PRAYERS,
WRITTEN

So many confess their weakness, in denying to confess it, who, refusing to be beholden to a set form of prayer, prefer to say nonsense, rather than nothing, in their extempore expressions. More modesty, and no less piety, it had been for such men to have prayed longer with set forms that they might pray better without them.

Thomas Fuller

Written forms of prayer are not only useful and proper, but indispensably necessary to begin with.

Hannah More

Prayers of the Famous

Lord, give us faith that right makes might.

Abraham Lincoln

Lord, make me see your glory in every place.

Michelangelo

O Lord my God, I have hope in thee;

O my dear Jesus, set me free.

Though hard the chains that fasten me

And sore my lot, yet I long for thee.

I languish and groaning bend my knee,

Adoring, imploring, O set me free.

Mary Queen of Scots, on the eve of her execution

Strengthen us, O God, to relieve the oppressed, to hear the groans of poor prisoners, to reform the abuses of all professions; that many be made not poor to make a few rich; for Jesus Christ’s sake.

Oliver Cromwell

Go with each of us to rest; if any awake, temper them the dark hours of watching; and when the day returns, return to us, our sun and comforter, and call us up with morning faces and with morning hearts, eager to labor, eager to be happy, if happiness should be our portion, and if the day be marked for sorrow, strong to endure it.

R.L. Stevenson, written on the eve of his unexpected death

Make me remember, O God, that every day is Thy gift and ought to be used according to Thy command, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Samuel Johnson

O Lord God, grant us always, whatever the world may say, to content ourselves with what you say, and to care only for your approval, which will outweigh all worlds; for Jesus Christ’s sake.

General Charles Gordon

O Lord God, when Thou givest to Thy servants to endeavor any great matter, grant us also to know that it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same to the end, until it be thoroughly finished, which yieldeth the true glory; through Him who for the finishing of Thy work laid down his life, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Source unknown, based on a saying of Sir Francis Drake

Take from us, O God, all pride and vanity, all boasting and self-assertiveness, and give us the true courage that shows itself by gentleness; the true wisdom that shows itself by simplicity; and the true power that shows itself by modesty; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Charles Kingsley

Grant, O Lord, that we may keep a constant guard on our thoughts and passions, that they may never lead us into sin; that we may live in perfect love with all humankind, in affection to those who love us, and in forgiveness to those, if any there are, who hate us. Give us good and virtuous friends. In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Warren Hastings

O my sweet Savior Christ, who in your undeserved love towards humankind so kindly suffered the painful death of the cross, do not allow me to be cold or lukewarm in love again towards you.

Thomas More

O Savior, pour upon me thy Spirit of meekness and love,

Annihilate the selfhood in me, be thou all my life.

William Blake

O merciful God, fill our hearts, we pray, with the graces of your Holy Spirit; with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control. O Lord, in confidence of your great mercy and goodness to all who truly repent and resolve to do better, I most humbly implore the grace and assistance of the Holy Spirit to enable me to become every day better.

Grant me the wisdom and understanding to know my duty, and the heart and will to do it.

Endue me, O Lord, with the true fear and love of you, and with a prudent zeal for your glory.

Increase in me the graces of charity and meekness, of truth and justice, of humility and patience, and a firmness of spirit to bear every condition with constancy of mind.

King William III

I beseech Thee, good Jesus, that as Thou hast graciously granted to me here on earth sweetly to partake of the words of Thy wisdom and knowledge, so Thou wilt vouchsafe that I may some time come to Thee, the fountain of all wisdom, and always appear before Thy face; who livest and reignest, world without end.

Venerable Bede

Merciful God, be thou now unto me a strong tower of defense. Give me grace to await thy leisure, and patiently to bear what you doest unto me, nothing doubting or mistrusting thy goodness towards me. Therefore do with me in all things as thou wilt: Only arm me, I beseech thee, with thy armor, that I may stand fast; above all things taking to me the shield of faith, praying always that I may refer myself wholly to thy will, being assuredly persuaded that all thou doest cannot but be well. And unto thee be all honor and glory.

