Advent Two- Prayer

Advent Bed Time Prayer

Do you fall into bed, long past your bedtime, convinced that if you only had 12 extra hours in the day you might get half of what you planned accomplished? When you are too tired to pray, let The Spirit of God pray for you and sing the closing verses of Luther’s hymn, “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come.”

The first verses are a devotional recounting of the birth of Christ. But, those last 3 verses, may serve as a bedtime prayer, for you and the little ones you love, to sing together. When I was a child, verse 13 was my Advent prayer. I still love the translation that was in the hymn book of my childhood and use it today.

“Ah Dearest Jesus, Holy Child, Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled, 

Within my heart that it may be A quiet chamber, kept for Thee.”

If you are building new memories for your bedtime prayers,

 look at those last 3 verses in today’s hymn book. 

Verse 13 implores God to create in you a new heart. 

Verse 14 describes that heart.

 Verse 15 joins the song of saints and angels

 beyond all time praising God.

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, 

Prepare a bed, soft, undefiled,

A quiet chamber set apart

For You to dwell within my heart.

My heart for very joy must leap;

My lips no more can silence keep,

I, too, must sing with joyful tongue

That sweetest ancient cradle song;

Glory to God in highest heav’n

Who unto us His Son has giv’n!

While angels sing with pious mirth

A glad new year to all the earth.

Listen Here:

From Heaven Above to Earth I Come

 This hymn is actually found in the Christmas, 

not the Advent, section of the Lutheran hymnal,

 but the verse I talk about
was my childhood Advent bedtime prayer.

 I have vague memories of my father singing it to me

 as he carried me home from mid-week Advent services.

 We lived in the teacherage right next to the church,

 so it was not a long walk.

Thanks to Natalie Hartwig for this Advent reflection.

A bit more about this hymn:
Martin Luther wrote this hymn in the 1530's for his child-
 so they could sing it on Chritismas Eve.
He even dressed up as an angel to sing the opening verses.
He often included his students for this tradition
when they couldn't go home for Christmas.
Later, Valentin Schumann added the music
and the Christmas carol was published in the Lutheran Hymnal.
 The English translation is attributed to Catherine Winkworth,
 who translated it in 1855.