On awaking from thy sleep before any other work, stand piously, presenting thyself before the all-seeing God, and, placing the sign of the Cross upon thyself, say:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Pause a moment, so that all thy senses calm and thy thoughts leave all earthly things; then read the following prayers, without haste and with heartfelt attention.
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, by the prayers of Thy most pure Mother and all the Saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
O heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, the Treasure of blessings and the Giver of life, come and abide in us and cleanse us from every impurity, and save, O Gracious One, our souls.
O Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice).
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now, and ever and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
O All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord cleanse away our sins; O Master, forgive us our iniquities; O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice).
Glory to the Father …, both now, and ever …
Our Father, Who art in the heavens! hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on the earth; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory unto ages. Amen.
Having risen from sleep, we fall down before Thee, O Good One, and sing to Thee, O Mighty One, this angelic hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God, through the Theotokos have mercy on us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
From the bed and sleep hast Thou raised me up, O Lord; enlighten my mind and heart, and open my lips that I may hymn Thee, O Holy Trinity: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God,—through the Theotokos have mercy on us.
Both now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Suddenly will the Judge come, and everyone’s deeds shall be laid bare; but with fear do we call out at midnight: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God,—through the Theotokos have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)
Having arisen from sleep, I give Thee thanks, O Holy Trinity, that, through Thy great goodness and long suffering, Thou didst not become angry with me, idler and sinner, neither hast Thou destroyed me with my iniquities; but didst, as usual, exercise Thy loving kindness to man and hast raised me who was thoughtlessly lying on my bed, that I may be on my morning watch and glorify Thy power. Enlighten now my mind’s eyes also; open my lips that I may derive instruction from Thy words, understand Thy commandments, do Thy will, hymn Thee in heartfelt confession; and glorify Thine All-holy name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, both now, and ever, and ages of ages. Amen.
O come, let us worship God our King.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and God.
O come, let us worship and fall down before the Very Christ, our King and our God.
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
I believe in One God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all worlds. Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, and by Whom all things were made.
Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Ghost, and of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried.
And rose again the third day according to the Scripture.
And ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father.
And He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead, Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets.
In one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead.
And the life in the world to come. Amen.
O God, cleanse Thou me, a sinner, inasmuch as I have never done any good thing before Thee. Yea, deliver me from the evil one and let Thy will abide within me, so that I may without condemnation open my unworthy lips and praise Thy Holy name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Awaking from sleep, I bring unto Thee, O Saviour, my midnight hymn and falling down before Thee I cry out unto Thee: suffer not that I should depart in sinful death, but rather have compassion on me, since Thou voluntarily gavest Thyself up to be crucified, and whilst I lazily keep in my bed, make haste to raise me therefrom, and save me when I am standing up and praying; and after the night’s sleep cause a sinless day to shine upon me, O Christ the God, and save me.
To Thee, O Master, Lover of man, I have recourse on my rising from sleep, and by Thy mercy I strive to do Thy work, and I pray unto Thee: help me at all times, in every thing, deliver me from every wordly evil thing; save me from every attack of the devil; and lead me into Thine eternal kingdom. For Thou art my Creator, Provider and Bestower of every good, wherefore all my hope is in Thee, and to Thee I send up glory, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Lord, Who by Thy manifold grace and Thy great compassion hast enabled me, Thy servant, to go through the past time of this night, without any attacks from any evil thing; Thyself, O Master, Creator of all things, vouchsafe that I may, in Thy true light and with mine enlightened heart, do Thy will, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Lord, Almighty, the God of hosts and of every flesh, Who dwellest on high and takest care of the lowly, Who searchest the hearts and the innermost parts of men, and clearly foreseest their hidden secrets, unoriginate and ever-existent Light that has neither change nor a shadow of mutation: Do Thou, O Immortal King, accept our prayers which we, making bold of the multitude of Thy mercies, now offer Thee with our defiled lips, and forgive us our trespasses, which we have committed either in deed or word or thought, either knowingly or in ignorance, and cleanse us from every defilement both of body and spirit. Grant that we, with watchful heart and in sober thoughts, may pass through all the night of our present existence, waiting for the coming of the bright and shining day of Thine Only-begotten Son, the Lord and God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, whereon the Judge of all shall come in glory to reward everyone according to his deeds, so that we may be found not lying down and lazy, but watchful, upright and active, ready to accompany Him into the joyful and divine chamber of His glory, where the voice of feasters never ceases and where there is unspeakable delight of those who see the ineffable goodness of Thy countenance. For Thou art the true light that enligteneth and illumineth everything, and Thee hymneth all creation unto ages of ages. Amen.
Thou, O holy Angel, that standest by my miserable soul and by my life influenced by passions, do not leave me alone, neither withdraw thyself from me on account of mine incontinence; leave no spot for the crafty demon to take possession of me by forcing my mortal body; strengthen my miserable and feeble arm and set me on the path of salvation. Yea, O holy angel of God, the guardian and protector of my miserable soul and body, forgive me everything whereinsoever I have offended thee in all the days of my life, and if I have sinned in any way during the night just past, shelter me through the coming day and keep me from every temptation of the enemy so that I should not make God angry with me by any sin; do also entreat God on my behalf that He may stablish me in His fear and shew me, His servant, to be worthy of His grace. Amen.
