Collection of Spiritist Prayers

Introduction to the prayers

1. The collection begins with a simple idea: in prayer, form is not the most important thing; thought and sincerity come first. Each person may pray according to their beliefs and with words that make sense to them.

The prayers in this chapter are suggestions, not mandatory formulas. They are intended to help those who have difficulty organizing their thoughts and to offer examples for different situations.

The purpose of prayer is to turn thought toward God. Differences in words, traditions, or forms of prayer should not separate people. For the work, God welcomes every sincere prayer.

The collection applies the moral principles discussed in the previous chapters. Kardec states that Spiritism respects prayers from different religions when they are made sincerely and does not intend to force anyone to use a specific formula.

Condemning a prayer simply because it uses different words would be to reduce God to human preferences. One important condition, already discussed in Chapter XXVII, is that the prayer be understandable to the person praying.

Clarity matters more than complicated language. A simple, direct, and understood prayer can touch more deeply than many words the person does not understand.

Each word should help express an idea or feeling. Repeating phrases mechanically is not the goal; the proposal is to think about what is being said.

The prayers are organized into five groups: general prayers; personal prayers; prayers for other living people; prayers for deceased people; and prayers related to illness and the Spiritist concept of obsession. Each group is preceded by an explanation to help clarify its purpose.

I. General Prayers

The Lord's Prayer

2. The Lord's Prayer opens the collection because it is presented as a short prayer central to Jesus' teachings. For Kardec, its simplicity brings together many of the main themes of Christian prayer.

The prayer speaks of our relationship with God, life's needs, forgiveness, and responsibility toward our neighbor. It can also be said while thinking of another person, wishing for them what we would ask for ourselves.

Kardec criticizes the idea that repeating a prayer a certain number of times automatically gives it more power. For him, quantity and numbers do not replace attention, understanding, and feeling.

To fill the gap left by the brevity of this prayer, we have linked to each of its statements, following the counsel and with the assistance of good Spirits, a commentary that develops its meaning and applications. Depending on circumstances and available time, the Lord's Prayer may therefore be said in its simple or expanded form.

3. Prayer - I. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name! We believe in You, Lord, for everything reveals Your power and goodness. The harmony of the Universe is proof of a wisdom, prudence, and foresight that surpass all human faculties. The name of a supremely great and wise Being is inscribed in all the works of creation, from the humble grass and smallest insect to the stars moving through space. Everywhere we see proof of paternal care. Blind, therefore, is the one who does not recognize You in Your works; proud is the one who does not glorify You, and ungrateful is the one who does not give You thanks.

II - Thy Kingdom come!

Lord, You have given humanity laws full of wisdom that would make people happy if they followed them. With these laws, peace and justice would reign among them, and they could help one another instead of harming one another as they do. The strong would support the weak instead of crushing them. The evils produced by abuses and excesses of every kind would be avoided. All the miseries of Earth come from violating Your laws, for there is no violation that does not bring its consequences.

You gave animals instinct, which marks the limits of what is necessary, and they naturally conform to it. But to human beings, in addition to instinct, You gave intelligence and reason. You also gave them freedom to observe or violate those of Your laws that concern them personally — that is, the ability to choose between good and evil — so that they may have merit and responsibility for their actions.

No one can claim ignorance of Your laws, for in Your paternal providence You willed that they be engraved in each person's conscience, without distinction of religion or nationality. Those who violate them do so because they disregard them. The day will come when, according to Your promise, everyone will practice them; then disbelief will have disappeared. All will recognize You as the Sovereign Lord of all things, and the supremacy of Your laws will establish Your Kingdom on Earth.

Deign, Lord, to hasten its coming by giving humanity the light necessary to guide itself along the path of truth!

III - Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven!

If submission is a duty of a child toward a parent and of a subordinate toward a superior, how much greater should that of a creature be toward the Creator!

To do Your will, Lord, is to observe Your laws and submit without complaint to Your divine decrees. Humanity will submit to them when it understands that they are the source of all wisdom and that without You it can do nothing. Then it will do Your will on Earth as the chosen do in Heaven.

IV - Give us this day our daily bread.

Give us food to sustain the strength of the body, and also give us spiritual nourishment for the development of our Spirit. Animals find their food, but human beings owe theirs to their own activity and the resources of their intelligence, because You created them free. You said: ‘You shall draw your food from the Earth by the sweat of your brow.’

With this You gave humanity the obligation of work, which leads people to exercise their intelligence in seeking ways to provide for their needs and well-being, some through physical work and others through intellectual work. Without work, they would remain stagnant and could not aspire to the happiness of higher Spirits.

The prayer asks for strength to work and to use available resources responsibly. The older version places responsibility for personal difficulties too broadly on individuals themselves. In current language, we recognize that some choices have consequences, but poverty, illness, and suffering can also result from social, economic, biological factors and circumstances the person did not choose.

We can sincerely ask what was within our power to do differently without turning that examination into guilt for everything that happens. We can also use intelligence, support from other people, and available resources to look for a way forward.

Since the law of work is the condition of human beings on Earth, give us the courage and strength to fulfill it; give us prudence and moderation so that we do not lose its fruits. Give us, therefore, Lord, our daily bread — that is, the means to obtain through work what is necessary for life, for no one has the right to demand what goes beyond what is necessary. If work is impossible for us, let us trust in Your divine providence.

The original prayer interprets material difficulties as possible trials or spiritual consequences from other existences. This is a belief of Spiritist Doctrine and should not be used to claim that poverty or suffering is deserved. In the face of need, charity, rights, and concrete help remain important.

Forgive them if they forget the law of charity and love of neighbor that You taught them. (Chapter XVI, no. 8.) Also remove from our Spirit the thought of denying Your justice when we see the prosperity of evil and the misfortune that sometimes strikes a good person.

For we now know that Your justice is always fulfilled and makes no exception for anyone; that the material prosperity of the wicked is as fleeting as material existence itself and will have painful reversals, while the joy reserved for the one who suffers with serene acceptance will be lasting. (Chapter V, nos. 7, 9, 12, and 18.)

V - Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our

debtors. - Forgive us our offenses as we forgive those who offend us. Each of our violations of Your laws, Lord, is an offense against You and a debt contracted that will be settled sooner or later. We ask Your infinite mercy for forgiveness of this offense, with the promise that we will strive not to contract new debts. You made charity an explicit law, but charity does not consist only in helping our fellow beings in need.

It is also forgetting and forgiving offenses. By what right would we ask for Your understanding if we fail to show the same toward those who ask it of us? Give us, my God, the strength to stifle in our soul all resentment, hatred, and rancor. Let death not surprise us with any desire for revenge in our hearts.

If it pleases You to remove us from this world today, let us be able to present ourselves before You free from all hostility, following the example of Christ, whose final words were in favor of those who tormented him. (Chapter

The prayer asks for strength not to respond to persecution with hatred. This does not mean passively accepting violence, humiliation, or abuse. Forgiving is different from remaining in danger: it is legitimate to set limits, seek protection, and pursue justice through appropriate means.

XII, no. 4.) Blessed be Your name, Lord, for teaching us that our destiny is not irrevocably fixed after death; that in other existences we will find means to redeem and repair past faults and to accomplish in a new life what we could not do in this one for our improvement. (Chapter IV; Chapter

V, no. 5.) This finally explains all the apparent anomalies of life: light is cast upon our past and our future as a clear sign of Your sovereign justice and infinite goodness.

