September 24, 2026
Today's Reading: Catechism: Daily Prayers: Morning & Evening Prayer
Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:22-38; Nehemiah 10:1-13:31; 1 Timothy 6:3-21
In the morning when you get up/In the evening when you go to bed, make the sign of the holy cross and say: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
The catechism tells us to start and end our day in the same way, in prayer. In addition, both the Morning and Evening Prayers share similar content. Both begin with thanksgivings to God for what He has done, then look forward with requests for further protection during the day to come or forgiveness for sins committed during the day just past. In both cases, the prayer acknowledges God as the one who both keeps His people safe and forgives them where they have fallen short. Both prayers also ask for protection from the evil one. Both prayers confess that the Christian is never left alone.
That being said, these prayers are not so much about what a person may or may not have done during the day just past, or what they may or may not do during the day that is to come, or even what they might need protecting from. In fact, these prayers go beyond just a good discipline for the Christian to practice. They are more than just something that is good to do at the beginning and end of the day. These prayers are not about self-care. These prayers are not about the actions of the individual as much as they are about the identity of the one doing the praying. Both the Morning and Evening Prayers are about you as a baptized child of God.
This is why each prayer begins with the Trinitarian invocation. You start each prayer with the words of your Baptism. You can only pray the Morning and Evening Prayers because you are baptized. You can only expect God to keep, guide, protect, and forgive you because you are already one of His children. You can only pray to God for these things because He has already promised you these things in the water of Baptism. There, in the water of the font, is where the benefits of the cross were applied to you personally. You were recreated in the font as a child of God. In the water and word promises were made to you, and you can pray to God each morning and evening because He keeps His promises.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Come pray with me the prayer I need this day; Help me to see Your purpose and Your will–Where I have failed, what I have done amiss; Held in forgiving love, let me be still. (LSB 769:2)
Rev. Grant Knepper, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Modesto, CA.
