Pastor's Page
Good, bad, or indifferent, wherever you stand on the events that are taking place in America and around the world, the BEST option we, as Bible believing Christians, should do is commend everything to the LORD in prayer. Prayer for our lives and pray for His guidance for the world’s leaders.
One way we can do this is to begin our day in prayer, and if you are unsure of what or how to pray (with a sleepy morning brain), allow me to recommend Luther’s Morning Prayer, because it’s a great way to start the day!
For many Christians, starting a good habit, like daily prayer, may be imitating and appear challenging. Sometimes we may not even know where to start. We know the Lord ’s Prayer (always a great prayer to say at any time and any place), but we may not know other prayers, and have difficulty “making up” our own.
Aside from the Lord ’s Prayer, Martin Luther also suggested a Morning and Evening Prayer. The morning prayer is as follows: 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 would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. 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’s Small Catechism, with explanation, 2017 edition, pg. 30)
This prayer is often my “go-to” prayer over morning coffee at home, or when I get to church. The prayer can do so much for us as we start our day.
First, the prayer reminds us that we survived this past evening, not by our own powers or sheer luck, but that we survived the night because our bodies are a gift from God who continues to sustain us through all the days. He upholds everyone and everything we know and love in this world. We recall that each breath we have is a gift from our LORD, and that we are completely dependent upon Him for life and sustenance. It is a great way to start our day by recognizing that all we have truly flows from Good’s grace and mercy. As Isaiah (41:10) wrote: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Second, in the prayer, we ask that God keep us from “sin and every evil” during this upcoming day. We are under no false suspicion of being sinless. Scripture tells us: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9). What a wonderful prayer for us to ask from our God, who is so gracious in forgiving us when we do sin (John 2:1).
Third, perhaps the sweetest and most powerful phrase is at the end of this prayer. We confess to God that we are commending to Him “our body and soul, and all things.” It is very powerful for us to admit that we are commending our lives to God. To “commend” strikes an image of literally falling into the arms of our Savior in complete trust, knowing that He and He alone can and will preserve us from all adversities in this life. We do so because, as His children, we no longer live for ourselves but for He who sacrificed all He had for us. As Paul wrote: For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that One has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Cor. 5:14-125).
Beginning a habit of prayer does not have to be intimidating. We can start with simple steps like praying the morning prayer above. Try it out for a week. Pray the above prayer every day, for one week, and I would not be surprised if you have it memorized by the end of that week. I assure you, there is no greater way to start your day, as Luther suggests, go to your work, singing a hymn, like that of the Ten Commandments, or whatever your devotion may suggest. This allows you to depart in peace, knowing and trusting the LORD’S hand is leading you and holding you (Psm. 139:10). Until next month…
Blessings, Pastor Ferch