Gratitude // Chris Holm

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​The Original 18 Benedictions of the Israelites 

1. God of History
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise. Blessed art thou, O lord God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, the great mighty and revered God, the most high God, who bestows loving kindness, and the Master of all things; who remembers the pious deeds of the patriarchs, and in love will bring a redeemer to their children's children for your Name's sake.

2. God of Nature
O King, Helper, Savior and Shield. Blessed art thou, O Lord, the Shield of Abraham. You, O Lord, are mighty for ever, you revive the dead, You are mighty to save. You cause the wind to blow and the rain to fall. You sustain the living with loving kindness, revive the dead with great mercy, support the falling, heal the sick, free the bound, and keep Your faith to them that sleep in the dust. who is like You, Lord of the mighty acts, and who resembles You, O King, who orders death and restores life, and causes salvation to spring forth?

3. God who sanctifies.
We will sanctify Your Name in the world even as they sanctify it in the highest heavens, as it is written by the hand of Your prophet: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts: The whole earth is full of His glory. Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place. And in Your Holy Words it is written, saying The Lord shall reign for ever, Your God O Zion, unto all generations. Praise Ye the Lord. Unto all generations we will declare Your greatness, and to all eternity we will proclaim Your holiness, and Your praise, O our God, shall not depart from our mouth for ever, for Your are a great and holy God and King. Blessed art thou, O Lord the holy God.

4. Prayer for understanding.
You favor man with knowledge, and teach mortals understanding. Favor us with knowledge, understanding and discernment from You. Blessed art thou, O Lord, gracious Giver of knowledge.

5. Prayer for repentance
Cause us to return, our Father, unto Your Torah; draw us near, our King, unto Your service, and bring us back in perfect repentance unto Your presence. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who delights in repentance.

6. Prayer for forgiveness
Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, our King, for we have transgressed; for You do pardon and forgive. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who is gracious, and does abundantly forgive.

7. Prayer for deliverance from affliction
Look upon our affliction and plead our cause, and redeem us speedily for Your name's sake; for You are a mighty Redeemer. Blessed art thou, O Lord, the Redeemer of Israel. Turn not to our wickedness; conceal not your face from us, and hide not Yourself from our supplication. Be near, we beseech You, unto our cry; let Your loving kindness be a comfort to us; even before we call unto You answer us, according as it is said, And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear; for You, O Lord, are He who answers in time of trouble, who delivers and rescues in all times of trouble and distress; the holy King."

8. Prayer for Healing
Heal us, O Lord, and we shall be healed; save us and we shall be saved; for You are our praise. Grant a perfect healing to all our wounds; for You, almighty King, are a faithful and merciful Physician. Blessed art thou O Lord, who heals the sick of Your people Israel.

9. Prayer for Deliverance from want
Bless this year unto us, O Lord our God, together with every kind of the produce, for our welfare; give a blessing upon the face of the earth. O satisfy us with your goodness, and bless our year like other good years. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who blesses the years.

10. Prayer for reunion of Israel
Sound the great horn for our freedom; raise the ensign to gather our exiles, and gather us from the four corners of the earth. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who gathers the dispersed of Your people Israel.

11. Prayer for the righteous reign of God
Restore our judges as in former times, and our counselors as at the beginning; remove from us sorrow and sighing; reign over us, O Lord, You alone, in loving kindness and tender mercy, and clear us in judgment. Blessed art thou, O Lord, the King who loves righteousness and judgment.

12. Prayer for the righteous 
Toward the righteous and the pious, toward the elders of Your people the house of Israel, toward the remnant of their scribes, toward true proselytes, and toward us also may Your tender mercies be stirred, O Lord our God; grant a good reward unto all who faithfully trust in Your Name; set our portion with them for ever, so that we may not be put to shame; for we have trusted in You. Blessed art thou, O Lord the stay and trust of the righteous.

13. Prayer for the rebuilding of Jerusalem
And Jerusalem, Your city, return in mercy, and dwell therein as You have spoken; rebuild it soon in our days as an everlasting building, and speedily set up therein the throne of David. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who rebuilds Jerusalem.

14. Prayer for the Messianic King
Speedily cause the offspring of David, Your servant, to flourish, and lift up his glory by Your divine help because we wait for Your salvation all the day. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who causes the strength of salvation (Yeshua) to flourish.

15. Prayer for the hearing of prayer
Hear our voice, O Lord our God; spare us and have mercy upon us, and accept our prayer in mercy and favor; for You are a God who hears and answers prayers and supplications; from Your presence, O our King, turn us not away empty; conceal not your face from us, and hide not Yourself from our supplication. Be near, we beseech You, unto our cry; let Your loving kindness be a comfort to us; even before we call unto You answer us, according as it is said, And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear; for You, O Lord, are He who answers in time of trouble, who delivers and rescues in all times of trouble and distress; the holy King. For You hear and answer in mercy to the prayers of Your people Israel. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who hears and answers prayer.

16. Prayer for the restoration of Temple service
Accept, O Lord our God, Your people Israel and their prayer; restore the service to the inner sanctuary of Your house; receive in love and favor both the offerings of Israel and their prayer; and may the worship of Your people Israel be ever acceptable unto You.

17. Thanksgiving for God's unfailing mercies
We give thanks unto You for You are the Lord our God, and the God of our fathers, the God of all flesh, our Creator and the Creator of all things in the beginning. Blessings and thanksgiving be to Your great and holy Name, because You have kept us in life and have preserved us. Gather our exiles to Your holy courts to observe Your statutes, to do Your will, and to serve You with a perfect heart; seeing that we give thanks unto You. Blessed be the god to whom thanksgiving is due.
We give thanks unto You for You are the Lord our god and god of our fathers for ever and ever; You are the rock of our lives, the Shield of our salvation through every generation. We will give thanks unto You and declare Your praise for our lives which are committed unto Your hand, and for our souls which are in Your charge, and for Your miracles, which are daily with us, and for Your wonders and Your benefits, which are wrought at all times, evening, morning and noon. You are all good, whose mercies fail not; You are the merciful Being, whose loving kindness never ceases, we have ever hoped in You. We thank You also for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds and saving acts.

18. Grant Peace
Grant peace, welfare, blessing, grace, loving kindness and mercy unto us and unto all Israel, Your people. Bless us, O our Father, even all of us together, with the light of Your countenance; for by the light of Your countenance You have given us, O Lord our God, the Torah of life, loving kindness and righteousness, blessing, mercy, life and peace; and may it be good in Your sight to bless Your people Israel at all times and in every hour with thy peace.