What is Prayer?

Prayer is our direct line with heaven. Prayer is a communication process that allows us to talk to God! He wants us to communicate with Him, like a person-to-person phone call. Cell phones and other devices have become a necessity to some people in today’s society. We have bluetooth devices, blackberries, and talking computers! These are means of communication that allow two or more people to interact, discuss, and respond to one another.

To many people, prayer seems complicated, but it is simply talking to God.

                                               A Treasury of Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy 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 that trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.


The Doxology
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit
as it was in the beginning
is now and ever shall be
world without end.
Amen.


The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth
and in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into, heaven,
sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From thence he shall come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic Church,
the Communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.

An Act of Faith
O my God, I firmly believe that You are One God in Three Divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe all that the Catholic Church teaches, because You have revealed it and You can neither deceive nor be deceived. Amen!

An Act of Hope
O God, I hope with complete trust that you will give me, through the merits of Jesus Christ, all necessary grace in this world and everlasting life in the world to come, for this is what you have promised and you always keep your promises.

An Act of Charity
O God, I love you with my whole heart above all things, because you are infinitely good; and for your sake I love my neighbour as I love myself.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful,
And enkindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, who has taught the hearts of the faithful by light
of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit
we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen

Prayer of Thomas Merton
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this,
you will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear,
for you are ever with me
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Prayer of St Ignatius Loyola
Take, Lord, all my liberty.
Receive my memory,
my understanding, and my whole will.
Whatever I have and possess, you have given me;
to you I restore it wholly
and to your will I utterly surrender it for my direction.
Give me the love of you only, with your grace,
and I am rich enough; nor do I ask anything beside.


Prayers of Cardinal Newman
O Lord, support us all the day long
until the shades lengthen and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then, Lord, in thy mercy,
grant us a safe lodging,
a holy rest, and peace at the last.
Complete Thy work, O Lord,
and as Thou hast loved me from the beginning
so make me to love Thee unto the end.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit
O God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden,
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inpouring of your Holy Spirit, that every thought and word of ours
may begin from you, and in you be perfectly completed, through Christ our Lord. Amen
.
Be Thou My Vision 
Be though my vision, O Lord of my heart,
Be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
Be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
Both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light
.
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
Be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;
Be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
Be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
 
Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
Be thou my whole armour, be thou my true might;
Be thou my soul’s shelter, be thou my strong tower;
O raise thou me heavenward, great power of my power.
 
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise;
Be thou mine inheritance now and always;
Be thou and thou only the first in my heart:
O sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

High king of heaven, thou heaven’s bright sun
O grant me its joys after victory is won;
Great heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be thou my vision, O ruler of all.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred let me sow peace,
where there is injury let me sow pardon,
where there is doubt let me sow faith,
where there is despair let me give hope,
where there is darkness let me give light,
where there is sadness let me give joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not try to be comforted but to comfort,
not try to be understood but to understand,
not try to be loved but to love.
Because it is in giving that we receive,
it is in forgiving that we are forgiven,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

A Prayer to Draw Closer to God
Gracious God,
Send us anywhere in this world you would have us go,
only go thou with us.
Place upon us any burden you desire
only stand by us to sustain us.
Break any tie that binds us
except the tie that binds us to thee.
And the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with us now and for evermore.

Collect for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
The Book of Common Prayer (1662)
O God,
who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers,
that by reason of the frailty of our nature
we cannot always stand upright:
Grant to us such strength and protection,
as may support us in all dangers,
and carry us through all temptations;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer of Dr Samuel Johnson
(1709-84) (Entry for Easter Day, 30 March 1777)
When I survey my past life, I discover nothing but a barren waste of time with some disorders of body and disturbances of the mind very near to madness; which I hope he that made me, will suffer to extenuate many faults, and excuse many deficiencies. Yet much remains to be repented and reformed. I hope that I refer more to God than in former times, and consider more what submission is due to his dispensations. But I have very little reformed my practical life, and the time in which I can struggle with habits cannot be now expected to be long.
Grant O God
that I may no longer resolve in vain,
or dream away the life that thy indulgence gives me,
in vacancy and uselessness.

Prayer of a Seventeenth Century Nun
Lord,
Thou knowest better than I know myself,
that I am growing older and will some day be old.
Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something
on every subject and on every occasion.
Release me from craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs.
Make me thoughtful but not moody;
helpful but not bossy.
With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all,
but Thou knowest, Lord,
that I want a few friends at the end.
Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details;
give me the wings to get to the point.
Seal my lips on my aches and pains.
They are increasing,
and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by.
I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of others’ pains,
but help me to endure them with patience.
I dare not ask for improved memory,
but for a growing humility,
and a lessening cocksureness
when my memory seems to clash with the memory of others.
Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.
Keep me reasonably sweet.
I do not want to be a saint
(some of them are so hard to live with)
but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil.
Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places
and talents in unexpected people.
And give me, O Lord,
the grace to tell them so.

Prayer of St Richard of Chichester
Thanks be to thee, O Lord Christ,
for all the benefits which thou hast given us;
for all the pains and insults
which thou hast borne for us.
O most merciful redeemer,
friend and brother,
may we know thee more clearly,
love thee more dearly,
and follow thee more nearly;
for thine own sake.

Prayer of St Ignatius Loyola
Teach us,
good Lord,
to serve thee as thou deservest;
to give and not to count the cost
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labour and not to ask for any reward
save that of knowing that we do thy will.

A Prayer for Peace
O God, source of all holy desires, right counsels and just actions, grant to your servants that peace which the world cannot give, so that our hearts may be wholly devoted to your service, and all our days, freed from dread of our enemies, may be passed in quietness under your protection.

