns und allen deinen Gläubigen
in Zeit und Ewigkeit.
Amen.
Source of the original German prayer: Evangelische Haus-Agende by Georg Christian Dieffenbach, 1853
* Although this prayer is often attributed to The Lutheran Manual of Prayer in many prayer books and anthologies, I have never seen or found a book with that title. A search on http://www.amazon.com and on Google Books yields several Lutheran prayer books, but none with that title.
O God,
you are the healer
of soul and body.
Save us
and make us whole.
Even when
we suffer
under all our sickness
and all our infirmity,
help us overcome
the temptations of the enemy
by your strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Source: Freely modified from The Priest’s Prayerbook, 1865, #262
Original in traditional English:
O GOD, Who art the Healer of soul and body, send forth Thy salvation, and make us whole; that while we deplore all our sickness and all our infirmity, we may by Thy strength overcome the temptations of the enemy. Through…
O God the Father in heaven:
Have mercy on us.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the world:
Have mercy on us.
O God the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son:
Have mercy on us.
O holy blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons and one God:
Have mercy on us.
Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers,
do not take vengeance on us for our sins.
Spare us, good Lord.
Spare your people whom you redeemed with your most precious blood,
and do not be angry with us forever:
Spare us, good Lord.
From all evil and harm,
from the power of sin and the snares of the devil,
from your wrath and from everlasting damnation:
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all blindness of heart,
from pride, vain-glory and hypocrisy,
from envy, hatred, and malice, and all lovelessness:
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all impure lusts and desires,
and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil:
Good Lord, deliver us.
From lightning, tempest, and earthquake,
from plague, pestilence, and famine,
from all disasters by land and by water,
from battle and murder, and from sudden death:
Good Lord, deliver us.
From tumult and riot,
from sedition and rebellion,
from heresy and schism,
from hardness of heart and contempt of your Word and authority:
Good Lord, deliver us.
By the mystery of your holy incarnation,
by your holy nativity and circumcision,
by your baptism, fasting, and temptation:
Good Lord, deliver us.
By your agony and bloody sweat,
by your cross and passion,
by your precious death and burial,
by your glorious resurrection and ascension,
and by the coming of the Holy Spirit:
Good Lord, deliver us.
In all time of our tribulation,
in all time of our wealth,
in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment:
Good Lord, deliver us
We sinners pray, hear us, O Lord:
Son of God we pray, hear us.
That it may please you to keep us in all time of temptation and heaviness,
to comfort and help all the weak-hearted,
to lift up those who fall, and finally to beat down Satan under our feet:
We pray, hear us, O Lord.
That it may please you to nurture, help, and comfort
all who are in danger, need, and trouble:
We pray, hear us, O Lord.
That it may please you to preserve all travelers and strangers,
all women in the perils of child birth,
all sick persons and young children,
and to show your pity on all prisoners and captives:
We pray, hear us, O Lord.
That it may please you to defend and provide
for the fatherless children and widows,
and all who are desolate and oppressed:
We pray, hear us, O Lord.
That it may please you to have mercy on all people:
We pray, hear us, O Lord.
O Son of God, Redeemer of the world:
Have mercy on us.
O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world:
Have mercy on us.
O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world:
Have mercy on us.
O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world:
Grant us your peace.
O God, merciful Father, you do not despise the sighing of a contrite heart or the desire of those who are sorrowful. Mercifully help us in all our troubles and adversities whenever they oppress us. Graciously hear us, that those evils which the craft and subtlety of the devil or humanity work against us, may be brought to nothing by your will and purpose, that we your servants, may be hurt by no persecutions, and may evermore give thanks to you in your holy Church, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.
O God, all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works come from you. Give your servants that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments. Defend us from the fear of our enemies, that we may pass our time in rest and quietness, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Source: Modified from The Litany, Order of Worship for the Reformed Church in the United States, 1866, p. 21-24.
This Litany is very similar to the German litanies by Martin Luther and in the Saxon Agenda of 1540, which were shortened versions of the Litany of the Saints. The Litany of the Saints, along with the original Latin, can be viewed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litany_of_the_Saints
A Collection of Prayers 