Prayer of Repentance
O Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who is the treasury of mercy and source of salvation, I come to You confessing my sins. I confess that I insolently dared to defile Your holy sanctuary with my sins. Now I seek Your mercy and loving-kindness, for Your mercies are countless, and You never turn away a sinner who comes to You. I confess that my mind is burdened with sin and I have no strength left.
Do not turn away from me in Your anger nor punish me in Your wrath. I am worn out. Have compassion upon me, O Lord, and judge me not with Your justice, but according to Your mercy. Remember Your creation, O God. Do not put me on trial for none of Your servants can justify our deeds.
Dress me in new attire that befits Your glory. Forgive my sins, and I shall sing saying: “Blessed is he whose sins are forgiven.” When I confess my sins, and reveal my iniquities, You cleanse me. Amen.
Absolution of the Priests
We give thanks to You, O Master, Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, Who abides forever; Who dwells in the Light before all ages, Light of Light. Enlighten our minds and our hearts, O Lord, so that we may understand Your life-giving words. Raise us from the darkness of sin which kills the soul.
Make us upright in well-doing and goodness. At Your fearsome second coming, when You judge the world, may we be worthy to hear Your divine voice, full of joy and rejoicing and comfort and pleasure and bounty, saying: “Come to me, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Yea, Lord, our God, strengthen us, so that we may be in that day and that hour without fear, without spot, without trembling, without falling, and unmoved. O Lord, do not judge us by our many iniquities: Forgive, O Lord, all of our sins, and our trespasses, our errors, and our stumbles.
O Lord, take away from us, and from all the world, death, scarcity, destruction, captivity, and the sword. Abolish the counsel of evil, the crookedness of the wicked, the injustice of the authorities, and the power of those who oppose Your righteousness.
O God, You are our Lord and our God. Have compassion on us; do not cast us into the seas of infirmities or the paths of affliction. Straighten our ways, protect us and raise us from groaning and weariness, carelessness and laziness. Do not let Satan discourage us: Rather raise our minds and awaken our hearts from the stupor of slumber so we do not vainly waste our lives.
O God, forgive our iniquities and our transgressions. Do not remember our sins or our errors. Do not be angry with us; let not Your anger be forever.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, and have mercy upon us: for we are weak and needy, and we are drowning in the sea of sin. Behold, we cry out to You, and worship You; we confess to You, and desire You. Do not remove our hope in Your mercy, and do not shut the door of Your mercy in our faces; rather, save us by Your grace and straighten our ways according to Your mercy. Let us hear Your royal voice.
God, purify us and our hearts from malicious evil and defiled counsels. O Lord, banish nightmares, phantasms and demonic thoughts from our minds. Lift us, O God, from every stumble and calamity. O God, confirm in us patience, hope, love, and the orthodox faith. Count us among the sheep on Your right hand. Seat us with those who recline in Your heavenly banquet; forgive us every iniquity, every sin, and every stumble.
Send Your luminous angels to camp around us for we have no salvation save in Your mercy. Our hope is in you, our trust is in You, and our faith is in You.
Hear, O Lord, our petition now and always for those who have asked us to pray for them in our services and our commemorations. Remember us, O Lord, and grant them good things in the heavenly Jerusalem, in the kingdom of heaven, and on earth.
O God, wipe out our sins as well as the sins of those who sinned against us; forgive them and us according to Your will.
O Lord, save all our souls. O Lord, save Your people. Bless Your inheritance; shepherd them and be with them forever. Deliver those who are in trouble, affliction, and distress. Loose those who are bound by the bonds of demons. Satisfy the hungry with good things and comfort those who are small in heart and soul. Raise those who are fallen. Confirm those who are upright; return those who are astray. Feed the widows and the orphans and rescue the needy.
Give blessing to the fruits of the earth, good temper to the air, growth to the trees. Fill the waters of the rivers. Bless the dews and the rain. Satisfy the needs of the poor and pay what the debtors owe. Gather together those who have been separated.
Receive the repentance of those who repent; accept the confession of the Confessors; grant understanding to those who study Your word.
Execute judgment, O Lord, on behalf of those suffering injustice. Fill our hearts with joy and rejoicing, comfort and gladness, and abundance that we may abound in good and pleasing deeds.
Bless, O Lord, the crops by the graces of heaven. Crown this year with the blessing of Your goodness. Bless, O Lord, the sower and the grower of plants and the harvester, even as You blessed the grain of the children of Israel in the sixth year.
