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Prayers Before Sleep Through
the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
Amen. Holy
God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3 times) Glory
to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Most
Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us of our sins. Master, forgive
our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Your name's
sake. Lord,
have mercy. (3 times) Glory
to the Father, Son, and Holy spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
(The
Lord's Prayer) Our
Father, who is in the heavens, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your
will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and
forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
(Troparia) Have
mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; we sinners, having no excuse, offer to
You as Master this supplication: Have mercy on us. Glory
to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Lord,
have mercy on us for we hope in You. Do
not be angry with us, nor remember our transgressions but, being merciful, look
on us and deliver us from our enemies. For You are our God and we are Your
people; we are all the work of Your hands, and we call Your name. Now
and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Open
the door of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, that we who hope in you do not
perish but may be saved from adversities through you, for you are the salvation
of the Christian race. Lord,
have mercy. (12 times)
(First
Prayer: To God the Father By St. Macarius the Great) O
eternal God and King of all creation, Who has made me worthy to live to this
hour, forgive me of the sins which I have committed during this day in deed,
word, or thought. Cleanse, O Lord,
my humble soul from all physical and spiritual stain.
Grant that I may sleep through this night in peace, O Lord, and arising
from my humble bed, may I please Your all holy name every day of my life and
conquer all seen and unseen enemies
who wage war against me. Deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts and evil desires
which defile me. For Yours is the kingdom, power and glory of the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
(Second
Prayer to Our Lord Jesus Christ by St. Antioch) O
almighty and perfect Word of the Father, Jesus Christ, in Your abundant mercy do
not separate Yourself from me, Your servant; but, ever abide within me.
O Jesus the good shepherd of Your sheep, do not give me over to the
revolt of the serpent or leave me to the desires of Satan, for the seed of
corruption is in me. Therefore, O Lord God, holy King, Jesus Christ, Who is
worshipped, guard me in my sleep with Your always bright light, Your Holy
Spirit, by whom You sanctified Your
disciples. Grant me, Your unworthy servant,
Your salvation on my bed. Enlighten my mind with the light of the
understanding of Your holy Gospel; my soul with the love of Your Cross; my heart
with the purity of Your words, my body with Your passionless passion. Keep my
mind in Your humility, and rouse me
in due time to glorify You, for You are all glorious, together with Your Father
who has no beginning and Your all holy Spirit, unto all ages. Amen.
(Third
Prayer to the Holy Spirit) O
Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, pour out Your compassion on me,
Your sinful servant; pardon me and forgive me, the unworthy one, for all the
sins which I have committed against You today as a person, and not only as a
person, but even worse than a beast. Forgive all my sins committed willingly or
unwillingly, in knowledge or in ignorance, from my youth, from bad habits, from
haste or bad temperament. If I have sworn by Your name or blasphemed it in
thought, if I have reprimanded anyone or in my anger have slandered anyone, or
grieved anyone, if I became angry
about something, or lied, or slept unnecessarily, or if a poor man came to me
and I did not receive him, if I have provoked my brother or quarrelled with him,
if I condemned anyone or exalted myself, if I have boasted or lost my temper, or
while in prayer my mind turned to vain worldly cares, if I had perverted
thoughts, or if I have overeaten or drunk too much, if I have laughed foolishly
or thought evil, or if I have seen the beauty of another and been wounded by it
in my heart, if I have spoken unnecessarily or laughed at my brother's sin while
my own sins are countless, if I have neglected to pray, or have done other
wrongs which I do not remember, for I have done all this and much more. O my
Master and Creator, have mercy on me. Deliver,
pardon, and forgive me, for You are good and the lover of mankind.
So that, lustful, sinful and wretched, I may lie down in peace and sleep,
and worship, sing and glorify Your all honorable name, together with the Father
and his only-begotten Son, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
(Fourth
Prayer by St. Macarius the Great) What
can I bring You? With what can I repay You, O Immortal King, the bestower of
great gifts, O generous Lord, the Lover of mankind? Though I have been lazy in
serving You and have done nothing good, You have brought me to the end of this
past day, and are preparing for the conversion and salvation of my soul. Be
merciful toward me, a sinner devoid of any good deeds. Raise up my fallen soul,
defiled by immeasurable sins. Remove from me every evil thought of this visible
life. Forgive, O only Sinless One, all the sins I have committed against You
this day, in knowledge or in ignorance, in word, deed, thought and all
my senses. You alone watch over me as You protect me from every assault
of the enemy through Your divine power, inexpressible love for mankind and
strength. Cleanse, O God, the multitude of my sins. Be pleased, O Lord, to
deliver me from the snares of the Evil One, and save my passionate soul. When
You come in glory, illumine me with the light of Your countenance. Allow me to
fall into an innocent sleep free of apparitions. Keep the thought of Your
servant untroubled, and keep far from me every satanic activity. Enlighten the
reason-endowed eyes of my heart, that I fall not into the sleep of death. Send
to me an angel of peace, the guide and guardian of my soul and body, that he may
deliver me from my enemies. Then, when I arise from my bed, I shall offer You
prayers of thanksgiving. O Lord, hear me, Your willfully conscience sinner and
impoverished servant. Grant that I may learn from Your words when I arise. Cause
Your angels to drive demonic ill-temperament
far from me. May I bless Your holy Name and praise and glorify Mary, the
most pure Mother of God, whom You have given to us sinners as an intercessor.
