And now I lay me down to sleep

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It’s a child’s prayer-
I don’t think it really matters, in the grand scheme of things… 🤷
Any prayer that leads a child to God is a “good prayer”! 😃
 
Oneofthewomen said:
It’s a child’s prayer-
I don’t think it really matters, in the grand scheme of things… 🤷
Any prayer that leads a child to God is a “goood prayer”! 😃
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Does it really matter what faith it comes from?

Like this person side its a child’s prayer.

I still say it. lol.
 
SeanF1989 said:
Is this a Catholic prayer or a Protestant prayer?
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Well, here is what Wikipedia has to say on the subject…

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Now_I_Lay_Me_Down_to_Sleep

It first appeareed in this Protestant publication…

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_England_Primer

This is my own personal version:

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As now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray thee, Lord, my soul to keep.
May angels guard me through the night,
And keep me safe till morning’s light.
And if I die before I wake,
I pray thee, Lord, my soul to take.

The meter is 88.88.88

I sing it to the hymn tune MELITA, best known for its use in The Navy Hymn
 
Well at Compline in the Roman rite (but not the monastic rite) we say “in manus tuas Domine, commendo spiritum meum” (into your hands Lord, I commend my spirit), the words of Jesus himself. Can’t go wrong with that!
 
I prithee, Lord, my soul to keep,
For if I should die before I awake,
I prithee, Lord, my soul to take.

I don’t know what tradition it is, but it has a “Catholic” ring to it to me, for some unidentifiable reason. I learned it as an adult.
 
It is a Cathlic pray, because when I was a child, my mother would,watch me kneel and saythat pray,and than I would hop into my Bed.
 
Oneofthewomen said:
It’s a child’s prayer-
I don’t think it really matters, in the grand scheme of things… 🤷
Any prayer that leads a child to God is a “good prayer”! 😃
Click to expand...
I like your response. Even more, it’s both a child’s prayer and a child-like prayer, and we know Jesus told us to have faith like a child. I would defy anyone to find a problem with the prayer itself. Despite what the linked article hints at, I don’t see that the prayer promotes the Protestant “assurance of salvation” belief. If it said something like “I know the Lord will take my soul,” that would be different. But it doesn’t say that. It says “I PRAY the Lord my soul to take.” I don’t see the prayer as all that different from the conclusion of Night Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours: “May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.”
 
Without a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur it SHOULD be avoided. (Notice I said should not must.)
 
But there are some things with both that are far, far more risky to the faith of many individuals (i.e. the New Jerome Commentary, almost anything published by Liturgical Press/Michael Glazier that managed to get it).
 
Kevin812 said:
Without a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur it SHOULD be avoided. (Notice I said should not must.)
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Khalid has a point. Not everything which does not carry an Imprimatur or Nihil Obstat must necessarily (for lack of a better word) be avoided. I’m just wondering: does the Jesus Prayer have an Imprimatur?

BTW I learned the prayer from my grandmother (God bless her) back when I was younger. I actually find it very simple and at the same time very beautiful.
 
I also like this Catholic child’s prayer:

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom His love entrusts me here,
ever this night (day) be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.
 
Rich_C said:
I also like this Catholic child’s prayer:

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom His love entrusts me here,
ever this night (day) be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.
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I actually learned this side-by-side with that!
 
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