Leaders of churches and other organizations work very hard. I should know, I have been married to a preacher for many years. In addition to the regular activities such as leading church services and prayer meetings, many times the leaders in the church are called upon to do other things. These things might include visiting folks that are in the hospital, attending community events, providing counsel to people and even ministering to families that have lost a loved one. True, the leaders and pastors have been called to do these things but faithful prayers of the church are a blessing to these men of God. Here are 7 prayers for pastors or leaders that you might want to add to your prayer list.
Table of contents
Prayer for Faithfulness
Dear Lord, your word says many things about faithfulness, I pray now for our pastor that he will continue to be faithful to You and to Your church. Help him to always seek Your direction in his life and the life of Your church. I pray that he is faithful in all that he does, faithful to his commitments, faithful to his wife and family, faithful to his staff, but most of all I pray that he is always faithful to You in what you would have for him to do to accomplish Your plan for his life. Lord help him to be faithful to proclaim your name in all the earth. I praise you for this time that I have to offer up my prayer for faithfulness Lord and ask that you grant it in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Psalm 89:1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
Prayer for Quiet Time to Study the Word
Dear Lord, I am praying for my pastor (leader). I ask that You give him the time that he needs to be in Your word. I pray that You help us to remember why deacons were first elected in the church; so that the preachers might have time to be ministers of Your word. Help us to remember that we can do the things that need to be done that do not require the assistance of the preacher. Help us to give of our time and talent and to encourage others to do the same. I pray through Jesus, Amen.
Acts 6:1-4 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
Prayer for Rest & Good Health
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask for your blessing upon our pastor (leader) that he might receive the rest that he needs from his long hours of work. Help me to remember that I can help my pastor (leader) by offering to volunteer my time and talents to do the things that God has gifted me to do so my pastor (leader) does not have to take on that task. Help me to remember to let him know how much I appreciate the time and energy that he puts into each and every thing that he does. I pray that he is able to eat right and get proper exercise so that he can remain healthy for Your work. I raise up this prayer in the name of Your Son, Jesus, Amen.
Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Psalms 145:14-15 The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Prayer for Provision
Dear God in Heaven, we love you and know that your promises in the Bible are true. Please hold our pastor in the palm of your hands as he continually walks by faith, knowing that you will provide for his every need as well as the needs of his family. Please help him to remember what Jesus said about your generosity and loving kindness. Help him to know that you know every hair on his head and that he is much more than any sparrow. I praise you for all that you have already done for my pastor and pray that you will continue to bless him with everything that he needs. I pray in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Luke 12:6-7 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Prayer for Wisdom & Direction
Dear God, I want to lift my pastor (leader) up to you in prayer. He needs Your wisdom and direction for Your church. Please keep him humble and always relying upon You to give him the perfect wisdom and direction that he needs. Help him to consider information offered by others and also to come to You in prayer as he evaluates things. Remind him of Your servant Solomon who when he was to become king prayed only for Your wisdom and because of his humility You granted even more than wisdom. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen
1 Kings 3:11-13 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
Prayer for Fellowship & Good Godly Friends
Dear Father in Heaven, I pray that You will provide good and godly friends for my pastor. Friendships that will allow him to just be himself and will allow him to be held accountable as a brother in Christ. God he needs time away from the ministry to enjoy the fruit of his labor, I pray that You will provide good friends that will be his for a lifetime so that he may dwell together with them in unity. I pray that he is able to talk about the things of the Lord and that they may be able to encourage each other on how to remain faithful, committed and loving men of God. I pray these things by the power of Jesus name, Amen.
Psalms 133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
How Do You Pray for your Pastor or Church Leaders?
Do you have special prayers that you offer for your leaders? Or perhaps you have something special that you do to bless your pastor or other leaders. We would love for you to share in the comments below.
Sources:
The Holy Bible, King James Version
Would you like to get the daily question in your FB messenger? Just click the button below to get started.
