Just as Luther’s Morning Prayer gives us a great way to start our day, Luther’s Evening Prayer gives us a great way to end our day. We use this prayer, too, at the end of confirmation class with our confirmands. To aid you in your use of this prayer, I want to offer some brief thoughts on this prayer and how it echoes Scripture:

I thank You, my heavenly Father,

Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!” Therefore when we come before God in prayer, it’s appropriate for us to do so with praise and thanksgiving on our lips. And we address him tenderly as our heavenly Father, just as Jesus encourages us to in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9).

through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day;

Just as Jesus commanded, we pray in His name (John 14:13), and as we pray we do so knowing that the Father hears our prayers because Jesus has given us access to him (Ephesians 2:18).

and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong,

Coming before God, it is appropriate for us to confess our sins, recognizing our failures, like Isaiah when he comes before God (Isaiah 6:1–5)—yet we also know that God graciously forgives our sins through Jesus, and purifies us so that we might come before him, just as he purified Isaiah (Isaiah 6:6–7).

and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things.

We pray for God to keep us under his protection, remembering the words of Psalm 127:1, “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”

Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Here we think of Psalm 91:11, “he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways”—yet I also always think about how the word “angel” can sometimes just mean “messenger,” and I pray too for God to send me His Holy Spirit, remembering Jesus’ words in Luke 11:13, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

May this prayer always be a blessing to you in your personal devotions.

-Pastor Duncan