Bathe your pastoral prayers in the deeper streams of faith.
Book of Common Worship (Westminster John Knox, 1993)
Blessed are you, Lord our God, creator and redeemer of all; to you be glory and praise forever. From the waters of chaos you drew forth the world and in your great love fashioned us in your image. Now, through the deep waters of death, you have brought your people to new birth by raising your Son to life in triumph. May Christ your light ever dawn in our hearts as we offer you our sacrifice of thanks and praise. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Blessed be God for ever.
Prayers from Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, edited by Ronald Klug (Augsburg, 1996)
O Lord, there can be no goodness in us, if you withdraw yourself. No wisdom can benefit us, if you cease to guide us. No strength can preserve us, if you no longer defend. No purity can be secure, if you do not guard it. No watchfulness of our own can protect us, if you do not keep watch. If you abandon us, we are soon lost and perish. But if you come to us with your grace, we are lifted up to live again. We are weak, but you make us strong. We are cold and dull, but by you are we set ablaze.
A Treasury of Prayers by Stephen Fortosis (Kregel, 2001)
Teach us good Lord, to serve Thee as Thou deservest: To give and not count the cost; To fight and not heed the wounds; To toil and not to seek for rest; To labor and not ask for reward— Save that of knowing that we do Thy will. —Ignatius of Loyola
The Oxford Book of Prayer edited by George Appleton (Oxford University, 1989)
Open to us, Lord, your great door. O Fountain of all mercy, hear our prayer and save our souls. Shine upon me, Lord, and I shall be light like the day; I will sing your praise in light while I marvel. May the morning awaken me to the praise of your Godhead, And I will pursue the study of your word all the day long. With the day may your light shine on our thoughts, And may it drive away the shadows of error from our souls. The creation is full of light, give light also to our hearts That they may praise you with the day and the night. —from the Syrian Orthodox Church
The Book of Common Prayer
Lord of all power and might, Who art the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, Increase in us true religion, Nourish us with all goodness, And of thy great mercy keep us in the same; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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