Share this post
: | | | |
www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com
Matthew 18:19-20 “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
“What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!”1 Through prayer people approach God either to “call on his name in time of need, or praise and thank him in time of prosperity.”2 These two purposes for prayer are summed up very nicely in Psalm 50:15: “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
But how do we obtain this privilege? Who may address God? Will God always answer prayer? Prayer is commanded by God. In Luther’s Small Catechism we learn the meaning of the Second Commandment: “We should fear and love God, and so we should not use his name to curse, swear, practice magic, lie, or deceive, but in every time of need call upon him, pray to him, praise him, and give him thanks.”3 Prayer is also commanded in other places throughout Scripture, e.g. Ps. 32:6; Eph. 6:18; 1Th. 5:17; etc. We know that by nature we cannot keep any of God’s commands, although we must keep them all perfectly if we are to inherit eternal life. How was this problem solved? “When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father’ ” (Gal. 4:4-6).
We were not able to approach God on our own. But God, out of his infinite mercy, sent His Son to live and die in our place. Christ fulfilled the law perfectly, and that includes the Second Commandment. He alone could use God’s name perfectly. Faith, which the Holy Spirit works in our hearts, says, “Yes, I believe!” to God’s promise of salvation through Christ’s merit. Through faith, God clothes us with Christ’s righteousness. With this righteousness, which comes from the forgiveness of sins, we not only have eternal life in Heaven as our inheritance, but also are able to approach God’s throne of grace in prayer while here on earth. We can come to Him as a son comes to his father. “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry” (Ps. 34:15). Thus we now come to God in prayer, “not of own accord or because of own worthiness, but at commandment and promise, which cannot fail or deceive .”4
“I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name … Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (Jn. 16:23,24). From what has been said, we see that prayers are only heard by God and honor God if they come from a heart of faith. They are based on obedience to God’s Word and will, not on our merit. For this reason He promises not only to hear and listen to our prayers, but also to answer every single one of them.
The opposite is also true. “The face of the LORD is against those who do evil” (Ps. 34:16). “The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked … The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous” (Pr. 15:8,29). God neither listens to nor answers prayers that do not arise from a heart of faith, or are based on anything other than obedience to God’s Word and will.
This brief summary of the Biblical doctrine of prayer is necessary for a proper study on prayer fellowship. It is also necessary for us to remember that although we “were called to be free” (Gal. 5:13), we should “stand firm, and not let be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). Though we are free to do everything, we will not out of love for Christ, who set us free from sin. We will rather serve Him by obeying His Word. Let us now look to see what that Word tells us.
True prayer fellowship is described by Jesus in the passage above (Mt. 18:19,20). In the first verse of the chapter, we learn to whom Jesus is speaking. “At that time the disciples came to Jesus …” Also note that, in verse 20, Jesus assumes that the two or three, who have gathered together, have done so in His name. Thus in verse 19, when Jesus says, “two of you,” he means two of His twelve disciples, or, in a broad sense, any believers in Christ who gather together. We also note that Jesus uses a future-more-vivid protasis in the Greek language when He says, “if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for.” In other words, He expects this kind of prayer fellowship to take place among believers. The apodosis also follows the future-more-vivid construction. It is as though Jesus is saying, “If two of you should gather together for prayer on earth, agreeing with each other in the cause or reason for which you are praying, (and I expect that this will happen among you), then rest assured that my Father will answer your prayer.”
But just because Jesus is telling his disciples that, should they pray together, His Father will hear them, does that mean that the disciples cannot pray with unbelievers? If Jesus wants us to “pray for those who persecute ” (Mt. 5:44), does He not also want us to pray with them? No, He does not. As was mentioned before, prayer is a privilege we are allowed to use only through faith. Will we then be so bold as to abuse this privilege by trying to go around God’s means of giving it? The Holy Spirit implants saving faith in us through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament, and only after He has done that are we able to approach God in prayer correctly. (This is the logical order; in reality God gives us faith and teaches us to pray to Him simultaneously. The point is that we cannot pray before we have faith.) Any “prayer” that an unbeliever offers up tries to go around the Means of Grace. Thus, knowingly or unknowingly, it is based on the worthiness or merit of the unbeliever, and for that reason it is addressed to an idol, and a blasphemous prayer.
