The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian

​I am of the opinion that we could learn much from the Eastern lung of the Church. One of my favorite devotions from the Byzantine Rite of the Church is the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian. This simple prayer is a great aid to our Lenten devotions and I recommend praying it as part of your morning offering.

St. Ephrem lived from about 306 to 373 A.D. He was a Monastic Deacon and composed over four hundred hymns. Today he is revered as one of the fathers of monasticism and much of the Syriac tradition. In 1920, Pope Benedict XV declared St. Ephrem a Doctor of the Church.

The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem can be said in two forms, one simple and one with more solemnity. The simpler form consists of three short prayers. At the end of the three prayers, you make one full prostration. This is done by going onto both knees, then lowering one's forehead to the floor, the rising to make the sign of the cross.

The full version of the prayer consists of the same three prayers, but with prostrations between each of the three. Then the prayer “God, cleanse me,” is said twelve times, with the sign of the cross and a bow after each time. Then all three of the opening prayers are said again, with a single prostration at the end.

Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian:

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk. (Prostration)
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But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant. (Prostration)

Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen. (Prostration)

God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me. (x12)

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant. Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen. (Prostration)