Although the Small Catechism is primarily a tool used to explain the core symbols of the faith—10 commandments, Lord’s Prayer, Apostles Creed, baptism, communion, and confession—it also ends with a set of prayers designed for daily use.
The instructions for morning prayer read as follows:
Morning Prayer.
In the morning, when you rise, you shall bless yourself with the holy cross and say:
In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Then, kneeling or standing, repeat the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. If you choose, you may, in addition, say this little prayer:
I thank Thee, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, that Thou hast kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray Thee to keep me this day also from sin and all evil, that all my doings and life may please Thee. For into Thy hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Thy holy angel be with me, that the Wicked Foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Then go to your work with joy, singing a hymn, as the Ten Commandments, or what your devotion may suggest.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Lutheran Confessions to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.