When I was small, my Dad would pray with me every night before bed. We would kneel beside my bed and pray Now I Lay Me.
We could not pray while in the bed, we had to kneel beside the bed. I liked this routine. Every evening we would read together from my big Bible Story book and then pray.
I would say:
Now I lay me
Down to sleep
Fosha die
Before I wake
I pray the Lord
My soul to take.
And then I would say, 'God please bless Mommy, Daddy, ...' and I would list everyone important to me.
It was a long time before I realized that 'fosha' was not a word and that the prayer was actually meant to say 'if I should die'. Of course, as for many of you who prayed this prayer, this did not bring comfort.
I knew that asking God to take my soul, should I die, was a good thing. But actually praying each night that I might 'die before I wake', did not seem like something a little girl should feel good about.
But, of course, while writing this, my son reminds me that I actually led my own children in this same prayer when they were small.
I'm thankful that I was taught the importance of ending my day in prayer. And I'm thankful that my Dad took the time to instill those values in me.
Down to sleep
Fosha die
Before I wake
I pray the Lord
My soul to take.
And then I would say, 'God please bless Mommy, Daddy, ...' and I would list everyone important to me.
It was a long time before I realized that 'fosha' was not a word and that the prayer was actually meant to say 'if I should die'. Of course, as for many of you who prayed this prayer, this did not bring comfort.
I knew that asking God to take my soul, should I die, was a good thing. But actually praying each night that I might 'die before I wake', did not seem like something a little girl should feel good about.
But, of course, while writing this, my son reminds me that I actually led my own children in this same prayer when they were small.
I'm thankful that I was taught the importance of ending my day in prayer. And I'm thankful that my Dad took the time to instill those values in me.
5 comments:
I too remember saying this prayer each night as a little girl. Only it was my Grandmother ensuring that this was the nightly routine. Before bed she would read from the large family bible and then we would go upstairs where we would all kneel and say Now I lay me. We used to have a plaque with the prayer that hung in our room when we were small. This is still my Grandmothers routine at 85 years of age. God Bless her.
I think it's these memories of times spent with our earthly fathers that helps us to have that intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. I ache for those who don't have such good memories, but I'm thankful for the memories I have with my dad.
It wasn't my dad who had the bedtime ritual with my sister and I, but my mom. The prayer she prayed was prayed by her mom and her gramma and I still pray it over my children ....
"Jesus tender shepherd, hear me,
Bless thy little lamb tonight,
In the darkness be thou near her,
Keep her safe 'till morning light."
My girls even recorded it on Andrew's Hymns album during an instrumental portion of "Sweet Hour of Prayer".
"forsha".... for years I thought the marriage vows said "awful wedded wife"!!
Prayer time with Derek was ALWAYS interesting.... it was so hard not to laugh with the things he would come out with.
I love hearing children pray!
I used to pray that every night too as a little girl with my Mom.
My dad would tuck me in and we recited this prayer as well.
Every night, I recite it with my daughters. We say:
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
Guard me Jesus through the night
And wake me with the morning light.
And of course, we ask God to bless a list of people, including "everybody in the whole wide world".
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