Receive her as she prays for us. We know that she arouses Your love for mankind
and never ceases to pray. Through her intercessions, the Sign of the Precious
Cross, and for the sake of all Your saints, O Jesus Christ our God, protect my
wretched soul, for You are Holy and most glorified unto ages of ages. Amen.
(Fifth Prayer) O
Lord our God, forgive all my sins committed this day in word, deed and thought,
for You are good and the lover of mankind. Grant me peaceful and undisturbed
sleep. Send me Your guardian angel to protect and preserve me from all evil. For
You are the guardian of our souls and bodies and we send up glory to You: Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
(Sixth
Prayer) O
Lord our God, in whom we believe and whose name we call upon above every name,
grant us rest for our soul and body as we prepare for sleep. Preserve us from
all attacks and dark pleasures, calm the rising of passions, put out the burning
of bodily tensions and grant that we may live wisely in both deed and thought,
that living a life of good works we may not fall away from Your promised
blessings for You are blessed forever. Amen.
(Seventh
Prayer by St. John Chrysostom, corresponding to the hour of the day) (Day) Lord,
deprive me not of Your heavenly treasures. Lord, deliver me from eternal
torments. Lord, if I have sinned in mind or thought, in word or deed, forgive
me. Lord, deliver me from all ignorance, forgetfulness, cowardice, and stony
insensibility. Lord, deliver me from every temptation. Lord, enlighten my heart
which evil desires have darkened. Lord, I being human have sinned, but You being
the generous God, have mercy on me, seeing the weakness of my soul. Lord, send
Your grace to my help, that I may glorify Your holy Name. Lord Jesus Christ,
write me, Your servant, in the Book of Life, and grant me a good end. O Lord my
God, even though I have done nothing good in Your sight, yet grant me by Your
grace to make a good start. Lord, sprinkle into my heart the dew of Your grace.
Lord of heaven and earth remember me, Your servant, who is sinful, immoral
and unclean, in Your kingdom. Amen.
(Evening) Lord,
accept me in repentence. Lord, do not leave me. Lord, do not lead me into
temptation. Lord, grant me good thoughts. Lord, grant me tears in remembrance of
death, and ingratiation. Lord, grant me the thought of confessing my sins. Lord,
grant me tranquility, wisdom, and obedience. Lord, grant me patience,
generosity, and meekness. Lord, implant in me the root of goodness and the fear
of You in my heart. Lord, grant that I may love You with all my soul and mind
and that I may do Your will in all things. Lord, deliver me from some people,
from demons, from passions and from other indecent things. I know, O Lord, that
You do as You will; may Your will also be in me, a sinner, for You are blessed
unto all ages. Amen.
(Eighth
Prayer to Our Lord Jesus Christ) O
Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, because of the prayers of Your most honorable
Mother, Your fleshless Angels, Your Prophet and Forerunner and Baptizer, all the
God-inspired Apostles, the radiant and victorious Martyrs, the holy God-bearing
Fathers, and of all Saints, deliver me from the besetting presence of the devil.
My Lord and Creator, Who desires not the death of a sinner, but rather that he
should be converted and live, grant also conversion to me, wretched and
unworthy; snatch me from the jaws of the pernicious serpent, who is ravening to
devour me and drag me down to hell alive. My Lord, my Comfort, Who was clothed
in corruptible flesh for my miserable sake, deliver me from misery and grant
comfort to my miserable soul. Implant in my heart to fulfil Your commandments,
and forsake my evil deeds, and receive Your happiness. Save me, for I hope in
You, O Lord. Amen.
(Ninth
Prayer to the Most Holy Mother of God) O
good Mother of the good King, most pure and blessed Mary, Mother of God, pour
out the mercy of your Son and our God on my passionate soul and guide me in good
works by your prayers, that I may pass the rest of my life without vice, and
find paradise through you, O Virgin Mother of God, who alone are pure and
blessed.
