Evening Prayers

Opening Prayers

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3 times)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us from our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake. Lord, have mercy. (3 times)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in the heavens, 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

The Symbol of Faith

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made;

Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man;

And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried;

And rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures;

And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father;

And shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, Whose kingdom shall have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke by the prophets.

In one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

I look for the resurrection of the dead.

And the life of the age to come. Amen.

Troparia, Tone 6

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for laying aside all excuse, we sinners offer to Thee, as to our Master, this supplication: have mercy on us.

Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, for in Thee have we hoped. Be not angry with us greatly, neither remember our iniquities; but look upon us now, as Thou art compassionate, and deliver us from our enemies. For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; we are all the work of Thy hands, and we call upon Thy name.

Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Theotokos, that we who hope in thee may not perish, but through thee may be delivered from adversities; for thou art the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord, have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1: To God the Father, by St. Macarius the Great

O Eternal God and King of all creation, Who hast granted me to arrive at this hour: forgive me the sins that I have committed this day in deed, word, and thought; and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul of every defilement of flesh and spirit. And grant me, O Lord, to pass the sleep of this night in peace, that rising from my humble bed I may please Thy most holy name all the days of my life, and vanquish the enemies, both bodily and bodiless, that war against me. And deliver me, O Lord, from the vain thoughts and evil desires that defile me. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 2: To the Lord Jesus Christ, by St. Antiochus

O Almighty Word of the Father, Jesus Christ, Who alone art perfect: for the sake of Thine abundant mercy never depart from me, Thy servant, but always abide in me. O Jesus, good Shepherd of Thy sheep, deliver me not over to the rebellion of the serpent, and leave me not to the will of Satan, for the seed of corruption is in me. Therefore, O Lord God, worshipful holy King, Jesus Christ, guard me while I sleep by the unwaning light, Thy Holy Spirit, by Whom Thou didst sanctify Thy disciples. Grant, O Lord, to me also, Thine unworthy servant, Thy salvation upon my bed. Enlighten my mind with the light of the understanding of Thy holy Gospel; my soul with the love of Thy Cross; my heart with the purity of Thy word; my body with Thy passionless Passion. Keep my thought in Thy humility, and raise me up at the proper time for Thy glorification. For most glorified art Thou with Thine unoriginate Father and the Most Holy Spirit unto the ages. Amen.

Prayer 3: To the Most Holy Spirit

O Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth: be compassionate and have mercy on me, Thy sinful servant; pardon me, the unworthy one, and forgive all wherein I have sinned against Thee this day as a man, and not only as a man, but even worse than a beast: my voluntary sins and my involuntary, those known and those unknown, those from my youth, those from evil learning, and those from thoughtlessness and despondency. If I have sworn by Thy name or blasphemed it in my thought; if I have reproached anyone, or slandered anyone in my anger, or grieved anyone, or become angry about anything; or if I have lied, or slept needlessly, or if a poor man came to me and I disregarded him; or if I have grieved my brother, or quarrelled, or judged anyone; or if I have been puffed up, or proud, or angry; or if, while standing at prayer, my mind was touched by the wickedness of this world; or if I have entertained depraved thoughts, or overeaten, or drunk to excess, or laughed foolishly, or thought evil, or seen the beauty of another and been wounded by it in my heart; or if I have spoken what I ought not, or laughed at my brother's sin when my own sins are numberless; or if I have been careless in prayer, or done any other evil that I do not remember, for I have done all this and more than this: have mercy on me, O my Creator and Master, Thy despondent and unworthy servant; absolve me, and pardon me, and forgive me, for Thou art good and lovest mankind, that I may lie down and sleep and take my rest in peace, I who am prodigal, sinful, and wretched; and I shall worship, and hymn, and glorify Thine all-honourable name, with the Father and His Only-begotten Son, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 4: Of St. Macarius the Great

What shall I render unto Thee, or what shall I give Thee, O greatly-gifted immortal King, O compassionate Lord Who lovest mankind? For though I have been slothful in Thy service and have done nothing good, Thou hast brought me to the close of this day that is past, ordering the conversion and salvation of my soul. Be merciful to me, a sinner bereft of every good work. Raise up my fallen soul, defiled by numberless sins, and take from me every evil thought of this visible life. Forgive my sins, O Only Sinless One, wherein I have sinned against Thee this day, knowingly and unknowingly, in word, and deed, and thought, and with all my senses. Do Thou Thyself shelter me, and preserve me by Thy divine authority and Thine ineffable love for mankind and power, from every assault of the adversary. Cleanse, O God, cleanse the multitude of my sins. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me from the snare of the devil, and save my passionate soul, and illumine me with the light of Thy countenance when Thou shalt come in glory; and grant that I may now sleep an innocent sleep, free from fantasy. And keep the thought of Thy servant untroubled, and drive away from me all satanic activity, and enlighten the spiritual eyes of my heart, that I may not sleep unto death. And send me an angel of peace, a guardian and guide of my soul and body, to deliver me from mine enemies, that rising from my bed I may offer Thee prayers of thanksgiving. Yea, O Lord, hearken unto me, Thy servant, sinful and wretched in will and conscience; grant me, when I have risen, to be instructed by Thy words, and cause Thine angels to drive far from me all satanic despondency, that I may bless Thy holy name, and glorify and magnify the most pure Theotokos Mary, whom Thou hast given to us sinners as an intercessor; and receive her who prayeth for us, for I know that she exemplifieth Thy love for mankind and ceaseth not to pray. Through her intercession, and through the sign of the precious Cross, and for the sake of all Thy saints, preserve my wretched soul, O Jesus Christ our God, for Thou art holy and supremely glorified unto the ages. Amen.

