PROJECT WITTENBERG
Luther's Little Instruction Book
(The Small Catechism of Martin Luther)
Translated by Robert E. Smith
May 22, 1994
APPENDIX I.
DEVOTIONS
__________
How a Father Should Teach His
Household
to Conduct Morning and Evening Devotions
Morning Devotions
As soon as you get out
of bed in the morning, you should bless yourself with
the sign of the Holy Cross and say:
May the will of
God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be done!
Amen.
Then, kneeling or
standing, say the creed and pray the Lord's Prayer. If
you wish, you may then pray this little prayer as well:
My Heavenly Father,
I thank You, through Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son,
that You kept me safe from all evil and danger last
night. Save me, I pray, today as well, from every evil
and sin, so that all I do and the way that I live will
please you. I put myself in your care, body and soul and
all that I have. Let Your holy Angels be with me, so
that the evil enemy will not gain power over me. Amen.
After that, with joy
go about your work and perhaps sing a song inspired by
the Ten Commandments or your own thoughts.
The Evening Devotions
When you go to bed in the
evening, you should bless yourself with the sign of the Holy
Cross and say:
May the will of God,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be done! Amen.
Then, kneeling or
standing, say the creed and pray the Lord's Prayer. If you
wish, then you may pray this little prayer as well:
My Heavenly Father, I
thank You, through Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son, that You
have protected me, by Your grace. Forgive, I pray, all my
sins and the evil I have done. Protect me, by Your grace,
tonight. I put myself in your care, body and soul and all
that I have. Let Your holy angels be with me, so that the
evil enemy will not gain power over me. Amen.
After this, go to sleep
immediately with joy.
How a Father Should Teach
His Household to say Grace and Return Thanks at Meals:
The children and
servants should come to the table modestly and with
folded hands and say:
All eyes look to
you, O Lord, and You give everyone food at the right
time. You open Your generous hands and satisfy the
hunger of all living things with what they desire.
Note:
"What they desire"
means that all animals get so much to eat, that they are
happy and cheerful. Because, worry and greed interferes
with such desires.
After this, pray the
Lord's Prayer and the following prayer:
Lord God, Heavenly
Father, bless us and these gifts, which we receive from
Your generous hand, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
This text was translated in 1994
for Project Wittenberg by Robert E. Smith and is in the public
domain. You may freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please
direct any comments or suggestions to:
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Walther Library
Concordia Theological Seminary.
E-mail: bob_smith@ctsfw.edu
Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA
Phone: (219) 452-2148 - Fax: (219) 452-2126
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