Bless, O Lord, this, our congregation, and all the congregations of the orthodox peoples. Keep for us and to our service the life and the standing of our father and master, Patriarch Abba _____, the high priest of this time. Save him, O Lord, and save his people from all evil, temptation and sorrow. And also his partners in the apostolic service; our fathers the priests and our brethren the deacons, and our fathers the hegumens, and our fathers the metropolitans, and our fathers the bishops and our fathers the monks and our brethren the lay people. And those who have participated with us in this prayer- and all the prayers of the Orthodox- now, entreating for the forgiveness of their sins and for mercy for their souls. Bless us and bless them. Absolve us; forgive our sins of the past and of the present, of the night and of the day, both the hidden and the obvious.
O Lord, edify the congregations continually, and the holy churches. Edify also the orthodox wildernesses and the elders who dwell there: their deacons, their overseers, and all those who live there. May hope, peace, love and agreement be among them. Humiliate the evil enemy under our feet and their feet. Do not allow evil a share in us or in them. Keep them safe by Your exalted hand and Your strong arm.
Deliver us, O our Master, from the evil temptations and snares set out to trap us; those that are seen and those that are hidden.
Remember, O Lord, our fathers and our mothers, our brothers and our sisters, our families, and our neighbors, our teachers and our children whether in the spirit or in the flesh, as well as all the children of Baptism.
Remember, O Lord, those who have labored in fellowship with us. Remember O Lord, those of whose labor and toil we have eaten and drunk, and who have housed us in their homes and have given to us. Repay them, O Lord, for the temporal, the eternal and for the earthly, the heavenly. Fill their houses and their stores with every good thing. Repay them, O Lord, instead of once over by thirty and sixty and one hundred times over, and with the forgiveness of their sins in the kingdom of heaven.
Remember, O Lord, those who have done good to us and to our brethren the poor out of love for You and honor for Your holy Name. Bless them.
Remember, O Lord, those who care for the sacrifices, oblations, wine, oil, first-fruits, incense, coverings, gifts, reading books, and all the vessels of the altar. Repay them, O Lord, for their gifts by the forgiveness of their sins. Give them, in this age, a happy life and eternal life in the age to come.
Remember, O Lord, our fathers and our brethren, who have already fallen asleep, reposed in the upright faith in Christ. O Lord, repose all their souls in the bosom of our holy fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Help us, the living, with the salvation of our souls, and manage our lives according to Your good will.
Graciously, O Lord, remember our weakness our lowliness and our smallness, we, sinners, who are suffering and unworthy to stand between Your hands. Do not despise us because of the multitude of our sins and our stains.
Raise, O Lord, Your people’s horn of salvation by the sign of Your life-giving Cross, Your salvation, O Lord, in trouble and Your help in grief and humiliation. Save every one of us in trouble, O Lord, and heal the sick of Your people.
Make Your people, the Christians, who are with us as well as those who are not with us, be blessed and forgiven by Your divine mouth, from the east to the west and from the north to the south. Accept us as You accepted the thief on Your right hand and granted him the Paradise of Joy.
Remember, O Lord, the orphans and the widows, those who are laid down, the sick, and those who have no one to remember them. Remember us, O Lord, with them in the heavenly Jerusalem.
Remember, O Lord, those who are able-bodied and those who are paralyzed; those who are bedridden and those who are abandoned. Remember those who are travelling by land, sea, or air; who are on the cliff, in the desert, on the road, the mountaintop, in the hills or valleys or the caves.
Remember those who are in dungeons and prisons, those who are in captivity and exile, those who are bound, and those who are tied by the bonds of the authorities and the demons. Restore them and bring them to safe haven, victorious, prosperous and healthy in soul, body and spirit.
My Lord Jesus Christ, make our prayer acceptable before You; without hypocrisy, without boasting, without haughtiness of heart, without pride and without shame.
Help us, O God, to please You. Help us to obey Your commandments. Help us through the throes of death; what is before death and what is after death. For You are a Good God; patient, and generous in mercy and compassion.
God, make the door of Your church open before us across the ages to the end of all times. Have mercy upon us, O God, according to Your great mercy, through the intercessions of her to whom belongs intercessions, the jewel of purity and blessings who is full of honor, our Lady of us all, and the pride of our race, the Virgin of virgins, the pure Mary.
And through the intercession of the honored martyr, the evangelist, Saint Mark the Apostle, all the angels, the fathers, the prophets, the martyrs, the saints, the righteous, the ascetics, those who are in struggle and those who are still running the race, and those who pleased You by their good deeds from Adam to the end of time.
We worship You, O Holy Trinity-the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit-now and at all times and forever. Amen.
