The Prayer of Saint Francis
O great and glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my mind. Grant me enduring faith, certain hope, and perfect charity. Help me to embrace the depths of your love, that in all my ways, I may accomplish your good and perfect will.
On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer my whole self, mind, body, heart, and soul to you, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of your purity, the unerring keenness of your justice, and the might of your love.
You are the strength and light of my salvation. I desire to never grieve you by my unfaithfulness, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against you. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for your guidance, listen to your voice, and follow your holy inspirations.
I cling to you, give myself to you, and ask by the grace of your compassion that you watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced feet of Jesus and looking at his five wounds, trusting in his precious blood, and adoring his opened side and stricken heart, I implore you, adorable Spirit, helper of my infirmity, to keep me in your grace that I may never sin against you. Amen.
Dear Lord Jesus, it is my will to surrender to you everything that I am and everything that I’m striving to be. I open the deepest recesses of my heart to you and invite your Holy Spirit to dwell inside of me. You are the salvation of my soul; I hold nothing back from you.
I offer you my mind, heart, body, soul, spirit, emotions, all my hopes, plans, and dreams. I surrender to you my past, present, and future problems, habits, character defects, attitudes, livelihood, resources, finances, occupation, skills, vocation, and business endeavors. I surrender everything unto your compassionate care.
I give you my home, marriage, sexuality, relationships, friendships, and children. I surrender all my weaknesses, strengths, fears, and insecurities to you. In sickness and in health, in the good times and bad, I belong to you. Please transform my life into whatever most pleases you. Transform me into the child of God that you have intended me to be.
Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain. Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways.
When I think of your ordinances from of old, I take comfort, O Lord. Your statutes have been my songs wherever I make my home. I remember your name in the night, O Lord, and keep your law. At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous ordinances. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.
Before I was humbled I went astray, but now I keep your word. It is good for me that I was humbled, so that I might learn your statutes. Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your ordinances. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I put my hope in your words. My eyes are awake before each watch of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. In your steadfast love hear my voice; O Lord, in your justice preserve my life.
Heavenly Father, in the name of your Son, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I denounce the sin of idolatry, superstitious practices, and all vows of consecration that I have made to spiritual entities other than the one true God—the Blessed Trinity. I denounce the practice of offering prayers and worship to false gods, and selling my soul along with the value of my good deeds to spiritual entities operating under religious-sounding names.
I denounce all forms of divination, seeking oracles from the dead, communicating with mediums and spirit guides, casting spells, automatic writing, astrology, tarot cards, horoscopes, fortune-telling, palm readings, magic charms, and anything else associated with the occult or Satan. I denounce all of these practices in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who came in the flesh, and by the power of his cross, his blood, and his resurrection, I break their hold over me.
O most Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I confess all these sins before you and ask you to cleanse and forgive me. I adore you, love you, and need you. O good and loving Jesus, grant that I may always live in you, through you, and for you. Send forth your Holy Spirit and baptize me with power from on high, just as you baptized your disciples on the day of Pentecost.
O most Holy Spirit, I acknowledge that I can do nothing of eternal value without your assistance. Come then, O most Holy Spirit, and fulfill the promise of my blessed Savior when he said, “I will not leave you orphaned.” Come into my heart. Descend upon me as on the day of Pentecost when you filled your first disciples with power from on high. Grant that I may fully participate in all your gifts that you bestow with such great generosity.
Take from my heart whatever is not pleasing to you and make of it a worthy dwelling place for your holy presence. Illuminate my mind that I may see and understand the things that are for my eternal good. Inflame my heart with pure love that I may be cleansed from the impurity of worldly attachments. Strengthen my will that I may conform to your divine will and be guided by your holy inspirations. Aid me by your grace to practice the divine lessons of humility, poverty, obedience, and contempt for all worldly ways, which Jesus taught through his mortal way of life.
O rend the heavens and come down, consoling Spirit! So that inspired and encouraged by your power, I may faithfully fulfill the duties of my calling and endeavor to accomplish your divine will with the utmost perfection. Spirit of love! Spirit of purity! Spirit of joy! Sanctify my soul more and more and give me that heavenly peace that the world cannot give. May your will be done in me and through me, that your holy presence may be praised and glorified forevermore.
