Up to this point I have been blogging primarily about the process that we (my family and me) have been going through in selling our home and the direction that God is guiding us and especially me towards the seminary.

I will still blog occasionally on this, but I am going to direct my blogs toward sharing God's word with people who may come to read my blog.


One of the things I was able to pick up at the bookstore on the campus of CTS was a new edition of Luther's Small Catechism. One of the areas that I have been drawn to is the section on "Daily Prayers". Each time that I went to Chapel during my visit, depending on the time of day, we said the Daily Prayer for that time. The morning prayer goes like this.

I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ,
Your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm
and danger; and I pray that you keep me this day
also from every sin and evil, that all my doings and life
may please you. For into Your Hand I commend myself,
my body and soul and all things. Let your Holy angel be with
me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen

The Evening Prayer is similar to the Morning Prayer

I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ,
Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day;
and I pray that You will forgive me all my sins where I have
done wrong, and graciously keep me this night.
For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul and
all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may
have no power over me. Amen.

Luther gives these prayers to us (men/father's particularly) to teach our children.


Being that I am Lutheran, I grew up with this table prayer:

Come Lord Jesus, be our guest and let these gifts to us be blest, Amen.

Luther's Small Catechism has us learning this prayer instead

Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these your gifts which we receive
from Your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ , our Lord. Amen.

Sounds like the prayer that my Roman Catholic friends grew up saying. Of course they crossed themselves before and after the prayer. Over the past few years, I have taken to crossing myself in the name of the Triune God. With the sign of the cross I am reminded of what was done for me on the Cross by Christ and then I also am reminded of one God existing in three persons.

Crossing oneself is not a requirement it is an adiaphoron (ah dee ah fron) the root of this word is "Adiaphora" and it mean something that is neither commanded, nor forbidden by scripture.

Also praying does not mean that we have to recite a specific prayer, but if you look at these prayers you will see the model of the Lord's prayer being used. You can pray these prayers or you can just pray to God ex corde' (from the heart) but at all costs Pray!