Before retiring, stand before the holy icons, make the sign of the cross, and pray:
O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
O God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me.
O Lord, forgive me; for I have sinned without number.
Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God
have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth,
You are everywhere present and fill all things.
Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life,
come and dwell within us,
cleanse us of all stain,
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,
now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us;
O Lord, cleanse us of our sins;
O Master, forgive our transgressions;
O Holy One, come to us and heal our infirmities for Your Name's sake.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
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.
Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God
have mercy on us. Amen.
Lord, have mercy (12 times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Psalm 94:6 Call to Worship
Come, let us adore the King, our God.
Come, let us adore Christ, the King and our God.
Come, let us adore and bow down to the only Lord Jesus Christ,
the King and our God.
Psalm 140 Evening Prayer for Protection
I have called to you, LORD; hasten to help me!
Hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer arise before you like incense,
the raising of my hands like an evening oblation.
Set, O LORD, a guard over my mouth;
keep watch, O LORD, at the door of my lips!
Do not turn my heart to things that are wrong,
to evil deeds with men who are sinners.
Never allow me to share in their feasting.
If a just man strikes or reproves me it is kindness
but let the oil of the wicked not anoint my head.
Let my prayer be ever against their malice.
Their princes were thrown down by the side of the rock;
then they understood that my words were kind.
As a millstone is shattered to pieces on the ground,
so their bones were strewn at the mouth of the grave.
To you, LORD God, my eyes are turned:
in you I take refuge; spare my soul!
From the trap they have laid for me keep me safe:
keep me from the snares of those who do evil.
Let the wicked fall into the traps they have set
while I pursue my way unharmed.
The Jesus Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. (150 times)
It is truly proper to glorify you,
who have borne God,
the Ever-blessed, Immaculate, and the Mother of our God.
More honorable than the Cherubim,
and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim,
who, a virgin, gave birth to God the Word,
you, truly the Mother of God, we magnify.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God
have mercy on us. Amen.
Notes
This brief Evening Prayer is based upon the prayer rule for a layman, which is a simplified version of the cell rule of a monastic. Its beauty is in its simplicity. It can easily be memorized and prayed over an entire lifetime.
During Pascha the troparion “Christ is Risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death and to those in the tombs bestowing life.” is prayed three times at the beginning and “It is truly proper” is replaced with “The angel exclaimed to her, full of grace: ‘Rejoice, O Pure Virgin, again I say “Rejoice!” Your Son is risen from the grave on the third day and has raised all the dead. Let all nations rejoice.’ Shine in splendor, O new Jerusalem; for the glory of the Lord is risen upon you, O Sion. Dance with joy and rejoice. And you, pure Mother of God, rejoice in the resurrection of your Son.”
During the Holy Forty Days Fast and on other appointed days the Prayer of St. Ephrem is prayed with prostrations at the end of this rule of prayer just before the dismissal “Through the prayers....”
O Lord and Master of my life, keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power, and idle chatter. (Prostration)
Instead, grant to me, your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience and love. (Prostration)
O Lord and King, grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brother; for You are blessed, now and ever and forever. Amen. (Prostration)
All rules of prayer should be undertaken with the blessing of one’s spiritual father or mother.
Psalm 140 is taken from The Psalms: A New Translation, ©1963 by The Grail, England. This prayer sheet is for private use only. It may be duplicated and reproduced freely as long as it reproduced without change and distributed without charge. www.byzcath.org