Give us grace, almighty Father, to address you with all our hearts

Give us grace, almighty Father, to address you with all our hearts as well as with our lips. You are present everywhere: from you no secrets can be hidden. Teach us to fix our thoughts on you, reverently and with love, so that our prayers are not in vain, but are acceptable to you, now and always, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jane Austen

God, you are in your holy temple, let all that is in me be still in your presence...

God, you are in your holy temple, let all that is in me be still in your presence: still in my tongue, in my willl, in all my desires and thoughts; and I will cease from any sort of activity: O how precious in the sight of God is a gentle and quiet spirit silent in his presence.

Gerhard Tersteegen (1697-1769)

O God, you divide the day from the night

O God, you divide the day from the night; separate our deeds from the darkness of sin, that we may continually live in your light, and reflect in all our deeds your eternal beauty. Amen.

The Leonine Sacramentary (before the seventh century)

Let us not seek out of thee what we can only find in thee, O Lord!

Let us not seek out of thee what we can
only find in thee, O Lord.
Peace and rest and joy and bliss,
which abide only in thine abiding joy.
Lift up our souls above the weary round of
harassing thoughts to thy eternal presence.
Lift up our minds to the pure, bright serene
atmosphere of thy presence,
that we may breathe feely,
there repose in thy love,
there be at rest from ourselves
and from all things that weary us:
and thence return, arrayed in thy peace,
to do and to bear
whatsoever shall best please thee,
O blessed Lord.

E. B. Pusey, 1800-82

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! For in our union with Christ he has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him. Because of his love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his sons -- this was his pleasure and purpose. Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! For by the sacrificial death of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God, which he gave to us in such large measure!

Ephesians 1:3-8 (Good News Bible)

I ask you, by the power of your most sweet name

I ask you, by the power of your most sweet name, and by your holy manhood's mystery, to put away my sins and heal the languors of my soul, mindful only of your goodness, not of my ingratitude. Lord, may your good, sweet Spirit descend into my heart, and fashion there a dwelling for himself.

Aelred of Rievaulx (c. 1109-67)

I praise you, Lord, because you have saved me...

I praise you, Lord, because you have saved me
and kept my enemies from gloating over me.
I cried to you for help, O Lord my God,
and you healed me; you kept me from the grave.
I was on my way to the depths below,
but you restored my life.

Sing praise to the Lord, all his faithful people!
Remember what the Holy One has done,
and give him thanks!
His anger lasts only a moment, his goodness for a lifetime.
Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning.

You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance;
you have taken away my sorrow and surrounded me with joy.
So I will not be silent; I will sing praise to you.
Lord, you are my God; I will give you thanks forever.

Psalm 30:1-5, 11-12

Lord, the wounds of the world are too deep for us to heal

Lord, the wounds of the world are too deep for us to heal. We have to bring men and women to you and ask you to look after them -- the sick in body and mind, the withered in spirit, the victims of greed and injustice, the prisoners of grief. And yet, our Father, do not let our prayers excuse us from paying the price of compassion. Make us generous with the resources you have entrusted to us. Let your work of rescue be done in us and through us all.


From Contemporary Prayers for Public Worship, ed. Caryl Micklem

Lord, we pray thee, that thy grace may

Lord, we pray thee, that thy grace may always prevent and follow us; and make
us continually to be given to all good works, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Gregorian Sacramentary (c.790)

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, my soul!

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, my soul!
I will praise him as long as I live;
I will sing to my God all my life.

Don't put your trust in human leaders;
no human being can save you.
When they die, they return to the dust;
on that day all their plans come to an end.

Happy is the man who has the
God of Jacob to help him
and who depends on the Lord his God,
the Creator of heaven, earth and sea,
and all that is in them.
He always keeps his promises;
he judges in favor of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets prisoners free
and gives sight to the blind.
he lifts those who have fallen;
he loves his righteous people.
He protects the strangers who
live in our land;
he helps widows and orphans,
but takes the wicked to their ruin.

The Lord is king forever.
Your God, O Zion, will reign for all time.

Praise the Lord!


Psalm 146 (Good News Bible)

O come, Holy Spirit, inflame my heart

O come, Holy Spirit, inflame my heart, set it on fire with love. Burn away my
self-centeredness so that I can love unselfishly. Breathe your life-giving
breath into my soul so that I can live freely and joyously, unrestricted by
self-consciousness, and may be ready to go wherever you may send me. Come like a
gentle breeze and give me your still peace so that I may be quiet and know the
wonder of your presence, and help diffuse it in the world. Never let me shut you
out; never let me try to limit you to my capacity; act freely in me and through
me, never leave me, O Lord and giver of life!

Michael Hollings and Etta Gullick

O Lord God, who hast given me the gift of sight

O Lord God, who hast given me the gift of sight, grant that I may see not only
with the eyes of my head but with the eyes of the heart also, that I may
perceive the beauty and meaning of all that I behold, and glorify Thee, the Creator
of all, who art blessed for evermore.

George Appleton

Holy God, we praise thy name

Holy God, we praise thy name;
Lord of all, we bow before thee;
all on earth thy scepter claim;
all in heaven above adore thee.
Infinite thy vast domain;
everlasting is thy reign.

Holy Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit: three we name thee,
though in essence only one;
undivided God we claim thee,
and adoring bend the knee
while we own the mystery.

Ignaz Franz (18th century)

O God, animate us to cheerfulness

O God, animate us to cheerfulness. May we have a joyful sense of our
blessings, learn to look on the bright circumstances of our lot, and maintain a
perpetual contentedness under thy allotments. Fortify our minds against disappointment
and calamity. Preserve us from despondency, from yielding to dejection. Teach
us that no evil is intolerable but a guilty conscience, and that nothing can
hurt us, if, with true loyalty of affection, we keep thy commandments and take
refuge in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

William Emery Channing (1780-1842)

O Lord, guide and govern your Church

O Lord, guide and govern your Church, so that it may walk warily in peaceful
times and boldly in times of trouble; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

From the Franciscan Breviary

O Lord, that lends me life

O Lord, that lends me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!

William Shakespeare (from Henry VI, Part 2)