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The Catechism as PrayerbookA Lutheran Guide to Daily Piety
– Martin Luther
“To be a Christian withoutprayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”
or was it Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Cell Phone or Landline?
In Love prays for NEIGHBORand his or her needs.
In Faith grasps the promises of GOD found in the Means of Grace.
What is Prayer?
Prayer is a means by which God blesses his people.
“We have put our hope in Him that He will deliver us again while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.”
2 Corinthians 1:10,11
“We have put our hope in Him that He will deliver us again while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.”
τη ~ δεη/σει = Dative of Means “by means of (your) prayers…”
2 Corinthians 1:10,11
What is Prayer?
Prayer is the communion of a believer’s heart with God.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” - Ps. 19:14
What is Prayer?
Prayer is a desire of the heart as it comes before God through Christ.
“And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” - Rom. 8:26,27
What is Prayer?
Prayer is a fruit of a Christian’s sanctified life. [Faith & Love]
“Pray continually.” - 1 Th. 5:17
“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” - Ps. 50:15
Biblical Examples of Prayer
Daniel — Daniel 6:10
Gethsemane — Luke 22:39-46
High Priestly Prayer — Luke 6:12
Paul’s Command — 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“challenge, temptation, doubt”
Luther recognized his personal anfechtung in a daily way.
He also saw prayer as a tool against Satan’s attacks.
Anfechtung
“Praying the catechism is not merely for children and the simple; it is no less the duty and the joy of the mature Christian. Because the triune God Himself is the true teacher of the basic mysteries of the faith, all Christians are His pupils. Prayerful meditation on those central texts of our Christian faith draws our inner man into the dynamic of the Spirit of God. These texts and the light of faith breaking forth from them pull us out of evil thoughts, still the diffuse unrest of our hearts, and form a sturdy protective barrier against demonic temptations.”
Albrecht Peters, Ten Commandments, trans. Holger Sonntag, Commentary on Luther’s Catechisms 1 (St. Louis: Concordia, 2009), 33
Lutheran Prayer
“Praying is serious business; it is not mindless meditation or wordless impulses to connect with a higher spiritual power. Prayer learns how to listen to the Word of the Lord and out of that listening to speak to Him. In so doing, prayer is the Christian’s engagement in battle against Satan. There is no neutrality here; either one is aligned with the triune God or with the devil.”
Dr. John Pless, Praying Luther’s Small Catechism: The Pattern of Sound Words (St. Louis: Concordia, 2016), 2
Lutheran Prayer
“Praying is serious business; it is not mindless meditation or wordless impulses to connect with a higher spiritual power. Prayer learns how to LISTEN to the Word of the Lord and out of that listening to speak to Him. In so doing, prayer is the Christian’s engagement in battle against Satan. There is no neutrality here; either one is aligned with the triune God or with the devil.”
Dr. John Pless, Praying Luther’s Small Catechism: The Pattern of Sound Words (St. Louis: Concordia, 2016), 2
Lutheran Prayer
“Praying is serious business; it is not mindless meditation or wordless impulses to connect with a higher spiritual power. Prayer learns how to LISTEN to the Word of the Lord and out of that listening to SPEAK to Him. In so doing, prayer is the Christian’s engagement in battle against Satan. There is no neutrality here; either one is aligned with the triune God or with the devil.”
Dr. John Pless, Praying Luther’s Small Catechism: The Pattern of Sound Words (St. Louis: Concordia, 2016), 2
Lutheran Prayer
Read, study, “inwardly digest”
the Word of God in Law and Gospel
Prayer reflective of what was heard in the
Word of God.
Read, study, “inwardly digest”
the Word of God in Law and Gospel
Prayer reflective of what was heard in the
Word of God.
Theology the Lutheran Way, trans. Jeffrey Silcock and Mark Mattes (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 2007), 55
“Those who want to search for the Holy Spirit deep inside themselves,
in a realm too deep for words to express, will find ghosts, not God.”
– Oswald Bayer
– Daniel Deutschlander
“Prayer is, as the poet says, the Christian’s vital breath. But it is a breath that first has its impulse from the love and promises of God in the Word and the Sacraments.”
Grace Abounds (Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2015), 495
Luther’s Catechisms
“These are the most necessary parts of the Christian teaching that one should first learn to repeat word for word. And our children should be used to reciting them daily when they rise in the morning, when they sit down to their meals, and when they go to bed at night. And until they repeat them, they should not be given food or drink. Likewise, every head of a household is bound to do the same with his household, manservants, and maidservants.
Luther’s Catechisms
He should not keep them in his house if they do not know these things or are unwilling to learn them. A person who is so rude and unruly as to be unwilling to learn these things is not to be tolerated. For in these three parts, everything that we have in the Scriptures is included in short, plain, and simple terms. For the holy fathers or apostles have summarized the doctrine, life, wisdom, and art of Christians this way. These parts speak, teach, and are focused on them.”
Large Catechism, Short Preface, 15-19
Peter Beskendorf, the Master Barber
Friends with Luther for at least 18 years
Court surgeon
Requested of Luther a “Simple way to pray” that an ordinary man could use.
Would eventually murder his brother-in-law on Easter 1535, convicted, and exiled.
