Gregorian Sacramentary (590 AD)

Almighty God,
unto Whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from Whom no secrets are hid;
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love Thee,
and worthily magnify Thy holy Name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

Give us grace, O Lord,
to work while it is day,
fulfilling diligently and patiently whatever duty Thou appointest us;
doing small things in the day of small things,
and great labours if Thou summon us to any:
rising and working,
sitting still and suffering,
according to Thy word.
Go with me,
and I will go;
but if Thou go not with me,
send me not:
go before me,
if Thou put me forth;
let me hear Thy voice when I follow.
Amen

George Dawson (1821-1876)

Grant unto us,
Almighty God,
the knowledge of Thy way,
and the spirit of obedience thereunto,
that,
being conformed in thought and words unto Thy way,
Thy peace may rule in our hearts.
Help us to cast out all those things which are contrary to Thy peace,
Or that are not according to Thy will,
so that ours may be the quiet life of trust,
and faith,
and obedience,
living lowly,
longing for Thy truth,
and walking in the light thereof,
that Thy blessing may be upon us,
and the light of Thy countenance our perpetual delight.
Hear us of Thy mercy,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

F B Pusey (1800-1882)

O Lord,
make us to love Thee,
and each other in Thee,
and to meet before Thee
to dwell in Thine everlasting love.

Amen

Roman Breviary

O God,
the Consolation of all such as be sorrowful,
and the Salvation of all them that put their trust in Thee,
grant unto us,
in this dying life,
that peace for which we humbly pray,
and hereafter to attain unto everlasting joy in Thy presence,
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Thomas Wilson (1663-1755)

Grant, gracious father,
that I may never dispute the reasonableness of Thy will,
but ever close with it,
as the best that can happen.
Prepare me always for what Thy Providence shall bring forth.
Let me never murmur,
be dejected, or impatient,
under any of the troubles of this life,
but ever rest and comfort in this,
THIS IS THE WILL OF MY FATHER,
AND OF MY GOD:
grant this for Jesus Christ’s sake.
Amen

Liturgy of St Mark

We earnestly beseech Thee,
O Thou Lover of mankind,
to bless all Thy people,
the flocks of Thy fold.
Send down into our hearts the peace of heaven,
and grant us also the peace of this life.
Give life to the souls of all of us,
and let no deadly sin prevail against us,
or any of Thy people.
Deliver all who are in trouble,
for Thou art our God,
Who settest the captives free;
Who givest hope to the hopeless,
and help to the helpless;
Who liftest up the fallen;
and Who art the Haven of the shipwrecked.
Give Thy pity, pardon and refreshment to every Christian soul,
whether in affliction or error.
Preserve us,
in our pilgrimage through this life,
from hurt and danger,
and grant that we may end our lives as Christians,
well-pleasing to Thee and free from sin,
and that we may have any portion and lot with all Thy saints.
Amen

Sarum Breviary (1085)

O God,
Who through the grace of Thy Holy Spirit,
dost pour the gift of love into the hearts of Thy faithful people,
grant unto us health,
both of mind and body,
that we may love thee with our whole strength,
and with entire satisfaction
may perform these things which are pleasing unto Thee,
through Christ our Lord.
Amen

R L Stevenson (1850-18994)

The day returns and brings us
the petty round of irritating concerns and duties.
Help us to play the man,
help us to perform them with laughter and kind faces,
let cheerfulness abound with industry.
Give us to go blithely on our business this day,
bring us to our resting beds
weary and content and undishonoured,
and grant us in the end the gift of sleep.
Amen

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

O Lord,
fill us, we beseech Thee,
with adoring gratitude to Thee
for all Thou art for us,
to us,
and in us;
fill us with love, joy, peace,
and all the fruits of the Spirit.
Amen

Henry VIII’s Primer (1545)

O most dear and tender father,
our Defender and Nourisher;
endue us with Thy grace,
that we may cast off the great blindness of our minds,
and carefulness of worldly things,
and may put our whole study and care in keeping
of Thy holy law;
and that we may labour and travail for our necessities
in this life,
like birds of the air and lilies of the field,
without care.
For Thou hast promised to be careful for us;
and hast commanded that upon Thee we should cast our care,
Who livest and reignest,
world without end.
Amen

James Martineau (1805-1900)

