A wonder tefillah from the Artscroll Bircas Hachamah:
"Sovereign of the universe! We give thanks before You for all the benefits and mercies which You have performed on our behalf and for having sustained us in life and preserved us to this season, to the new tekufah, may it come upon us for good, and for having caused us to reach the beginning of this cycle, which is the two hundred and [seventh] cycle of twenty-eight years from the time that it was Your desire to create the universe and from when You established Your world for the benefit of Your creatures.
You, with Your merciful eye, exercise providence over all creatures, from the smallest to the greatest, to provide every created being in the world with its needs, to each and every one in accordance with their nature. Of all the species of creatures, You chose the human species and elevated man above all others as King David, may he rest in peace, wrote: "You have placed everything under his feet, flocks and oxen all of them, and also beasts of the field" (Psalms 8:7-8). And of the entire human species You have chosen Your people Israel as Your own possession. Just as You have established luminaries in the heaven, the sun and the moon to illuminate the face of the earth and to provide of their powers unto the produce and vegetation of the earth, as it is written in Your holy Torah: "with choice fruits of the sun and the rich yield of the months" (Deuteronomy 33:14), so also, in each generation, have You given of the spirit of Your wisdom to the wise men of the generations and have appeared to them with Your holy spirit and have given them wisdom to lead the people of their genera¬tion and to guide them always to do Your will.
Therefore, in accordance with the edict of our holy Sages, we have assembled at this time and at this season to bless You for the creation of Your world: Blessed are You who makes the work of creation. And, accordingly, we pray before You, we beseech You, 0 HASHEM the great, powerful and awesome God, may it be Your will that, just as the luminaries which You have created and established in Your world were not created for naught — for unto eternity they will not change their task and they illuminate the face of the earth in accordance with Your gracious will — so also help us in Your great mercy, for the sake of the glory of Your Name, that our travail be not for naught, Heaven forfend. May we be privileged to be among those who fulfill Your will all the days of our life so that the verse, "And He said to me, You are My servant, 0 Israel, in whom I shall be glorified" (Isaiah 49:3) may be fulfilled through us. Remove from us all distractions and considerations which impede us from Your Torah and Your holy service. Give us the strength that we be able to conquer our corporeal desires and distance us from all evil traits which mar Your holy service.
Indeed, our heart becomes faint in us when we consider the vastness of our deficiencies in Your service. We are aware that we do not fulfill even one thousandth part of our obligations with regard to You, King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed is He. What are we? What is our life? We stand before You with shame. If we examine our ways, how remiss we have been in Your service these past twenty-eight years, in the tekufah and cycle which has passed. Shame covers our faces. What has happened to us, for we have not taken to heart to better our ways. However, it is revealed and known before You that we did not disobey You because of rebellion and intention, Heaven forbid, but because of the distractions of the evil inclination and other matters which confuse our minds. We were too weak to withstand the distractions of the moment because of lack of sustenance on account of our many sins, and because of other causes, for we have experienced great oppression and have suffered much contempt. All this has bespoiled us so that we did not have the strength to fulfill the purpose for which You created us, 0 beneficent God, who is kind to all for our benefit.
Now we come before You in prayer and supplication for all this is revealed and known before Your holy throne. What can we say and what can we recount before You? For all the hidden secrets of our hearts and thoughts are revealed and known to You. Help us in all our affairs, for the sake of Your holy name, that from this day forth we may be among those who perform Your will, so that the purpose of creation be completed through us.
During this tekufah, may it come upon us for good, preserve us from all pain and harm, from every stumbling-block and impediment, Heaven forfend, from all loss, poverty, destitution and financial reversal, from all manner of misfortune and dread illness, and from all severe and evil decrees which come upon the world. Do for us on account of Your Name, for by Your Name are we called and Our honor is Your honor. In Your great mercy grant to us and to all who join us, to all who desire our company and to all members of our families, long life, a life of peace, a life of good, a life of blessing, a life of bodily vigor, a life in which there is fear of Heaven and fear of sin, a life in which there is no shame or embarrassment, a life of prosperity and honor, a life in which we will have love of Torah and fear of Heaven, a life in which You will fulfill for us all the desires of our hearts for good. Cause us to hear good, true and proper tidings. May our children and children's children until the end of generations be righteous and pious, beloved on high and a source of delight below.