Prayer Before Confession
O holy Father, who longs for the sinner’s return, Who promised to accept those who repent, look at a soul that was long lost in the valleys of disobedience. I have long tasted the bitterness of misery, being away from the source of salvation. Now I come back to You to be purified. Accept me and do not reject me, for when You look at me with mercy and compassion, I will be cleansed and saved, but, if You turn away from me, I will perish.
Grant me, O Lord, Your blessings to strengthen my will to come closer to You in faith and hope, to confess my sins and detest returning to them. Let Your Holy Spirit remind me not to stray. Enlighten my heart, O God, so that I can see the graveness of my sins and negligence, and have the will to obey Your commandments and live for the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Prayer After Confession
O Father, I am grateful for Your goodness and love of mankind. You did not wish that I perish, but awakened me from my sleep and guided me to Your way. You saved me from the valley of death and brought me to the protection of Your strong fortress.
Fill me with hope and faith. I come to You like the sick wishing to be healed, like the hungry seeking to be filled, like the poor to the source of riches, like the dying to the origin of life, and the sinner to the redeemer. You are my salvation, my health, my life and my strength. I find consolation, happiness and comfort with You.
Help me, protect me and surround me with Your goodness. Teach me to put my will in Your hands and live according to Your will. Remove my weakness so that I may be firm and faithful to You to the end. Amen.
Prayers of Preparation before the Holy Communion
O Lord, I am not worthy to have You under my roof for I am a sinner, but only say the word and my soul will be healed. Tell me “Your sins are forgiven.” I am barren and empty of any goodness. I have nothing but Your compassion, Your mercy and Your love of mankind. You descended from the glory of heaven to our humility and allowed Yourself to be born in a manger.
O holy Savior, do not reject my humble and miserable soul which is awaiting for Your glorified coming. As You did not disdain to enter the leper’s house to heal him, please Lord, come into my soul to cleanse it. As You did not forbid the sinful woman from kissing Your feet, please do not deprive me from coming near You to partake of Your holy body, and Your sacred blood. May this Holy Communion banish my impurities and subdue all my evil desires.
Help me, O Lord, to obey Your life-giving commandments for the purification of my soul and body from every sin, and to prepare for the acceptance of Your gifts and blessings. Let Your Spirit abide in me and unite me with You so that I may live for the glory of Your name. Amen.
A Prayer of Saint Basil the Great
O Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, our God, Fountain of immortality, Creator of all things visible and invisible, Consubstantial and Co-eternal Son of the eternal Father, Who, in Your exceeding great love, became incarnate and was crucified for us ungrateful and wicked children. By Your own Blood you renewed our nature which had been corrupted by sin. O Immortal King, do receive me, a repentant sinner, incline Your ear toward me and hear my prayer.
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned against heaven and before You and am not worthy to lift up my eyes to the majesty of Your glory, for I have affronted Your goodness, and broken Your commandments, and disobeyed Your laws.
But You, O Lord, most loving, long-suffering, and merciful, have not given me over to perish in my sins, but do ever await my return. For, O You Who loves mankind, You have said by Your prophet, You have no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but would rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live. You do not desire, O Master, to destroy the works of Your hands, nor that they should perish, but that all men should come to the knowledge of the Truth.
Wherefore I, although unworthy both of heaven and of earth and of this temporary life, even I, a wretched sinner who had given myself over to every evil desire, do not despair of salvation, though I have been wholly subject to sin, a slave to passion, and have defiled Your image within me, I who am Your creation and Your work; but trusting in Your infinite compassion I draw near unto You.
Receive me O Lord, You Who love mankind, as You did receive the sinful woman, the thief, the tax collector and the prodigal son.
Take away the heavy burden of my sins, You Who take away the sins of the world, and heal the infirmities of men, and call all that are weary and heavy laden to Yourself and give them rest, You Who did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance, cleanse me from all stain of body and soul and teach me to fulfill holiness in Your fear, that with the witness of my conscience pure, I may receive a portion of Your Father and Holy Spirit dwelling and abiding in me.
And grant, O Lord Jesus Christ, my God, that the partaking of Your precious and Life-giving Mysteries may not be to my condemnation, nor may not through the weakness of my soul and body be received unworthily; but grant that even to my last breath, I may partake of a portion of Your Holy gifts without condemnation, unto the communion of Your Holy Spirit, as a preparation for eternal life and for a good defense at Your dreaded Judgment Seat, so that I, together with all Your elect, may also receive those incorruptible good things which You have prepared for them that love You, O Lord, in whom You are glorified forever. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving after the Holy Communion
My heart is filled with joy and my tongue with rejoicing. My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. I have come to You, O Lord, so that You may clothe me with purity so that I may be worthy of Your joy. Let my union with You today be everlasting, for it makes me grow in virtue and strengthens my faith and my hope.