O mine All-holy Sovereign Lady Theotokos, do by Thy holy and all-powerful intercessions drive away from me, Thy humble and miserable servant, despondency, forgetfulness, folly, carelessness and all filthy, vile and outrageous thoughts from my miserable heart and my sullied mind; quench also the flame of my passions, for I am poor and miserable; and free me from many and cruel memories and designs, and from all evil acts deliver me; for Thou art blessed from all generations and glorified is Thy most precious name unto ages of ages. Amen.
O God, remit, pardon and forgive our sins, whether voluntary or involuntary, whether by words or deeds, whether in knowledge or ignorance, whether by day or night, whether in mind or thought: forgive us all these, for Thou art good and lovest man.
Hail, O Mother of God and Virgin Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee; blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, for Thou hast borne the Saviour of our souls.
Right it is, in truth, to bless Thee, the Birth-giver of God, Ever-blessed, and All-undefiled, and the Mother of our God. More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, Thou Who without defilement barest God the Word, true Birth-giver of God, we magnify Thee.
Beneath Thy tenderness of heart do we take refuge, O Theotokos, despise not our supplications in our necessity; but from perils deliver us, O only pure, only blessed.
Most glorious Ever-virgin, Mother of Christ the God, bring our prayers to Thy Son and our God that He may for Thy sake save our souls.
O all ye heavenly Host of holy Angels and Archangels, pray for us sinners.
O holy glorious Apostles, Prophets and Martyrs, and all Saints, pray for us sinners.
Pray God for me, O Holy Saint, (name), for with fervor I come unto thee, the speedy help and interceder for my soul.
Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance, granting victories to the Orthodox Christians over their enemies and by Thy Cross upholding Thy community.
Remember, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, Thy mercies and compassions that are from eternity and wherefore Thou wast also pleased to become incarnate and, for the sake of salvation of those that rightfully believe in Thee, to suffer both the crucifiction and the death, wherefore also Thou hast risen from the dead, hast ascended into the heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father, yea, Thou lookest down unto the humble supplications of those that from all their hearts call upon Thee; bend down Thine ear and hearken unto my humble entreaty, which, as an odour of a spiritual fragrance, is being offered unto Thee for all Thy people by Thy dissolute servant. And, firstly, remember Thy Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, which Thou hast provided with Thy precious blood, and confirm, strengthen, extend, increase, pacify and preserve Her for ever invincible unto the gates of the hades; appease the lacerating discords of the churches, quench the commotions of the heathens and the rebellion of the heresies speedily put down and root out, and by the power of the Thy Holy Spirit turn them into naught. (Bow)
Save, O Lord, and have mercy on the rulers of our land: the governing Senate, military commanders, governors of cities and all the Christ-loving army, protect our state with peace and subdue under their feet every enemy and adversary, imbue also their hearts with peaceful and kindly thoughts concerning Thy Holy Church and all Thy people; so that we also, under their peace, may lead a tranquil and quiet life in the rightful faith, in all goodness and purity. (Bow)
Save, O Lord, and have mercy on the Most holy Œcumenical Patriarchs, and the Right reverend Orthodox Metropolitans, Archbishops and Bishops, on all the priestly and monastical order and on all the clerics of the Church, whom Thou hast appointed to feed Thine intellectual flock, and at their intercessions have mercy on me and save me. (Bow)
Save, O Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual Father (say his name) and at his holy intercession forgive me all my transgressions. (Bow)
Save, O Lord, and have mercy on my parents (their names), brothers and sisters and my relations by blood, all my neighbours and friends, and grant unto them good things both of this world and superwordly. (Bow)
Save, O Lord, and have mercy both on the old and young, on the poor and orphans and widows, and on those that are suffering from maladies and sorrows, exposed to dangers and afflictions, subjected to attacks and captivity, thrown into prisons and banishment, but much more on those of Thy servants that are suffering persecutions, for Thy sake and that of the Orthodox faith, from nations that know no God, from apostates and from heretics; remember them, visit them, bring them consolation and speedily grant them by Thy power relaxation, freedom, and deliverance. (Bow)
Save, O Lord, and have mercy on those sent in service, and the journeying fathers and brethren, and all the Orthodox Christians. (Bow)
Save, O Lord, and have mercy on those that hate me and deal wrongly by me and do me harm, and suffer them not to come to perdition for the sake of me the sinner. (Bow)
Those that have apostatized from the Orthodox faith and are blinded with the pernicious heresies do Thou enlighten with the light of Thy knowledge and incorporate with Thy Holy, Apostolic, Catholic Church. (Bow)
Remember, O Lord, the souls of Thy departed servants, my parents (their names) and of all my relations by blood; also all those of our fathers, brothers and sisters that have fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection and of the life eternal, and grant unto them an eternal rememberance. (Bow)
My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my shelter is the Holy Spirit; O Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.
Glory …, both now …
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
O Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have mercy on us by the intercessions of Thine all-holy Mother, of our holy and God-bearing fathers, and of all the saints. Amen.
I confess to Thee, O my Lord, God and Creator, the One in the Holy Trinity, glorified and worshipped Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, all my sins, which I have committed in all the days of my life, and in every hour, and at the present time, by deed, word, thought, sight, hearing, smell, taste, feeling, and by all my senses both spiritual and of the flesh, by which I have angered Thee, O my God, and have done unjustly by mine neighbour; being sorry for these, I present myself guilty before Thee, my God, and I have a will to repent; only do Thou, O Lord, my God, help me; tearfully and humbly I pray Thee: forgive by Thy mercy all mine past sins, and release me from all these, for Thou art good and a lover of man.