Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom
and the power
and the glory, forever. Amen.

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A Prayer Before Meals

Almighty God, faithful Father, You have made the world and uphold it by Your powerful Word. You provided Israel in the desert with food from on high. Also bless us, Your humble servants, and renew our strength by these gifts, which, through our Lord Jesus Christ, we have received from Your bountiful, fatherly hand. Give that we may use them in moderation. Help us to put them to use in a life devoted to You and Your service, for we do acknowledge that You are our Father and the Source of all good things. Grant also that at all times we may long for the lasting food of Your Word. May we so be nourished to everlasting life, which You have prepared for us by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Saviour. In His Name we pray. Amen.

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Thanksgiving After Meals

Lord God, our heavenly Father, we thank You for the food and drink which we have enjoyed in this meal, and for all Your gracious gifts, which we continually receive out of Your hand. We thank You especially for Your divine Word which we were allowed to read together. Through it You have caused us to be born anew to a living hope, which You have revealed in the holy gospel. Merciful God and Father, we pray, let our hearts not be weighed down by the cares of this life nor become too deeply attached to earthly and perishable things. Grant us Your grace, that in our daily tasks we may seek the things which are above, expecting our Saviour Jesus Christ, who is coming on the clouds for our deliverance.  We give our thanks and submit our prayer in His Name. Amen.

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A Prayer for the Sick and Spiritually Distressed

Merciful God and Father, You give eternal hope and salvation to the living and eternal life to the dying. You alone have life and death in Your hands, and Christ alone has the keys of death and of the grave. All things are in Your power so that neither health nor sickness, good nor evil, life nor death can happen to us without Your will. We also know that by Your power and direction all things must serve our salvation. Gracious Father, we implore You to grant us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, that He may teach us truly to know our misery and to bear patiently with Your chastisements. If You, O Lord, kept a record of our sins these chastisements should have been ten thousand times more severe. We believe that they are not evidence of Your wrath but of Your fatherly love towards us, that we might not be condemned with the world.

Lord, strengthen our faith by Your Holy Spirit, so that we become more and more united with Christ our Head, since it is Your good pleasure to unite us to Him in both suffering and glory. Enable us to bear what is brought upon us by Your fatherly wisdom. We submit ourselves entirely to Your will, whether You leave us on earth or whether You take us home unto Yourself. We trust that with body and soul, both in life and in death, we belong to Christ, whose resurrection is the guarantee of our blessed resurrection.

Grant that we may experience the comfort of the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. May His innocent blood wash away the dirt of our sins and may His righteousness cover our unrighteousness in Your sight. Arm us with faith and hope, so that we may overcome the assaults of Satan and not be put to shame by any fear of death. When our eyes grow dim, let Your eyes be open toward us. When You take away from us the ability to speak will You then hear the sighing of our hearts. When our hands have lost their strength, continue to support and carry us on Your everlasting arms. Father, we commit our spirit into Your hands. Deal with us according to Your promise. Never forsake us, but always be with us, even in the hour of death.  Hear and answer us for the sake of Christ, our dear Saviour. Amen.

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A Prayer for the Sick and Spiritually Distressed – II

Righteous God and merciful Father, You are the Almighty, without whose will nothing occurs in heaven or on earth. Life and death are also in Your hand. We are not worthy to call upon You and, if You were to keep a record of our sins we could not hope that You would hear us and answer us. We pray that You will look upon us according to Your mercy in Christ Jesus, who carried our sorrows and was pierced for our transgressions. We acknowledge that of ourselves we are incapable of doing any good and are inclined to all evil. Therefore we are justly chastised and disciplined by You and yet we do not nearly receive what we deserve.

Lord, You have made us Your people and You are our God. Your mercy, which You have never withheld from those who turn to You, is our only refuge. We pray, therefore, do not hold our sins against us but impute to us the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, so that in Him we may stand before You. Graciously grant us recovery, take this suffering and sickness away from us, and bless the means of healing You have provided. If it pleases You to prolong our trial, give us patience and strength to bear it all according to Your will. You are wise and good. May whatever You decide serve the renewal of our life.

Lord, rather chastise us here than that we should perish with the world hereafter. Grant that we may forsake the world and crucify our old nature, and that we may more and more be renewed after the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us never be separated from Your love, but draw us closer to You from day to day. Grant that we with joy may fulfill our calling, which is to die with Christ, to rise with Him triumphantly, and to live with Him eternally. We believe that You will hear us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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A Morning Prayer