Morning and Evening Prayers for All Days of the Week Part 9

Prayer for a Pious Life.

O my dear Lord Jesus, illumine me today and evermore, that I may shape the course of my Christian life and direct it toward the eternal Jerusalem, my eternal home. And as Thou yearnest for me, may I also have all my delight and thirst in Thee, seek Thee early, yearn for Thee, and make of Thee, the bread of life, the companion of all my ways. Keep me, O unchangeable, everlasting G.o.d, from the inconstancy of the children of this world, that I may not fall into hypocrisy as they do, but today and always, in all my calling, prove myself constant in G.o.dliness, so that my life may decrease in vice and increase in virtue. May I always faithfully serve Thee, my Lord, disdain the worldly, be exalted in Thee, experience Thy grace and protection, and eternally thank Thee, for Christ's sake.

Amen.

Prayer for Faithful Teachers and Preachers.

The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.

Merciful G.o.d, who hast commanded us through Thy only begotten Son to pray Thee for laborers in Thy harvest: I earnestly beseech Thee, grant us, Thy sheep, pastors according to Thy heart, to feed us with doctrine and wisdom. Put learned bishops, Christian pastors, pious teachers over Thy congregation, faithfully to show the true way to eternal life. Fill them plenteously with Thy Holy Spirit, so that they may fruitfully proclaim the holy and precious word of the gospel, and sincerely perfect Thy work.

Grant them a courageous heart, that without fear or favor they may lift up their voices and put the adversaries to silence. Open the door for their word, that they may be blessed and go from strength to strength.

May they also be s.h.i.+ning examples for the flocks entrusted to their care.

Grant me and all listeners a grateful heart, that we may communicate in all good things unto them that teach us the word, rejoice in them, forsake them not, so that we may be blessed of Thee according to Thy promise in all the works of our hands. Preserve us from hirelings, time-servers, unfaithful laborers, and hypocrites, who falsely deceive the hearts of the righteous, whom Thou hast never grieved, and fortify the hands of the wicked, that they will not turn from their evil ways.

Let us never be robbed of our faithful preachers for the sake of our ingrat.i.tude, but rather look upon the glory of Thy holy name, yea, behold the Kingdom of Thine Anointed, that it may prevail among us to the end of the world. Amen.

Prayer for the Kingdom of G.o.d.

(Meeting of the Congregation)

Gracious and Blessed G.o.d, who hast taught, and commanded us above all things and first to seek the kingdom of G.o.d and His righteousness: I pray Thee, grant us grace, that Thy holy word may be preached in all the world in all its truth and purity, and we submit our reason to the obedience of faith, and live holy lives according to it as behooves the children of G.o.d to Thy pleasing, so that Thy kingdom may come to us, and increase, and many of them, who do not yet believe in the word, be won through a Christian conduct. Help us, dear G.o.d, who are delivered from the power of darkness and are translated into the kingdom of Thy dear Son Jesus Christ, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sin, that we may remain in His kingdom, faithfully continue in the wholesome doctrine, and live worthily as children of light in all piety and G.o.dliness. And since the kingdom of G.o.d cometh not with outward shew, neither consists of mere words, but is power and spirit: grant us grace, that we may be born again from above through Thy saving word and Thy Holy Spirit, co-heirs of life, so that with our hearts we may dwell above where Christ sitteth, and constantly seek the inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, that fadeth not away. Enable us to be poor in the spirit and humble, and such who sorrow over their sins.

Let us be anhungered and athirst, and heartily yearn after righteousness.

May we ever be meek, and suffer and overcome whatsoever of persecution and tribulation may a.s.sail us, and revilings and undeserved malignings with patience and longsuffering. Keep us from all offenses, whereby Thy holy name is blasphemed and outraged, Thy kingdom hindered and weakened.

Grant us grace to practice our faith in works of love and mercy, feeding, clothing, harboring, visiting, comforting the poor and distressed of this world, so that when that great day dawns we may hear the blessed and joyous voice of Thy dear Son: Come ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Amen.

Prayer for Missions.

I pray Thee, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, our Lord, have mercy upon the unbelievers, whoever and wherever they are, who still walk in darkness, and do not yet possess the light of Thy gospel.

