Powerful prayers from the saints of old - A Collection

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

this would be a great thread to post prayers and excerpts of prayers from past saints. We can see the knowing of God in their lives, the fear of God and respect of His holiness and see their intimacy with Christ also.

If you have a prayer you have found some older preachers from the past please post it in this thread.

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Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who wast and art to come; eternal, without beginning or end; immense, without all bounds or measure; the infinite Spirit, Father, Word, and Holy Ghost. The infinite Life, Understanding, and Will, infinitely powerful, wise, and good. Of thee, and through thee, and to thee, are all things. To thee be glory for evermore. All thy works declare thy glory, for thy glorious perfections appear on all; and for thy glory, and the pleasure of thy holy will, didst thou create them. The heavens, and all the hosts thereof; the sun, and all the glorious stars; the fire, with its motion, light, and heat; the earth, and all that dwell thereon, with all its sweet and beauteous ornaments; the air, and all the meteors; the great deeps, and all that swim therein: all are the preachers of thy praise, and show forth the great Creator's glory. How great is that power which made so great a world of nothing; which, with wonderful swiftness, moveth those great and glorious luminaries which in a moment send forth the influences of their motion, light and heat, through all the air, to sea and earth. Thy powerful life giveth life to all; and preserveth this frame of nature, which thou hast made. How glorious is that wisdom which ordereth all things, and assigneth to all their place and office, and by its perfect laws maintaineth the beauty and harmony of all! How glorious is that goodness and love which made all good, and very good! We praise and glorify thee, our Lord and Owner; for we, and all things, are thine own.

Richard Baxter (1615–1691)

God grant we may all be of that happy number. If we can call God our God, we shall endeavour, by the Holy Ghost, to be like God, we shall have his divine image stamped upon our souls, and endeavour to be followers of that God who is our Father…whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we shall do all to the glory of God…. You that can call God yours, God help you from this moment to glorify him more and more: and if God be your God…if the love of God abounds in your hearts, you will be willing, on every occasion, to do every thing to promote his honour and glory…. O God, be thou their God! and grant that their God may be their glory. Even so, Lord Jesus! Amen.

George Whitefield (1714 –1770)

0 my God and Lord, help me by thy grace to learn and understand thy commandments more fully every day and to live by them…. Preserve my heart so that I shall never again become forgetful and ungrateful, that I may never seek after other gods or other consolation on earth or in any creature, but cling truly and solely to thee, my only God. Amen, dear Lord God and Father. Amen.

Martin Luther (1483–1546)

"I believe, O sovereign Goodness, 0 mighty Wisdom, that thou dost sweetly order and govern all things, even the most minute, even the most noxious, to thy glory, and the good of those that love thee. I believe, O Father of the families of heaven and earth, that thou so disposest all events, as may best magnify thy goodness to all thy children, especially those whose eyes wait upon thee. I most humbly beseech thee, teach me to adore all thy ways, though I cannot comprehend them; teach me to be glad that thou art king, and to give thee thanks for all things that befall me; seeing thou hast chosen that for me, and hast thereby ‘set to thy seal that they are good.’ And for that which is to come, give me thy grace to do in all things what pleaseth thee; and then, with an absolute submission to thy wisdom, to leave the issues of them in thy hand."

John Wesley (1703–1791)

With Christ nothing is impossible. He can soften hearts which seem hard as a millstone. He can bend stubborn wills which for…years have been set on pleasing the self, on sin, and on the world. He can create and transform and renew and break down and build and bring to life with irresistible power. Let us hold to this blessed truth and never let it go…. Let us pray for a right understanding of the law of the Sabbath. Let us…keep the day holy and give it to God.

John Charles Ryle (1816–1900)

Almighty God, who art the Father of lights and who has promised by thy dear Son that all who do thy will shall know thy doctrine: give me grace so to live that by daily obedience I daily increase in faith and in understanding of thy Holy Word, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)

O thou whose name is Emmanuel, our Lord and Sovereign: grace is poured into thy lips, and to thee belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against thee. We, who are no more worthy to be called thy servants, beseech thee to do away our transgressions. We confess that thou mightest cast us away for them, but do it not for thy name's sake. Our wisdom is gone, our power is gone, nor have we what we may call our own but sin, shame, and confusion of face for sin. Take pity upon us, 0 Lord, take pity upon us.

