Prayer, Regurgitation, Mimicking, or Relationship?  

The bedtime prayer “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" has been taught to children across the globe for centuries. In all probability the version, many of us learned as children were inspired by the poem entitled "The Black Paternoster." A German version of the poem was popular, and it ultimately spread to England and the New World. The poem had a negative connotation. Fortunately, the poem escaped anti-witchcraft and anti-Catholic sentiments of the 17th century to become a favorite children’s rhyme in England.  Perhaps this may be credited to an Anglican priest, scholar, and hymn-writer, Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834-1924. The rhyme came to be called "The Four Corners Prayer," first published in English by author Thomas Ady in the 1600s.

Mathew, Mark, Luke, John
Bless the bed that I lie on;
And blessed guardian angel keep
Me safe from danger while I sleep.

 

The prayer I first learned was from my mother, and I prayed it each night from 2 years old to 12 years old with very few changes. Now, 56 years have passed since I first said this bedtime prayer along with my loving mother. The lessons learned and fond memories shared provide me comfort, strength, and joy.

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.

Angels watch me through the night,
and wake me with the morning light.

GOD Bless Mommy, Daddy, Phillis Noreen,

Pamela Jean, John Wesley,

and our family and friends.

If I should live for other days,
I pray the LORD to guide my ways.

Amen

The disciples, ask JESUS to teach them to pray. Prayer takes commitment. Since people learn by example, we all need to remain conscience how we pray publically, because we may be teaching those listening how to pray. Moses is one of the prominent characters of the Bible. Moses was a man of prayer. Consider how his name is found some seven hundred fifty times in the Old Testament and approximately eighty times in the New Testament. Moses constantly prayed as an intercessor.

Lifting up a prayer on behalf of others provides benefits to the Body of CHRIST. So, though the "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" prayer may be short and simple, it can minister in wonderful ways teaching our children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews GOD is listening and HE truly cares!

1. Prayer focuses our minds on GOD. Fixing our attention on HIS "ability" to protect and watch over us takes away fear.

2. Prayer realigns our spirits with GOD. Looking to HIM for our deliverance releases us from the pressure of trying to control everything.

3. Prayer leads our hearts to worship GOD. Asking for HIS care reminds us how deeply we are loved, and praising HIM is a natural response.

Essentially, there are seven forms of prayer:

Adoration:Prayers of adoration simply means we exalt, esteem, bless, and honor the LORD. We reflect upon His character—holiness, goodness, love, mercy, power, grace, and dominion.Adoration is an essential element of prayer and should always be included in our conversation with GOD. It involves praise and worship. We should always acknowledge GOD is worthy to be adored. Adoration is always appropriate whether our specific prayer requests have been answered or not. GOD deserves our adoration because He is GOD!

Petition: Of all the forms of prayer in the Christian life, the petition is often the most common. Whether we are crying out, pleading, sending a quick thought up, or in a group assembling requests  our prayers tend to lean toward us asking the LORD to grant what we want or need, and to conclude we close in JESUS name as if that will grant our petition. Our heart needs to align with GOD’s will in supplication.

Romans 12:12

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the GOD and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Supplication: Prayers of supplication are prayers from our hearts in humility to GOD. Humility is crucial to answered prayers. Every time JESUS encountered humble, despairing people, He immediately met their needs. In the Gospel of Mark chapter 5 JESUS heals the demoniac, raises Jairus’ daughter from the dead, and eradicates a woman’s 12-year hemorrhage.Supplication provides us with the strength and courage to suffer and wait while we ask for liberation. Hezekiah asked for GOD to prolong his life.

2 Kings 20:1-6

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amos went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes. And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now, you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

 

Imprecatory: You won’t find this word in the Bible, but it is a type of prayer often associated with King David. To imprecate means to curse or speak evil toward someone. When David used this type of praying it wasn’t as a form of exacting revenge. Rather,David used it as a way to show agreement with GOD’s judgment and sovereignty over evil.David asked for the punishment of his enemies.