Almighty and merciful Father, I implore your forgiveness for all the times I have sinned against your holy Catholic Church. Please forgive me for disrespecting anything that was sacred, for spreading gossip, being angry, criticizing the priest’s homily, and projecting negative word curses. Please send forth your Holy Spirit to repair and restore all the damage that I have caused in my past.
Merciful Lord Jesus, I ask for your grace to forgive all members of the clergy who have ever hurt me. I forgive my parish priest for all his harmful actions and unkind words that he has spoken against me. I forgive all those in positions of authority, especially any members of the clergy who have violated my mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. I ask for your loving grace to heal all the circumstances where I failed to receive the love and support that I needed from my parish community.
By an act of my free will, I choose to forgive everybody, including the people who hurt me the most. I release my desire to receive an apology, my need to be justified in my actions, and my need for others to acknowledge the injustice. I surrender the entire debt of all injuries into your merciful hands, Lord Jesus. I denounce all forms of anger, bitterness, and resentment, and I command any evil spirits that have attached themselves to me through the lack of forgiveness to leave now and go straight to the feet of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Through the power of your Holy Spirit, I ask you, Lord Jesus, to fill me with your love, joy, peace, kindness, generosity, and self-control. May your healing hand rest upon me now as I bless all those who have hurt me. I desire to be kind and compassionate to everyone, forgiving them just as you have forgiven me. Amen.
Almighty and merciful Father, I come before you to intercede on behalf of your holy Catholic Church. I beseech thee, Lord, to send forth your purifying fire to cleanse every aspect of my parish community. I ask that you establish an impenetrable spiritual canopy around the congregation where I worship. Please wash and purify everything inside this spiritual canopy with your most precious blood, Lord Jesus Christ.
I ask you to send forth your angelic army to strike down and destroy all forms of demonic spirits that have come against your holy Catholic Church. Destroy and bind to the abyss all demons and their devices that have access to my parish through the sins of idolatry and superstitious behaviors. Send forth your warring angels to strike down and destroy all anti-Christ spirits, religious spirits, and any other demonic spirits of perversion, stagnation, and complacency.
Drive out all demonic spirits of division and isolation that have been preventing your Holy Spirit’s bond of brotherly love. Send forth your power to create in our community a desire for authentic Christian fellowship. Help us to establish the loving bonds of a healthy, caring community. Drive out all demonic spirits of oppression and heaviness that are militating against your Holy Spirit’s gift of joy-filled celebration, sanctification, and freedom in Christ.
I ask you to destroy all demonic spirits of fear, shame, self-condemnation, false forms of guilt, unhealthy desires to suffer, and all other forms of unworthiness. Send forth your Holy Spirit to lead the entire congregation into your heavenly courts to experience your loving presence. Flood the minds and hearts of everyone who enters through the doors of our parish community with an authentic spirit of praise, as we bow down and worship your magnificent presence.
O Divine Consoler, I adore you as my true God, with God the Father and the Son. I adore you and unite myself to the adoration you receive from all your angels and saints. I give you my heart and offer you my endless praise for all the grace that you never cease to bestow upon me.
O giver of all supernatural gifts, I beg you to visit me with your grace and grant me the gift of holy fear, so that it may prevent me from falling back into my past sins, for which I beg pardon. Grant me the gift of piety, so that I may serve you with increased fervor, follow your holy inspirations with more promptness, and observe your divine precepts with greater fidelity.
Grant me the gift of knowledge, so that enlightened by your holy teaching, I may walk the path of eternal salvation without deviation. Grant me the gift of fortitude, so that I may courageously overcome all the assaults of the devil that threaten the salvation of my soul. Grant me the gift of counsel, so that I may choose what is more conducive to my spiritual advancement.
Grant me the gift of understanding so that I may comprehend the divine mysteries, and by contemplation of heavenly things, may detach my thoughts and affections from the vain things of this material world. Grant me the gift of wisdom, so that I may rightly direct my actions, referring them to God as my ultimate destiny; so that after loving and serving him in this life, I may experience the happiness of possessing him for all eternity.
