O THOU Eternal God and faithful Father, upon entering a new church year we render Thee humble thanks above all for all the spiritual benefits received at Thy hands during the past year. Thou hast suffered us to retain Thy holy word and the public preaching thereof, together with the Holy Sacraments, while we by our ingratitude have fully deserved that we should be deprived of such blessings; for we are no better and have sinned no less against Thee than many of our brethren at other places, from whom, in Thy just judgment, Thou hast either wholly withdrawn the word and preaching of Thy gospel or greatly curtailed it. And it appears that also at many other places Thou art about to remove the light of Thy word in pursuance of Thy judgment. O Lord, we are not at all worthy of all the mercies Thou hast shown unto us, Thine unprofitable servants, treating us, to this day, with such longsuffering. We now pray Thee, forgive all our sins wherewith in the past church year we have transgressed against Thee, either by doing what was wrong, or by failing to do what was right. As the first mark of Thy grace, cancel, we pray Thee, our sins of the past church year with the blood of Thy dear Son, and in order to render us worthy of this grace, engender in our hearts true repentance, so that we do not carry any unforgiven sins over into the new church year, sins that we are not by Thy power willing entirely to abandon. Preserve unto us, also in the future, Thy holy Word and Sacraments, and thus the kingdom of Thy Son, and do not suffer the enemy to deprive us of this great blessing and to extend his kingdom of darkness among us. And in this do not look upon any worthiness of ours, but rather upon this that the honor of Thy Son be not blasphemed by the enemies, who fancy to have wrecked Thy kingdom among us. Preserve all our faithful teachers and preachers, whom Thou hast given us and bestow upon them in this church year new light and the power of Thy Holy Spirit, that they may in Thy presence and power proclaim to us Thy word in its truth and purity, without the adulteration of anything human. Grant also to them at all times wisdom and insight rightly to determine what is most necessary to be discussed in public discourse.
Do Thou, therefore, not suffer them to speak what they please, but do Thou guide their tongues and hearts to speak at all times, what is pleasing unto Thee. Give efficacy to Thy word and to Thy holy Sacraments that also in this church year we may behold in them the blessed means of our salvation, which saves our souls. Confirm anew the good Thou didst already in the past year effect in the hearts of Thy people, quickening Thy Word in them, and let this word continue to show its efficacy in instructing the simple, in converting the unregenerate, in convincing the malicious, in strengthening the souls that already know Thee, the number of which Thou wouldst, we pray Thee, increase also this year, according to Thy good pleasure. Grant also to all hearers of Thy word, that they receive it from the mouths of their ministers with attention and meekness not only, but that they, when hearing the word at all times submit their hearts to you in such quietness and meekness as will permit the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work of faith in them, to the end that all live a life before Thee in this church year more holy than formerly. Especially do Thou grant grace, that a firm foundation of the knowledge of the truth be laid among us, so that it may become a living knowledge, which praises Thee by its fruits, and we come to know in very deed that this is life eternal, that Thou, Father, art the only true God and whom Thou hast sent is Jesus Christ, life everlasting. Amen.
From the Abridged Treasury of Prayers, p. 111-114.