Let this communion be a symbol of my salvation, a robe of blessing for my new birth, and prepare me for the purity of love. Let it be an everlasting joy for my soul and an answer to my prayers before Your dreadful altar. Here I submit to Your mercy, that I may unite with You, and that You may lead me according to Your will.
Guide my thoughts, my senses, and my desires, O Lord, and bless them so that they may be at Your command. Revive my soul and alert my conscience. Disperse all vestages of the enemy and order the storms to calm.
Be with me and quiet all my fears. Quench my thirst and kindle the fire of Your love in my heart. Complement all my deficiencies and abide with me till the end, for You alone are my goal and my pleasure; You alone, O Lord, now and ever. Amen.
Another Thanksgiving Prayer
My tongue praises and my soul glorifies the Lord. My heart rejoices for You have come to me, Lord, dressed me in purity and allowed me to attend Your feast. May my union with You today be everlasting; through it may my faith and hope grow in strength. Let my communion be a symbol of the grace of Your salvation; let it be a purification to my body and my soul, and a preparation for the everlasting love and joy.
To You Lord, I surrender myself and my will. Call my senses to You and bless them, and let my thoughts be according to Your will. Enlighten my heart, awaken my conscience, cast away all shadows of evil, hush the storms, walk with me and guide me.
Give me comfort, quench my thirst, look with love at all my shortcomings and abide with me, for the day is coming to an end. Stay with me for the new day. You alone are my aim and happiness, now and forever. Amen.
A Prayer of Saint Basil the Great
O Lord, Christ our God, King of the Ages, and Creator of all, I thank You for all the good things which You have bestowed upon me, and for this communion of immaculate and life-giving Mysteries.
Therefore, I entreat You, O Righteous One Who loves mankind, keep me in Your tabernacle and under the shadow of Your wings, and grant that, with a pure conscience, even until my last breath, I may worthily partake of Your Holy things, for the remission of my sins and for life eternal. For You are the Bread of Life, the Fountain of all holiness, the Giver of good things; and to You we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
A Prayer for God’s Guidance before Making a Decision
Lord, You know that I do not know what is good for me. Now that I am about to start (________), how can I know if it is right unless You guide me with Your grace? O Lord, I beseech Your guidance in this matter. Do not let me follow my tendencies, lest I become confused and fall. Keep me from slipping. Help me. Let it be according to Your will.
If You see it fit, grant me Your blessing to complete it; if not, remove this desire from my heart. You know all things; nothing is concealed from You. Lord, I am Your servant, deal with me as You see fit as I realize that I will have neither success nor peace unless I submit myself to the grace of Your will. Teach me to say in every occasion, “Father, not what I want, but what You will.” For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power and Glory forever. Amen.
A Student’s Prayer
Christ my Lord, the Giver of light and wisdom, Who opened the eyes of the blind man and transformed the fishermen into wise heralds and teachers of the gospel through the coming of the Holy Spirit, shine also in my mind the light of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Grant me discernment, understanding and wisdom in learning. Enable me to complete my assignments and to abound in every good work, for to You I give honor and glory. Amen.
Prayer Before Study
Most blessed Lord, send the grace of Your Holy Spirit on me to strengthen me that I may learn well the subject I am about to study and, by it, become a better person for Your glory, the comfort of my family and the benefit of Your Church and our nation. Amen
Christ, the true light, Who enlightens and sanctifies every person born into the world, let the light of Your countenance shine upon me that I may see Your unapproachable light. Guide my steps in the way of Your commandments, through the intercessions of Your all-holy Mother and of all the Saints. Amen.
Prayer After Study
I thank You, Lord our God, that again on this occasion You have opened my eyes to the light of Your wisdom. You have gladdened my heart with the knowledge of truth. I entreat You, Lord, help me always to do Your will. Bless my soul and body, my words and deeds. Enable me to grow in grace, virtue and good habits, that Your name may be glorified, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Prayers Before Any Task
Lord Jesus Christ, my God, You have said, “Apart from me You can do nothing.” In faith I embrace Your words, Lord, and I entreat Your goodness. Help me to carry out the work I am about to begin, and to bring it to completion. To You I give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Almighty God, our Help and Refuge, who knows that we can do nothing right without Your guidance and help; direct me by Your wisdom and power, that I may accomplish this task and, to do whatever I do according to Your divine will, so that it may be beneficial to me and others and be to the glory of Your holy Name. Amen.