Dear Lord Jesus, I ask you to send forth the power of the Holy Spirit into the lives of everyone in our parish community. If any members of the clergy are ensnared with the sins of clericalism, legalism, hypocrisy, spiritual pride, complacency, teaching false doctrines, exhibiting pharisaical attitudes, or displaying an outward form of godliness while inwardly denying your power, I ask you to send forth the gift of your Holy Spirit’s conviction.
If any members of the laity are polluting the spiritual atmosphere of the Church through their sins of idol worship, clergy worship, superstitious behaviors, complacency, spiritual stagnation, legalism, materialism, gossip, judgmental or pharisaical attitudes, I ask you to send forth the power of your Holy Spirit to convict them of their sins. Gently lead all sinners back into a state of grace where they can authentically connect and commune with you in spirit and in truth.
Please purify the spiritual atmosphere and airspace that surrounds your sacred assembly. Cleanse the congregation so that your Holy Spirit may dwell inside the lives and hearts of all your beloved children. May the grandeur of your holy presence be so profoundly encountered within your courts that all your children will ignite with a fervent passion to serve you all the days of their lives. I ask this through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Precious Lord Jesus, I consecrate my entire life and every fiber of my being unto your divine will, service, and glory. Transform all that I am and all that I’m striving to be into your perfect image and likeness. Unite the love that burns deep within my heart to the passionate love that burns within your most Sacred Heart.
Precious Lord Jesus, you are the guardian of my soul, the assurance of my salvation, the remedy for my weakness, the atoning sacrifice for my sins, and my only refuge at the hour of my death. Be then, O most Sacred Heart of Jesus, my justification before God the Father.
I put all my hope, confidence, and trust in you. Remove from me all that is displeasing to you and all that resists your holy will for my life. May the purity of your love impart your presence so deeply within my heart that I may never be separated from you. Amen.
Spirit of our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, most Holy Trinity, descend upon your holy Catholic Church. Purify and cleanse the magisterium, priesthood, sanctuary, worship space, sacristy, religious objects, icons, statues, parish office buildings, community space, schools, and retreat facilities. Banish all the forces of evil from the Church’s property and presence.
If any occult members have infiltrated our parish community or are praying curses against the congregation, I ask you to strip them of their psychic powers, demonic powers, and occult powers. Please strip them of all magic charms, veils, psychic vision, and powers of divination. Please have all their powers and devices destroyed and cast into the abyss.
By the power of your command, I ask you to destroy all curses, hexes, voodoo practices, satanic rituals, incantations, and all evil assignments that have been sent against your sacred assembly. Destroy all spells, witchcraft, black magic, diabolic infestations, oppressions, possessions—all that is evil and sinful—gossip, idolatry, apathy, complacency; and all psychological, moral, and spiritual ailments.
By the power of Lord God Almighty, in the name of Jesus Christ my Savior, I command all the evil influences that have infiltrated my worship space to leave now and to be consigned into the everlasting lake of fire, that they may never again harm me or any other creature in the entire world.
Almighty Father, please send forth the power of your Holy Spirit upon the priesthood. May your life-changing grace transform the minds and hearts of all your disobedient and unfaithful priests into your own image and likeness. Stir in them the grace of their vocation. Keep them close to you at all times, lest the enemy prevail against the sanctity of their souls.
May the passion of your Spirit’s power ignite the hearts of your beloved preachers. May your servants’ hands burn with your anointed power as they minister to those who are sick and in need of your healing touch. May their sermons captivate the congregation with your prophetic words as they reprove, teach, and encourage the flock. May they be filled with the fire of your love, so that their lives and ministries reveal your true presence in the world. May they flow with the same miracle-working power that your disciples exhibited on the day of Pentecost.
O merciful Father, may your Spirit’s power accompany your servants everywhere the soles of their feet tread. Protect them from the wicked snares of the devil that are continually being set against the just. Expose the evil deeds of those with hardened hearts, so that they may be brought to repentance. Place a canopy of protection around all your faithful priests and bestow upon them every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
Holy Spirit, powerful Consoler, sacred bond of the Father and the Son, hope of the afflicted, descend into my heart and establish in me your loving domain. Enkindle in my tepid soul the fire of your love, so that I may be wholly subject to you.
