word – A Collection of Prayers

For the Faithful

O Lord Almighty,
the Most High,
who dwells on high,
the Holy One,
who rests among the saints,
without beginning,
the Only Power.
By Christ you have given us the preaching of knowledge,
that we may confess your glory and your name,
which he has made known to us,
for our understanding.
Through him look down on this your flock,
and deliver it from all ignorance and wickedness,
and grant that we may fear you in earnest,
and love you with affection,
and have a due reverence of your glory.
Be gracious and merciful to us,
and listen to us when we pray to you.
Keep us,
that we may be steadfast and blameless,
and holy in body and spirit,
without spot or wrinkle,
or any other blemish,
but complete,
and none of us defective or imperfect.
You are our support,
our powerful God,
you are not influenced by people.
Help your people,
whom you have redeemed with the precious blood of your Christ.
Be their protector,
helper, provider, and guardian,
their strong wall of defense,
their bulwark and security.
For “none can snatch them out of your hand.”
There is no other God like you.
We rely on you.
“Sanctify us by your truth; your word is truth.” Amen.

Source: Apostolic Constitutions

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

Send Your Holy Spirit

800px-lucas_cranach_d-c384-_-_martin_luther2c_1528_28veste_coburg29_28cropped29 Dear God,
send us your Holy Spirit,
that he may take the Word we have heard
and write it in our hearts,
so that we grasp it,
believe it,
and find our joy
and comfort in it
forever.
Amen.

Source: Martin Luther

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, #70. [Die Gebete Luthers, #194]

Original in German:

Lieber Gott, gieb uns deinen heiligen Geist, der das gehörte Wort in unser Herz schreibe, also, daß wir annehmen, glauben, und uns dessen in Ewigkeit erfreuen und trösten mögen. Amen. Luther.

Meaning and Faith

Almighty God,
bestow on us the meaning of words,
the light of understanding,
the nobility of diction,
and faith in what is true.
And grant that what we believe we may also speak.

Source: Hilary of Poitiers

Source of this version: Modified from http://christchurchwindsor.ca/2010/01/13/saint-hilary-of-poitiers/

Also found here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wendymurray/2014/02/remembering-mister-rogers/

Cleanse and Renew My Heart

O my Lord,
give me that purity of conscience
which alone can receive your inspirations.
My ears are dull,
so that I cannot hear your voice.
My eyes are dim,
so that I cannot see your presence.
You alone can quicken my hearing,
and purge my sight,
and cleanse and renew my heart.
Teach me, like Mary,
to sit at your feet,
and to hear your Word

Source: John Henry Newman

Source of this version: Modified from https://pollypilgrim.wordpress.com/prayer-page/a-prayer-from-john-henry-newman/

Also found in context here: http://www.newmanreader.org/works/meditations/meditations11.html

Grant Us an Understanding Heart

wilhelm_loehe Lord God almighty,
everlasting and gracious God,
grant me and all Christians
a heart that will daily understand your Word through the Holy Spirit,
and sumbit to the easy yoke and light burden of Jesus Christ,
obedient to his holy Word.
Amen.

Source: Wilhelm Löhe. Freely adapted from Seed Grains of Prayer, A Manual for Evangelical Christians, Wartburg Press, Chicago, 1914 (#344)

“easy yoke…” is a reference to Matthew 11:30

A Prayer before Preaching

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/

The burning coal is a reference to Isaiah 6:6-7

A Prayer for the Word

Let not your Word, O Lord,
become a judgment upon us,
that we hear it and do it not,
that we know it and love it not,
that we believe it and obey it not:
O God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
who lives and reigns world without end.
Amen.

Source: Thomas à Kempis

Source of this version: http://storage.cloversites.com/secondpresbyterianchurch/documents/March%2028%20-%20Maundy%20Thursday%20Service.pdf

A Prayer to Receive Jesus and His Word as Heavenly Bread

800px-lucas_cranach_d-c384-_-_martin_luther2c_1528_28veste_coburg29_28cropped29 Almighty God,
grant us grace to hear
Jesus Christ, the heavenly bread,
preached throughout the world
and truly to understand him.
May all evil, heretical
and human doctrines be cut off,
while your Word as the living bread
be distributed. Amen.

Source: Martin Luther [Die Gebete Luthers, shortened from #183]

Source of this version: https://zionlutheranwausau.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/epiphany4-2015-sunday-feb1.pdf

Full original prayer in German:

O Himlischer Vatter, dieweil deinen willen niemand leiden mag1 und wir zu schwach sind, das wir unsers willens und alten Adams2 tödung dulden, bitten wir, du wöllest uns speisen, stercken und trösten mit deinem heyligen wort und deine gnade geben, das wir das Himlische Brot Jesum Christum durch die gantze welt hören predigen und hertzlich erkennen mögen, das doch auffhöreten schädliche, ketzerische, Irdische und alle Menschliche lere und also alleyne dein wort, das war lich unser lebendiges Brot ist, außgeteilet werde.