Favourite Prayers

[TomUK]

Prayer of St John of the Cross

O flame of the Holy Spirit, you pierce the very substance of my soul
and cauterize it with your heat.
You love me so much,
that you have put into my heart
the hope and the knowledge of eternal life.
Earlier my prayers never reached your ears,
because my love was so weak and impure;
so, although i yearned for you,
and begged you to warm my cold heart,
you could not hear me.
But now you have chosen to come to me,
and my love burns with such passion
that i know you hear my every prayer.
I pray what you want me to pray;
I desire what you want me to desire;
I do what you want me to do.
You have freed me to be your slave

[benedictine]

Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God, Mary, full of grace! The Lord is with you! Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have borne the Savior of our souls. Mary, mother of God, pray for us, we sinners who caused the death of your child. Amen.






Ave Maria, of the third world, full of grace, all you who know pain, know the anxieties and the subhuman condition of your people, the Lord is with you, with all who suffer, who hunger and thirst for justice, who know neither letters nor figures.

Blessed are you among women, the women and men of the roads and pueblos, of furrowed faces, of brawny muscles, of calloused hands, of forlorn eyes, but with hope.
Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Because without him, our life and the struggle for human dignity has no meaning.

Sancta Maria, all of you holy, a thousand times holy, by your lives, by the times you carry water, that you smudge your face at the hearth, trusting and hoping in God. He has made you Mother of God.

Pray for us sinners, for it is our fault, in one way or another, by our egoism and envy, that you, joined with the rest of the women and men of the poor, the third world, suffer misery, totalitarian governments, economic repression, wars and blood and hatred.

Now, so that we change, so that there will be a conversion of heart and of all men and women towards your Son, our brother.

And at the hour of our death, so that the Lord have mercy on all who have offended him in our brothers and sisters, in the men and women of a world which is struggling desperately for life.

Amen.





Oh blessed Virgin, pray to God for us always, that He may pardon us and give us grace, so to live here below that He may reward us with paradise at our death. Amen.


St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle,
be our defense against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
may God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the divine power,
thrust into hell Satan
and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.


Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Just a few!

[SirTimothy]

My favourite still has to be the form of the confession that was in the ASB--it's what I know instinctively:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry
and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ
who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.

Timothy

[Songspinner]

Prayer of St Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.


Amen.

[Fish and Bread]

I'm sure everyone already knows this one, but no thread on Christian prayer is complete without the prayer Jesus introduced to us, the "Our Father":

Our Father,
Who Art in Heaven
Hallowed Be Thy Name
They Kingdom Come,
They Will Be Done
On Earth as it is in Heaven
Give Us This Day,
Our Daily Bread
And Forgive Us Our Trespasses
As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us
And Lead Us Not into Temptation, But Deliver Us from Evil
(For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory,
Forever and Ever.)
Amen.

John

[Zacharias]

O Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

[RobNJ]

A Fourfold Franciscan Blessing

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and
superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.
Amen

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation
of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
Amen

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain,
rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to
comfort them and turn their pain into joy.
Amen

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a
difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be
done.
Amen

[fdrennen]

I came to the Episcopal church from the PCUSA during the early 1970's after being invited to a "contemporay Eucharist" using Eucharistic Prayer C from the then proposed new Prayer Book now known as BCP 1979. I find the cannon of the mass and responces in this prayer both beatiful and moving. Esspecially...

Lord God of our Fathers: God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us. Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace only, and not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal. Let the grace of this Holy Communion make us one body, one spirit in Christ, that we may worthily serve the world in his name.

Risen Lord, be known to us in the breaking of the Bread.

Peace
Forrest

[thejesusfish90]

Hey Guys... Great to see some of those beautiful prayers comming out... truly... I am also a fan of Eucharastic prayers... though My favourite prayer comes from the 1978 Aussie BCP.... It truly is something I misssaying at holy communion (my church axed strucutred liuturgy for the most part)....

We do not presume to come to you table merciful lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in you manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table. But you are the same lord whose nature is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious lord, so to eat the flesh of you dear son Jesus Christ and to drink his blood that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us. Amen.

[RobNJ]

Hey Guys... Great to see some of those beautiful prayers comming out... truly... I am also a fan of Eucharastic prayers... though My favourite prayer comes from the 1978 Aussie BCP.... It truly is something I misssaying at holy communion (my church axed strucutred liuturgy for the most part)....

We do not presume to come to you table merciful lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in you manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table. But you are the same lord whose nature is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious lord, so to eat the flesh of you dear son Jesus Christ and to drink his blood that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us. Amen.
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

We still say that one during every mass :liturgy:

[benedictine]

we never say that one in the Rite II liturgy, though I wish we did. I can't get to a rite I Eucharist, becousde I'd have to walk about three miles at six in the morning.

[GaelSong]

My favorite is the serenity prayer.

[benedictine]

O Heavenly Father, we pray this day for the children of the world. We pray that Thou wilt protect, guide, and provide for those children who are unwanted, unloved, abandoned or abused. We pray for those children who have been left unguarded by being orphaned. We pray for those most in peril, the unborn. Spare them, O Father, from the dangers of disease and drugs, an uncaring mother or father, but most of all from an untimely death at the hands of another. Replenish Thy Church, O God, with a fruitful offspring so that the Church may resound with the joy of their small voices that will one day turn to prayer unto thee, O Lord. Amen

Source: Fr. Sack/ St. Michael and All Angels Church, Louisville, Ky.