A prayer which gives name to a false god, or which is based on false premises that are an abomination to him, not only becomes worthless but invokes a curse on the head of him who thus takes the name of God in vain. His prayer stands condemned by God as blasphemy. And anyone, although himself a true Christian, who joins in a blasphemous prayer makes himself guilty of the same offense.5
“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols” (Isa. 42:8).
The immorality of prayer with blatant unbelievers, with those who worship false gods, is not very difficult to understand. But what about praying with people who belong to other Christian denominations? A Wisconsin Synod member may find himself in a Missouri Synod worship service. When the pastor of that congregation offers up prayers to the Lord, may that WELS member join with the members of that congregation in prayer? After all, the members of the Missouri Synod confess that Christ died for the sins of all. They believe that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Ro. 3:23,24). This is a more difficult question to answer, and the answer is more difficult to accept. Let us now look to the inspired Word of God for guidance in this matter.
“Prayer is a vital exercise of our faith.”6 Therefore, in order for prayer fellowship to exist, there must be a common confession of faith. This also implies unity in doctrine, since Scriptural doctrine, read and understood through our God-given intellect, is what nourishes the faith implanted in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. However, to what extent must there be unity in doctrine? Must there simply be agreement in the doctrine of objective justification, or must the agreement run deeper than that?
In Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, he corrects them regarding some of the false ideas they had about Christ’s second coming, and he also instructs them in the doctrine of the Antichrist. Further along in the letter, Paul writes, “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother” (2Th 3:14,15).
Regarding church life his instruction is very definite: have nothing to do with him—no pulpit and altar fellowship, no prayer fellowship, nor even an occasional joint prayer. And this in spite of the fact that the break has not been consummated and they still regard him as a fellow believer. In this way … they will show how serious his error is in their estimation, while an occasional joint prayer would, to say the least, take the edge off their testimony. By a conclusio a minore ad maius , apply Paul’s instruction to a case where a separation because of doctrinal differences has already taken place and has been perpetuated through opposing church organizations.7
The apostle John in his second letter writes to a Christian woman and her family, who are dear friends to him in the faith. It is a general letter of exhortation to continue in the true faith. Towards the end of the letter, John writes, “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God … If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work” (2Jn. 9a,10,11). Note that John does not qualify Christ’s teaching.
We note that John warns against a formal brotherly greeting, not against ordinary civility in manners. By a conclusio a minore ad maius: if we are to deny an adherent of a false doctrine a brotherly reception, what about arranging a joint prayer?8
We also would be very presumptuous of and reckless with God’s Word to assert that the pithy “Keep away from them” in Romans 1:17 did not apply to prayer fellowship. “Do not take him into your house or welcome him” and “keep away from them” cannot and do not mean “join with them in prayer.”9
God has not said that the degree or the seriousness of the error determines our prayer relations. If we can pray together with one whom a “small” error separates from us, we can pray together with one whom a “great” error separates from us. No one will dare to vouch for oneness of mind and judgment in cases of “major” disagreements. But, who will prove that “minor” errors do not affect oneness of mind and judgment in praying together? Error, not degree of error, settles the question.10
If we truly believe that the doctrine of the WELS is the doctrine of Scripture, as we should, then dare we be so defiant to come to God in prayer with a person with whom we have at best questionable unity? May we have more respect for every precious doctrine of God’s Word than that!
