Pro Inimicis.
A Prayer for Enemies
The petitioner asks for grace to love and forgive those who persecute them, following the example of Christ.
O Lord, I ask you to forgive my enemies all their sins against you; and grant me that measure of your grace, that I may overcome their hatred. I may love them; for their cursing, I may bless them; for their injury, I may do them good; and for their persecution, I may pray for them. Lord, I pray for them; forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing. Amen. God of peace and charity, grant all my enemies peace and love, and the forgiveness of all their sins, and powerfully rescue me from their traps; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Crying Out for Deliverance
A plea for God to witness the intensity of the enemy's hatred and to provide a defensive shield.
O Lord, look at how many enemies I have and how fiercely they hate me. Lord, rescue me from them. Amen. Almighty God, I humbly beseech you to look upon the heartfelt desires of your humble servant and stretch out the right hand of your Majesty to be my defense against all my enemies, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Be merciful to me, O God, for my enemies want to swallow me up; they are many who fight against me, O Most High. They gather together and keep close, marking my steps because they lie in wait for my soul. But when I was afraid, I trusted in you; and when I cry, then my enemies will turn back. You will make me know this when you are with me: be with me, therefore, O Lord, and let me see deliverance. Amen.
Trusting in God's Justice
The petitioner places their trust in God's judgment and preservation, asking for rescue from the schemes of the wicked.
O Lord, don't let my enemies triumph over me, and don't let those who hate me wink at me without cause or for your sake. Amen. O Lord God, I trust in you; save me from all those who persecute me and deliver me, lest they devour my soul like a lion and tear it to pieces when there’s no one to help. Lift yourself up, O God, because of the anger of my enemies; rise up for me in the judgment you have commanded, so that my help may still come from you, O God, who preserves those who are true of heart. Amen. Have mercy on me, O God; look at the trouble I'm in because of those who hate me. You are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death. Amen. Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer; protect my life from the fear of the Enemy. Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked and from the rage of those who do evil. They’ve sharpened their tongues like a sword and shoot out their arrows—bitter words. Lord, deliver me from them. Amen.
Read the original Latin
O Lord, I beseech thee, forgive mine enemies all their sins against thee; and give me that measure of thy grace, that for their hatred. I may love them, for their cursing I may bless them, for their injury I may do them good, and for their persecution I may pray for them. Lord, I pray for them; forgive them, for they know not what they do. Amen.
Deus Pacis & Charitatis, da omnibus inimicis mihi pacem & charitatem, omniumque remissionem peccatorum, meque ab eorum insidiis potenter eripe; per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
O Lord, consider mine Enemies how many they are; and they bear a tyrannous hate against me. Lord, deliver me from them. Amen.
Almighty God, I humbly be…seech thee, look upon the hearty de…ires of thy humble servant, and stretch out the right hand of thy Majestie to be my defence against all mine Enemies, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Be merciful unto me, O God, for mine Enemies would swallow me up, and many they are which fight against me, O thou most highest; they gather together and keep themselves close, they mark my steps, because they lay wait for my soul. But when I was afraid I trusted in thee and when I cry, then shall mine Enemies turn back. This thou wilt make me know, when thou art with me: Be with me therefore, O Lord, and let me see deliverance. Amen.
O Lord, let not them that are mine Enemies triumph over me, neither let them wink with their eyes that hate me either without a cause, or for thy cause. Amen.
O Lord God, in thee have I put my trust, save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me; lest they devour my soul like a Lyon, and tear it in pieces while there is none to help. Lift up thy self, O God, because of the indignation of mine Enemies: arise up for me in the Judgment which thou hast commanded, that my help may still be from thee, O God, who preservest them that are true of heart. Amen.
Have mercy upon me, O God, consider the trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, O thou that liftest me up from the gates of death. Amen.
Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer, preserve my life from fear of the Enemy; hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, and from the rage of the workers of iniquity. They have whet their tongues like a sword, and shoot out their arrows, even bitter words: Lord, deliver me from them. Amen.
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