Emergency Prayers - Please add to list as appropriate!

Some prayers that may be helpful during moments of testing. Reading aloud may be doubly effective.


When overcome with shame from the accuser:

‘Fugitive from heaven, wicked slave, what have I to do with you? You have no authority over me; Christ the Son of God has authority over me and over all things.

Against Him have I sinned, before Him shall I stand on trial, having His Precious Cross as a sure pledge of His saving love towards me.

Flee from me, destroyer! You have nothing to do with the servants of Christ.’
-St. Theognostos, On the Practice of the Virtues


When overcome with thoughts:

I will never be afraid, when I am troubled by a flood of thoughts, that the enemy is too strong against me, that his attacks are never ending, that the war will last for my lifetime, and that I cannot avoid incessant downfalls of all kinds.

I know that my enemies, with all their wiles, are in the hands of my divine Commander, our Lord Jesus Christ, for Whose honor and glory I am waging war.

Since He himself leads me into battle, He will certainly not suffer my enemies to use violence against me and overcome me, if I do not myself cross over to their side with my will. He will Himself fight for me and will deliver my enemies into my hands, when He wills and as He wills.
- Adapted from Lorenzo Scupoli, Unseen Warfare




Rapid fire ammo prayer:

Jesus, friend of sinners, count me as your friend
-anon

Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
-the Jesus prayer


Lord, save me!
- the Peter prayer
( And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” -Matt 14)







A helpful image:
“I act as a man sitting under a tree who looks attentively around him. This man, as soon as he sees wild beasts coming towards him to eat him, immediately climbs up the tree, and the beasts, after coming up to the tree walk around it for a while and then go away. And I, as soon as I observe mental beasts coming toward me and passionate thoughts, immediately rise up in my mind to the Lord, and the beast cannot get to me as they are forced to scatter every which way.”
-- St. John the Dwarf


A reminder:
"When you perceive an evil thought, rebut it and immediately call upon Christ to defend you; and while you are still speaking, Jesus in His gentle love will say: ‘Behold, I am by your side ready to help you.'”

Saint Philotheos of Sinai