VI - Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.1

In this part of the Lord's Prayer, Spiritist language asks for strength to resist evil and harmful thoughts. The work relates certain temptations to the influence of imperfect Spirits. This is a doctrinal interpretation; intrusive thoughts, emotional suffering, or changes in perception can also have psychological or medical causes and deserve professional care when necessary.

whatever we do to keep them away will be useless if we do not oppose them with an unwavering will toward good and renounce all evil.

It is therefore against ourselves that we must direct our efforts, and then evil Spirits will naturally move away, for evil attracts them while good repels them. (See below: Prayers for people under obsession.) Lord, sustain us in our weaknesses; inspire us, through the voice of our guardian angels and good Spirits, with the desire to correct our imperfections so that we may close access to our soul against impure Spirits. (See below, no. 11.) Evil is not Your work, Lord, for the source of all good cannot produce evil.

We ourselves create evil by violating Your laws and misusing the freedom You have given us. When humanity observes Your laws, evil will disappear from Earth as it has already disappeared from more advanced worlds. Evil is not inevitable for anyone; it only seems irresistible to those who surrender to it willingly. If we have the will to do evil, we also have the will to do good. Therefore, my God, we ask for Your assistance and that of the good Spirits so that we may resist temptation.

VII - Amen!

May it please You, Lord, that our wishes be fulfilled! But we bow before Your infinite wisdom. In all things we are not given to understand, may it be done according to Your will and not ours, for You desire only our good and know better than we do what is best for us. We address this prayer, my God, for ourselves, but also for all suffering souls, incarnate or not, for our friends and enemies, for all those who ask for our assistance, and especially for ... We ask Your mercy and blessing for all.

Spiritist Meetings

4. ‘Wherever two or more people are gathered in my name, there I will also be.’ (Matthew 18:20)

5. For the work, gathering ‘in the name of Jesus’ means more than being physically in the same place: it involves sharing a sincere intention toward good, respect, and charity.

Kardec explains spiritual presence using concepts of fluidic body, radiation, and ubiquity characteristic of nineteenth-century Spiritist Doctrine. These ideas belong to the religious model of the work and are not presented here as scientifically proven mechanisms.

The moral point is that a meeting does not become better merely because of the number of participants. Hostility, envy, and dispute can exist even in a religious gathering; true unity requires respect and a shared intention.

Christ is only the pretext for the gathering and not its true motive. (Chapter XXVII, no. 9.) This does not mean that Jesus does not hear a single person. If He did not say, ‘I will come to whoever calls me,’ but requires above all love of neighbor, of which more proof can be given when together than in isolation, it is because every selfish feeling denies it.

It follows that in a large assembly, if two or three people were united at heart in a feeling of true charity while the others remained isolated and absorbed in selfish or worldly ideas, Jesus would be with the first and not with the others. It is therefore not the simultaneity of words, hymns, or outward acts that constitutes a meeting in Jesus' name, but communion of thought in harmony with the spirit of charity personified by Him. (Chapter X, nos. 7, 8 and Chapter

XXVII, nos. 2 to 4.) This should be the character of serious Spiritist meetings in which the assistance of good Spirits is sincerely desired.

6. Prayer - (For the beginning of the meeting) - We ask the Lord God Almighty to send us good Spirits to assist us, to keep away those who might lead us into error, and to give us the light necessary to distinguish truth from deception. Keep away also malicious Spirits, incarnate or not, who might try to sow disunity among us and divert us from charity and love of neighbor. If any try to enter this place, let them find no access to our hearts. Good Spirits who deign to come and instruct us, make us receptive to your counsel and turn us away from every thought of selfishness, pride, envy, or jealousy;

inspire us with understanding and kindness toward our fellow beings, present or absent, friends or enemies; and finally, through the feelings that animate us, let us recognize your beneficial influence. Give the mediums whom you appoint to transmit your teachings an awareness of the seriousness of the trust placed in them and of the importance of the act they are about to perform, so that they may do so with the necessary devotion and recollection.

If there are among us people drawn here by feelings other than good ones, open their eyes to the light and forgive them, as we forgive them, if they come with harmful intentions. We especially ask the Spirit of ..., our spiritual guide, to assist us and watch over us.

7. Prayer (For the end of the meeting). We thank the good Spirits who came to communicate with us. We ask them to help us put into practice the guidance they gave us and to make each of us leave here strengthened in the practice of good and love of neighbor. We also wish these teachings to benefit suffering, ignorant, or morally troubled Spirits who may have attended this meeting, and for whom we ask God's mercy.

For mediums

8. In the last days, said the Lord: ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young people will see visions, and your elders will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon my servants, both men and women, and they will prophesy.’ (Acts 2:17-18)

9. In the Spiritist view, mediumship would be a faculty through which some people could participate in communications attributed to Spirits. The work interprets its presence in people of different ages and conditions as part of its religious mission. This statement belongs to Spiritist Doctrine.

Kardec compares scientific instruments, used to observe the material world, with mediumship, which in his Doctrine would be a means of investigating the spiritual world. The comparison expresses the author's view and does not mean that mediumship is currently a scientifically validated instrument.

According to the work, mediums would be intermediaries for spiritual communications. This function is presented as a responsibility and not as a sign of personal superiority.

The guidance is not to use mediumship for ambition, enrichment, control, or escape from ordinary responsibilities of life. Its value would lie in the good the practice is able to produce.

The work calls for seriousness in mediumistic practice and rejects its use as mere spectacle when this disrespects people or turns suffering into entertainment.

For Kardec, the medium also needs to work on their own behavior. A supposed spiritual ability does not compensate for lack of ethics, manipulation, or absence of charity.

The work interprets the quality of communications within its theory of good and bad Spirits. In practical terms, it recommends humility, critical analysis, and willingness to hear advice.

A communication that becomes confused, deceptive, or harmful should not be protected merely because it was received in a religious setting. It is necessary to examine it and acknowledge the possibility of error.

Kardec uses the concept of obsession to speak about certain persistent spiritual influences. This is a doctrinal concept and not a medical or psychological diagnosis.

Praise should not feed vanity, and criticism should not automatically be rejected. Responsible practice requires accepting that interpretations and communications can be wrong.

Prayer is presented as support for developing humility and responsibility.

10. Prayer - Almighty God, allow the good Spirits to assist me in the communication I seek. Preserve me from the presumption of believing myself protected from bad Spirits; from the pride that could deceive me about the value of what I receive; and from every feeling contrary to charity toward other mediums.

If I am led into error, inspire someone to warn me, and give me the humility to accept criticism with gratitude and to apply to myself, rather than to others, the advice the good Spirits may wish to give me. If I feel tempted to deceive in any way or to become proud of the faculty You have allowed me to possess, I beg You to withdraw it from me so that it may not be diverted from its providential purpose — the good of all — and from my own moral improvement.

II - Personal prayers

To Guardian Angels and protecting Spirits

11. According to Spiritist Doctrine, each person would have a protecting Spirit, also called a Guardian Angel, connected to them with the mission of inspiring good. This is a spiritual belief of the work.

The work also speaks of other protecting Spirits and deceased people who could maintain bonds of affection and offer inspiration. These statements belong to the Spiritist view of the continuity of life.

Kardec distinguishes spiritual influences considered good or harmful. This religious explanation should not replace analysis of psychological, social, or medical factors that also influence thoughts and behavior.

The work does not teach that every person necessarily has an ‘evil Spirit’ assigned to follow them. In its theory, harmful influences would be circumstantial and could be faced through moral strengthening.

