“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.”
The above prayer may be one of the most common bedtime prayers ever in America. It is attributed to a prayer from Joseph Addison in 1711 that read, “When I lay me down to sleep, I recommend myself to His care; when I awake, I give myself up to His direction.” The version we are familiar with was later printed in the New England Primer in the late 1700s for the American Colonies. I must admit that the original prayer is more appealing to me than the later version. I remember hearing my parents pray the more common version to me over my bed and beginning to wonder if I was going to die that night when I fell asleep.
Life in the early colonies was much different than it is today. They were threatened on so many fronts by issues we do not even consider today. They dealt with physical threats of enemies, illness, famine, the wild of the country, and consequently, life was much more fragile and vulnerable. Perhaps it was the parent’s way of preparing their children for the reality of their times while still comforting them with the knowledge of God’s protective care.
The truth is life is always outside of our control. We are not guaranteed the next day or the next hour, and sometimes we forget how vulnerable we are even as we try to secure ourselves against any unexpected danger. We do not want to scare our children when they are going down to sleep, but we should make a point to teach them about our great God Who never sleeps and Who always watches over us at all times.
In Scripture the death of the believer is often referred to as sleep. For the faithful, death is no longer something we need fear, for when God decides to take us home, we know that He will keep us safely in His hands. Jesus’ death on the cross has taken away death’s power over us. Death becomes a gentle waking to life everlasting because Jesus has conquered death. Knowing this truth not only allows us to gently lay down to sleep, but more so, to wake in confidence with a willingness to serve Him in our waking hours. So, sleep tight, and be blessed!
Know that you are loved!
Peace and Joy,
Pastor Kilian