Now I lay me down to sleep...

 Now I lay me down to sleep,

pray the Lord my sole to keep.

If I should die before I wake.

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Remember this prayer? It was a standard in many households when I was growing up. Today, this type of prayer (or like the grace, "Come Lord Jesus"), are called a "rote" prayer, or a "formula" prayer. It was a good way to get a child in the practice of praying. Some continued praying these rote prayers until they were pre-teens. But then many people stop praying them. Should we quit saying these old favorite prayers? Maybe not.

About 20 years ago, one of our neighbor's woke up to find his wife stiff and cold. She had died sometime in the middle of the night. Not even 50 years old, and she died in her sleep. When word spread in the neighborhood this had happened, it was a showstopper. You were not supposed to die that young, especially in your sleep.

Why do I bring this up? The other day my wife and I were out shopping when we ran into an old friend. She had recently lost her husband. They were not yet retired, but close. They went to bed like they usually did, maybe read for a while, and turned the lights out. When she awoke, her husband was dead. Died in his sleep. That was seven months ago, and the sadness and grief were still present within her. I had never seen a person look so sad.  

I know, I know. Death eventually finds us all. But at the end of the day, when praying in bed, asking the Lord should you die before you wake, to take your soul to Heaven - is not a bad idea. In fact, it is a good idea indeed! Teaching kids to pray, and especially using that prayer at night, is a very good idea. It is being a good parent and doing a very godly thing for your children.

Is there anything wrong with saying a formula prayer at night like "Now I lay me down to sleep", or at mealtime like "Come Lord Jesus"? Not a bit, so long as those words have meaning, and are not just words to be recited.   

Someone once told me, "With prayer, we talk to God. When reading his Word, He talks to us." Wise words for sure. Prayer is important, no matter what your age. What if you have not prayed for decades? You are out of practice? God does not care, so long as you start again. He has been patiently waiting to hear from you.