41. Prayer that God would hereafter keep us from sin, and if we sin, that He would not reckon it to our account.

O thou kind and merciful God, Thou dear Father in heaven, Thou hast out of grace and divine love, bestowed upon us Thy dear Son, and with Him all grace, life and salvation. We pray Thee, dear Father, preserve unto us this blessed treasure and heavenly gift, the gracious countenance of Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, that we may 078 never lose Him through unthankfulness, or otherwise be deprived of Him. We are indeed poor, miserable and frail beings, who fall from one sin into another; we now sin in thought, now in word and deed, and it is with difficulty that we stand. Here we never find rest and peace; the devil watches our very thoughts, stirs them up, and fans the passions into flame, the world watches our words and deeds, walk and life, and gives us much offense and occasion to sin, our own flesh also never rests, besides yet all the occasional sins, vices and weaknesses which daily beset us, and which terribly trouble our conscience, entirely destroy the joy of our heart and turn it into sorrow and sadness. Therefore we pray Thee, Thou kind and merciful God, that when, as it may happen, we have become negligent and unthankful, and do not so walk as we should—O do Thou still remain our gracious God; be Thou friendly towards us, comfort us in goodness and mercy, do not hold us accountable or make us suffer for our manifold sins, but purge our hearts and consciences by Thy word, in order that we 079 may serve Thee in sorrow and joy, magnify, honor and praise Thee in time and in eternity. Amen.