The old text broadly attributes our difficulties to our own imperfections. This generalization requires care: suffering can have many causes and should not be used to blame the person. The useful point is to recognize what we really can change in our habits and choices.

Prayer to protecting Spirits, within this tradition, asks for inspiration, strength, and support to act well in the face of life's difficulties.

12. Prayer - Wise and kind Spirits, messengers of God, whose mission is to assist human beings and guide them along the path of good, sustain me in the trials of this life. Give me strength to endure them without complaint; turn harmful thoughts away from me and do not let me give access to any bad Spirit that may try to lead me toward evil. Enlighten my conscience regarding my faults and lift from my eyes the veil of pride that could prevent me from seeing and admitting them to myself.

Above all, you, my Guardian Angel, who watch over me more particularly, and all you protecting Spirits who take an interest in me, help me become worthy of your kindness. You know my needs; may they be met according to God's will.

13. Prayer - My God, allow the good Spirits who assist me to come to my aid when I am in difficulty and sustain me if I falter. Lord, inspire through them faith, hope, and charity. May they be for me support, hope, and a sign of Your mercy. Finally, let me find in them the strength I lack for life's trials and to resist suggestions toward evil, the faith that saves and the love that consoles.

14. Prayer - Beloved Spirits, guardian angels, you whom God in His infinite mercy allows to watch over human beings, be our protectors in the trials of earthly life. Give us strength, courage, and serene acceptance. Inspire us toward everything good and stop us on the path of evil; may your gentle influence enter our souls. Let us feel that a devoted friend is here beside us, seeing our suffering and sharing our joys. And you, my good angel, do not abandon me. I need your protection to endure with faith and love the trials God sees fit to send me.

To keep away bad Spirits

15. ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and impurity. Blind Pharisees, first clean the inside of the cup and dish so that the outside may also become clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful to people but inside are full of every kind of decay. So you also appear outwardly righteous to others, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and wrongdoing.’ (Matthew 23:25-28)

16. In the Spiritist view, certain negative influences would be attributed to imperfect Spirits. The moral guidance of the text is to work on thoughts, habits, and feelings that harm us. This spiritual explanation does not replace mental health assessment when someone faces intense fear, loss of autonomy, persistent suffering, or changes in perception.

17. Prayer - In the name of Almighty God, may bad Spirits move away from me and may the good ones defend me from them. Harmful Spirits who inspire bad thoughts in people, deceptive and lying Spirits who mislead them, mocking Spirits who take advantage of their willingness to believe without examining, I reject you with all the strength of my soul and close my ears to your suggestions, but I ask God to have mercy on you.

Good Spirits who assist me, give me strength to resist the influence of bad Spirits and the light necessary not to fall into their traps. Preserve me from pride and presumption. Remove from my heart jealousy, hatred, ill will, and every feeling contrary to charity, for these are also doors open to harmful influences.

To correct a fault

18. This introduction attributes moral faults to the imperfection of the Spirit and emphasizes personal responsibility. In current language, it is important to add that human behavior is also influenced by health, development, environment, and social conditions. Responsibility should be considered according to each person's capacity and circumstances.

19. Prayer - You have given me, my God, the intelligence necessary to distinguish good from evil. From the moment I recognize that something is wrong, I am responsible if I make no effort to resist it. Preserve me from pride, which could prevent me from seeing my faults, and from harmful Spirits that might encourage me to persist in them. Among my imperfections, I recognize that I am particularly inclined toward ... and if I do not resist this tendency, it is because of the habit I have formed of yielding to it.

You did not create me guilty, for You are just, but with equal capacity for good and evil. If I chose the harmful path, it was by my free choice. But by the same reason that I had freedom to do wrong, I have freedom to do good; therefore I am free to change my path. My present faults are, according to the Spiritist view, remnants of imperfections brought from previous existences. They are what the old text calls original sin, from which I can free myself through my will and with the assistance of good Spirits.

Good Spirits who protect me, and above all you, my Guardian Angel, give me strength to resist harmful suggestions and emerge victorious from the struggle. Faults are barriers that separate us from God, and each fault overcome is a step along the path of improvement that should bring me closer to Him. The Lord, in His infinite mercy, has granted me this present existence so that it may serve my improvement.

Good Spirits, help me fulfill it so that it is not wasted for me and, when it pleases God to remove me from it, may I leave better than when I entered it. (Chapter V, no. 5; Chapter XVII, no. 3.)

To resist a temptation

20. According to Spiritist Doctrine, a harmful thought could arise from personal tendencies or from spiritual influence. This is a religious interpretation, not a diagnosis. Unwanted thoughts can occur without representing intention, character, or spiritual influence, and persistent suffering deserves support and, when necessary, professional help.

The work describes a struggle between good and harmful spiritual influences. In practical terms, its advice is to pause before acting, listen to conscience, and choose what reduces harm and increases good.

A thought deserves to be questioned when it is born from the desire to humiliate, exploit, or harm someone. The practical rule remains: do not do to others what we would not want done to us.

XXVIII, no. 15; Chapter XV, no. 10.)

21. Prayer - Almighty God, do not let me give in to the temptation of falling into error! Kind Spirits who protect me, turn this harmful thought away from me and give me strength to resist the suggestion of evil. If I give in, I will have to face the consequences of my fault in this life and in the next, for I am free to choose.

Thanksgiving for a victory over temptation

22. Preface - Whoever has resisted a temptation owes it to the assistance of the good Spirits whose voice they heard. They should therefore thank God and their Guardian

Angel.

23. Prayer - My God, I thank You for allowing me to emerge victorious from the struggle I have just undertaken against evil. May this victory give me strength to resist new temptations. And you, my Guardian Angel, I thank you for the assistance you gave me. May my willingness to follow your counsel make me worthy again of your protection!

To ask for advice

24. When you are unsure about a decision, ask: can this harm someone? Can it help someone? How would I feel if another person did the same to me? When a choice brings different benefits and harms, compare its consequences before acting.

Even a good intention can produce a poor result if preparation or prudence is lacking. Consider context, capacity, and resources. Prayer can accompany this reflection, but important decisions may also require information, expert advice, and concrete analysis of the facts.

25. Prayer - In the name of Almighty God, you good Spirits who protect me, inspire me with the best decision to make in the uncertainty in which I find myself. Direct my thought toward good and turn me away from the influence of those who try to deceive me.

In the sufferings of life

26. This introduction interprets some difficulties as trials or expiations within Spiritist Doctrine. This does not mean that all suffering is deserved or that a person should stop seeking a solution. It is legitimate to ask for help, act to change the situation, and also find support in prayer.

27. Prayer - Almighty God, who sees our hardships, please hear favorably the request I make at this moment. If my request is unwise, forgive me; if it is just and useful in Your sight, may the good Spirits who carry out Your will come to my aid so that it may be fulfilled. Whatever happens, my God, may Your will be done. If my wishes are not granted, I accept that this may be part of the experience I must go through, and I submit without complaint. Let me not become discouraged in any way, and let neither my faith nor my serene acceptance be shaken by it. (Make the request.)

Thanksgiving for a favor received

28. Preface - Happy events should not be considered only those of great importance. Things of lesser significance often influence our destiny more. Human beings easily forget the good and often remember what causes pain. If we recorded day by day the benefits we received without asking for them, we would often be surprised at how much we had received and forgotten, and we would feel humbled by our ingratitude.