Lady Jane Grey, before her execution

Give me my scallop-shell of quiet,

My staff of faith to walk upon,

My scrip of joy, immortal diet,

My bottle of salvation,

My gown of glory, hope’s true gage;

And thus I’ll take my pilgrimage.

Blood must be my body’s balmer;

No other balm will there be given;

Whilst my soul, like quiet palmer,

Travelleth towards the land of heaven;

Over the silver mountains,

Where spring the nectar fountains:

There will I kiss

The bowl of bliss,

And drink mine everlasting fill

Upon every milken hill.

My soul will be a-dry before;

But, after, it will thirst no more.

From thence to heaven’s Bribeless hall

Where no corrupted voices brawl,

No Conscience molten into gold,

Nor forged accusers bought and sold,

No cause deferred, nor vain spent journey,

For there Christ is the King’s Attorney:

Who pleads for all without degrees,

And he hath Angels, but no fees.

When the grand twelve million Jury,

Of our sins with dreadful fury,

‘Gainst our souls black verdicts give,

Christ pleads his death, and then we live,

Be thou my speaker, taintless pleader,

Unblotted Lawyer, true proceeder,

Thou movest salvation even for alms:

Not with a bribed Lawyer’s palms.

And this is my eternal plea,

To him that made Heaven, Earth and Sea,

Seeing my flesh must die so soon,

And want a head to dine next noon,

Just at the stroke when my veins start and spread

Set on my soul an everlasting head.

Then am I ready like a palmer fit,

To tread those blest paths which before I writ.

Sir Walter Raleigh, written when he was a prisoner in the Tower of London, awaiting execution. The scallop-shell was a symbol of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages.

Almighty God, the Protector of all who trust in you, without whose grace nothing is strong, nothing is holy, increase and multiply on us your mercy, that through your holy inspiration we may think the things that are right and by your power may carry them out, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Martin Luther

Almighty and most merciful Father, look down on us your unworthy servants through the mediation and merits of Jesus Christ, in whom only are you well pleased. Purify our hearts by your Holy Spirit, and as you add days to our lives, so good Lord, add repentance to our days; that when we have passed this mortal life we may be partakers of your everlasting kingdom; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord.

King Charles I

Lord God Almighty, shaper and ruler of all creatures, we pray that by your great mercy and by the token of the holy cross you will guide us to your will. Make our minds steadfast, strengthen us against temptation, and keep us from all unrighteousness. Shield us against our enemies, seen and unseen. Teach us to inwardly love you before all things with a clean mind and a clean body. For you are our Maker and Redeemer, our help and comfort, our trust and hope, for ever.

King Alfred

O Lord Jesus Christ, you have made me and redeemed me and brought me to where I now am: you know what you wish to do with me; do with me according to your will, for your tender mercies’ sake.

King Henry VI

Our Father, here I am, at your disposal, your child,

to use me to continue your loving the world,

by giving Jesus to me and through me,

to each other and to the world.

Let us pray for each other that we allow Jesus to love in us

and through us with the love with which his Father loves us.

Mother Teresa

Jesus, your light is shining within us,

let not my doubts and my darkness speak to me;

Jesus, your light is shining within us,

let my heart always welcome your love.

Brother Roger

Teach me, my Lord Jesus, instruct me, that I may learn from you what I ought to teach about you.

William Laud

O Lord, I am yours. Do what seems good in your sight, and give me complete resignation to your will.

David Livingstone

In my Redeemer’s name,

I give myself to thee;

And, all unworthy as I am,

My God will cherish me.

Anne Brontë

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

O almighty God, the searcher of all hearts, who has declared that who draw near to you with their lips when their hearts are far from you are an abomination to you: cleanse, we beseech you, the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that no wandering, vain, or idle thoughts may put out of our minds that reverence and godly fear that becomes all those who come into your presence.

Jonathan Swift

__________