Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church

Authorized by the United Lutheran Church in America

Philadelphia

The Board of Publication of
The United Lutheran Church in America

Copyright, 1919, By
The United Lutheran Church in America

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GENERAL PRAYERS

THE LITANY

The Litany may be used at The Service on Sundays, except on Festivals or when 
there is a Communion.

It may be used at Matins and Vespers, except on Festivals; the ancient
Litany Days being Wednesday and Friday.

It may be used alone on Days of Humiliation and Prayer, or as a Penitential 
Office, or at specially appointed times.

When said at The Service, it shall be used instead of the Form of General Prayer 
there appointed, and be followed by a Hymn and the Benediction.

When said at Matins or Vespers, it shall immediately follow the Canticle, and 
after it shall be said the Benedicamus and the Benediction.

When used as a special Office, the Order shall be:  The Minister shall say:  In the 
Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  R.  Amen.  Then 
shall be said one or more of the Psalms with the Gloria Patri.  A brief Lesson 
with the Response, and a Hymn may follow.  Then shall the Litany be said, and 
after the last Collect shall follow this Benediction:  The Blessing of Almighty 
God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be with you all.  R. Amen.
The Responses shall be sung or said by the Congregation.

LORD, have mercy upon us.
  R. Lord, have mercy upon us. 
Christ, have mercy upon us.
  R. Christ, have mercy upon us. 
Lord, have mercy upon us.
  R. Lord, have mercy upon us.

O Christ, hear us.
  R. O Christ, hear us.

O God, the Father in heaven:
  R. Have mercy upon us. 
O God the Son, Redeemer of the world:
  R. Have mercy upon us. 
O God, the Holy Ghost:
  R. Have mercy upon us.
 
Be gracious unto us.
  R. Spare us, good Lord. 
Be gracious unto us.
  R. Help us, good Lord.

From all sin;
From all error;
From all evil: 
  R. Good Lord, deliver us.

From the crafts and assaults of the devil;
From sudden and evil death;
From pestilence and famine;
From war and bloodshed; 
From sedition and rebellion; 
From lightning and tempest; 
From all calamity by fire and water; 
And from everlasting death: 
  R. Good Lord, deliver us.

By the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation; 
By Thy holy Nativity; 
By Thy Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation; 
By Thine Agony and Bloody Sweat; 
By Thy Cross and Passion; 
By Thy precious Death and Burial; 
By Thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension; 
And by the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter: 
  R. Help us, good Lord.

In all time of our tribulation; 
In all time of our prosperity; 
In the hour of death; 
And in the day of judgment: 
  R. Help us, good Lord.

We poor sinners do beseech Thee; 
  R. To hear us, O Lord God.

And to rule and govern Thy holy Christian Church;
To preserve all pastors and ministers of Thy Church in the true knowledge and 
understanding of Thy Word, and in holiness of life;
To put an end to all schisms and causes of offence;
To bring into the way of truth all such as have erred, and are deceived;
To beat down Satan under our feet;
To send faithful laborers into Thy harvest;
To accompany Thy Word with Thy Spirit and grace;
To raise up them that fall, and to strengthen such as do stand;
And to comfort and help the weak-hearted and the distressed:
  R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

To give to all nations peace and concord;
To preserve our country from discord and contention;
To give to our nation perpetual victory over all its enemies;
To direct and defend our President, and all in authority;
And to bless and keep our magistrates, and all our
people:
  R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

To behold and succor all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation;
To protect all who travel by land or water;
To preserve all women in the perils of childbirth;
To strengthen and keep all sick persons and young children;
To set free all who are innocently imprisoned;
To defend and provide for all fatherless children and widows;
And to have mercy upon all men:
  R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

To forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts;
To give and preserve to our use the fruits of the earth;
And graciously to hear our prayers: 
  R. We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God; 
  R. We beseech Thee to hear us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world;
  R. Have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world;
  R. Have mercy upon us.
O  Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world;
  R. Grant us Thy peace.

O Christ, hear us. 
  R. O Christ, hear us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
  R. Lord, have mercy upon us. 
Christ, have mercy upon us.
  R. Christ, have mercy upon us. 
Lord, have mercy upon us.
  R. Lord, have mercy upon us.  Amen.

Then shall the Minister, and the Congregation with him, say the Lord's Prayer.

OUR Father, Who art in heaven; Hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come; 
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; And 
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead 
us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For Thine is the kingdom, and 
the power, and the glory, forever and ever.  Amen.

Then may the Minister say the Collect for the Day, except when The Litany is 
used at The Service.  Then may be said one or more of the Litany Collects here 
following.

V. O Lord, deal not with us after our sins.
 R. Neither reward us according to our iniquities.

ALMIGHTY God, our Heavenly Father, Who desirest not the death of a sinner, 
but rather that he should turn from his evil way and live: We beseech Thee 
graciously to turn from us those punishments which we by our sins have 
deserved, and to grant us grace ever hereafter to serve Thee in holiness and 
pureness of living; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord.  Amen.

V. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy Name. 
  R. Deliver us, and purge away our sins, for Thy Name's sake.

ALMIGHTY and Everlasting God, Who by Thy Holy Spirit dost govern and 
sanctify the whole Christian Church: Hear our prayers for all members of the 
same, and mercifully grant, that by Thy grace they may serve Thee in true faith; 
through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord.  Amen.

V. O Lord, deal not with us after our sins.
  R. Neither reward us according to our iniquities.

O GOD, Merciful Father, Who despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor 
the desire of such as are sorrowful: Mercifully assist our prayers which we make 
before Thee in all our troubles and adversities whensoever they oppress us; and 
graciously hear us that those evils which the craft and subtilty of the devil or man 
worketh against us, may, by Thy good providence, be brought to naught; that we 
Thy servants, being hurt by no persecutions, may evermore give thanks unto 
Thee in Thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord.  Amen.

V. O Lord, enter not into judgment with Thy servant. 
  R. For in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.

ALMIGHTY God, Who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great 
dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand 
upright: Grant us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, 
and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord.  
Amen.

V. Call upon Me in the day of trouble.
  R. I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.

SPARE us, O Lord, and mercifully forgive us our sins, and though by our 
continual transgressions we have merited Thy punishments, be gracious unto us, 
and grant that all those evils which we have deserved, may be turned from us, 
and overruled to our everlasting good; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord.  
Amen.

V. The Lord will give strength unto His people. 
  R. The Lord will bless His people with peace.

O GOD, from Whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do 
proceed: Give unto Thy servants that peace, which the world cannot give; that our 
hearts may be set to obey Thy commandments, and also that by Thee, we, being 
defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; 
through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour, Who liveth and reigneth with 
Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end.  Amen. 

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Please direct any comments or suggestions to: 

Rev. Robert E. Smith 
Walther Library 
Concordia Theological Seminary
E-mail: smithre@mail.ctsfw.edu

Phone: (260) 452-3149                               Fax: (260) 452-2126    
Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft.  Wayne, IN 46825 USA
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