Every night, as we raise our soul to God, we should remember the favors granted to us during the day and give thanks for them. Especially at moments when we experience the effects of His goodness and protection, we should spontaneously show our gratitude. For this, a thought recalling the benefit is enough; there is no need to interrupt one's work. God's benefits do not consist only of material favors.

We should also give thanks for good ideas and helpful inspirations suggested to us. While a proud person takes personal credit and an unbeliever attributes them to chance, a person of faith gives thanks to God and the good Spirits. Long phrases are unnecessary for this: ‘Thank You, my God, for the good thought that was inspired in me,’ says more than many words.

The spontaneous impulse that leads us to attribute to God what happens to us that is good bears witness to a habit of gratitude and humility, which, in the language of the work, attracts the sympathy of good Spirits. (Chapter XXVII, nos. 7, 8.)

29. Prayer - Infinitely good God, may Your name be blessed for the benefits You have granted me. I would be unworthy of Your goodness if I attributed them to chance or to my own merits. Good Spirits who carried out God's will, and above all you, my Guardian Angel, I thank you. Turn away from me the idea of becoming proud or using what I received for anything other than good. I thank You especially for ... (state the benefit).

Accepting serenely what we cannot change

30. When we face suffering, we can examine whether any choice of ours contributed to the situation and learn from it. But not all suffering arises from imprudence or personal error. Accidents, illness, violence, inequality, and losses can occur through no fault of the person who suffers.

The work interprets events outside our control within the Spiritist idea of trials. This is a doctrinal belief. In practice, we can seek meaning in an experience without claiming that it was deserved or necessary.

Serenity means dealing with what we truly cannot change at that moment. It does not mean giving up treatment, protection, justice, or any action capable of reducing avoidable suffering.

31. Prayer — My God, help me go through this suffering with clarity. Show me what I can learn and change without making me carry guilt for events that did not depend on me. Give me strength to act where a solution exists and serenity before what, at this moment, I cannot control.

32. Prayer - I feel, my God, the need to pray to You and ask for the strength necessary to endure the trials that have come to me. Let light become vivid in my Spirit so that I may understand the breadth of a love that seeks my growth even through difficulty. I submit with serene acceptance, my God. But alas! The human creature is so weak that, if You do not sustain me, I may fall; do not abandon me,

Lord, for without Your support I can do nothing.

33. Prayer - I have lifted my eyes to You, Eternal One, and felt strengthened. You are my strength, and I ask You not to abandon me, my God! I am weighed down by the burden of my injustices. Help me, for You know the weakness of my body; do not turn Your gaze away from me. I am consumed by burning thirst. Make the spring of living water flow, and I will be relieved. May my mouth open only to sing Your praises and not to complain about life's sufferings. I am weak, Lord, but Your love will sustain me.

O Eternal One! You alone are great; You alone are the purpose and reason of my life. Blessed be Your name, even when You allow me to be wounded, for You are the Master and I, an imperfect servant. I will bow my head without complaint, for You alone are great and You alone are the aim of my life!

In the face of danger

34. Danger can remind us of life's fragility and lead us to evaluate our choices. This does not mean that accidents and dangerous situations are necessarily punishments for errors or neglected duties. Safety, prevention, and responsibility remain important.

35. Prayer - Almighty God, and you, my Guardian Angel, help me! If I must succumb, may God's will be done. If I am saved, may the rest of my life be used to repair the wrong I have done and for which I repent.

After escaping danger

36. Preface - Through the danger we have faced, the work reminds us that at any moment we may be called to account for how we have used our life. It is therefore an invitation to examine ourselves, return to what matters, and change what needs changing.

37. Prayer - My God, and you, my Guardian Angel, I thank you for the help sent to me in the danger that threatened me. May this danger serve as a warning and enlighten me concerning the faults that may have contributed to it. I understand, Lord, that my life is in Your hands and that it may end when it is time. Inspire me, through the good Spirits who assist me, with the thought of using well the time I have been granted here on Earth.

My Guardian Angel, sustain me in the decision I make to correct my errors and to do all the good within my power, so that I may arrive in the world of Spirits with fewer imperfections when it pleases God to call me.

At bedtime

38. Sleep allows the body and brain to rest and recover. Spiritist Doctrine adds the belief that during sleep the Spirit could experience some separation from the body and contact with other Spirits. This is a religious interpretation of the work.

Kardec relates some intuitions upon waking to spiritual experiences that would have occurred during sleep. This explanation belongs to the Doctrine and is not presented as a scientific conclusion about dreams, memory, or brain function.

The text interprets habits and tendencies during sleep within its spiritual theory. In practical terms, it recommends ending the day by directing thought toward what favors peace, learning, and well-being.

Prayer before sleep can be used as a moment of calm, gratitude, and the intention to wake better strengthened to face the next day.

39. Prayer - My soul will, for a moment, meet other Spirits. May those who are good help me with their counsel. My Guardian Angel, let me preserve from them, when I wake, a lasting and beneficial impression.

Foreseeing approaching death

40. In the face of approaching death, the work offers the Spiritist belief in the continuity of life as a source of hope. The dying process may involve pain, anxiety, and physical changes that differ greatly from person to person; spirituality does not replace palliative care, symptom control, emotional support, and medical assistance.

41. Prayer - My God, I believe in You and in Your infinite goodness. For this reason I cannot believe that You gave humanity intelligence to know You and an aspiration toward the future only to cast it into nothingness. I believe that my body is only the temporary covering of my soul and that when it ceases to live, I will awaken in the world of Spirits. Almighty God, I feel the bonds that unite my soul to my body beginning to break, and soon I will have to answer for the use I made of the life I leave behind.

I will face the consequences of the good and evil I have done. Then there will be no more illusion and no possible excuse. My whole past will unfold before me, and I will be judged according to my actions. I will take with me none of my earthly possessions, honors, wealth, or satisfactions of vanity and pride; everything that belongs to the body will remain here on Earth. Not the smallest part of it will go with me, and none of it will be of help to me in the world of Spirits.

I will take with me only what belongs to the soul — virtues and faults — which will be weighed in the balance of strict justice. I will be judged all the more rigorously to the extent that my earthly position gave me opportunities to do good that I did not do. (Chapter XVI, no. 9.) God of mercy, may my repentance reach You! Deign to extend Your understanding over me.

If it pleases You to prolong my existence, may the remainder be used to repair as many of the wrongs I have done as possible. If my hour has inevitably come, I carry the consoling thought that I will be allowed to redeem myself through new trials so that I may one day become worthy of the happiness of the chosen.

If I am not allowed to enjoy immediately that lasting happiness known only by the perfectly righteous, I know that hope is not forbidden to me forever and that through work I will reach the goal sooner or later according to my efforts. I know that the good Spirits and my Guardian Angel will receive me, and before long I will see them as they now see me.

I know that I will meet again those I loved on Earth, if I am worthy of it, and that those I leave here will come to join me so that we may continue together; and while I wait, I may be allowed to visit them. I also know that I will meet again those whom I offended. May they forgive me for what I did to them — my pride, harshness, and injustices — and may I not be ashamed in their presence. I forgive those who did or wished me harm on Earth; I hold no hatred against them and ask God to forgive them.

Lord, give me strength to leave worldly joys without regret, for they are nothing compared with those of the world I am about to enter. There, for the righteous, there is no more intense suffering, pain, or misery. Only the guilty suffer, yet hope remains for them. Good Spirits, and you, my Guardian Angel, do not leave me at this supreme moment. Let divine light shine before my eyes to revive my faith if it begins to falter.