My Lord and Savior, You became man and labored with Your hands until the time of Your ministry. Bless me as I begin this work. Help me to bring it to completion. Lord, enlighten my mind and strengthen my body, that I may accomplish my task according to Your will. Guide me to bring about works of goodness to Your service and glory. Amen.
Prayer After Any Task
Thank You, Lord, for Your strength and guidance in my work. You are the fulfillment of all good things. Fill my soul with joy and gladness, that I may praise You always. Amen.
Prayer Before a Meal
Blessed are You O Lord, Who supports us from our birth, and grant us your blessings. You prepare food for every creature; for the eyes of all hope in You, for You give them their food in due season. You open Your hands and satisfy every creature by Your goodness. To You is due glory, praise, blessing and thanksgiving for the food that You have prepared for us.
Stretch forth Your right hand and bless this food set before us for the nourishment of our bodies. Let it be for the power and health of our lives. Grant salvation, grace, blessing and purity to all those who share it.
Lift our minds to You at all times to seek our spiritual and eternal food. Grant that we may labor for the everlasting food which is for eternal life. Grant us to be partakers of Your evening banquet. Give us the food of blessing, the cup of salvation, and fill our hearts with joy.
Grant us a peaceful life, a joyful soul, and a healthy body. Teach us to seek Your pleasure in all things so that when eating, drinking, or laboring, we do it all for the glory of Your Holy Name. For Yours is the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Prayer of Intercession
First of all, Lord Jesus Christ, remember Your Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church, which You have purchased with Your precious blood. Confirm and strengthen it, enlarge and multiply it. Keep it in peace and preserve it unconquerable by the gates of hell forever. Heal the schisms of the churches, quench the raging of the heathen, speedily undo and root out the growths of heresies, and bring them to nothing by the power of Your Holy Spirit.
Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon patriarchs, metropolitans, archbishops, priests, deacons and upon the whole clergy of Your Church, which You have established to feed the flock of Your word, and by their prayers have mercy upon me, and save me, a sinner.
Save, O Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (father of confession) Father/qesis (name), and by his holy prayers forgive me all my sins.
Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon all our civil authorities. Speak peace and blessing in their hearts for Your holy Church and for all Your peoples, in order that we may live a calm and peaceful life, free to pursue right belief, virtue, and godly living.
Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon my family: parents (names), brothers (names), sisters (names), spouse (name), children (names), and others (have a list of the people who are in need of your prayers). Give them, Lord, Your blessings both here and hereafter.
Save, O Lord, have mercy upon the old and the very young, including the unborn (names); the needy, the orphans and the widows (names); the sick and afflicted (names); those in sorrow and distress (names); those in oppression, captivity, imprisonment, and all Christians who suffer for Your sake and for the sake of the faith (names). Remember them, visit, strengthen, keep and comfort them, and make haste to grant them, by Your power, relief, freedom and deliverance.
Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon those in military service (names), and others who come to mind. Remember them, and come to them with strength and comfort, and quickly deliver them.
Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon all those who have fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection and eternal life. Forgive all their sins, committed in knowledge and ignorance; grant them peace, refreshment, fellowship with Your saints, and eternal life.
Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon those who envy and insult me, and try to do me mischief. Do not let them perish through me, a sinner.
Have mercy on us, for You are full of grace and love mankind. Amen.
A Father’s Prayer
Father, I thank You for the gift of my family for whom I now pray, and upon whom I now ask You to shower Your blessings.
With Saint Joseph as my guide, may I always be ready to spend my life for them.
Bless my wife whom You have given to me as my spouse, sharing in Your wondrous work of creation. May I see her as my equal and treat her with the love of Christ for his Church.
May Saint Mary be her guide and example to help her find Your peace and Your grace.
Bless my children with Your life and presence. May the example of Your Son be the foundation upon which their lives are built. May the Gospel always be their hope and support.
I ask You, Father, to protect and bless my family. Watch over us so that in the strength of Your love we may enjoy prosperity, possess the gift of Your peace and, as the Church alive in this home, may we always bear witness to Your glory in the world. Amen.
A Parent’s Prayer for Their Children
O Heavenly Father, I entrust my children to You. Be their God and Father; and mercifully supply whatever is lacking in me through frailty or negligence.
Strengthen them to overcome the corruptions of the world, to resist all temptations to do evil, whether from within or without; and deliver them from the secret snares of the enemy.
Pour Your grace into their hearts, and confirm and multiply in them the gifts from Your Holy Spirit, that they may daily grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, faithfully serving You here, they may come to rejoice in Your presence hereafter. Amen.