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Dear all;

Tomorrow night, I will be witnessing an exorcism -- an official, ecclesiastically-approved exorcism, using the 1614 Latin Ritual. Both the exorcist and the person to be exorcised are my friends. The case is serious enough to be done, not in a private room, but inside a church (behind closed doors).

I ask you all to pray for me, for the priest, and for my friend.

I would also like to ask you if there are special prayers, Akathists, etc. that I could recite while praying at a corner during the actual exorcism. I know that I will see and hear horrible things and I want to be spiritually prepared for this.

My prayers for your protection from all danger of demons.

I am by no means an expert on the matter, but along with praying to the Trinity and the Theotokos, it would certainly not hurt to ask for the intercession of St. Michael; this is holy battle after all:

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen

Also coming to mind are the Nicene and Apostles Creed. The Devil hates the truth.

My prayers to you, your friend, and the priest in your crusade against all the evil you may encounter.

BY ALL MEANS THOUGH--FOLLOW THE PRIEST'S INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER.

These are some of the prayers of exorcism from the Book of Needs. The first two would be read by a priest but it would certainly not hurt to pray them in support of the priest. Exorcism can be very disturbing however, and sometimes longer prayers are difficult becasue of the constant distraction. I recommend the Jesus Prayer. It is short and it is powerful.

O God of gods and Lord of lords, Creator of the fiery ranks, and Fashioner of the fleshless powers, the Artisan of heavenly things and those under the heavens, Whom no man has seen, nor is able to see, Whom all creation fears: Into the dark depths of Hell You hurled the commander who had become proud, and who, because of his disobedient service, was cast down from the height to earth, as well as the angels that fell away with him, all having become evil demons. Grant that this my exorcism being performed in Your awesome name, be terrible to the Master of evil and to all his minions who had fallen with him from the height of brightness. Drive him into banishment, commanding him to depart hence, so that no harm might be worked against Your sealed Image. And, as You have commanded, let those who are sealed receive the strength to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all power of the Enemy. For manifested, hymned, and glorified with fear, by everything that has breath is Your most holy Name: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and into ages of ages. Amen.

0 Lord God of our salvation, Son of the living God, Who art upborne by the cherubim and art infinitely more exalted than all the principalities and virtues, powers and dominions: Thou art great and fillest all around Thee with dread; Thou art He that set heaven like a chamber; Thou art He that created the earth in Thy might and hast ordered the universe in Thy wisdom, Who hast shaken the nethermost parts of the earth from their foundations and made its pillars immovable, Who speakest to the sun, and it shineth not; Who sealest the stars; Who forbiddest the sea, and driest it up; Whose wrath melteth the principalities and virtues; by Whose power the rocks are ground to powder! Thou didst break down the gates of bronze, and the gates of iron didst Thou destroy; Thou didst bind mighty [Satan] and didst shatter his vessels; by Thy Cross didst Thou cast down the tyrant [of hell], didst draw forth the serpent with the hook of Thine incarnation and, having set him in Tartarus, didst bind him with bonds of darkness. Therefore, 0 Lord, Thou confirmation of them that place their hope on Thee, mighty rampart of them that trust in Thee: drive away, put to flight and cause to depart every machination of the devil and every satanic assault, every attack of the adversary and oppressive power, from this roof and from them that are sheltered thereby and walk about beneath it, who bear the sign of the victory of Thy Cross, which terrifieth the demons, and who call upon Thy good name. Yea, 0 Lord, Who expelled a legion of demons and commanded the deaf and dumb demon and the unclean possessing spirit to depart from man and to leave, never to return; Who destroyest all the array of our invisible foes, Who hast made wise the faithful who know Thee, [saying]: Behold, I give you power to tred on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: do Thou Thyself, 0 Master, Who art beyond all harm and temptation, preserve all who are in this habitation, delivering them from terror by night and the arrow that flieth by day, from the thing that walketh in darkness, from the mishap and demon of noonday; that Thy servants, handmaids and children, who enjoy Thine aid, may all, in oneness of mind, faithfully chant as with one voice: the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me; and again: I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.
For Thou, 0 God, art my confirmation, the mighty Lord, the prince of peace, the Father of the age to come, and Thy kingdom is eternal; and Thine alone is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, having struck down the ancient serpent and bound him in Tartarus by bonds of darkness, protect me from his snares. Through the prayers of our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary, of the holy Archangel Michael and all the Heavenly hosts, of the holy Prophet and Baptist John, of the holy Evangelist John the Theologian, of the holy Martyr Cyprian and the Martyr Justinia, of St. Nicholas the wonderworker, of St. Nikita of Novgorod, of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, the wonderworker � and of all the saints, by the power of the life-giving Cross and by the intercession of my Guardian Angel, deliver me from evil spirits, from cunning people, from sorcery, curses, the evil eye, and from any slanders of the enemy. By Thine almighty power preserve me from evil, so that I, enlightened by Thy light, may safely reach the quiet anchorage of the Heavenly Kingdom and there eternally thank Thee, my Savior, together with Thine unoriginate Father and Thy Most Holy and Life-giving Spirit. Amen.

The Akathist to St. Michael may prove comforting as well.

http://cs-people.bu.edu/butta1/akathistarchangelmichael.htm

Thanks, Fr. Deacon Lance,

The prayer below, which you copied, is from Saint Basil the Great. It is very powerful and was prayed by our priest recently in three cases and was extremely effective.


The next prayer is take from St. John Chrysostom and is also very short, but very efficacious. This priestly prayer is also taken from the Book of Needs.

Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

Everlasting God, who delivered humankind from bondage to the Evil One, free this Your servant [N] from every action of unclean spirits. Command these evil and impure spirits and demons to withdraw from the soul and body of Your servant [N] and not to hide and indwell in him (her).

In Your Holy Name, and that of Your only-begotten Son and of Your Holy Spirit, let them be driven out of the work of Your hands, so that free of every satanic assault, he (she) may live a holy, righteous, and devout life, deserving of the sacred Mysteries of Your only-begotten Son and our God, with Whom You are blessed and glorified, together with Your all-Holy, Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Sacraments and Services, Book Two, Narthex Press, 1993, p. 150

I hope all went well!