III. Prayers for others

For someone who is suffering

42. This introduction interprets some suffering as spiritual trials. This is a belief of the work and does not mean that we should leave someone suffering in order to ‘fulfill a trial.’ The charitable attitude is to welcome the person, seek to relieve suffering, and respect their autonomy.

The text itself recommends moral support and material help. In current language, this includes listening, staying present, seeking health and social resources, protecting people from violence, and offering practical help when possible. Prayer can accompany these actions, not replace them.

43. Prayer - My God, whose goodness is infinite, deign to soften the bitterness of ...'s situation, if such is Your will. Good Spirits, in the name of Almighty God, I ask you to help this person in these sufferings. If, for their benefit, they cannot be lessened, help them understand what can be learned from them. Give them trust in God and in the future, which may make them less bitter. Give them also the strength not to fall into despair, which would make their condition still more difficult. Direct my thoughts toward them, and may those thoughts help sustain their courage.

Thanksgiving for a benefit granted to someone

44. Preface - A person who is not dominated by selfishness rejoices in the good received by their neighbor even when they did not ask for it through prayer.

45. Prayer - My God, be blessed for the happiness that ... is experiencing. Good Spirits, help this person see in this benefit an expression of God's goodness. If the good that reaches them is a trial, inspire them to use it well and not become proud, so that it does not become harmful to their future. You, my good angel, who protect me and desire my happiness, remove from my thoughts every feeling of envy and jealousy.

For enemies and those who wish us harm

46. Loving enemies does not mean feeling the same closeness toward them that we feel toward friends or remaining near someone who harms us. The principle is not to feed revenge and to try not to return violence with violence. Forgiveness can coexist with distance, boundaries, reporting, and protection.

47. Prayer - My God, I forgive ... for the harm done to me and for what they wished to do to me, just as I wish to be forgiven and for this person to forgive the wrongs I may have committed. If they were placed in my path as a trial, may Your will be done. Remove from me, my God, the thought of cursing them and every malicious wish against them. Let me feel no joy at any misfortune that may reach them and no sorrow at any good that may be granted to them, so that my soul is not stained by thoughts unworthy of a Christian. May Your will, Lord, extend over them and lead them to better feelings toward me! Good

Spirits, inspire me to forget the harm and remember the good. Let neither hatred, resentment, nor the desire to answer harm with harm enter my heart, for hatred and revenge belong only to harmful Spirits, incarnate or discarnate. Let me instead be ready to extend a fraternal hand, repay evil with good, and help this person if it is within my power. To prove the sincerity of my words, I wish to be given an opportunity to be useful to them.

Above all, my God, preserve me from doing this out of pride or display, crushing the person with humiliating generosity, for otherwise I would lose the moral value of my action. Then I would deserve Christ's words: ‘You have already received your reward.’ (Chapter XIII, no. 1 and following.)

Thanksgiving for good granted to enemies

48. Preface - Not wishing harm to enemies is only part of charity. True charity consists in wishing them well and being happy for the good that happens to them. (Chapter XII, nos. 7 and 8.)

49. Prayer - My God, in Your justice You have seen fit to gladden the heart of ...; I thank You for this person despite the harm they did or tried to do to me. If they use this to humiliate me, I will accept it as a test of my charity. Good Spirits who protect me, do not let me keep any resentment because of it; turn envy and jealousy away from me, for they bring us down. Inspire me instead with the generosity that elevates. Humiliation comes from evil, not from good, and we know that sooner or later justice will be done to each according to their actions.

For opponents of Spiritism

50. ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are those who suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Happy will you be when people insult you, persecute you, and say every kind of evil against you because of me. Rejoice, for a great reward is reserved for you in heaven, for this is how they also persecuted the prophets who came before you.’ (Matthew 5:6,10-12.) ‘Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be concerned with what can destroy both moral life and body.’ (Matthew 10:28.)

51. Kardec states that freedom of thought and conscience is a fundamental right. Demanding freedom for one's own belief while denying that same freedom to others contradicts charity and respect for one's neighbor.

Forcing someone to practice a religion outwardly does not produce genuine faith. Convictions should be shared through dialogue and example, never through coercion, threat, or violence.

The text claims for Spiritism the same freedom granted to other religions, philosophies, and worldviews. This principle also applies to those who choose to have no religion.

The older edition suggests that persecution would be a sign of the greatness or truth of an idea. This is not a reliable criterion: true or false ideas may be persecuted. A belief needs to be evaluated by its content, evidence, coherence, and effects, not by the hostility it encounters.

Religious persecution can cause emotional, family, social, and economic harm. Religious freedom includes the right to believe, change belief, not believe, and not suffer discrimination because of it.

The moral guidance is to respond to intolerance without abandoning charity and dignity. This does not prevent seeking legal protection, social support, and accountability in the face of discrimination or violence.

Believe Christ's words: ‘Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.’ He also said: ‘Love your enemies; do good to those who harm you and pray for those who persecute you.’ Show that you are his true disciples and that his teaching is good by doing what he taught and exemplified. Persecution will be temporary.

Wait patiently for dawn, for the morning star is already appearing on the horizon. (Chapter XXIV, no. 13 and following.)

52. Prayer - Lord, through Jesus, Your Messiah, You taught us: ‘Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness; forgive your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,’ and He himself showed us the way by praying for those who tormented him. Therefore, my God, we ask Your mercy for those who do not understand Your divine teachings, which alone can secure peace in this world and the next.

Like Christ, we ask You: ‘Forgive them, Father, for they do not know what they are doing.’ Give us strength to endure with patience and serene acceptance, as tests of our faith and humility, mockery, insults, slander, and persecution. Turn us away from every thought of retaliation, for the hour of Your justice will come for all, and we await it while submitting to Your holy will.

Prayer for a newborn child

53. The prayer for the birth of a child is presented within the Spiritist belief in reincarnation. The child is seen as a Spirit beginning a new stage of life and development.

Parents and caregivers have great influence on a child's education, protection, and development, but they do not control everything the child will become. Parental responsibility should not be turned into absolute guilt for every difficulty, illness, behavior, or future choice of the child.

54. Prayer - (To be said by the parents). Spirit who has incarnated as our child, welcome among us. Almighty God who sent you, we thank You. This is a trust placed in our care, for whose use we will one day be accountable. If this child belongs to the new generation of good Spirits who are to populate the Earth, thank You, my God, for this favor! If this is an imperfect soul, our duty is to help it progress along the path of good through our counsel and good example.

If this child turns toward harm because of our failure, we will answer before You, for we will not have fulfilled our mission toward them. Lord, sustain us in our task and give us strength and willingness to carry it out well. If this child is a source of trials for us, may Your will be done! Good Spirits who came to preside over the birth and who are to accompany this child throughout life, do not abandon them!

Keep away harmful Spirits who may try to lead this child toward evil; give them strength to resist harmful suggestions and courage to face with patience and serene acceptance the trials that await them on Earth. (Chapter XIV, no. 9.)

55. Prayer - My God, You have entrusted me with the destiny of one of Your Spirits; Lord, help me be worthy of the task imposed on me. Grant me Your protection and enlighten my intelligence so that I may discern the tendencies of the one I must prepare for peace and growth.

56. Prayer - God of infinite goodness, since You have allowed the Spirit of this child to return to face the earthly experiences intended to help it progress, give it the light necessary to learn to know You, love You, and worship You. Through Your power, let this soul be renewed at the source of Your divine teachings; under the care of its Guardian Angel, may its intelligence grow and develop and lead it to aspire to draw ever closer to You.