A Prayer for Busy People
Lord Jesus,
have pity on me.
With Martha
I was busy all day long.
Allow me now
with Mary
to sit at your feet
simply to look at you.

Prayer of Abu Bekr (Father-in-law of Mohammed)
I thank Thee, Lord, for knowing me better than I know myself,
and for letting me know myself better than others know me.
Make me, I pray Thee, better than they suppose,
and forgive me for what they do not know.

Prayer from a Book of Hours of 1514
God be in my head, and in my understanding,
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking,
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking,
God be in my heart, and in my thinking,
God be at my end, and at my departing.

A Prayer of George Herbert
Lord, Thou hast given so much to me:
One thing more I ask: a grateful heart.
Not thankful when it pleases me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days;
But such a heart whose every pulse may be:
Thy praise.

 A Simple Blessing
May you walk in Peace,
Live with Love,
work with Joy,
and May Your God go with you.

An Order for Night Prayer (Compline) in Traditional Language
The ancient office of Compline derives its name from a Latin word meaning 'completion' (completorium). It is above all a service of quietness and reflection before rest at the end of the day. It is most effective when the ending is indeed an ending, without additions, conversation or noise.
              
Preparation  
The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
Amen.
     
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
whom resist, steadfast in the faith.
1 Peter 5.8,9
 
But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
Thanks be to God.
     
Our help is in the name of the Lord
who hath made heaven and earth.
     
Reflection on the past day
     
Words of penitence

I confess to God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost,
that we have sinned in thought, word and deed,
through our own grievous fault.
Wherefore we pray God to have mercy upon us.
     
Almighty God, have mercy upon me,
forgive me all my sins and deliver me from all evil,
confirm and strengthen me in all goodness,
and bring me to life everlasting;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen.
     
O God, make speed to save me
O Lord, make haste to help me.
     
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.  Amen.
     
Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord's name be praised.
     
The following hymn is said
     
Before the ending of the day,
Creator of the world we pray,
That with thy wonted favour thou
Wouldst be our guard and keeper now.
     
From all ill dreams defend our eyes,
From nightly fears and fantasies;
Tread underfoot our ghostly foe,
That no pollution we may know.
     
O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son;
Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,
Doth live and reign eternally.
       
The Word of God  
       
Psalmody  
 
Psalm 31.1-6  
     
1    In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust :
      let me never be put to confusion, deliver me in thy righteousness.
     
2    Bow down thine ear to me :
      make haste to deliver me.
     
3    And be thou my strong rock, and house of defence :
      that thou mayest save me.
     
4    For thou art my strong rock, and my castle :
      be thou also my guide, and lead me for thy name's sake.
     
5    Draw me out of the net, that they have laid privily for me :
      for thou art my strength.
     
6    Into thy hands I commend my spirit :
      for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.
     
      Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
      and to the Holy Ghost;
      as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
      world without end.  Amen.

Scripture Reading  
     
Thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not, O Lord our God.
Jeremiah 14.9 
     
Thanks be to God.
     
The Responsory
     
Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

For thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.
I commend my spirit.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
     
Or, in Easter
     
Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Alleluia, alleluia.

Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Alleluia, alleluia.

For thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.
Alleluia, alleluia.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Alleluia, alleluia.
     
Keep me as the apple of an eye.
Hide me under the shadow of thy wings.
       
Gospel Canticle  
     
The Nunc dimittis (The Song of Simeon) 
     
Preserve us, O Lord, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ,
and asleep we may rest in peace.
     
1    Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace :
     according to thy word.
     
2    For mine eyes have seen :
     thy salvation;
     
3    Which thou hast prepared :
     before the face of all people;
     
4    To be a light to lighten the Gentiles :
    and to be the glory of thy people Israel.      
    Luke 2.29-32 
   
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end.  Amen.
     
Preserve us, O Lord, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ,
and asleep we may rest in peace.
       
Prayers  
     
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
     
Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.  Amen.
      
Blessed art thou, Lord God of our fathers:
to be praised and glorified above all for ever.
     
Let us bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost:
let us praise him and magnify him for ever.
     
Blessed art thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven:
to be praised and glorified above all for ever.
     
The almighty and most merciful Lord guard us and give us his blessing.
Amen.
     
Wilt thou not turn again and quicken us;
that thy people may rejoice in thee?
     
O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;
and grant us thy salvation.
     
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this night without sin;
O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.
     
O Lord, hear our prayer;
and let our cry come unto thee.
     
Let us pray.
     
One or more of the following Collects is said
     
Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this place,
and drive from it all the snares of the enemy;
let thy holy angels dwell herein to preserve us in peace;
and may thy blessing be upon us evermore;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
     
Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord;
and by thy great mercy defend us
from all perils and dangers of this night;
for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
 
Look down, O Lord, from thy heavenly throne,
illuminate the darkness of this night with thy celestial brightness,
and from the sons of light banish the deeds of darkness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
     
Be present, O merciful God,
and protect us through the silent hours of this night,
so that we who are wearied
by the changes and chances of this fleeting world,
may repose upon thy eternal changelessness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
       
The Conclusion  
     
We will lay us down in peace and take our rest.
For it is thou, Lord, only that makest us dwell in safety.
     
Abide with us, O Lord,
for it is toward evening and the day is far spent.
     
As the watchmen look for the morning,
so do we look for thee, O Christ.
     
[Come with the dawning of the day
and make thyself known in the breaking of bread.]
     
The Lord be with you
and with thy spirit.
     
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
     
The almighty and merciful Lord,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost,
bless us and preserve us.
Amen.