Referring once again to Matthew 18:19,20, when we pray together, we are gathering in the Lord’s name and giving glory and honor to God by our obedience to His command. Joint prayer is therefore worship. Thus “joint prayer calls for the same unity of doctrine as any other act of worship.”11 Let us also remember that we do not follow these principles because we hate outsiders and want to shut ourselves away from the world. These are not laws that everyone who wishes to enter the church must follow. But we do preach the Gospel, which creates faith that naturally will follow these principles out of love for our Savior and His Word (2Co. 7:1). We therefore set up these Biblical principles for the purpose of establishing true spiritual and Biblical unity.
Yet our sinful nature struggles to the end: Can we not at least pray with other Christians for that same unity? Two Biblical and common-sense tests must be passed. There must be “true agreement of purpose among those who join in such prayer,” and “all other unionism ruled out in their joint prayer.”12
In the focus passage for this topic, Matthew 18:19,20, Jesus tells us that the condition for a God-pleasing prayer, a prayer that God answers, is that those believers who are gathered together to pray must agree with each other. The Greek word translated as “agree” is literally a musical word meaning “to harmonize with.” If two people are singing together, one person needs only to go the tiniest bit flat or sharp for the music to grate on the ear. Similarly, without true unity of the heart and mind in prayer, the conglomeration of purposes and ideas—some God-pleasing, some not—grates on God’s ears so much the more, since He is a perfect and jealous God. “Do the want union for the same God-pleasing reasons? Are both groups equally concerned about a union of hearts? Do both approach the Word of God in the same completely selfless spirit, putting aside all human considerations?”13 In most cases where doctrinal differences have already been established between the two groups, at least one of these questions will most likely have a “No” answer.
Is all other unionism ruled out?
Unionism is characterized by these marks: It fails to confess the whole truth of the divine Word; it fails to reject and denounce every opposing error; it assigns error equal right with truth and creates the impression of church fellowship and of unity of faith where they do not exist.14
If two separate Christian denominations join together for prayer despite their obvious doctrinal differences, have they not already given the impression of the unity of faith where it does not exist? They may say to each other, “Let’s pray for true unity in every doctrine, fundamental and non-fundamental,” but then by their very prayer they are showing that such a thing means nothing to them, since they feel they can practice fellowship with each other before they have established unity of faith. They are hypocrites.
Regarding prayer fellowship, how ought we treat the brother who is weak in faith? (“Faith” here does not mean saving faith—one either has that or does not. Rather, it means faith that takes all the promises of God and applies them in day-to-day situations.) First of all, we ought to realize that we all are weak brothers. Not one of us is perfect; we are convalescents at best, slowly, ever so slowly, on the road to spiritual recovery after our baptism. For now we can only look forward to the abolition of our sinful nature and earthly body on the Youngest Day.
One example of weak faith is found in Matthew 6:25-34 and Luke 12:22-34. There the disciples show a lack of faith in God’s ability to provide. Did this lack of faith disrupt the unity between them and Jesus? Certainly not. “ rebuked them sharply, charged them with mammon service, and blamed them for having a Gentile mind. But he also patiently and tenderly instructed them how to overcome their weakness .”15 Similarly, the disciples show a lack of faith in God’s ability to take care of them in Matthew 8:24-26, Mark 4:37-40, and Luke 8:23-25. Once again Jesus rebukes them, and asks them, “Why are you so afraid?” (Mt. 8:26). With this question He brings to their attention all their past experiences, in which God has taken care of them, and thus He shows them that they have no reason for worrying. In both cases the unity is not disrupted.
A slightly different kind of weak faith is found in Romans 14-15:6 and 1 Corinthians 8. The circumstances are similar in nature. In Rome, there were Christians who were either so upset by the gluttony that was well known there that they ate only vegetables, or “unwilling to give up the observance of certain requirements of the law, such as dietary restrictions and the keeping of the Sabbath and other special days.”16 Paul says that the faith of these Christians is weak (Ro. 14:2). However, does he tell these Christians to get over it? No, rather he tells the rest of the Roman congregation to treat these brothers with special care: “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves” (Ro. 15:1). In spite of the presence of weak brothers, Paul blesses them with these words: “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus” (Ro. 15:5). Weaker brothers do not disrupt the unity of the church.