Prayer 5

O Lord our God, in whatsoever I have sinned this day in word, deed, or thought, forgive me, for Thou art good and lovest mankind. Grant me peaceful and undisturbed sleep; send me Thy guardian angel to shelter and protect me from every evil. For Thou art the guardian of our souls and bodies, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 6

O Lord our God, in Whom we have believed, and Whose name we call upon above every name: grant to us, as we go to our sleep, rest of soul and body, and keep us from all dreaming and dark pleasure. Halt the assault of the passions; quench the burning desires of the flesh. Grant us to live chastely in deed and word, that leading a virtuous life we may not fall away from the good things Thou hast promised; for blessed art Thou unto the ages. Amen.

Prayer 8: To the Lord Jesus Christ

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of Thy most honourable Mother, and of Thy bodiless angels, and of the prophet, forerunner, and baptist John, and of the God-eloquent apostles, and of the radiant and victorious martyrs, and of the venerable and God-bearing fathers, and of all the saints: deliver me from the present assault of the demons. Yea, my Lord and Creator, Who desirest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn and live: grant conversion also to me, wretched and unworthy as I am. Snatch me from the jaws of the destroying serpent, which yawneth to devour me and take me down alive into hades. Yea, my Lord, my comfort, Who for my wretched sake didst clothe Thyself in corruptible flesh: draw me out of misery, and grant comfort to my wretched soul. Implant in my heart the will to fulfil Thy commandments, and to forsake evil deeds, and to obtain Thy blessings; for in Thee, O Lord, have I hoped: save me.

Prayer 9: To the Most Holy Theotokos, by Peter the Studite

Falling down before the most pure Mother of God, I, the wretched one, pray: thou knowest, O Queen, that I sin without ceasing and anger thy Son and my God; and though many times I repent, I am found a liar before God, and I repent trembling, lest the Lord smite me, and yet in a moment I do the same again. Knowing this, O my Lady and Sovereign Theotokos, I entreat thee to have mercy on me, to strengthen me, and to grant me to do what is good. For thou knowest, O my Lady Theotokos, that I abhor my evil deeds, and with all my mind I love the law of my God; but I know not, O most pure Lady, whence it is that I love what I hate, and pass by what is good. Suffer not, O most pure one, my own will to be done, for it is not pleasing to God; but let the will of thy Son and my God be done: may He save me, and enlighten me, and grant me the grace of the Holy Spirit, that from this time forth I may cease from doing evil, and live the rest of my life according to the commandments of thy Son, to Whom belongeth all glory, honour, and dominion, with His unoriginate Father, and His Most Holy and good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 10: To the Most Holy Theotokos

O good Mother of the good King, most pure and blessed Theotokos Mary: pour out the mercy of thy Son and our God upon my passionate soul, and by thy prayers guide me unto good works, that I may pass the remaining time of my life without blemish, and through thee attain paradise, O Virgin Theotokos, who alone art pure and blessed.

Prayer 11: To the Holy Guardian Angel

O angel of Christ, my holy guardian and the protector of my soul and body: forgive me all wherein I have sinned this day, and deliver me from every evil of the enemy who opposeth me, that I may anger my God by no sin; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that thou mayest present me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity, and of the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ, and of all the saints. Amen.

Kontakion to the Theotokos

To thee, the Champion Leader who doest battle for us, we thy servants offer hymns of victory and thanksgiving, for we have been delivered from evils. But since thou hast invincible might, free us from all dangers, that we may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!

O most glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, present our prayer to thy Son and our God, that through thee He may save our souls.

All my hope I place in thee, O Mother of God: keep me under thy protection.

O Virgin Theotokos, forget me not, a sinner who hath need of thy help and thy intercession, for my soul hath hoped in thee; and have mercy on me.

Prayer of St. Ioannikios

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: O Holy Trinity, glory to Thee!

It Is Truly Meet

It is truly meet to bless thee, the Theotokos, ever-blessed and most blameless, and the Mother of our God. More honourable than the cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim; who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word: true Theotokos, we magnify thee.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Bless!

Dismissal

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, of our venerable and God-bearing fathers, and of all the saints, save me, a sinner!