They are stricken with blindness by the evil one. Their foolish heart is darkened. They are alienated from the life that is of Thee, through their native ignorance, carried away to the dumb idols, even as they are led, and in their blindness curse and blaspheme Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, the mercy seat. For that reason, O faithful G.o.d, take away the veil, which is upon the heart of the Jews, who stumble at the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense. Illumine their eyes that they may know the true Messiah, the Savior of the world. Gather the heathen and all unbelievers, who look upon Thy word as foolishness, into the true fold and the true a.s.sembly of Christians, the congregation of saints, so that with us and all the faithful they may honor, glorify, and wors.h.i.+p Thee, the Father in the Son, and the Son with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one G.o.d and Lord. Open the understanding of all men, who do not put their salvation and their confidence solely and alone on the true fundament and cornerstone, even Jesus Christ, so that they know Him, whom Thou hast sent, and in the true faith and a sincere trust of their hearts may acknowledge and accept Him as their Savior and Redeemer, who through His obedience and fulfillment of the law, and through His bitter death, hath merited an eternal salvation. We pray Thee also, to return to the truth of Thy word all of them who have defected from the Christian faith, or err in sundry other things and are c.u.mbered with false doctrines. Thou G.o.d of grace, have mercy upon those, who are not of the true faith, who dwell in the shadow of death, and in the darkness of their minds walk on uneven paths. Seek the lost, lead aright the erring, illumine the blinded and infatuated, open the ears of the deaf, unloose the tongues of the dumb, who do not confess Thee, raise the fallen, bring back the corrupt, a.s.semble the dispersed, lead aright the erring and seduced, for Thy mercy's sake. Amen.

Prayer Against False Doctrines and Sects.

Gracious G.o.d! Thou hast warned us, that we should beware of false prophets who come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

And since in these latter days, in which we now live, evil times will come, in which Satan clothes himself in the livery of heaven, and false teachers and fraudulent laborers dissemble as though they were the apostles of Christ, who have the form of G.o.dliness but deny the power thereof; and since the defection from the pure doctrine, and the man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called G.o.d shall be made manifest, help us, eternal G.o.d, that we may be filled with the love for truth, and avoid the spirit of lies and all falsehoods and errors, abstain and flee from all appearance of evil, so that we may not be moved from the true faith, nor yet beguiled from our reward, but may continue steadfast by Thy word unto the end. May we never be led astray, neither through deceiving powers, signs, and miracles, nor through any temptation to unrighteousness, so that we be not tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Preserve Thy elect in this evil world, O G.o.d, that they may not be led into error. Shorten the days in these evil times. Destroy the Antichrist, the wicked child of perdition and temptation, through the spirit of Thy mouth. Put an end to his days through the appearance of Thy dear Son. Preserve us also from unruly spirits and schisms, from the ravenous wolves who have no mercy for the flocks, from men who speak perverse doctrines and draw the disciples to themselves, from men of corrupt minds who sow offense and bring about separation, from the tares which the enemy scatters, from thieves and murderers of the soul. Let us only hear Thy voice, and follow it from our hearts in true faith and upright obedience, so that your word may be our only rule and norm, according to which we measure all doctrine, flee the evil teaching, and all unrighteousness. Then will we, too, have boldness and be not brought to naught on that day when Jesus Christ, our Savior, shall appear. Amen.

Prayer Against the Enemies of Christendom.

O Lord G.o.d, why do the wicked rage without cause? and the mighty set themselves and take counsel against Thee and Thy Son, Thine Anointed? O Lord, how numerous are Thine enemies, and great the number of those who conspire against Thy word to destroy it, and put their own evil idolatry in its place and introduce false doctrines into Thy Church. They invent secret artifices and practices, to destroy the confessors of Thy word.

They counsel what is evil, pregnant with calamity. They lie in wait for us like the lion seeking his prey. Thus they waylay our souls. They open wide their jaws, like a gaping sepulchre, to devour us. O Lord G.o.d, commit us not to their will, for behold, the wicked mob speaks in its heart, Thou, O Lord, hast forgotten us. Thou hast concealed Thy countenance. Arise, therefore, O Lord. Lift up Thy hand, forget not the distressed. Awaken, O Lord, why sleepest Thou! Awake, and do not quite reject us. Why dost Thou hide Thy face, and forget our misery and distress? Arise, and help us, and deliver us for Thy mercy sake, that the enemy may not injure us, nor the children of Belial harm us. Save us from the hands of aliens, whose teaching is useless, and their works evil. For they will not be guided to do good. They will not regard Thee, the Lord of hosts, nor yet the works of Thy hands. Thou wilt destroy and not build them. O Lord G.o.d Sabaoth, militate Thou against our a.s.sailants. Give victory to our Christian government, and conquer the enemies of Thy name.