Almighty and everlasting God, who welcomes the innocent babes who are martyred into larger life with open arms. Bless and defend those who minister in the sight of evil, that they may turn hearts through faith, prayer and witness to end this holocaust. May the power of your Holy Spirit, cause those who participate and perpetuate abortion, to repent, be converted and serve the cause of righteousness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Source: Fr. Bentley,OHI / Ang. Priests for Life


Collect for Christmas Eve:
Almighty God, your son was born of a virgin, and so help us to remember both that birth and its significance in our Salvation, that we may never forget that by trustingin you, the impossible may happen, and no burden is innsurmountable, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives andreigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.


Collect for Dec. 24
Almighty God, you sent your only son, begotton, not made, to be born for us of a virgin; lead us in these, the final hours of our Advent Vigil, that we may truthfully and faithfully remember the true meaning of the Christ's Mass, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Those last two were written by myself.

[RedneckAnglican]

The Breastplate of St. Patrick (http://www.ismckenzie.com/2003/03/17.html#a1661)
Attributed to St. Patrick
Paraphrased by Cecil Frances Alexander



I bind unto myself today the strong name of the trinity,
by invocation of the same, the Three in One, the One in Three.

I bind this day to me forever by power of faith Christ's incarnation,
his baptism in the Jordan river, his death on the cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spiced tomb, his riding up the heavenly way,
his coming at the day of doom I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay, his ear to harken to my need,
the wisdom of my God to teach, his hand to guide, his shield to ward,
the Word of God to give me speech, his heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me;
Christ to comfort and restore me;
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. I bind unto myself the name, the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three,
of whom all nature hath creation, eternal Father, Spirit, Word;
praise to the God of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord!

[fdrennen]

and this one
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wickedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.:crossrc:

[IowaLutheran]

A few years ago when I first felt the grace of God moving my life in a more spiritual direction, I started reading the Evening Prayer out of Luther's Small Catechism to my then 7 year old son. After a few days, he surprised me by saying it verbatim back to me, having already memorized it. We've said it virtually every night since then.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
I give thanks to you my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have graciously protected me today, and I ask that you forgive all of my sins where I have done wrong, and to graciously protect me tonight. For into your hands I commend myself, my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me so that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.

[Cjwinnit]

My favourite still has to be the form of the confession that was in the ASB--it's what I know instinctively:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned (against you and against our neighbour)?, in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry
and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ
who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.

Timothy

yeah?

[Cjwinnit]

One short one, but one I particularly like:

?Lord, may I see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day, Amen?

[SirTimothy]

Cjwinnit, that's right--I grabbed it from somewhere without checking to see if it was totally accurate. I'll grab a copy of the service sheet on Sunday and see what the totally correct one is--we've printed a special sheet for Lent using it. :)

Timothy

[Zacharias]

John Hedley, O.S.B. (1837-1915), bishop in Wales for
over thirty years, spent his long fruitful episcopal
life guiding the growing Welsh Church. His sermons and
books are still popular.

O my God, who art afar off, awful in Thy majesty and
Thy power, pardon me my sins. O God who art so near me,
yet so silent and so patient, pardon me for having forgotten
Thee. O Lord heavenly Father, who holdest me up, who
speakest to me often, who promisest me eternal bliss, grant
me forgiveness for having slighted Thee. O my Father and my
only friend, who hast watched over me from my first existence,
who hast directed me with blessings and calls, forgive me for
the sins of my youth and my ignorance. O Lord of all good-
ness, sun of all perfection, infinite majesty, eternal king, I de-
test from my heart every thought, word, and act in which I
have ever offended Thee.
O Savior, who hast shed the last drop of Thy Blood for me,
I throw myself down at Thy feet and pray for pardon. O Lord,
mighty and jealous, may the dread of Thy judgments, the
thought of the fire of hell, the idea of the horror of an eternity
without Thee, pierce my flesh with compunction for my folly,
my pride, and my self live.
O Holy Spirit, who lovest and carest for the immortal souls
of all, I repent from my inmost being of the sins by which I
made others sin. May I spend my life henceforward in teach-
ing my fellow men to know and love my God!
I accept, O Jesus, in satisfaction for my sins, in order
That I may neve sin again, all the sufferings, crosses and af-
flictions, whether of mind or body, which it may please Thee
to send me, in union with Thy cross and with the sorrows of
Thy Sacred Heart. To Thee, and to Thee only, O my redeemer,
do I turn---to Thee on whom in the past I have so often turned
my back. Inspire me with true resolution of amendment!
May I be firm in my purposes, and resolute in self-restraint!
Above all, may I never depart from Thy feet and from true
humility of heart! Give me the deepest trust in Thee and the
utmost fear of myself---for thus only, O my master, can I be
secure of never offending Thee again.
Most holy Mary, refuge od sinners, I have offended in ways
Without number thy Son whom thou lovest: yet because He
Came to save sinners, thou art the mother of sinners who wish
to repent. Receive me therefore, assist me, and obtain for me
the grace of true and lasting contrition.
~Bishop Hedley~

[AngCath]

My favorite prayer (one of them anyway :)) is from Saint Augustine's Prayer Book and is a prayer in preparation for Holy Communion.



O Mother of pity and mercy, most blessed Virgin Mary, I , a miserable and unworthy sinner, flee unto thee with all my heart and with all my affection; and I beseech thee of thy mercy, that like as thou didst stand by they well beloved Son when he hung upon the Cross, so thou wouldst graciously vouchsafe to stand by me, a miserable sinner, and all who here, and in all the Holy Church, this day do receive the Body and Blood of they Son; that aided by thy gracious prayers, we may worthily approach this mighty Sacrament. Amen