John Bunyan (1628–1688)

O Lord, deprive me not of thy heavenly blessings.
O Lord, deliver me from eternal torments.
O Lord, if I have sinned in mind or thought, in word or deed, forgive me.
O Lord, deliver me from…littleness of soul and stony hardness of heart.
O Lord, deliver me from every temptation.
O Lord, enlighten my heart which evil desire hath darkened.
O Lord, I, being man, have sinned: do thou, being God, in loving kindness forgive me.
O Lord, send down thy grace to help me, that I may glorify thy holy name.
O Lord Jesus Christ, enroll me thy servant in the book of life.
O Lord my God, even though I have done nothing good in thy sight, yet grant me, according to thy grace, to make a beginning of good.
O Lord, sprinkle on my heart the dew of thy grace.
O Lord of heaven and earth, remember me thy sinful servant, cold of heart and impure, in thy kingdom.
O Lord, receive me in repentance.
O Lord, leave me not.
O Lord, lead me not into temptation.
O Lord, grant me thought of good.
O Lord, grant me tears, a remembrance of death, and a sense of peace.
O Lord, grant me mindfulness to confess my sins.
O Lord, grant me humility, charity, and obedience.
O Lord, grant me endurance, magnanimity, and gentleness.
O Lord, plant in me the root of all blessings, the fear of thee in my heart.
O Lord, vouchsafe that I may love thee with all my heart and soul and in all things obey thy will.
O Lord, shield me from evil men and devils and passions and all other unlawful things.
O Lord, who knowest thy creation and what thou hast willed for it; may thy will also be fulfilled in me a sinner; for thou art blessed for evermore. Amen.

John Chrysostom (347–407)

O God, the light of every heart that sees thee, the life of every soul that loves thee, the strength of every mind that seeks thee, grant me ever to continue steadfast in thy holy love. Pour thyself into my heart, and let it overflow, and be so entirely filled with thy pleasures, that there may be no room left for the trifling vanities here below. I am ashamed and tired of living after the way of the world; the very sight and hearing of transitory objects is troublesome: help me, my God, against the insinuations of such, and be thou the joy of my heart: take it all to thyself, and keep thy continual residence there…that I may leave all here below, and serve, and fix, and dwell upon thee alone.

Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Our heavenly Father…we want Thee to look among the thousands and millions round about us who know Thee not. Lord, look on the masses who go nowhere to worship. Have pity upon them; Father forgive them…. Give a desire to hear Thy Word. Send upon the people some desire after their God. O Lord take sinners in hand Thyself. Oh! come and reach obstinate, obdurate minds; let the careless and the frivolous begin to think upon eternal things. May there be an uneasiness of heart, a sticking of the arrows of God in their loins, and may they seek too the great Physician and find healing this very day. Ah! Lord, Thou sayest "To-day, if ye will hear His voice" and we take up the echo. Save men today, even to day. Bring them Thy Spirit in power that they may be willing to rest in Christ. Lord hear, forgive, accept and bless, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892).

Let us pray with the disciples, "Lord increase our faith” and with the poor man in the gospel, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief."

Richard Sibbes (1577–1635)

Lord, speak to me, that I may speak in living echoes of Thy tone;
As Thou hast sought, so let me seek Th ine erring children lost and lone.
O lead me, Lord, that I may lead the wandering and the wavering feet:
O feed me, Lord, that I may feed Thy hungering ones with manna sweet.
O teach me, Lord, that I may teach the precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words, that they may reach the hidden depths of many a heart.
O fill me with Thy fullness, Lord, until my very heart o’erfl ow
In kindling thought and glowing word, Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.
O use me, Lord, use even me, just as Thou wilt, and when and where,
Until Thy blessed face I see, Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.
Amen.

- Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)