– Martin Luther
“Christ talks about unceasing prayer in Luke 11, saying one should pray without ceasing just as one should ceaselessly guard himself against sin and
wrongdoing…We have to be absolutely certain that we do not allow ourselves to be distracted from genuine prayer. The devil is not lazy! He will never stop
attacking us. And our flesh is all too ready, willing, and able to make us resist the spirit of genuine prayer. That’s why saying out loud the Ten
Commandments, the Creed, the words of Jesus, etc. will move your heart and you will realize it is time for you to get down on your knees…”
A Simple Way to Pray, trans. Matthew C. Harrison, (St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 2012), 7
“A Simple Way to Pray”
Instruction
Thanksgiving
Confession
Prayer
“A Simple Way to Pray”
“Just as a good diligent barber must keep his thoughts and eyes precisely on the razor and hair, and not forget where he is while cutting hair, even though he may be chatting a great deal, he will be
concentrating carefully, so that he keeps a close eye on where the razor is so he doesn’t cut somebody’s nose, or mouth, or even slice somebody’s throat.”
– Martin Luther
“A Simple Way to Pray”
Lord’s Prayer
Commandments
Creed
– Martin Luther
“Since our Lord is the author of this prayer, it is without a doubt the most sublime, the loftiest, and the most
excellent. If he, the good and faithful Teacher, had known a better one, he would surely have taught us that too.”
Hallowed be Your name.
What does this mean?
God’s name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also.
How is God’s name kept holy?
God’s name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear
Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God’s Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!
The First Petition
INSTRUCTION
CONFESSION
THANKSGIVING
PRAYER
The First Petition
And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
What does this mean?
We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.
The Fifth Petition
INSTRUCTION
CONFESSION
THANKSGIVING
PRAYER
The Fifth Petition
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.
The Third Commandment
INSTRUCTION
CONFESSION
THANKSGIVING
PRAYER
The Third Commandment
And I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born
of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose
again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
What does this mean?
…who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with
His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death…
The Second Article [Pt. 2]
INSTRUCTION
CONFESSION
THANKSGIVING
PRAYER
The Second Article
Luther’s Daily Prayers
Viewed prayer as a “means”
Connection to Baptism
Intimate and personal.
The order of the Chief Parts found in the Small Catechism was not arbitrarily chosen by Luther
The most common order from 1450 to 1500 was: The Hail Mary, the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments.
Luther reversed the order to purposely show that the Gospel is the source of vitality and the power for morality.
Interesting Tidbits
Luther’s views on praying the “Hail Mary”
Advocated for it’s continued use
Wanted to include it in a condensed form of the Small Catechism in 1520.
Warned against a false veneration of the Virgin by presenting an evangelical interpretation of it in his Commentary on the Magnificat [1525], cf. LW 21, 297-358
Interesting Tidbits
Luther’s use of the Psalms as a source of prayer:
Interesting Tidbits
Psalm 12 — For the exaltation of the Holy Gospel.
Psalm 67 — For the increase of faith.
Psalm 51 — Concerning the whole matter, that is, the essential and original sin together with its consequences.
Psalm 103 — For thanking God for all his goodness to us.
Psalm 20 — For good government and for earthly authorities
Psalm 79 — Against the enemies of the Christian church and the Gospel
Psalm 25 — A general prayer to submit to God in all things
Psalm 10 — Against the Antichrist and his kingdom
Paul’s letter to Titus as instruction on living a Christian life.
Luther’s Table Prayers
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these your gifts, which we receive from your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Interesting Tidbits
Luther’s Table Prayers
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these your gifts, which we receive from your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Interesting Tidbits
— Martin Luther
I’ll do my best to show you how I approach prayer. May our Lord God help us all to do better in this regard.
Amen.
A Simple Way to Pray, trans. Matthew C. Harrison, (St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 2012), 6
Bayer, Oswald, Theology the Lutheran Way, trans. Jeffrey Silcock and Mark Mattes (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007)
Chemnitz, Martin, Ministry, Word, and Sacraments: An Enchiridion, trans. Luther Poellot (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1981)
Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, ed. Paul T. McCain (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006)
Deutschlander, Daniel, Grace Abounds: The Splendor of Christian Doctrine (Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2015)
Hoenecke, Adolf, Evangelical Lutheran Dogmatics, Vol. III, trans. James Langebartels (Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2003)
Lange, Lyle W., God So Loved the World: A Study of Christian Doctrine (Milwuakee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2005)
Luther, Martin, A Simple Way to Pray, trans. Matthew C. Harrison (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2012)
Luther’s Small Catechism, ed. Paul T. McCain (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2016)
Luther’s Works, Vol. 42, ed. Martin O. Dietrich (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969)
Luther’s Works, Vol. 43, ed. Gustav K. Wiencke (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1698)
Paulson, Steven D., Lutheran Theology (New York: Bloomsbury, 2011)
Petermann, Joel V., Prayer: An Audience with the King (Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2001)
Peters, Albrecht, Commentary on Luther’s Catechisms I, trans. Holger Sonntag,(St. Louis: Concordia, 2009)
Pless, John T., Praying Luther’s Small Catechism: The Pattern of Sound Words (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2016)