May the teachings of Spiritism be a bright light to help this child through life's obstacles. May they learn to appreciate the breadth of Your love, which, in the belief of the work, allows trials for purification. Lord, cast a paternal gaze upon the family to whom You entrusted this soul. May they understand the importance of their mission and help the good seeds germinate in this child until the day when, through their own aspirations, they can rise toward You.

Deign, my God, to hear this humble prayer in the name and by the merit of the one who said: ‘Let the little children come to me, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who resemble them.’

For a dying person

57. The approach of death can be a moment of great vulnerability for the person and family. In Spiritist belief, it is also a passage from bodily life to spiritual life.

The work associates a more peaceful passage with spiritual detachment. In practice, pain, shortness of breath, agitation, and other end-of-life symptoms have clinical causes and need proper care. A difficult death does not mean moral failure or lack of faith. Prayer and palliative care can coexist.

Part, Chapter I, The Passage.)

58. Prayer - Powerful and merciful God, here is a soul leaving its earthly covering to return to the world of Spirits, its true homeland according to our faith. May it return in peace, and may Your mercy extend over it. Good Spirits who accompanied it on Earth, do not abandon it at this supreme moment. Give it strength to endure the final suffering it may still face here.

Inspire this soul so that it may devote its final moments of awareness to repentance for its faults, if any still arise in its memory. Direct my thought toward its help, so that this support may make the work of separation less difficult and so that, at the moment of leaving Earth, it may carry in its soul the consolation of hope.

IV - Prayers for Spirits

For someone who has just died

59. According to Spiritist belief, prayers for someone who has just died can offer support during the passage to spiritual life. For those who remain, prayer can also be a way of expressing love, farewell, and hope during grief.

60. Prayer - Almighty God, may Your mercy extend over the soul of ... whom You have just called to You. May the trials this person faced on Earth be taken into account, and may our prayers soften and shorten any suffering that may still remain in the spiritual state.

Good friends who came to receive this soul, and you especially who are its Guardian Angel, help it free itself from attachment to matter; give it light and awareness of itself so as to reduce the confusion that may accompany the passage from material life to spiritual life. Inspire repentance for faults committed and the desire to repair them, so as to hasten progress toward a happy eternal life. You, ..., who have just returned to the world of Spirits and yet, according to our faith, are present here among us.

You see and hear us, for you have only left the temporary body that will soon return to the elements. You have left behind the coarse covering subject to hardship, change, and death, and retained only the spiritual covering described by the Doctrine as more lasting and inaccessible to material suffering. If you no longer live through the body, you live the life of Spirits, which the work describes as free from the physical miseries that afflict humanity. The veil that hides the splendors of life after death from our eyes is no longer before you.

From now on you may contemplate new wonders while we are still immersed in the limitations of earthly life. You may travel through space and visit worlds with freedom, while we move laboriously on Earth held by our material body. The horizons of the infinite will unfold before you, and in the presence of such greatness you will understand the relative value of our earthly desires, worldly ambitions, and fleeting pleasures.

Death is, for human beings, only a material separation for a time. From this place where God's will and the duties we still have to fulfill keep us on Earth, we follow you in thought until the moment when we are allowed to meet again, as you now meet those who went before you. If we cannot go to you, perhaps you can come to us according to our belief. Come then among those who love you and whom you loved. Sustain them in life's trials and watch over those dear to you.

Protect them according to your possibilities and soften the pain of longing by suggesting the thought that you are now happier and the consoling hope that one day they may be reunited with you in a better world. In the world where you now are, may all earthly resentments be extinguished. For your future happiness, may you become inaccessible to them. Forgive, therefore, those who wronged you, as they forgive whatever you may have done against them.

See also Chapter V, item 21, for the doctrinal explanation presented by Kardec.

61. Prayer dictated to a medium in Bordeaux as the funeral of an unknown person passed by the window. Almighty Lord, may Your mercy extend over our brother or sister who has just left Earth! May Your light shine before this soul! Remove it from darkness, open its eyes and ears! May Your good Spirits surround it and let it hear words of peace and hope!

Lord, unworthy as we are, we dare to ask Your merciful understanding on behalf of this brother or sister who has just been called away from earthly exile. Let the return be like that of the prodigal child. Forget, my God, the faults committed and remember the good that may have been done. Your justice is unchanging, we know, but Your love is immense.

We ask You to temper justice through the source of goodness that comes from You. May light arise for you, my brother or sister who has just left Earth! May the good Spirits of the Lord descend, surround you, and help you shake off earthly bonds! See and understand the greatness of our Lord; submit without complaint to His justice, but never despair. May a deep look back at your past open the doors of the future by helping you understand the faults left behind and the work that awaits you to repair them. May God forgive you and may His good Spirits sustain and encourage you! Your brothers and sisters on Earth pray for you and ask you to pray for them.

For those we love

62. This section expresses the Spiritist hope in the continuity of life and reunion with loved ones. People who do not share this belief may experience bonds and grief in other equally sincere ways; it is not appropriate to say that someone who does not believe in an afterlife is incapable of loving deeply.

Pain in the face of death and questions about whether life continues are profound human experiences. Different religions, philosophies, and people offer different answers to them.

Kardec presents Spiritist phenomena as evidence of the survival of the soul. This is the interpretation of Spiritist Doctrine; this edition does not present it as established scientific consensus.

For those who share this faith, the hope is that bonds of love do not end with death. See also Chapters IV and V.

63. Prayer - Grant, my God, that You receive favorably the prayer I address to You for the Spirit of .... Let this Spirit glimpse Your divine light and make the path toward eternal happiness easier. Allow the good Spirits to carry my words and thoughts to this person. You who were so important to me in this world, hear my voice calling you to give you another proof of my affection. God allowed you to be released first.

I could not grieve for you selfishly by wishing for you the pains and sufferings of earthly life. I therefore await with serene acceptance the moment of our reunion in a happier world where, according to our faith, you have gone before me. I know that our separation is only temporary and that, however long it may seem to me, its duration fades before eternity and the happiness God promises to His chosen ones.

May His goodness keep me from doing anything that could delay that desired moment and thus spare me the pain of not meeting you again when I leave my earthly prison. How sweet and consoling is the certainty, in this faith, that only a material veil separates us and hides you from my eyes; that you may be here beside me, seeing and hearing me as before and even better than before; that you do not forget me just as I do not forget you.

May our thoughts remain connected and may yours follow and sustain me. May the peace of the Lord be with you!

For suffering Spirits who ask for prayers

64. Preface - To understand the relief that prayer may provide to suffering Spirits, it is necessary to remember the way its action was previously explained. (Chapter XXVII, nos. 9, 18 and following.) Whoever is convinced of this belief prays with greater fervor because they trust that the prayer is not in vain.

65. Prayer - Merciful and compassionate God, may Your goodness extend over all Spirits who are recommended to our prayers and especially over the Spirit of ....

Good Spirits whose only concern is the good, intercede with me for this soul's relief. Let a ray of hope shine before it and let divine light reveal the imperfections that, according to the work, still distance it from the blessed. Open its heart to repentance and to the desire for inner renewal so as to hasten its progress. Help it understand that through effort it can shorten the time of its trials. May God in His goodness give it strength to persevere in good resolutions. May these kind words soften its suffering by showing that on Earth there are beings who care about it and desire its happiness.

66. Prayer - We pray to You, Lord: pour out upon all who suffer, whether in the spiritual world as wandering Spirits or among us as incarnate people, the grace of Your love and mercy. Have compassion on our weaknesses. You made us capable of error, but You also gave us strength to resist evil and overcome it. May Your mercy extend over all who were unable to resist harmful tendencies and are still drawn along a harmful path. May the good Spirits surround them.

