A Supplicatory Prayer in Times of Tragedy

O God of our salvation, Son of the Living God, Who is borne on the Cherubim, being above all the Principalities, Authorities, Powers and Dominions:

Thou art great and dreadful unto all them that are around Thee;

Thou art He that didst set Heaven as a vault;

Thou art He that madest earth in Thy might and didst order the universe in Thy wisdom;

Who causest that which is under the heavens to shake from its very foundations, yet its pillars are unshaken;

Who speakest unto the sun and it does not shine, and Who sealest the stars;

Who interdictest the seas and driest them up; from Whose wrath authorities and powers hide, and the rocks tremble at Thee.

Thou hast shattered the gates of brass and hast broken the iron bars,

Thou hast bound the mighty one and smashed his vessels;

Thou hast cast down the tyrant by Thy Cross and hast drawn out the serpent with the hook of Thy Humanity;

and having cast him down, Thou hast bound him in chains in the gloom of Tartarus.

Do Thou Thyself, therefore, O Lord, the Hope of them that have set their confirmation on Thee, the Wall of strength for them whose expectation is in Thee,

renounce, drive away, and put to flight every diabolical action, every satanic invasion, every slander and contrary power which now afflicteth our nation, and from all Thy People that dwell here,

who bear the sign of victory of Thy Cross, which is dreadful against adversaries, and who call upon Thy good name.

Yea, O Lord,

Who didst drive away a legion of demons,

and Who, having restrained the dumb and deaf demon and the unclean spirit, didst commend it to depart from the man, and never to return again;

Who didst consume the whole army of our invisible enemies,

and didst impart wisdom unto the faithful who have known Thee, saying, "Behold, I give unto you power to trample underfoot serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy."

Do Thou Thyself, O Master,

keep our nation and its people beyond every harm and temptation,

delivering them from the terror of the night,

from the arrow that flieth by day,

from that which walketh about in the darkness,

from calamity and the demon of noonday.

Let Thy servants, Thy handmaidens, and infants, delighting in Thy help and protected by the angelic hosts, cry out in faith, with one accord,

"Thy Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear; what can a man do unto me?"

And again, "I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me."

For Thou, O God, art my Confirmation, Mighty Master, Prince of Peace, Father of the age to come, and Thy Kingdom is an eternal Kingdom. And unto Thee only is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.