Night Prayers

I thought I would add again some more prayers. These are from the Carmina Gadelica, a collection of traditional prayers, poems and chants from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland collected by Alexander Carmichael between 1855 and 1910. More on the book, from Wikipedia.

Check out my other posts on prayer: A Prayer When Depressed, Skies Full of Promise and Prayers from Time to Change. On outside sites, I recommend these prayers from Mental Health Matters (part of the Church of England) which are in a PDF and also these Orthodox prayers, including quite a few on mental health, from The Saint Gregory Palamas Orthodox Christian Outreach.

These prayers are on general themes of protection and blessing, especially sleep blessing. You can read the whole of the first book of the Carmina at this site.

The Soul Plaint

O Jesu ! to-night
Thou Shepherd of the poor,
Thou sinless person
Who didst suffer full sore,
By ban of the wicked,
And wast crucified.

Save me from evil,
Save me from harm,
Save Thou my body,
Sanctify me to-night,
O Jesu ! to-night,
Nor leave me.

Endow me with strength,
Thou Herdsman of might,
Guide me aright,
Guide me in Thy strength,
O Jesu! in Thy strength
Preserve me.

Sleep Prayer

O Jesu without sin
King of the poor,
Who wert sorely subdued
Under ban of the wicked,
Shield Thou me this night
From Judas.

My soul on Thine own arm, O Christ,
Thou the King of the City of Heaven,
Thou it was who bought’st my soul, O Jesu,
Thou it was who didst sacrifice Thy life for me.

Protect Thou me because of my sorrow,
For the sake of Thy passion, Thy wounds, and Thine own blood,
And take me in safety to-night
Near to the City of God.

Bed Blessing

I am lying down to-night as beseems
In the fellowship of Christ, son of the Virgin of ringlets.
In the fellowship of the gracious Father of glory,
In the fellowship of the Spirit of powerful aid.

I am lying down to-night with God,
And God to-night will lie down with me,
I will not lie down to-night with sin, nor shall
Sin nor sin’s shadow lie down with me.

I am lying down to-night with the Holy Spirit,
And the Holy Spirit this night will lie down with me,
I will lie down this night with the Three of my love,
And the Three of my love will lie down with me.

The Sleep Prayer

I am now going into the sleep
Be it that I in health shall waken;
If death be to me in the death-sleep,
Be it that on Thine own arm,
O God of Grace, I in peace shall waken;
Be it on Thine own beloved arm,
O God of Grace, that I in peace shall waken.

Be my soul on Thy right hand, O God,
Thou King of the heaven of heavens;
Thou it was who bought’st me with Thy blood,
Thou it was who gavest Thy life for me,
Encompass Thou me this night, O God,
That no harm, no evil shall me befall.

Whilst the body is dwelling in the sleep,
The soul is soaring in the shadow of heaven,
Be the red-white Michael meeting the soul,
Early and late, night and day,
Early and late, night and day.
Amen.

Sleep Consecration

I am lying down to-night
With Father, with Son,
With the Spirit of Truth,
Who shield me from harm.

I will not lie with evil,
Nor shall evil lie with me,
But I will lie down with God,
And God will lie down with me.

God and Christ and Spirit Holy,
And the cross of the nine white angels,
Be protecting me as Three and as One,
From the top tablet of my face to the soles of my feet.

Thou King of the sun and of glory,
Thou Jesu, Son of the Virgin fragrant,
Keep Thou us from the glen of tears,
And from the house of grief and gloom,
Keep us from the glen of tears,
From the house of grief and gloom.

May these prayers be useful to you, as well as interesting. Night-time can be awful if I am depressed, and praying for God’s protection, for his blessing on me in the evening, can be helpful.

Related articles

• Do Not Be Afraid, Little Flock (thisonewillbeourpeace.wordpress.com)
• United Prayer (simplyjuliana.com)
• A Prayer for Forgiveness (prayerworkscafe.org)
• Pray one for another (semillabarcelonaenglish.wordpress.com)
• Lenten Prayer (holyfamilysisters.org)
• Prayer for Serenity (whyibelieveingodblog.wordpress.com)