Eternal God,
Who committest to us the swift and solemn trust of life;
since we know not what a day may bring forth,
but only that the hour for serving Thee is always present,
may we wake to the instant claims of Thy holy will;
not waiting for tomorrow,
but yielding today.
Lay to rest,
by the persuasion of Thy Spirit,
the resistance of our passion, indolence or fear.
Consecrate with Thy presence the way our feet may go;
and the humblest work will shine,
and the roughest places be made plain.
Lift us above unrighteous anger and mistrust
into faith and hope and charity by a simple and steadfast
reliance on Thy sure will.
In all things draw us to the mind of Christ,
that Thy lost image may be traced again,
and Thou mayest own us as at one with Him and Thee.
Amen

Thomas à Kempis (1379-1471)

O Lord,
if only my will may remain right and firm towards Thee,
do with me whatsoever it shall please Thee.
For it cannot be anything but good,
whatsoever Thou shalt do with me.
If it be Thy will I should be in darkness,
be Thou blessed;
and if it be Thy will I should be in light,
be Thou again blessed.
If Thou vouchsafe to comfort me,
be Thou blessed;
and if Thou wilt have me afflicted,
be Thou ever equally blessed.
Amen

Chritina Rossetti (1830-1894)

O Lord,
Whose way is perfect,
help us, I pray Thee,
always to trust in Thy goodness:
that walking with Thee and following Thee
in all simplicity,
we may possess quiet and contented minds;
and may cast all our care on Thee,
for Thou carest for us.
Amen

George Dawson (1821-1876)

Almight God,
Maker of heaven and earth,
Giver of light and life,
so teach us those things which belong to the heavenly kingdom,
and those duties which are of the earth,
that we,
stirred by the light and life of the peace of God,
may be enabled faithfully
to do the things committed to us,
looking ever unto Thee for light and life,
that,
being lifted above ourselves,
the life of God in the soul of man may be ours,
and the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding,
may then keep our hearts and minds,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Gelasian (492)

We beseech Thee,
O Lord,
make us subject unto Thee with a ready will,
and evermore stir up our wills
to make supplication unto Thee.
Amen

John Harris

Take us, O Lord,
with all our doubts and weaknesses,
and send us out.
And when we fail you,
send us out again.
Let us witness by word
and by life
that through your death and rising,
you alone can lift us from darkness to light,
from despair to hope
and from death to life.
Amen

Taken from Encounter with God
Available from Scripture Union

Roman Breviary

O God,
the Author of peace and Lover of concord,
grant unto us to be so firmly established
in the love of Thyself,
that no trials whatsoever
may be able to part us from Thee.
Amen

Henry Alford (1810-1871)

O Lord, succour, we beseech Thee,
us who are tempted.
May nothing induce us to distrust Thy care over us,
nor to use thy gifts to the denial of Thee,
their Giver.
May we never presume upon Thy protection
when we are forsaking Thy paths,
and tempting Thee.
May we never,
for the sake of any supposed gain or advancement,
quench the testimony of Thy Spirit,
or prove disloyal to Thy service.
Do Thou so support us in all temptations that,
when we have tried,
we may receive the crown of life,
which Thou hast prepared for them that love Thee.
Amen

Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)

O Lord,
let me not henceforth desire health or life,
except to spend them for Thee,
with Thee,
and in Thee.
Thou alone knowest what is good for me;
Do, therefore, what seemeth Thee best.
Give to me, or take from me;
conform my will to Thine;
and grant that,
with humble and perfect submission,
and in holy confidence,
I may receive the orders of Thine eternal Providence;
and may equally adore all that comes to me from thee;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

O Thou who chastenest whom Thou lovest,
grant us grace,
we pray Thee,
to discern Thy love in whatever suffering Thou sendest us.
Support us in patient thankfulness under pain,
anxiety,
or loss,
and move us with pity and tenderness
for our afflicted neighbours.
Amen

Roman Breviary

O God,
the Shepherd of all Thy people,
deliver the same from all sins which do assail them,
that so they may ever be pleasing in Thy sight,
and safe under Thy shelter;
for Christ’s sake.
Amen

F B Pusey (1800-1882)

O God, my God,
I am all weakness,
but Thou art my Strength;
I am ever anew bowed down by any trial,
but Thou canst and willest to lift me up.
Let me not fail, O God, my Strength;
let me not be discouraged, O God, my Hope.
Draw me each day,
if it be but a little nearer unto Thee;
make me, each day,
if it be but a little less unlike Thee;
let me do or bear each day something,
for love of Thee,
whereby I may be fitter for Thee.
Let no day pass without my having done something pleasing unto Thee.
Thus alone would I live,
that I may live more unto Thee;
thus would I die,
longing to love Thee more.
Amen