The Lord be with you
In Genesis, Moses writes that God shut the door of the Ark behind Noah and company keeping all within the Ark safe from the flood waters. The following prayer by Valerius Herberger is inspired by this Divine shutting of the Ark’s door.
Dear Lord Jesus, make Your old favor new for me every day, for I am a poor sinner. Do not forsake me. Take me into Your care when the world casts me off. Stand by me when the world attacks me. Urge me on by Your Spirit, that I may escape all disaster, and do not let me miss or sleep through my opportune hour as I live in this body. Help me to serve You faithfully and do what is pleasing to You, to rest and to dwell at peace in the vessel of my vocation, not to cry myself to death in difficult times, nor to shorten my life by my own doing, nor to worry my heart away, but to take comfort in the fact that You will shut the door behind me, enclose me in Your grace, secure me from all adversity, and preserve me from all harm of body and soul, good and honor.
O Lord Jesus, shut the door (Gen. 7:16) of my house behind me also whenever I go to the ark of the church, and turn away all wicked men in the meantime, that no one may do my household harm. Shut the door behind me also when I go to sleep. Deliver me from fire and sudden death. Take my soul to heaven when I must die, and enclose me in Your kingdom, that no trouble may plague me. Finally, take me on the Last Day to Yourself in heaven. Conduct me to the heavenly wedding that You have prepared with Your blood for Your wise virgins, Your repentant Christians. Then the door will be shut (Matt. 25:10), that is, no one will ever harm or plague us again, and we will dwell there in everlasting rest and peace. Amen, Lord Jesus! Amen.
Herberger, Valerius The Great Works of God: Parts One and Two: The Mysteries of Christ in the Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-15 294