I’ve recently come across a beautiful Orthodox prayer that I’d like to share:
My most merciful and all-merciful God, O Lord Jesus Christ! In Thy great love, Thou didst come down and become flesh in order to save all. Again, I pray Thee, save me by Grace! If Thou shouldst save me because of my deeds, it would not be a gift, but merely a duty. Truly, Thou aboundest in graciousness and art inexpressibly merciful! Thou hast said, O my Christ: “He who believes in me shall live and never see death.” If faith in Thee saves the desperate, behold: I believe! Save me, for Thou art my God and my Maker. May my faith replace my deeds, O my God, for Thou wilt find no deeds to justify me. May my faith be sufficient for all. May it answer for me; may it justify me; may it make me a partaker of Thine eternal glory; and may Satan not seize me, O Word, and boast that He has torn me from Thy hand and fold. O Christ my Savior: save me whether I want it or not! Come quickly, hurry, for I perish! Thou art my God from my mother’s womb. Grant, O Lord, that I may now love Thee as I once loved sin, and that I may labor for Thee without laziness as once I labored for Satan the deceiver. Even more, I will labor for Thee, my Lord and God Jesus Christ, all the days of my life, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
What I particularly like about this prayer is the way in which it glorifies God and presents the struggles of a Christian who is convicted by The Holy Spirit for his/her sins and who wants to repents while also having to deal with the constant fight against the desires of the flesh.
The petition, “Save me whether I want it or not!” is a request that can be found in the prayers of several Orthodox Elders (priests, monks, hermits). I have heard it from an Orthodox priest in the following form: “Please save me whether I want it or not, O, God! Please help me whether I know how to pray or not, O, Lord!”.
I hope that you like this prayer just as much as I do and more, and I pray that it helps you. Share your opinions in the comments section below.