O Holy Spirit, when you dwell within our hearts you also prepare a dwelling place for the Father and the Son. Come then, O great Consoler of abandoned souls and protector of the needy. Help the afflicted, strengthen the weak, and support the wavering. Come and purify me. Let no evil desire take possession of me. You love the humble and resist the proud. Come to me, glory of the living and hope of the dying. Lead me by your grace that I may always be pleasing to you.
For the Holy Father, flood him with your grace, Lord. For all Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops, fill them with the gifts of your Holy Spirit. For all diocesan priests, strengthen them in their work, Lord. For all priests who are ill, heal them, Lord. For all priests in danger, deliver them with your mighty hand, Lord. For all priests who are weak, sustain them, Lord. For all priests who are being tempted, may they be kept holy in body and soul.
For all priests who want to know you more deeply, enkindle their hearts with the passion of your Holy Spirit. For all priests who are depressed, console them, Lord. For all priests who are worried, give them your peace, Lord. For all priests who are elderly, strengthen them, Lord. For all priests who are alone, keep them in your company, Lord. For all priests who direct souls, grant them your wisdom, Lord. For all priests who are under spiritual attack, may they be transformed into mighty men of valor, Lord.
For all holy men and women of God, grant them your life-changing grace, Lord. For all those who serve your Church, fill them with your loving virtues, Lord. For all those who work in the mission field, give them a burning zeal to save souls, Lord. For all those who minister to the poor, grant them patience, charity, and generosity, Lord. For all those who work in the parish office, give them obedience and kindness, Lord. For all those who comfort the grieving, give them the gifts of counsel and compassion, Lord. For those who minister to the lost, homeless, hurting, and imprisoned, give them strength in their labors, Lord.
Almighty God and everlasting Father, I implore your blessing upon all those attending seminary. Grant the abundant outpouring of your wisdom to all those placed in the authority of instructors and teachers. May your seminarians grow in grace day by day, as you enlighten their minds, subdue their wills, and purify their hearts.
May all your theological students grow deeper in love, humility, and holiness, as they experience your divine presence more profoundly within their hearts. Help these men keep themselves mentally alert, physically fit, and spiritually pure, and by your constant presence in their work, rest, and play, enable them to grow into the virtues that characterize a holy priesthood.
O gracious and loving Father, according to your word, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Send forth then, O most Holy Spirit, a calling to all the holy men and women of our community. Grant them the discernment to hear your softly spoken voice and the courage to answer your call. Give them the wisdom to realize the precious gift of consecrated life.
Shine forth your heavenly light upon the paths that you have chosen for all your beloved children. Open the doors that need to be opened and close the doors of worldly allurements and distractions that need to be closed. Fill their hearts with a burning desire to please you. Bless them with the necessary grace to pursue the callings that you have placed upon their lives.
Keep them, O Lord, for they are thine, your priests whose lives burn brightly before your blessed shrine. Keep them, for they are in the world, though from a world apart; when earthly pleasures tempt and allure, shelter them in your most Sacred Heart. Keep them and comfort them in hours of loneliness and pain, when all their lives of sacrifice for souls seem but in vain. Keep them and shelter them, O Lord, as they have no one but thee, for they have tender hearts of human frailty. Keep them as spotless as thy Host, that daily their hands caress; their every thought, word, and deed, dearest Lord, I ask for you to bless.
The following scripture passages have the power to draw you into a deeper relationship with the Blessed Trinity. According to the Catechism, God is the author of Sacred Scripture. The Sacred Scriptures contain the Word of God and, because they are inspired, they are truly the Word of God.8
By meditating on God’s Word, your mind will be renewed and your identity as a child of the King will be restored. When you find yourself struggling with difficulties, try repeating the verse from Philippians 4:13 over and over again. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Soon you will be able to move with the same power that Christ promised to all believers when he said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” 9
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2017 by Valentine Publishing House
Nihil Obstat: William C. Beckman, M.T.S., Censor Librorum
Imprimatur: +Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Denver, June 24, 2009
Home | Catholic Revival Prayers | Catholic Revival Books | Contact Us | About Us
Also visit Catholic Warriors and Catholic Deliverance
Copyright © 2024 ~ Valentine Media ~ All Rights Reserved
