When it is said
It is the eighth of the morning prayers in the Russian Orthodox prayer book, between a prayer to the Mother of God and one to the guardian angel.
Pray it on any morning, or at any hour, when you feel too far gone for God to reach.
Where it comes from
No author known
Who wrote it
A few of the Russian morning and evening prayers are taken from the church services, and a few more have a known Greek original. This prayer is neither, so no one knows who wrote it or where it was first written.
How old it is
In 2017 the priest Peter Pchelintsev traced the morning and evening prayers through old manuscripts. He found this one in a handwritten prayer book of the mid-1500s. There it stands among the prayers a person said alone after the Midnight Office, a service of the night hours.
What the words mean
Who are “the desperate”?
The Slavonic word behind “the desperate” means people in despair. A note in a Russian prayer book puts the line into modern Russian as “if faith in You saves those who despair (who have lost all hope), then here I am, I believe”.
The Scripture in it
Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother’s womb You have been my God.
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.
In Church Slavonic
Многоми́лостиве и Всеми́лостиве Бо́же мой, Го́споди Иису́се Христе́, мно́гия ра́ди любве́ сшел и воплоти́лся еси́, я́ко да спасе́ши всех.
И па́ки, Спа́се, спаси́ мя по благодати, молю́ Тя; а́ще бо от дел спасе́ши мя, несть се благода́ть, и дар, но долг па́че.
Ей, мно́гий в щедро́тах и неизрече́нный в ми́лости!
Ве́руяй бо в Мя, рекл еси́, о Христе́ мой, жив бу́дет и не у́зрит сме́рти во ве́ки.
А́ще у́бо ве́ра, я́же в Тя, спаса́ет отча́янныя, се ве́рую, спаси́ мя, я́ко Бог мой еси́ Ты и Созда́тель.
Ве́ра же вме́сто дел да вмени́тся мне, Бо́же мой, не обря́щеши бо дел отню́д оправда́ющих мя.
Но та ве́ра моя́ да довле́ет вме́сто всех, та да отвеща́ет, та да оправди́т мя, та да пока́жет мя прича́стника сла́вы Твоея́ ве́чныя.
Да не у́бо похи́тит мя сатана́, и похва́лится, Сло́ве, е́же отто́ргнути мя от Твоея́ руки́ и огра́ды; но или́ хощу́, спаси́ мя, или́ не хощу́, Христе́ Спа́се мой, предвари́ ско́ро, ско́ро погибо́х:
Ты бо еси́ Бог мой от чре́ва ма́тере моея́.
Сподо́би мя, Го́споди, ны́не возлюби́ти Тя, я́коже возлюби́х иногда́ той са́мый грех; и па́ки порабо́тати Тебе́ без ле́ности то́щно, я́коже порабо́тах пре́жде сатане́ льсти́вому.
Наипа́че же порабо́таю Тебе́, Го́споду и Бо́гу моему́ Иису́су Христу́, во вся дни живота́ моего́, ны́не и при́сно и во ве́ки веко́в. Ами́нь.
From the Russian Orthodox prayer book, the eighth morning prayer, on Azbyka.ru.