A Prayer of St. Isaac the Syrian: "At the door of Thy compassion do I knock, O Lord..."

At the door of Thy compassion do I knock, O Lord; send aid to my scattered impulses, which are intoxicated with the multitude of passions and the power of darkness. Thou canst see my sores hidden within me; stir up contrition—though not corresponding to the weight of my sins, for if I receive full awareness of the extent of my sins, O Lord, my soul would be consumed by the bitter pain from them. Assist my feeble stirrings on the path to true repentance, and may I find alleviation from the vehemence of sins, through the contrition that comes from Thy gift, for without the power of Thy grace, I am quite unable to enter within myself, become aware of my stains, and so, at the sight of them, be able to be still from great distraction.

Source: The Prayers of Saint Isaac the Syrian, translated by Sebastian Brock, adapted by the Brotherhood of the Monastery of St. John, Divine Ascent Press, 2011, pp. 8-9. Adapted to hieratic English.