For victory cometh from heaven, and is not brought about by the great mult.i.tude. Thou canst as readily help through the few as through the many. Therefore destroy the arm of the wicked. Make their counsels of no account, that they can not accomplish them, but must be brought to naught with shame. They must return, who hate Thee, and seek to annihilate Thy holy word. They must be as chaff before the wind. Thy holy angel brush them aside, that they may not boast against Thee and say our hand hath done this. Therefore safeguard Thy honor among men, and help us for Thy name's sake, that it may not be desecrated and blasphemed. Amen.

Prayers During Times of War

Prayer During War.

O Lord G.o.d, who art righteous in Thy judgment, and plenteous in mercy, whose faithfulness endureth from generation to generation, who rulest even above the din of war: may all nations learn to know that Thou alone art G.o.d, that Jesus Christ is Thy Son, and that all who truly confess Thy name are the people of Thy pasture and the sheep of Thy hand. Thou hast permitted the nations to rise up in war against each other and our own beloved country to become engulfed in its throes. O Lord G.o.d, our Father, we know that war is a punishment for sin and that we, too, have justly merited Thy punishment through our sins. Therefore we humbly confess our sins, and supplicate Thy pity and compa.s.sion, lay not our iniquities against us, but graciously forgive us our sins and shortcomings for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. To Thy fatherly goodness and care we commend our people, and especially our soldiers and sailors now in the service of their country. They are absent from their loved ones, beset by dangers on all sides. Be Thou ever near. Keep them from all evil. O Thou, without whose consent not even a sparrow falleth to the ground and who hast numbered the very hairs of our heads, take them under the shadow of Thy wings. Give them courage and obedience, fort.i.tude and valor in the hour of danger, and compa.s.sion and mercy in the flush of victory. Prosper their arms to the establishment of justice, peace, and truth among all peoples. Lead them safely back to their homes and their loved ones, better citizens, better Christians than before. And to Thy holy name be glory, laud, and honor, world without end. Amen.

Prayer for the Army and Navy.

Almighty and Eternal G.o.d, Thou King of kings and Lord of lords, who rulest and governest all things in heaven and earth: we beseech Thine infinite mercy to bless the officers and men of our army and navy.

Preserve them against all dangers and temptations which may a.s.sail their lives. Help them manfully to battle against and overcome the powers of evil, the world, the devil, and the flesh. May they ever be filled with Thy Holy Spirit from on high, and in courage, manliness, and truthfulness prevail in the hour of danger and when the battle rages. May they ever look to Thee, who art the succorer of those in peril, as to their only helper, and in Thy name fight a holy fight to maintain the country's honor and keep the flag unsullied, that truth and righteousness may prevail. Put to naught all evil designs and devices of their enemies, both spiritual and temporal. Guide Thou and direct them that they may ever fight the good fight of faith and in the end overcome and attain to their soul's salvation, to the glory of Thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer on the Eve of Battle.

O Lord G.o.d of hosts, Thou the Highest of the high and the Holiest of the holy, who rulest and shapest all things to the glory of Thy name and the betterment of Thy people: we humbly beseech Thine infinite mercy in this hour of our peril, judge Thou between us and our enemies. Be Thou our sure defense. Stir up Thy might and hasten to our help. Lay not our sins to our charge, but for the sake of Thy dear Son, our only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, manifest Thy mercy toward us and blot out our iniquities, and sanctify and guide us by Thy truth. We Thy poor servants call upon Thy holy name, and implore Thy grace. Have mercy upon us. Lead us safely through the blood and carnage. Make it appear that Thou art our deliverer. Make us strong with the a.s.surance that it is Thy cause, that we are Thy children, that Thou holdest our destiny in Thy hand. And if it is Thy will that we should lay down our lives--Thy will be done! Help us then that our last day on this earth may be the first in Thy paradise.

Bless our loved ones at home, and comfort them with the hopeful a.s.surances of Thy word. May they and all of us rightfully know and appreciate, whether we live, we live unto the Lord. And whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Therefore whether we live or die we are the Lord's.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the Wounded.