In Corinth, where there was immorality of all sorts, including idol worship, some believers’ consciences were troubled when eating food that had been sacrificed to idols. While they had the knowledge that idols were nothing (1Co. 8:1), they did not yet have the conviction of the heart and of the conscience to freely partake of this kind of food. Paul knew that these people needed tender love, and so he gives a warning similar to the one he gave to the Roman Christians: “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (1Co. 8:9).
Are we to pray with these weaker brothers? By all means! Paul says to receive them (Ro. 14:1). “To deny prayer fellowship to the weak brother would be tantamount to ‘despising’ him, to refusing to ‘receive’ him.”17 It is persistence in error and refusal to learn from Scripture that will cause us to sever our relations with the weak brother (Mt. 18:15-17). We are not talking about people who are saying, “Lord, I refuse and despise your teaching,” but rather people who are pleading, as we all should, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mk. 9:24). Join with them in prayer to our gracious Father in Heaven.
Since we belong to an evangelical synod, a Gospel-centered synod, there will be times when it is more necessary simply to share the basic truths of the Gospel with a person than to make him confess every single doctrine we teach. In this day and age of many accidents, we may find ourselves next to an unbeliever quickly passing away, to whom we need only say, “Jesus died to take away all your sins. He is your Savior. You will not die, but live.” If he believes this, we may even join with him in prayer, thanking his Heavenly Father for His wonderful love, and committing his spirit to Him. If he is passing away even quicker, we may choose not to wait for him to confess Jesus as his Savior. We may simply tell him, and then offer up a prayer with him. As the saying goes, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” We must realize however, that this is not the norm; these are special circumstances.
Perhaps we have relatives who belong to the ELCA who have always shown a simple, childlike faith in their Lord. Yet they are not aware of the intersynodical differences and their involvement in error through membership in their synod. In the privacy of their own home, how should we put the principles of prayer fellowship into practice? There is no hard rule for these types of situations. Sound Christian judgment must be exercised. Circumstances may dictate that we do indeed pray with them. Yet we should at the same time be building up their faith by instructing them and otherwise expressing our own faith.
In summary, we draw our principles for prayer fellowship from three main sources. First, we find these principles laid out by our dogmaticians, as quoted above and quoted here:
To altogether abstain from all prayer and church fellowship with those of another faith—this alone complies with the Word of God. For in the first place, according to Matthew 10:32,33, we should confess Christ, and this confession includes everything that Scripture teaches about Him, and about His person, office, and work; and in the second place, according to Luke 9:26 and Mark 8:38, we should not be ashamed of Him and His words. This duty opposes prayer and church fellowship with those who are heterodox.18
Second, we find them laid out by our synod:
We may classify these joint expressions of faith in various ways according to the particular realm of activity in which they occur, e.g., pulpit fellowship; altar fellowship; prayer fellowship; fellowship in worship … Yet insofar as they are joint expressions of faith, they are all essentially one and the same thing … In selecting specific individuals or groups for a joint expression of faith, we can do this only on the basis of their confession … On the basis of the foregoing, we find it to be an untenable position to distinguish between joint prayer … and an occasional joint prayer.19
Third, and most importantly, our dogmaticians and our synod both draw their principles of prayer fellowship from sacred Scripture, where they are laid out in such passages as Matthew 18:19,20 and others.
“God has given us the privilege of prayer. Let us not abuse it. Let us not take his name in vain. Let us keep the privilege holy and undefiled.”20 God grant that our practice of prayer fellowship would lead us in the Wisconsin Synod to a true, God-pleasing unity of faith in His Son, our Savior.
…………………….
Endnotes and Recommended Reading
1 Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal, (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 1993), Hymn 411.
