Evening Prayers

 

I intended to write just one blog about prayer. However, the response from my siblings to that blog has given me reason for further reflection. Roy commented about “someone” getting a detention in the Eastern Christian High School class of ‘65 for praying, “Lord, bless this bunch as we munch on our lunch."

Helen suggested that I write about a nighttime prayer that we said as children:

“Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.”

I remember praying this “Now I lay me…” prayer at bedside on my knees as a child. I wonder if children are still being taught this prayer. I am curious to know if there are adults who continue to use this prayer. I want to take a few moments to reflect on the prayer and the idea of ending the day with a prayer.

The prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep…,” became popular after being included in the New England Primer. This was one of the first reading textbooks of the American colonies and was published at around 1690 AD. Other similar rhyming prayers are recorded in German and English literature in the early 1600’s and even as far back as 1100 AD.

The prayer appears to have emerged from Scripture and the context of the times. Psalm 4:8 is thought to be the basis for part of the prayer. “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” The time period when the prayer was written included a high infant mortality rate which provided a good reason for children, and their parents, to pray, “If I should die before I wake.” Even in the 1800’s, the child mortality rate was 462.9 per 1,000 or 46%. This is in dramatic contrast to the 2020 rate of seven deaths per thousand.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1041693/united-states-all-time-child-mortality-rate/

Evening prayers have never been limited to children. There are examples of evening prayers (as well as morning prayers) throughout church history. These are formally referred to as Vespers, Evensong, or as a part of Liturgy of the Hours. Most of these are fairly long (long enough to put this feeble writer to sleep). Here are a few prayers, or excerpts of prayers.

Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight,
and give Your Angels and Saints charge over those who sleep.
Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ.
Rest Your weary ones.
Bless Your dying ones.
Soothe Your suffering ones.
Pity Your afflicted ones.
Shield Your joyous ones.
And all for Your love's sake. Amen.
A prayer of Augustine, 354-430 AD, https://www.beliefnet.com/prayers/catholic/bedtime/watch-o-lord.aspx

I adore You, my God, and I love You with all my heart. I thank you for having created me, for having made me a Christian, and for having preserved me this day. Pardon me for the evil I have done today. If I have done anything good, be pleased to accept it. Protect me while I take my rest and deliver me from all dangers. May your grace be always with me. Amen.  
A Catholic prayer, https://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/evening-prayers.html

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 would 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.
A Lutheran prayer, https://catechism.cph.org/en/daily-prayers.html

Lord God,
Since Thou hast made the night for man to rest as Thou hast created the day for his work, I beseech Thee to give my body a restful night and to grant that my soul may be lifted up to Thee and my heart always filled with Thy love.
Teach me, O God, to entrust all my cares to Thee and constantly remember Thy mercy, so that my soul may enjoy spiritual rest…
Grant, O God, that just as now Thou hast hid all things in the shadows of the night, Thou wilt also bury my sins in Thy mercy, through Jesus Christ my Savior. Amen.”
A prayer of John Calvin, https://tollelege.net/2011/04/25/an-evening-prayer-by-john-calvin/

The above prayers, childhood and adult, include a variety of meditative ways to approach the night. My own pattern involves meditating on selected Bible passages before going to sleep and reflecting on memories of these verses when waking during the night. I currently am drawing from fourteen passages. The following are especially meaningful to me as a way of entering the hours of evening sleep.

Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4, The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:16-21
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Hebrews 13:20-21
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I close this post in wishing you eventide blessings. Whether you enter into the night with a simple, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” or a more theologically sophisticated prayer like that of Augustine saying, “Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight…;” I pray that…
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Numbers 5:24-26