Who of Your inscrutable goodness did call me to this life;
Who did bestow on me the grace of Baptism
and the Seal of the Holy Spirit;
Who has imbued me with the desire to seek You;
the one true God: hear my prayer.
I have no life, no light, no joy or wisdom;
no strength except through You, O God.
Because of my unrighteousness I dare not raise my eyes to You.
But You did say to Your disciples,
'Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye shall receive'
and 'Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do'.
Wherefore I dare to invoke You.
Purify me from all taint of flesh and spirit.
Teach me to pray aright.
Bless this day which You do give unto me,
Your unworthy servant. By the power of Your blessing
enable me at all times to speak and act to Your glory
with a pure spirit, with humility, patience, love,
gentleness, peace, courage and wisdom:
aware always of Your presence.
Of Your immense goodness, O Lord God, shew me the path of Your will,
and grant me to walk in Your sight without sin.
O Lord, unto Whom all hearts are open,
You know what things I have need of.
You are acquainted with my blindness and my ignorance,
You know my infirmity and my sou;'s corruption;
but neither are my pain and anguish hid from You.
Wherefore I beseech You, hear my prayer
and by Your Holy Spirit teach me the way wherein I should walk;
and when my perverted will would lead me down other paths
spare me not, O Lord, but force me back to You.
By the power of Your love, grant me to hold fast to that which is good.
Preserve me from every word or deed that corrupts the soul;
from every impulse unpleasing in Your sight and hurtful to my brother-man.
Teach me what I should say and how I should speak.
If it be Your will that I make no answer,
inspire me to keep silent in a spirit of peace
that causes neither sorrow nor hurt to my fellow.
Establish me in the path of Your commandments
and to my last breath let me not stray from the light of Your ordinances,
that Your commandments may become the sole law of my being
on this earth and in all eternity.
Yes, Lord, I pray, have pity on me.
Spare me in mine affliction and my misery
and hide not the way of salvation from me.
In my foolishness, O God, I plead with You for many and great things.
Yet am I ever mindful of my wickedness, my baseness, my vileness.
Have mercy on me.
Cast me not away from Your presence because of my presumption.
Do You rather increase in me this presumption,
and grant unto me, the worst of men,
to love You as You have commanded,
with all my heart, and with all my soul,
and with all my mind, and with my strength:
with my whole being.
Yes, O Lord, by Your Holy Spirit,
teach me good judgment and knowledge.
Grant me to know Your truth before I go down into the grave.
Maintain my life in this world until I may offer unto You worthy repentance.
Take me not away in the midst of my days,
nor while my mind is still blind.
When You shall be pleased to bring my life to an end,
forewarn me that I may prepare my soul to come before You.
Be with me, O Lord, at that dread hour
and grant me the joy of salvation.
Cleanse me from secret faults,
from all iniquity that is hid in me;
and give me a right answer before Your judgment-seat.
Yes, Lord, of Your great mercy
and immeasurable love for mankind,
Hear my prayer.
archimandrite sophrony
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