Saint Ephrem or Ephraim was a deacon in the early church, living in Turkey during the 4th century. His prayers were so beautiful that he was called “the harp of the Holy Spirit.”

Here is one of his prayers from the Psaltery of Saint Ephraim (95).

Praise God in the morning, ye children of the Church. Every morning let us exalt the Good One and worship Him, Who arranged the luminaries in the day and night skies.

When the veil of night is lifted and God’s light has shone forth over creation, the arrival of morning wakes those who sleep. May Thy light, O Lord, irradiate our hearts.

Thyself, O our Lord, teach us to exalt Thee and put life in our souls. As Thou hast let us out of darkness, so also deliver us from gehenna.

According to Thy mercy, nourish the children of the Church, who have cleaved themselves unto Thee. May Thy loving-kindness be our helper, O Lord of the morning and the evening.

May Thy grace, O Lord, accompany us and lead us to the great morning. May Thy generous right hand shower us with blessings and bring us across the sea of fire.

May heaven and earth and all that is within them together exalt Thee at our return.

Exaltation to Thee, to the Father Whom we worship, to Thine Only-begotten Son, and to the Holy Spirit. AMEN

One of his Prayers to Our Lady begins this way…

O Good Mother of the All good God: look upon the prayer of thine unworthy servant with thy merciful eye and grant me the contrition, quietness of thoughts, constancy of mind, chaste reason, sobriety of soul, humble thinking, radiance of spirit, prudent disposition, and spiritual peace that the Lord granted His disciples.