2 Tappert, Theodore G., ed, The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1959), 373:64.
3 Tappert, 342:4.
4 Ibid., 423:21.
5 Jahn, Curtis A., ed, Essays on Church Fellowship, (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 1996), 95.
6 Ibid., 388.
7 Ibid., 137.
8 Ibid., 154.
9 Brug, John F, Church Fellowship: Working Together for the Truth, (Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1996), 115.
10 Jahn, 391.
11 Brug, 115.
12 Jahn, 390.
13 Ibid., 391.
14 Ibid., 391.
15 Ibid., 118.
16 Hoerber, Robert G., ed, Concordia Self-Study Bible: New Iternational Version, (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1984), 1738. See note on 14:1.
17 Jahn, 122.
18 Hoenecke, Adolf, Ev.-Luth. Dogmatik–Band III, (Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1912), 441. Translated by the author of this essay.
19 Commission on Inter-Church Relations of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Doctrinal Statements of the WELS, (Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1997), 30,31,34.
20 Jahn, 147.
www.studiumexcitare.com
Prayers for Peace
from the famous collection of du`as al-Hisn al-Hasin
(“The Mighty Fortress”)
by Muhammad al-Jazri, may Allah be pleased with him
Completed during the siege of Damascus
20 Dhul Hijjah 791 / 9 December 1389
O Allah, unite our hearts
and set aright our mutual affairs,
guide us in the path of peace.
Liberate us from darkness by Your light,
save us from enormities whether open or hidden.
Bless us in our ears, eyes, hearts, spouses, and children.
Turn to us; truly you are Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.
Make us grateful for Your bounty and full of praise for it,
so that we may continue to receive it
and complete Your blessings upon us.
Allâhumma allif bayna qulûbinâ
wa aslih dhâta baynina
wahdinâ subûl as-salâm
wa najjinâ min az-zulumâti ilan-nûri
wa janibnâ al-fawâhisha
mâ zahara minhâ wa mâ batana
wa bârik lanâ fî asmâ`inâ wa absârinâ wa qulûbinâ wa azwâjinâ wa dhurriyâtinâ
wa tub `alaynâ innaka antat-tawwâb ur-rahîm
waj`alnâ shâkirîna li ni`matika
muthnîna bihâ qâbilîhâ
wa atimmahâ `alaynâ
*
O Allah, I beg of you pardon and safety.
Allâhumma inni as’aluk al-af` wal-`âfiyah
O Allah, I beg of You useful knowledge
and acceptable deeds.
Allâhumma inni as’aluka `ilman nâfi`an
wa `amalan mutaqabbala
O Allah, impart to our earth its blessings,
its embellishment, and its repose.
Allâhumma da` fî ardinâ barakâtahâ
wa zînatahâ wa sakânahâ
*
O Allah, Your forgiveness is vaster than my sins
and Your compassion is more promising than my actions.
Allâhumma maghfiratuka awsa`u min dhunûbi
wa rahmatuka arjâ `indî min `amalî
O Allah, make me patient and grateful to You
and make me look small in my own eyes
and great in the sight of others.
Allâhumm aj`alnî sabûran waj`alnî shakûran
waj`alnî fî `aynî saghîran
wa fî `ayûnin-nâsi kabîra
*
I invoke the perfect words of Allah
from which neither a good person
nor a bad one can escape
for protection against any evil
that may come down from the sky or rise up to it
and any evil that may be planted in the earth
or spring forth from it
against the evil of the tests of the night
and the tests of the day
and the evil of the happenings of night and day
save only the happening that brings good
O Most Beneficent One!
A`ûdhi bi-kalimâti Llâhi tammat illati la yajawizuhunna barrun wa la fâjir
min sharri ma yanzilu min as-samâ’i
wa mâ ya`ruju fîhâ
wa min sharri mâ dharâ’a fil-ardi
wa mâ yakhruju minhâ
wa min sharri fitan il-layli wa fitan in-nahâr
wa min sharri tawâriq il-layli wan-nahâri
illâ târiqan yatruqu bi-khayr
ya rahmân
Amin, O Remover of Difficulties!
mpf21.wordpress.com