Have mercy, we beseech You, upon the poor of Your people, the house of Israel. If poverty has already been decreed upon them, nevertheless, do not withhold Your providence from them and relieve them in their need. Instill in them the fortitude to bear their poverty and oppression until You have mercy upon them. Let not their poverty cause them to forsake You, Heaven forfend, and do not afflict them in Your anger. May You, in Your great mercy, have all manner of mercy upon them until we shall merit that the time and season arrive in which the verse "But there will be no poor among you for HASHEM will surely bless you" (Deuteronomy 15:4) will be fulfilled among us.
Sovereign of the universe! It is revealed and known before You how many thousands of souls have departed from this world to dwell in the land of the living during the course of the twenty-eight year cycle of the past tekufah. During this month, which is the month of Aviv, it is propitious to pray also on behalf of the souls of the deceased, who are in the land of the living, and whose souls rest in the shade of Cod. We beseech You, in Your great mercy, have compassion upon the bereft widows and orphans for You are the Father of orphans and the Judge on behalf of widows.
If there are among the departed souls any which has as yet not received his judgment and punishment in the world on high, mitigate his judgment and save him from the pit of destruction, from the judgment of purgatory and from the cruel angel who is appointed to punish the souls. May there appear before "You their meritorious and righteous deeds which they performed in their lifetime as well as those good deeds which they intended to perform.
Have mercy upon us to prolong our lives in good and our years in pleasantness. Send a complete cure to the sick among Your people, the house of Israel. Watch over the healthy among Your people, that they shall not experience illness, Heaven forfend. Preserve us from every plot and loss and from all manner of plague. Let there not again be heard either weeping or outcry in our homes, nor let there be plunder and destruction within our borders. May we be peaceful, tranquil, satisfied and flourishing and planted in Your holy courtyards. May all our thoughts cleave to You constantly all the days of our lives.
Behold we are confident and await Your salvation that You shall rebuild our holy Temple on its site, gather in the exiles of Israel, cause the palace to sit upon its rightful place and restore the original sovereignty to the daughter of Jerusalem, yet before the next tekufah. We stand before You in prayer that You may privilege all of us to live and be sustained until that time. Preserve us from the birthpangs of the Messiah and from the war of Gog and Magog and privilege us and Your entire people, the house of Israel, to behold the face of the Messiah, our king, in a manner which we shall be able to sustain.
Behold it is revealed and known before You, our father, our King, that we have yet many things for which it would be proper to pray unto You. Yet our tongues fad short of expressing our emotions and the depths of the thoughts of our heart. But You know that which is hidden in our heart; You examine the heart and test the kidneys. We rely upon Your attribute of beneficence which has no bounds or limits that You will haue mercy upon us to aid us with Your right hand of righteousness even with regard to that which we have not prayed unto You. May Your mercy overwhelm Your attributes, and may You remember the covenant of our fathers that there be fulfilled through us all the promises which You have vouchsafed through Your holy prophets. May all our thoughts and meditations ascend, come, reach, appear and be acceptable before Your holy throne and may You hear the voice of our supplication in the merit of Your holy Name. Accept our supplications and hear our cries, 0 You who knouts hidden things.
I pray, establish my path to observe Your law. J am Yours, saue me because I seek Your commands. May Your mercy come to me that I may live, for Your Torah is my delight. Do unto Your servant in accordance with Your louinglcindness and teach me Your statutes. I remember Your Name at night, 0 Lord, and I will observe Your teachings. Behold that I love Your commandments, 0 Lord; preserve me in life in accordance with Your lovingkindness.
Strengthen me and give me courage for the sake of the glory of Your Name; accept our prayers as sweet and odorous burnt-offerings so that the words of our mouths may be pleasurable before the throne of Your glory. May the speech of our lips ascend to become a crown for Your head."And as for me, may my prayer unto You, HASHEM be at an opportune time; 0 God, in the abundance of Your lovingkindness, answer me with the truth of Your saluation" (Psalms 69:14). May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, HASHEM, my Rock and my Redeemer. Blessed is HASHEM forever, Amen and Amen. May it so be His will; and let us say, Amen.
