When asked by his barber and good friend, Peter Beskendorf, for some practical guidance on how to prepare oneself for prayer, Luther responded by writing this brief treatise, first published in the spring of 1535. After 500 years, his instruction continues to offer words of spiritual nurture for us today.
Luther counsels that prayer should begin with The Lord's Prayer and then proceed by way of The Ten Commandments and The Apostles' Creed. He provides practical advice on how the practice of prayer can enhance one's relationship to, and awareness of, God. This is not simply a study about prayer, but is also a guide composed with actual prayers. Considered a devotional classic, this work speaks directly and powerfully to the vital need for the discipline of prayer for today's Christian.
Luther counsels that prayer should begin with
The Lord's PrayerThe Lord's Prayer and then proceed by way of
The Ten CommandmentsThe Ten Commandments and
The Apostles' CreedThe Apostles' Creed. He provides practical advice on how the practice of prayer can enhance one's relationship to, and awareness of, God. This is not simply a study about prayer, but is also a guide composed with actual prayers. Considered a devotional classic, this work speaks directly and powerfully to the vital need for the discipline of prayer for today's Christian.
Martin Luther changed the course of Western civilization by initiating the Protestant Reformation. As a priest and theology professor, he confronted indulgence salesmen with his 95 Theses in 1517. Luther strongly disputed their claim that freedom from God's punishment of sin could be purchased with money. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms meeting in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the emperor.
Luther taught that salvation is a free gift of God and received only by grace through faith in Jesus as redeemer from sin, not from good works. His theology challenged the authority of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood.
His translation of the Bible into the language of the people (instead of Latin) made it more accessible, causing a tremendous impact on the church and on German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation into English of the King James Bible. His hymns inspired the development of singing in churches. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage, allowing Protestant priests to marry.
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