Advent
Let us pray (in silence) [that God prepare us through Advent]
pause
Stir up your power, O Lord,
and with great might come among us;
and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins,
let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer (TEC) Advent 3 p.212
O Lord, raise up, we pray, your power
and come among us,
and with great might succour us;
that whereas, through our sins and wickedness
we are grievously hindered
in running the race that is set before us,
your bountiful grace and mercy
may speedily help and deliver us;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Common Worship (CofE) Advent 2
This has allusions to Psalm 80:2 "Stir up your might, and come to save us!" and Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us," This prayer holds together Christ's first advent in humility and his advent in glory; his saving, and his coming to help and deliver.
The Gelasian sacramentary (#1121) has this, addressed to the Son, in the first of its propers for Advent. The Gregorian sacramentary (#805) addresses it to the Father and places it for a Sunday after a winter ember vigil. The Gallican Bobbio Missal (#38) has it as a second prayer in the first Mass for Advent. The Sarum Missal has it for Advent 4. The Sarum Missal had four collects beginning with "Excita" (stir up) on Sundays before Christmas (Sunday next before Advent, Advent 1, 2, and 4):
Excita quaesumus domine potentiam tuam et veni et magna nobis virtute succurre ut per auxilium gratiae tuae quod nostra peccata praepediunt indulgentia tuae propitiationis acceleret.
Cranmer kept it for Advent 4, adding "among us" and "through the satisfaccion of thy sonne our Lord":
LORDE rayse up (we pray the) thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our synnes and wickednes, we be soore lette [=obstructed] and hindred, thy bountifull grace and mercye, through the satisfaccion of thy sonne our Lord, may spedily deliver us; to whom with thee and the holy gost be honor and glory, worlde without ende.
The 1662 revisers added "in running the race that is set before us" and "help and":
O LORD, raise up (we pray thee) thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race
that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
In 1928, "through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord" became "through Jesus Christ our Lord". "running the race that is set before us" has been removed by BCP (TEC) but not by Common Worship (CofE).
The Great Advent O Antiphons 17 - 23 December