Psalm 83

“…As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm…”

Intersession:The role of intercession in prayer was prevalent in the Old Testament, in the cases of Abraham, Moses, David, Samuel, Hezekiah, Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel to name a few patriarchs. Take time to read chapter 9 of Daniel examining a good example of intercessory pray, below is a portion of Daniel’s prayer.

Daniel Chapter 9

…“O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. 17 Now, therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy…”

 

Thanksgiving: We are to pray with thanksgiving, not just when we feel like it, but as an act of our submission and obedience. Regardless of what’s happening in our lives, we’re to thank GOD for the good, for the bad, for the unknown, for the big decision, we’re facing, and even for the difficult/ugly. Prayers of thanksgiving are proclaimed throughout the Bible is comprised of four elements in true thanksgiving:

v Remembering what GOD has done for us

v Telling other about GOD’s Blessings

v Presenting GOD’s Glory to others

v Offering gifts of ourselves, our time, and our resources to the Glory of GOD

Philippians 1:3-6

 “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

 

Corporate: The book of Acts teaches much about corporate prayer. The disciples and the early church were involved in public prayer. In the first couple chapters of Acts it seems that the church services were mainly made up of prayer. Decisions in the early church were accompanied by prayer. One example recorded is when they sent out the first missionaries.
          Acts 13: 3

^“So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”

I can well remember my first place. The year was 1981 and I rented a small fixer-upper in Greensboro North Carolina. I do not know if you fell into the trap I did, but I became more preoccupied with the outside than I did with the inside. I was so concerned with what people thought as they drove by that consequently I neglected the inside. I was 19 and all I needed was a place to rest my head, no one would see the inside. I believe far too often we become preoccupied with the outside of our lives/the peripheral than we do with the inside where JESUS lives. We try to keep up with the “Jones’s”, rather than as Zacchaeus did invite JESUS into our home/heart. In today’s digital world, many are consumed by social status, materialistic items, and luxuries. This is because we are constantly being bombarded with images of perfection on a Facebook post, edited Instagram images, TikTok videos, and reality TV shows highlighting the elite.

 

In the reality, however, status, designer products, and expensive items are worth nothing; they won’t make your happy nor healthy, or content. Therefore, regardless of where you are in your walk with CHRIST our priority must become cleaning up the inside of our life…our heart so JESUS will be at home and come dwell within our life. We can have the experiential dwelling of CHRIST in our hearts by faith. Faith is what makes CHRIST’s dwelling in us experientially acceptable to GOD. Prayer is the first step toward developing our walk with CHRIST by practicing our faith daily.                   

 

Be courageous in asking for what your heart longs for, and be patient enough to listen for the answer. When JESUS taught the disciples to pray, "Our Father, who art in heaven," JESUS was teaching prayer summarizes all human need. Say it to GOD as often as you can. Remain in a spirit of prayer and offer petitions and questions to GOD. Share your heart, and then wait. Listening is easy when we understand GOD hears our prayers. We grow in our faith by becoming okay with the waiting. Listening requires patience, and accepting sometimes the answer to our prayers is "no," or "wait." When you are going through truly deep waters encompassing the sickness or death of a spouse or child, when you hear the dreaded word cancer, when you lose your job, when you stumble and fall look up, and reach up, … JESUS will always be there He will not forsake HIS own!

There is so much uncertainty in the world today. I like many Americans are concerned as we draw near to inaugurating our 46 President of the United States. We need to pray for our family, our country, our community, and our new President. This is the time, now is the place, and none other should satisfy us. The poem below has sundry versions by many authors. I like the one by Coltman, for I believe regardless of our political prowess, or cultural diversity peace in our country will not come until we learn to trust.

UNTIL I LEARNED TO TRUST

 

Until I learned to trust,

I never learned to pray;

And I did not learn to fully trust

Till sorrows came my way.

 

Until I felt my weakness,

His strength I never knew;

Nor dreamed till I was stricken,

That He could see me through.

 

Who deepest drinks of sorrow,

Drinks deepest too of grace;

He sends the storm so He Himself

Can be our hiding place.

 

His heart, that seeks our highest good,

Knows well when things annoy;

We would not long for heaven,

If earth held only joy.

 

                                                                                                                 William Coltman

Your friend and Brother from Inman

 

Jay Adam Pearson