Encountering the Divine Liturgy Part 20: “We Thank Thee, O God of Hosts…” — The First Prayer of the Faithful

 

I. Liturgical Placement: A Transition of the Heart

Following the dismissal of the catechumens, the Divine Liturgy enters a new stage. The Church now turns to address those who are baptized, chrismated, and communicant members of the Body of Christ—those who will participate in the Eucharist. It is at this point that the First Prayer of the Faithful is offered silently by the priest, while the deacon intones the corresponding Litany of the Faithful.

This prayer is not merely a perfunctory pause, but a profound moment of spiritual recalibration, preparing the souls of the faithful to receive the divine mysteries “with a pure conscience and an undefiled heart.”

II. Text of the Prayer (abridged)

“We thank Thee, O God of Hosts, who hast accounted us worthy to stand even now before Thy holy altar and to fall down before Thy compassions for our sins and the ignorances of the people. Accept, O God, our supplication; make us worthy to offer unto Thee prayers and supplications and unbloody sacrifices for all Thy people; and enable us, whom Thou hast placed in this Thy ministry, by the power of Thy Holy Spirit, blamelessly and without offense, in the pure witness of our conscience, to call upon Thee at all times and in every place…”

III. Theological Significance

1. Eucharistic Gratitude and Fearful Boldness

The prayer begins with thanksgiving: “We thank Thee, O God of Hosts…” This echoes the Eucharistic posture of the Church, where gratitude (eucharistia) is the basis of all worship. But this gratitude is not sentimental—it is grounded in awe at being allowed to “stand even now before Thy holy altar,” recalling Hebrews 12:28:

“Let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
The faithful are not passive observers of the Eucharist. Rather, they are now co-offerers with the priest, lifting up prayers and spiritual sacrifices in unity with Christ’s eternal offering.

2. The Role of the Royal Priesthood

The faithful are “accounted worthy” to participate in this ministry—not only the clergy, but all baptized Christians who share in Christ’s royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). This moment makes clear that the Liturgy is not a spectacle performed on behalf of the people; it is the corporate act of the Body, offered through Christ the Head.

Patristic voices support this view:

“We are all priests when we offer our own prayers with purity and love.”

— St. John Chrysostom

“The faithful offer incense not only through the deacon’s hand, but through the fragrance of their pure hearts.”

— St. Cyril of Jerusalem

The “unbloody sacrifice” referenced in the prayer recalls the mystery of the Eucharist, which re-presents—not repeats—the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:10). The people’s intercession for one another becomes a participation in that offering.

3. A Prayer for Worthiness and Illumination

The priest pleads that those who minister (clergy and people) be enabled to do so “blamelessly and without offense,” not presumptuously. This humility acknowledges human weakness and the need for purification of heart, a theme emphasized throughout the Eastern liturgical tradition.

St. Isaac the Syrian writes:

“The mysteries are given only to those who have inward peace, for the fire of the altar will consume the unrepentant.”

This links the prayer with the beatitudes, already sung earlier, and the continuing ascetic ethos of the Orthodox Church: divine grace does not bypass human cooperation. The faithful must prepare inwardly to approach the Holy of Holies.

4. The Unity of Time and Eternity

The phrase “at all times and in every place” expands the prayer beyond the confines of chronological time. The faithful join in a liturgy that is cosmic and eternal, transcending place and historical moment. This recalls the eschatological nature of the Eucharist, where the Kingdom breaks into the now:

“For we have here no lasting city, but we seek the one to come.”
— Hebrews 13:14

IV. Patristic Reflections

St. Maximus the Confessor, commenting on this phase of the Liturgy, notes:

“The faithful are not merely observers; they become through prayer and repentance living sacrifices themselves, temples of the Holy Spirit, participating in the mystery they behold.”

St. Basil the Great, whose anaphora is used on major feast days, writes:

“Let each one prepare himself for the Sacrament as for fire, lest he offer it in unclean hands or with a divided heart. Let us stand with fear and trembling before the altar, for the angels themselves veil their faces.”

V. Conclusion: The First Prayer as a Call to Participation and Purity
The First Prayer of the Faithful reveals that the liturgy is not a spectacle, nor merely a remembrance—but an offering of the entire Church, both clergy and laity, in union with Christ. It is a moment of deep gratitude, serious preparation, and spiritual responsibility.

• Stand worthily before God in thanksgiving.

• Intercede for one another and the world.

• Offer their hearts as altars, purified by grace and truth

The faithful are called to:

This prayer functions as both a liturgical turning point and a spiritual checkpoint: it prepares the people to go from hearing the Word of God to becoming partakers of the Word made Flesh, in the Eucharist.