Prayer Against False Doctrines and Sects.

Gracious God! Thou hast warned us, that we should beware of false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. And since in these latter days, in which we now live, evil times will come, in which Satan clothes himself in the livery of heaven, and false teachers and fraudulent laborers dissemble as though they were the apostles of Christ, who have the form of godliness but deny the power thereof; and since the defection from the pure doctrine, and the man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called 125 God shall be made manifest, help us, eternal God, that we may be filled with the love for truth, and avoid the spirit of lies and all falsehoods and errors, abstain and flee from all appearance of evil, so that we may not be moved from the true faith, nor yet beguiled from our reward, but may continue steadfast by Thy word unto the end. May we never be led astray, neither through deceiving powers, signs, and miracles, nor through any temptation to unrighteousness, so that we be not tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Preserve Thy elect in this evil world, O God, that they may not be led into error. Shorten the days in these evil times. Destroy the Antichrist, the wicked child of perdition and temptation, through the spirit of Thy mouth. Put an end to his days through the appearance of Thy dear Son. Preserve us also from unruly spirits and schisms, from the ravenous wolves who 126 have no mercy for the flocks, from men who speak perverse doctrines and draw the disciples to themselves, from men of corrupt minds who sow offense and bring about separation, from the tares which the enemy scatters, from thieves and murderers of the soul. Let us only hear Thy voice, and follow it from our hearts in true faith and upright obedience, so that your word may be our only rule and norm, according to which we measure all doctrine, flee the evil teaching, and all unrighteousness. Then will we, too, have boldness and be not brought to naught on that day when Jesus Christ, our Savior, shall appear. Amen.