From:	MEReganJr@aol.com  
Date:	Sat, 6 Mar 2004 00:23:02 EST
	
The two prayers are in the standard Trebniks; the version posted is 
from Fr. David Abramtsov's 'Euchologion.'

Fr. Michael

1. >> Prayer Said in Time of War.

Let us pray to the Lord.  // Lord, have mercy.

O Lord God of Hosts, God of our salvation, God Who alone does wonders: 
look 
upon Your humble servants in mercy and bounty, and in Your love for 
mankind 
hear us and have mercy on us, for our foes are gathered against us, to 
destroy us 
and to bring ruin to our sanctuaries.  O God our Savior, help us and 
deliver 
us for the glory of Your Names' sake, and let the words spoken by Moses 
to the 
Israelite people be applied to us: "Be bold, stand fast, and see the 
salvation which is from the Lord.  The Lord shall fight for you."  Yes, 
Lord God, our 
Savior, our strength and hope and protection, do not remember the 
lawlessness 
and unrighteousness of Your people, and do not turn away from us in 
Your 
wrath, but in Your mercies and bounties visit Your humble servants who 
prostrate 
themselves before Your loving-kindness: rise to our aid, and grant our 
warriors 
to triumph in Your Name, and forgive the transgressions of those whom 
You have 
called to lay down their lives in battle, and on the day of Your just 
retribution bestow upon them crowns of incorruption.  For You are the 
protection and 
victory and salvation of those who hope on You, and to You we send up 
glory, 
to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and 
for ages 
of ages.  //  Amen. <<

2. >> The Blessing of Warriors Going Into Combat

(The usual beginning [i.e., the trisagion prayers] , and the troparion 
of the 
Cross.)

Let us pray to the Lord.  //  Lord, have mercy.

O Master, Lord God of our fathers, we ask You and humbly implore You:  
Behold 
with mercy this supplication from us, Your unworthy servants, and as of 
old 
You accepted to ascend with Moses, Your well-pleasing servant, leading 
Your 
people Israel from Egypt to the promised land, so now go with these 
Your 
servants, NN., and with these warriors, and Yourself be their helper 
and defender, and 
preserve them both by day and at night inviolate and unharmed from 
every evil 
circumstance, malady, famine and flood, and every fear.  And as You 
strengthened Joshua the son of Nun by the cross-wise raising of Moses' 
hands upon 
Amalek and upon the Canaanite kingdom warring against them, that they 
might be 
prevailed against, and thus laid waste to Zeb, and Zebee and Salmana 
and all their 
princes, and as You aided Gideon with three hundred chosen men to 
vanquish 
the multitudes of Midian, so now grant to these Your faithful servants, 
strength, power and a courageous  heart, aid and protection.  And as 
You assisted the 
first among Christian sovereigns Constantine, to conquer Your defiant 
foes by 
a heavenly manifestation, so now mercifully grant triumph and vigorous 
vanquishment over enemies to these Your faithful servants, and 
encompass them in 
warfare from all directions with Your angel, and arm them with the 
power and 
defense of the precious and life-giving Cross, in Your Name, God the 
Father, and 
Your beloved only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and Your most 
holy and 
life-creating Spirit, now and ever and for ages of ages.  //  Amen.

(The priest shall turn to face the fighting men, and blessing them with 
his 
right hand, he shall say:)

Peace be to all.  //  And to your spirit.

Bow your heads to the Lord.  //  To You, O Lord.

(Still facing the men, the priest shall say this prayer:)

O Lord our God, Who heard Moses when he raised his hands to You, and 
strengthened the people of Israel against Amalek, and allowed the sun 
to stop as a 
sign of vanquishment for embattled Joshua the son of Nun: listen now to 
our 
entreaty for these warriors gathered here, and bless and strengthen 
them, grant 
them a heart of courage against the opposing foes, send to them a 
radiant angel, 
remove from Your servants now going out to battle, and from everyone of 
us, 
all famine and destruction, and deliver us from fire, the sword and 
invasion of 
enemies, and from every adverse uprising.  Be their co-traveller and 
grant 
them all their petitions which are for salvation, teach them and make 
them to 
understand.  Save, defend, protect, purify and fill them with spiritual 
joy, be 
the protector and defender of their souls and bodies, and -since Your 
are good 
and merciful and the lover of mankind- grant them forgiveness of sins 
in the 
day of judgment.  Be merciful to them and to us all, and bless us all 
the days 
of our life, that receiving aid and protection and deliverance from 
You, we 
may always render, without hindrance, glory and thanksgiving to You:  
For You 
are a fortress and firm foundation for Your people, and to You we offer 
up 
glory, with Your only-begotten Son, and Your all-holy and good and 
life-creating 
Spirit, now and ever and for ages of ages.  //  Amen.

(And the priest shall bless them, saying:)

The blessing of the lord be upon you all: take courage and let your 
hearts be 
strengthened, and place your trust in the lord, for He shall vanquish 
our 
foes.  Amen.

(And he shall sprinkle them all with holy water cross-wise while the 
choir 
sings the following troparion (tone 4):)

O Lord, You aided meek David to vanquish the foreigner,
So assist Your faithful people;
And with the armor of the Cross crush down our enemies,
O merciful God, show to us Your mercy of old,
That they may truly know that You are God
And that we who trust in You may triumph:
Diligently entreating Your immaculate mother,
Grant us peace and great mercy.

(The dismissal:)

May Christ our true God, through the prayers of His immaculate mother, 
by the 
power of the precious and life-giving Cross, by the protection of the 
holy 
and great angelic commanders Michael and Gabriel, and of all the 
heavenly 
bodiless hosts, of the holy great-martyrs George, Demetrius, Procopius, 
Theodore 
Stratelates and Theodore the Tyro, and of all His saints, have mercy on 
you and 
strengthen you in the day of battle, and save us, since He is good and 
the 
lover of mankind.