This prayer also includes people who died by suicide. Instead of judging them as weak or guilty, we ask for mercy and welcome. Suicidal behavior can be linked to intense psychological suffering and many factors that are not visible to outside observers.

May Your justice spare them and allow Your good Spirits to bring relief, consolation, and hope for the future. The vision of forgiveness strengthens the soul. Show it, Lord, to those who despair because of guilt, so that sustained by this hope they may find strength to face their past and prepare to build a better future.

For an enemy who has died

67. Preface - Charity toward our enemies should, in the Spiritist view, continue after death. We may consider that the harm they did us became for us an opportunity to practice courage, serene acceptance, charity, and forgiveness, if we knew how to draw something constructive from the experience. (Chapter X, no. 6; Chapter

XII, nos. 5 and 6.)

68. Prayer - Lord, it was Your will that the soul of ... be called before me. I forgive the harm done to me and the harmful intentions directed toward me. May this person regret them now that the illusions of this world have passed. May Your mercy, my God, extend over them, and remove from me any thought of rejoicing in their death. If I also wronged them, may they forgive me, as I let go of what they did against me.

For someone who committed a crime

69. Preface - If the effect of prayers were proportional to their length, the longest prayers should be reserved for those who carry the greatest burden of wrongdoing, because they would need them more than those who lived rightly. Refusing prayer to people who committed crimes would be a failure of charity and a misunderstanding of God's mercy. To declare prayer useless because someone committed very serious faults would be to judge divine justice in advance. (Chapter XI, no.

14.)

70. Prayer - Lord, God of Mercy, do not reject this person who committed crimes and has just left Earth. Human justice may have reached them, but that does not remove the need for inner responsibility if the heart was not touched by remorse. Remove the veil that hides the seriousness of their faults. May repentance make them worthy of Your grace so that the suffering of their soul may be eased. May our prayers and the intercession of good Spirits bring hope and consolation, inspire the desire to repair harmful actions in a new existence according to Spiritist belief, and give strength not to fall again in future struggles.

For a person who died by suicide

71. Care note: the original edition interprets suicide mainly as a spiritual fault and uses images of punishment. Today we know that suicidal behavior can be linked to intense psychological suffering, mental health conditions, trauma, losses, and many other factors. Anyone thinking about self-harm or death needs support and immediate help, not guilt or judgment. This prayer can be read as an expression of compassion for the person who died, preserving hope and trust in God's mercy.

72. Prayer — God of infinite mercy, receive ... with compassion. Only You fully know the pain, limits, and circumstances this person faced. May they find peace, support, and hope. Good Spirits, according to our faith, surround this person with care and consolation.

May our prayer not be judgment but affection. May it also reach family, friends, and everyone who remains, offering strength to go through grief and courage to seek support when the pain feels too heavy.

We trust in the goodness and mercy of God, who knows what we cannot know.

For repentant Spirits

73. Preface - It would be unjust to place among evil Spirits those who suffer or are hardened but ask for prayers and have begun to recognize their faults. They may have done wrong, but from the moment they sincerely recognize it and repent they have begun a different path. They are unhappy rather than irredeemably evil, and some may already begin to experience relative happiness.

74. Prayer - God of mercy, who accepts the sincere repentance of the sinner, incarnate or not, here is a Spirit who became involved in wrongdoing but now recognizes its errors and enters the path of good. Allow, my God, that You receive this Spirit like the prodigal child and forgive it. Good Spirits whose advice it once disregarded but now wishes to hear, let it perceive the happiness of those who follow the Lord so that it may persist in the desire to renew itself and reach this goal.

Sustain this Spirit in good resolutions and give it strength to resist harmful impulses. Spirit of ..., we congratulate you on your change and thank the good Spirits who helped you! If before you found pleasure in doing wrong, it was because you had not yet understood how gentle and good it is to do good, or because you felt too powerless to achieve it. But from the moment you set foot on the good path, a new light began to shine for you.

You have begun to experience a happiness previously unknown, and hope has entered your heart. God always hears the prayer of the sincerely repentant. He turns away none who come to Him. To enter more fully into His grace, dedicate yourself from now on not only to avoiding evil but to doing good and, above all, repairing the harm you caused whenever possible. Then you will have responded to divine justice. Each good action will help transform the consequences of past errors. The first step has been taken.

Now, the farther you advance, the easier and more pleasant the path may appear. Remain firm, then, and one day you may have the joy of being among good and happy Spirits.

For hardened Spirits

75. Preface - The old text calls ‘evil Spirits’ those whom repentance has not yet touched, who take pleasure in wrongdoing and do not regret it. It describes them as insensitive to criticism, resistant to prayer, and sometimes hostile toward God. According to the Spiritist view, some such Spirits could remain attached after death to conflicts and resentments from earthly life, including through what the Doctrine calls obsession or harmful spiritual influence. (Chapter X, no. 6; Chapter

XII, nos. 5 and 6.) Among the Spirits described as perverse, the work distinguishes those who are openly harmful from those who are deceptive. It states that openly harmful ones may sometimes be easier to guide toward good than deceptive ones because their behavior is more visible and less calculated.

But there is in them a latent seed that needs to be awakened, which the work says can often be done through persistence, firmness, kindness, counsel, reasoning, and prayer. In mediumistic communications, the difficulty some Spirits are described as having in pronouncing the name of God is interpreted as a sign of instinctive fear and of conscience accusing them of unworthiness. Those who present themselves in this way would be at the threshold of conversion, and much could be hoped for from them. It would be enough to reach the sensitive point of the heart.

Deceptive Spirits, according to the old text, are often very intelligent but would lack sincere moral sensitivity. Nothing seems to touch them. They imitate good feelings in order to gain trust and take pleasure in finding people who accept them as saintly Spirits and can then be manipulated. The name of God, far from inspiring fear in them, would serve as a mask to hide harmful intentions.

Both in the spiritual world described by the work and in visible life, deceptive people are presented as especially dangerous because they act in the shadows and are difficult to suspect, showing the appearance of faith without sincere faith.

76. Prayer - Lord, allow us to cast a compassionate look upon imperfect Spirits who are still in the darkness of ignorance and do not know You, especially the Spirit of .... Good Spirits, help us make this Spirit understand that by leading people toward harm, obsessing them, or tormenting them according to the terminology of the Doctrine, it prolongs its own suffering. Let the example of the happiness you enjoy encourage it. Spirit who takes pleasure in wrongdoing, you have just heard the prayer we offered for you.

It should show you that we wish you well even though you have done wrong. You are unhappy, for it is impossible to be truly happy while deliberately causing harm. Why, then, remain in pain when according to this belief it depends on you to begin leaving it? Look at the good Spirits around you. See how happy they are. Would it not also be more pleasant for you to share in that happiness?

You may say that this is impossible for you, but nothing is impossible for the one who sincerely wills to change, for God gave you, as He did all His creatures, freedom to choose between good and evil — that is, between paths that lead toward happiness or suffering — and no one is condemned to do evil forever. If you have the will to do wrong, you can also develop the will to do good and become happier. Turn your eyes toward God. Raise your thought to Him for a single moment and let a ray of divine light enlighten you. Say with us these simple words: My God, I repent; forgive me.