(Tenth
Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel) O
angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive all
my offenses of this day and deliver me from all the unpleasant shrewdness of the
enemy, that I may not move God to anger by a single sin. Pray for me, a sinful
and unworthy servant, so that I may be counted worthy of the goodness and mercy
of the all holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the
saints. Amen.
(Kondak
to the Birthgiver of God) O
Leader who battles for us, we your servants delivered from harm, raise our
voices in victorious song of grateful thanks, O Birthgiver of God. As you
possess invincible might, free us from every harm that we may cry out to you:
Rejoice unwedded Bride. O
ever glorious Virgin, Mother of Christ our God, present our prayers and offer
them to your Son and our God, that through you He may illumine and save our
souls. I
put all my hope in you, O Mother of God, keep me under your protection. O Virgin Birthgiver of God, do not overlook me, a sinner, in need of your help and defense, but have mercy on me for my soul hopes in you.
(Prayer
to the Holy Trinity by St. Ioanichius) The
Father is my hope, the Son is my refuge, the Holy Spirit is my protection. O
Holy Trinity, glory to You. You
are truly worthy to be called blessed, O Birthgiver of God. Ever blessed and
most pure, Mother of our God. More honorable than the cherubim, and more
glorious beyond compare than the seraphim, who without loss of virginity, gave
birth to God the Word. True Birthgiver of God, we praise you. Glory
to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. (Dismissal) O
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your most pure Mother, of
our venerable and God-bearing fathers, and of all the saints, have mercy upon me
a sinner. Amen. (Prayer
Questioning Whether Your Bed Will Offer Your Final Sleep by St. John of
Damascus) O
Lord, Lover of mankind, is this bed to be my grave, or will you shine upon my
wretched soul again the light of day? Behold the grave lies before me and death
stands in front of me. I fear Your judgment, O Lord, and the eternal torments,
but still I do not cease in my evil ways, continually angering You, my Lord God,
together with Your immaculate Mother, all the heavenly hosts, and my holy
guardian angel. I know, O Lord, that I am unworthy of Your love for mankind, and
that I deserve every condemnation and torment; but I implore You, O Lord,
whether I want to or not, save me. It
is no great deed if You grant salvation to the righteous, nor is it a miracle
for You to have mercy on those who are pure, for they are deserving of Your
loving-kindness, but work the wonder of Your mercy on me, a sinner, and thereby
reveal Your love for mankind, that my wickedness prevail not over Your
unspeakable goodness and mercy and do as You will with me. Illumine
my eyes, Christ God, that I may not sleep in death and that the enemy may not
say of me: I am stronger than he. Glory
to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Be
the support of my soul, O God, for I walk among many snares; deliver me from
them and save me, O Good One, Lover
of mankind. Now
and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. All
glorious Mother of God, holier than the holy angels, we openly celebrate you
with our hearts and lips, confessing you as the Birthgiver of God, for indeed
you gave birth for us to the incarnate God and you ceaselessly pray for our
souls. (Kiss
your cross and make the sign of the cross over your bed from all sides, saying
the Prayer
for the Honorable Cross) Let
God arise, let His enemies be scattered, let those who hate Him flee from before
His face. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; as wax melts before the fire, so
let the demons perish before those who love God and sign themselves with the
sign of the Cross, saying with joy: Rejoice, most precious and life-giving Cross
of the Lord, who casts out demons by the might of Him who was crucified upon
you, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who descended into Hades and trampled the power of
the devil and gave you, His honorable Cross to us, to banish all our enemies. O
glorious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, help me together with our holy Lady,
Virgin Birthgiver of God, and all the saints, unto all ages.
Amen.
(Before
retiring, or before beginning prayers, go through the steps suggested below in
your mind and memory.) First:
Give thanks to Almighty God for granting you His grace and His gifts of
life and health during the past day. Second:
Ask yourself and examine your conscience step by step in detail by going
through each hour of the day beginning from the time you arose and remember:
where you went, what you did and with whom you interacted and what you talked
about. Recall and carefully consider your deeds, words and thoughts during the
day. Third:
If you have done good, humbly thank God Who gives us all good things.
Pray that He may confirm you in this good and enable you to do other good works. Fourth:
If you have done anything evil, admit that this comes from yourself and
your own weakness, from bad habits or weak will. Repent and pray to the Lover of
mankind that He may forgive you, and promise Him firmly not to do this evil
again. Fifth: With tears pray to your Creator to be merciful and grant you a quiet, undisturbed, pure and sinless night, and enable you the next day to devote yourself to the glory of His holy name.
Below is a list of prayers that can be used throughout the day. Please click on the link that applies to you. |
