prayers

Take heart. Take courage.

Take Heart - Take CourageTo you who read this:

May the Lord answer in time of trial;
may the name of Jacob’s God protect you.

May he send you help from his shrine
and give you support from Zion.
May he remember all your offerings
and receive your sacrifice with favor.

May he give you your heart’s desire
and fulfill every one of your plans.
May we ring out our joy at your victory
and rejoice in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your prayers.

I am sure now that the Lord
will give victory to his anointed,
will reply from his holy heaven
with the mighty victory of his hand.

Some trust in chariots or horses,
but we in the name of the Lord.
They will collapse and fall,
but we shall hold and stand firm.

Give victory to the king, O Lord,
give answer on the day we call.

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. Amen

– Psalm 19 Greek (20 Hebrew). –

Short, Useful Prayers

More short prayers Orthodox Christians frequently use or find good for repetition, from our Holy Fathers:
  • “All shall be saved, and I alone shall be condemned.”
  • “It is my fault.”
  • “Lord, Thou knowest I am the least of all, but I am Thine, save me.”
  • “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come under my roof, but speak the word only, and my soul shall be healed.”
  • “Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.”
  • The Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me the sinner.”
  • The Jesus Prayer for others and to avoid presumption: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy upon ___ and by his prayers save me.”
  • “Lord, save __ and, by his prayers, save me.”
  • “Lord, Thou knowest Thy sheep; I am one of the goats. Save me.”
  • “Lord have mercy.”

Remembering the Saints in All Things

Comment: Remembering the saints in everyday, mundane things is an old custom of all Orthodox worldwide, and is sometimes obscured today by the modern megachurch approach to piety. It is good to take a lesson from the Celts in this, who remind us of something older, and more universal – more catholic – than the passive prayers, passive pray-ers, and passive saints we might sometimes imagine for ourselves. – DD

Prayer at the Guarding of Flocks

May Mary the mild keep the sheep,
May Bride the calm keep the sheep,
May Columba keep the sheep,
May Maolruba keep the sheep,
May Carmac keep the sheep,
From the fox and the wolf.

May Oran keep the kine (cattle),
May Modan keep the kine,
May Donnan keep the kine,
May Moluag keep the kine,
May Maolruan keep the kine,
On soft land and hard land.

May the Spirit of peace preserve the flocks,
May the Son of Mary Virgin preserve the flocks,
May the God of glory preserve the flocks,
May the Three preserve the flocks,
From wounding and from death-loss,
From wounding and from death-loss.

— Carmina Gaedalica

St. John of the Ladder

“He was born about 579 and came to the monastery at Mount Sinai when he was sixteen, learning from his spiritual father Martyrius who tonsured him a monk at about age twenty. Martyrius died soon after and John retired to Tholas, five miles from the monastery, to live as a hermit. He lived in prudent moderation, eating everything allowed in small amounts. He slept very little and received the grace of continual prayer and the gift of tears.” [source]

Scroll to Top