St. Nersess Shnorhali (12th Century)

I Confess In Faith
Prayer for every believer in Christ

I confess in faith and bow before you,
Father and Son and Holy Spirit,
uncreated and immortal nature,
creator of angels, man and all beings,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

I confess in faith and bow before you,
indivisible light, united Holy Trinity and single Godhead,
creator of light and destroyer of darkness.
Banish from my soul the darkness of sin and ignorance
and enlighten my mind at this hour that you might receive my
prayers favorably and grant my petitions,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Heavenly Father, true God,
who sent your beloved Son in search of the lost sheep,
I have sinned against heaven and before you.
Accept me like the prodigal son and clothe me
in my original raiment of which I was stripped by sin,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Son of God, true God,
who humbled yourself
descending from the Father's bosom and became incarnate
through the Holy Virgin Mary for our salvation,
who was crucified, buried and rose from the dead,
and ascended with glory to the Father,
I have sinned against heaven and before you.
Remember me like the thief on the cross
when you come with your kingdom,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Spirit of God, true God,
who descended at the Jordan and upon the upper room,
and enlightened me through the baptism of the holy font,
I have sinned against heaven and before you.
Cleanse me with your divine fire
as you did the apostles with fiery tongues,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Uncreated nature,
I have sinned against you with my mind, soul and body.
For the sake of your holy name do not remember my original
sin, and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold
sinner.

Seer of all,
I have sinned against you in thought, word and deed.
Erase the record of my transgressions,
and write my name in the book of life,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Examiner of secrets,
I have sinned against you willingly and unwillingly,
knowingly and unknowingly.
Grant forgiveness to me, a sinner,
for from my birth at the holy font until today
I have sinned before your divinity
with my senses, my will and all the parts of my body,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

All-Caring Lord,
place your holy fear as a guard
upon my eyes not to look shamefully,
upon my ears not to relish evil talk,
upon my mouth not to speak lies,
upon my heart not to think evil,
upon my hands not to do wrong, and
upon my feet not to walk the path of injustice,
keep their movements upright
to follow your commandments in all ways,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Living Fire, Christ,
who set the world on fire with your love,
fill my soul with that fire which
will burn away the disease of my soul,
purify the conscience of my mind,
cleanse the sins of my body,
and kindle the light of knowledge in my heart,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Jesus, wisdom of the Father,
give me wisdom to think, say and do good
before you at all times,
deliver me from evil thoughts, words and deeds,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Obliging Lord,
who wishes us well,
do not leave me to follow the whims of my heart,
but lead me always to follow the wishes of your will,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Heavenly King,
give me your kingdom
which you promised those you love,
and fortify my heart to hate sin,
to love you alone and to do your will,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Guardian of creation,
with the sign of your cross
keep my soul and body from the traps of sin,
from the temptations of the devil,
from wicked people, and from all dangers to the soul and body,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Christ, keeper of all,
may your right hand shelter me day and night,
at home and abroad, asleep and awake,
that I may never stumble,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

My God, who with your generous hand
fills all creation with your mercy, I commit my soul to you.
Care and provide for the needs
of my soul and body now and evermore,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Lord, who leads back those who stray,
turn me from evil habits toward good ways,
and plant in my soul the terror of the day of death,
the fear of hell and the love of your kingdom
that I might repent my sins and do righteousness,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Fountain of eternal life,
pour from my heart tears of repentance
like the prostitute in the Gospel
that I might wash the sins from my soul
before I leave this world,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Bestower of mercy,
grant that I may come to you
through true faith, good works,
and the holy communion of your body and blood,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Beneficent Lord,
commit me to the care of your good angel
so that I might bequeath my soul with sweetness
and pass serenely through the evil demons under heaven,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

True light Christ,
make my soul worthy to see with joy the light of your glory
on the day of judgment and dwell with the hope of favor
in the inn of the righteous until the day
of your great second coming,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Just judge,
when you come with the glory of the Father
to judge the living and the dead,
do not come to condemn your servant,
but deliver me from the eternal flames
and grant that I might hear the blessed invitation
to the just and enter your heavenly kingdom,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

All merciful Lord,
have mercy upon all who believe in you, mine and others,
familiar and unfamiliar, living and dead,
forgive my enemies and those who have hatefully
transgressed against me,
and turn them from the grudge they bear against me
so that they may be worthy of your pardon,
and have mercy upon your creatures and me, a manifold sinner.

Glorified Lord,
receive the prayers of your servant
and grant in goodness my supplications
through the intercession of
the Holy Mother of God,
John the Baptist,
St. Stephen the First Martyr and
St. Gregory the Illuminator,
the saints and prophets, teachers and martyrs,
holy abbots, monks and virgins, and
all the saintly in heaven and on earth,
and to your indivisible Holy Trinity
glory and praise forever and ever. Amen.

St. Nersess Shnorhali (12th Century)

I Confess In Faith
Prayer for every believer in Christ

Uncreated nature,
I have sinned against you with my mind, soul and body.
For the sake of your holy name do not remember my original
sin, and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold
sinner.

Obliging Lord,
who wishes us well,
do not leave me to follow the whims of my heart,
but lead me always to follow the wishes of your will,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Christ, keeper of all,
may your right hand shelter me day and night,
at home and abroad, asleep and awake,
that I may never stumble,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.

Bestower of mercy,
grant that I may come to you
through true faith, good works,
and the holy communion of your body and blood,
and have mercy upon your creation and me, a manifold sinner.