Abendsegen am Montag
A Prayer for Daily Protection
The petitioner offers thanks to God for preserving them from physical harm and danger throughout the day.
O strong and living God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!✦ I thank you that through your divine protection you have graciously kept me safe all day from all harm and danger: that I haven't faced the peril of fire; that floodwaters haven't drowned me; that wild beasts haven't torn me apart; that I haven't fallen under the edge of the sword; that enemies haven't murdered me and wicked people haven't wounded me; that I haven't been struck down or harmed by thieves and robbers; and also that I haven't fallen to my death, or otherwise carelessly bruised myself, or been injured in some other way—in short, that I haven't come into danger of body and life. For all of this I have only your mercy to thank—you who keep me on all my roads and paths.✦1
A Plea for Nightly Deliverance
The prayer shifts to intercession for protection against spiritual enemies and the dangers of the night.
I ask further now that you would forgive me all my sins that I have committed against you, and that you would also graciously keep me—together with all who are related to me and belong to me—this night and for the whole time of our lives, from every fear and distress, and from the devil's cunning and swiftness, with which he means to ensnare us day and night.✦2 Guard us also from the deadly pestilence that creeps in the dark; keep us from the snare of the enemy; deliver us so that we don't fall into the net of the hunter who stalks our soul.✦✦ Protect us also from Satan's heavy siftings and terrors, and from every evil of body and soul.✦3 For you are our strong fortress, our defense and weapons; in you stand all our hope and confidence.✦ Therefore, faithful God, keep your eyes open over us and preserve us this night from every power and assault of the evil enemy; be our watchman and guardian, surround us with your protection, so that the devil cannot harm us.✦
The Watchman's Hope
The prayer concludes with a series of psalmic petitions expressing total reliance on God's grace and mercy.
For our salvation rests with you alone; to you alone I lift my eyes, from where my help comes.✦ My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.✦ See how the eyes of servants look to the hands of their masters, and how the eyes of maidservants look to the hands of their mistresses: so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he is gracious to us.✦ Be gracious to us, Lord, be gracious to us!✦ For we are poor and wretched. Shine the light of your face upon me and brighten my eyes, so that I may not fall asleep in death—you who live and reign forever.✦✦ Amen.
Read the original Latin
O du starker, lebendiger Gott, Vater unsers Herrn Jesu Christi! Ich danke dir, dass du mich heute diesen Tag durch deinen göttlichen Schutz vor allem Schaden und Gefahr gnädiglich behütet hast, dass ich nicht bin kommen in Feuersnot, dass mich Wasserfluten nicht ersäuft haben, dass mich wilde Tiere nicht zerrissen haben, dass ich nicht bin gefallen in die Schärfe des Schwerts, dass mich die Feinde nicht ermordet und böse Leute nicht verwundet haben, dass ich von Dieben und Räubern nicht erschlagen noch beschädigt bin worden, dazu auch, dass ich mich nicht habe zu Tode gefallen und sonst unvorsichtiglich gestoßen oder in anderm Wege bin verletzt worden, in Summa, dass ich nicht kommen bin in Fährlichkeit Leibes und Lebens. Das alles habe ich allein deiner Barmherzigkeit zu danken, der du mich auf allen meinen Wegen und Stegen behütest. Ich bitte nun ferner, du wollest mir vergeben alle meine Sünden, die ich wider dich getan habe, und mich samt allen, die mir verwandt sind und zugehören, heute diese Nacht und die ganze Zeit unseres Lebens auch gnädiglich bewahren vor aller Angst und Beschwernis, vor des Teufels List und Geschwindigkeit, damit er uns Tag und Nacht gedenkt zu bestricken. Behüte uns auch vor der schädlichen Pestilenz, die im Finstern schleichet; bewahre uns vor dem Strick des Feindes; errette uns, dass wir nicht kommen in das Netz des Jägers, so unserer Seele nachstehet. Beschütze uns auch vor schweren Sichtungen und Schrecken des Satans, vor allen Übeln Leibes und der Seele. Denn du bist unsere feste Burg, unsre Wehr und Waffen; in dich steht all unsre Hoffnung und Zuversicht. Darum, du getreuer Gott, lass deine Augen über uns offen sein und bewahre uns in dieser Nacht vor aller Gewalt und Anfechtung des bösen Feindes, sei unser Wächter und Hüter, umgib uns mit deinem Schutz, auf dass uns der Teufel nicht könne beschädigen.
Denn bei dir allein steht unser Heil, zu dir allein hebe ich meine Augen auf, daher mir Hilfe kommt. Meine Hilfe kommt vom Herrn, der Himmel und Erde gemacht hat. Siehe, wie die Augen der Knechte auf die Hände ihrer Herren sehen, wie die Augen der Mägde auf die Hände ihrer Frauen: also sehen unsere Augen auf den Herrn, unsern Gott, bis er uns gnädig werde. Sei uns gnädig, Herr, sei uns gnädig! Denn wir sind arm und elend. Erhebe über mich das Licht deines Antlitzes und erleuchte meine Augen, dass ich nicht im Tode entschlafe, der du lebest und regierest in Ewigkeit. Amen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Rom.15.6;2Cor.1.3;Eph.1.3 — so that with one mind and one mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Cor.1.3 — Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, Eph.1.3 — Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
- ↩Ps.91.11;Prov.3.6 — For he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. Prov.3.6 — In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
- ↩2Cor.2.11;Eph.6.11;1Pet.5.8 — so that we are not taken advantage of by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes. Eph.6.11 — Put on the full armor of God, so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 1Pet.5.8 — Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
- ↩Ps.91.6 — Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that ravages at midday.
- ↩Ps.91.3;Ps.124.7;Ps.141.9 — Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. Ps.124.7 — Our soul has escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Ps.141.9 — Keep me from the hands of the trap they have set for me, and from the snares of evildoers.
- ↩Luke.22.31 — Simon, Simon—look—Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat.
- ↩Ps.46.1;Ps.18.2 — To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. Ps.18.2 — And he said, I love you, O LORD, my strength.
- ↩Ps.121.3-Ps.121.5 — He will not let your foot slip; your Keeper will not slumber. Ps.121.4 — Behold, the Keeper of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. Ps.121.5 — The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
- ↩Ps.121.1-Ps.121.2 — A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? Ps.121.2 — My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
- ↩Ps.121.2 — My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
- ↩Ps.123.2 — Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until he shows us favor.
- ↩Ps.123.3 — Be gracious to us, LORD, be gracious to us, for we have had more than enough contempt.
- ↩Ps.4.6 — Offer sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the LORD.
- ↩Ps.13.3 — How long shall I bear plans within my soul, sorrow in my heart all day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Notes
- 1 ↩Wegen und Stegen is an Early Modern German fixed pair for ordinary ways and side-paths; rendered as 'roads and paths' rather than a more idiomatic 'everywhere I go' to keep the image.
- 2 ↩Geschwindigkeit here is the devil's speed/quickness of attack, not modern 'velocity' as a neutral measure; paired with List (cunning).
- 3 ↩Sichtungen taken as spiritual siftings/trials (cf. Early Modern use near Anfechtung and Luke 22:31), not modern 'sightings'.
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