Try to repent and do good instead of harm, and you may discover that divine mercy opens before you and that a new sense of well-being can begin to replace the anguish you experience. Once you take a step along the good path, the rest may seem easier. You may then understand how much time was lost from your own happiness through harmful choices.

A hopeful future can open before you and help you leave behind a painful past full of conflict and moral suffering. The old text uses severe images of future suffering to urge change. The useful point preserved here is that persistent harmful behavior tends to deepen suffering and make change more difficult the longer it continues.

You have before you two possible directions: continue along a harmful path and increase suffering, or make an effort of will to move toward the good and build greater happiness. Do not postpone the change, because each day can be an opportunity for growth. Good Spirits, help these words reach this still resistant soul so that they may help it draw closer to God.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, whom the Gospel presents as having great authority over harmful Spirits.

V -

For the sick and people experiencing what the Doctrine calls obsession

For the sick

77. Care note: the work was written in the nineteenth century and presents illness within a spiritual view of trials, evolution, and the conditions of earthly life. Today we know that illnesses have varied biological, genetic, environmental, social, and behavioral causes. Being ill does not mean moral inferiority, punishment, or lack of faith.

Spirituality can offer meaning and comfort during illness, but it does not require passively accepting suffering that can be treated. It is legitimate to seek relief from symptoms, recover health, and improve quality of life.

The text itself states that available means of healing should be used. In current language: seeking medical care, following appropriate treatments, practicing prevention, and asking for help are all compatible with faith.

Kardec also mentions magnetism, healing mediumship, and prayer. These practices belong to the historical and religious context of the work and do not replace evidence-based health care. Never stop medication or treatment solely because of spiritual guidance without speaking with the responsible health professional.

78. Prayer for someone who is ill — Lord, accompany me at this moment. I wish to recover my health and I am grateful for all the resources, people, and treatments that may help me. Give me serenity to go through what I cannot control and courage to seek care for what can be treated.

Help me care for myself without guilt and without thinking that being ill makes me morally inferior. May this experience bring learning if possible, but may I also remain free to seek relief, treatment, support, and quality of life.

79. Prayer for someone who is ill — My God, accompany ... at this moment. May this person find relief, good professionals, appropriate treatment, support from people nearby, and emotional strength to go through the illness. If I can help concretely, show me how to be present with respect and care.

80. Prayer for someone offering spiritual support — My God, if my presence can help this person, let me act with humility, care, and respect. Let me never promise a cure, discourage medical treatment, or turn faith into a reason for guilt. May my spiritual support be only one part of the care this person deserves to receive.

About the Spiritist concept of obsession

81. Care note: ‘obsession’ is a specific concept of Spiritist Doctrine used by Kardec to describe a supposed persistent influence of a Spirit over a person. It is not a medical or psychological diagnosis.

Experiences that a person interprets spiritually can coexist with psychological suffering or health conditions. Intense fear, confusion, loss of autonomy, changes in perception, disorganized behavior, or risk to oneself or others require attention and may need professional evaluation.

The original explanation links obsession to moral imperfections. This association can produce guilt and should not be used to blame someone for symptoms or mental suffering. Spiritual care and health care can coexist when provided safely and respectfully.

If a person feels they have lost control over thoughts or actions, safety is the priority. Seek support from trusted people and qualified professionals. In an emergency or immediate risk, contact the emergency service in your region.

Kardec interprets some of these experiences as conflicts between Spirits connected through relationships from other existences. This is a Spiritist doctrinal explanation, not a clinical or scientific conclusion.

The work describes fluids and the action of healing mediums according to nineteenth-century concepts. These mechanisms are not recognized as proven medical treatments. Spiritual practices should never involve violence, deprivation of care, stopping medication, or coercion.

Within Spiritist practice, Kardec recommends moral dialogue, prayer, and an effort at transformation. These practices may be used as voluntary religious support provided they do not replace necessary health care or blame the person for what they are experiencing.

The work considers prayer an important resource in these situations. In a safe approach today, prayer may offer comfort while symptoms and risks are evaluated by appropriate professionals when necessary.

Spiritual support in experiences interpreted as obsession

82. Prayer — My God, accompany me in this difficult experience. According to my faith, I ask for the protection of good Spirits. At the same time, give me clarity to recognize when I need help from other people and health professionals.

Help me choose thoughts and attitudes that are good for me without blaming myself for the suffering I am experiencing. May I respond to fear with care, seek support, and preserve my safety.

Give me serenity to go through this moment, humility to accept help, and strength to continue caring for my physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

May charity and forgiveness be part of my path, but without abandoning boundaries, safety, and necessary care.

83. Prayer for someone who is suffering — God, accompany ... and allow this person to find peace, protection, and appropriate help. According to our faith, we also ask for the assistance of good Spirits. May our presence be welcoming and never replace medical or psychological care that this person may need.

84. Prayer within the Spiritist tradition — God of infinite goodness, we ask for mercy for everyone involved in this experience. If there is a spiritual reality as we understand through our faith, may it be directed toward good. May no one be treated with violence, fear, or humiliation.

If you are willing to reflect, understand that evil cannot overcome good and that you cannot be stronger than God and the good Spirits, who, according to the belief of the work, can protect ... from harmful action on your part. If they have not ended the situation immediately, the old text interprets this as part of a trial. But when that trial is over, the harm you tried to cause may, instead of destroying the person, become an opportunity for growth. Thus your wrongdoing will not have achieved the purpose you intended and will return to you through its moral consequences.

Almighty God and the higher Spirits, His servants, who according to the work are more powerful than you, could end this obsession when appropriate, and your insistence would break before that authority. Yet because God is good, the text says He leaves you the merit of ending it by your own decision. This is an opportunity offered to you. If you refuse it, you may continue to experience the painful consequences of your choices. The old text uses severe language about punishment; the moral point is that persistent wrongdoing deepens suffering and responsibility.

You may eventually be moved to ask for help, and the prayers of the person you harmed — who may choose to forgive and pray for you — can support your change according to this faith. Reflect while there is time, because divine justice, in the view of the work, applies to every Spirit. Remember that the harm you are causing cannot continue forever. If you persist in hardening yourself, however, the consequences of your own choices may become more painful.

When you were on Earth, did you not consider it foolish to sacrifice a great good for a small momentary satisfaction? The same comparison is made now in the spiritual state. What do you gain by causing someone to suffer? That brief and sad satisfaction does not make you truly happy and can increase your unhappiness. Look instead at what you may gain by changing. See the good Spirits around you and ask whether their condition would not be preferable. The happiness they enjoy can, according to this belief, become yours when you sincerely choose another path.

What is needed for this? Ask God for help and do good instead of harm. You may not be able to transform yourself all at once, but God does not ask the impossible. What is asked is goodwill. Try, and we will help you. May the day soon come when we can say for you the prayer for repentant Spirits (no. 73) rather than speak of you among harmful Spirits, while hoping that you may come to be among the good. (See also above, no. 75, the prayer for hardened Spirits.)

Safety note: Spiritist tradition recommends patience, dialogue, and moral transformation and rejects pressure and threats as appropriate paths. No spiritual intervention should involve violent restraint, abuse, deprivation, public exposure, or practices that place a person at risk.

The original text already recognizes that prolonged situations may involve health changes and mentions medical treatment. Today we reinforce this point: psychological, neurological, or physical symptoms need appropriate professional evaluation. Magnetism and other spiritual practices do not replace evidence-based medical or psychological treatment.

For historical study of Kardec's position, consult The Mediums' Book, Chapter XXIII, and the issues of Revue Spirite cited in the previous edition.