Christian child's prayer
Encyclopedia
A Christian child's prayer is Christian prayer
recited primarily by child
ren that is typically short, rhyming or has a memorable tune. It is said before bedtime, to give thanks for a meal, or as a nursery rhyme. Many of these prayers have a long tradition and come directly from the Bible. Some adult prayers are equally popular with children, such as the Golden Rule
(Luke 6:31, Matthew 7:12), the Doxology
, the Serenity Prayer
, John 3:16
and, for older children, The Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23
.
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
if I die before I wake,
I pray for Lord my soul to take.
A more recent variant:
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord, my soul to keep;
Guide and guard me through the night
and wake me with the morning's light
Amen
God is good and God is great.
And we thank him for our food.
By his hands we all are fed.
Thank you, Lord, for our daily bread.
God is great and God is good,
And we thank him for our food.
Thank you because you are great and worthy.
Thank you for another day of living,
Thank you for each breath we have taken
Thank you for dying on that cross my God
For our sins!
Thank you, Amen
let this food to us be blessed, Amen
A Slovak Lutheran tradition adds a second verse:
And may there be a goodly share
on every table everywhere.
we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee,
and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents,
our teachers and our country.
for life, for opportunity,
for friendship and fellowship,
we thank you, O Lord.
And the hills to roam.
For the crimson sunsets
And the Earth, our home
For the stars at night
And the gentle winds in the trees
We thank you, Great Spirit, for all of these
For the Bible tells me so,
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me, he who died,
Heaven's gate to open wide.
He will wash away my sin;
Let his little child come in.
Jesus loves me, loves me still,
Though I'm very weak and ill.
From his shining throne on high,
Comes to watch me where I lie.
Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way
Then his little child will take
Up to heaven for his dear sake.
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in his sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Fat and skinny, short and tall,
Jesus loves them one and all,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
He's got you and me, brother in his hands.
He's got you and me, sister in his hands.
He's got the little bitty baby in his hands.
He's got the whole world in his hands.
Michael, row the boat ashore, Alleluia!
Sister help to trim the sails, Alleluia!
Sister help to trim the sails, Alleluia!
The river is deep and the river is wide, Alleluia!
Milk and honey on the other side, Alleluia!
Jordan's river is chilly and cold, Alleluia!
Chills the body, but not the soul, Alleluia!
If you get there before I do. Alleluia!
Tell my people I'm coming too. Alleluia!
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head;
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay
Christian prayer
Prayer is an important activity in Christianity, and there are several different forms of Christian prayer.Christian prayers are diverse: they can be completely spontaneous, or read entirely from a text, like the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. The most common prayer among Christians is the Lord's...
recited primarily by child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren that is typically short, rhyming or has a memorable tune. It is said before bedtime, to give thanks for a meal, or as a nursery rhyme. Many of these prayers have a long tradition and come directly from the Bible. Some adult prayers are equally popular with children, such as the Golden Rule
Ethic of reciprocity
The Golden Rule or ethic of reciprocity is a maxim, ethical code, or moralitythat essentially states either of the following:* : One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself....
(Luke 6:31, Matthew 7:12), the Doxology
Doxology
A doxology is a short hymn of praises to God in various Christian worship services, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns...
, the Serenity Prayer
Serenity Prayer
The Serenity Prayer is the common name for an originally untitled prayer by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. The prayer has been adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous and other twelve-step programs.The best-known form is:...
, John 3:16
John 3:16
John 3:16 is one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible, and has been called the most famous Bible verse...
and, for older children, The Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23
Psalm 23
In the 23rd Psalm in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the writer describes God as his Shepherd. The text, beloved by Jews and Christians alike, is often alluded to in popular media and has been set to music....
.
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
original versionNow I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
if I die before I wake,
I pray for Lord my soul to take.
A more recent variant:
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord, my soul to keep;
Guide and guard me through the night
and wake me with the morning's light
Amen
God is Great
- With these additional lines, it is sung to "Twinkle Twinkle Little StarTwinkle Twinkle Little Star"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is a popular English nursery rhyme. The lyrics are from an early nineteenth-century English poem, "The Star" by Jane Taylor. The poem, which is in couplet form, was first published in 1806 in Rhymes for the Nursery, a collection of poems by Taylor and her sister Ann...
":
God is good and God is great.
And we thank him for our food.
By his hands we all are fed.
Thank you, Lord, for our daily bread.
God is great and God is good,
And we thank him for our food.
Thank You Lord
Thank you my God for the day you have given us!Thank you because you are great and worthy.
Thank you for another day of living,
Thank you for each breath we have taken
Thank you for dying on that cross my God
For our sins!
Thank you, Amen
Come Lord Jesus
Come Lord Jesus, be our guest,let this food to us be blessed, Amen
A Slovak Lutheran tradition adds a second verse:
And may there be a goodly share
on every table everywhere.
Regent's prayer
Almighty God,we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee,
and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents,
our teachers and our country.
- Published in the 1950s in the New York State Board of Regents "Statement on Moral and Spiritual Training in the Schools" and afterwards known as the Regent's Prayer.
- This school prayer was the one in question in the landmark 1962 US Supreme Court case Engle v. Vitale
Philmont grace
For food, for raiment,for life, for opportunity,
for friendship and fellowship,
we thank you, O Lord.
- US Boy Scout prayer called the Philmont Grace, named for the Philmont Scout RanchPhilmont Scout RanchPhilmont Scout Ranch is a large, rugged, mountainous ranch located near the town of Cimarron, New Mexico, covering approximately of wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the Rocky Mountains of northern New Mexico...
in New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
S Bar F grace
For the gifts of food and freedom,And the hills to roam.
For the crimson sunsets
And the Earth, our home
For the stars at night
And the gentle winds in the trees
We thank you, Great Spirit, for all of these
- US Boy Scout prayer called the S Bar F Grace, named for the S Bar F Scout Ranch in Knob Lick, Missouri
Jesus Loves Me
Jesus loves me - this I know,For the Bible tells me so,
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me, he who died,
Heaven's gate to open wide.
He will wash away my sin;
Let his little child come in.
Jesus loves me, loves me still,
Though I'm very weak and ill.
From his shining throne on high,
Comes to watch me where I lie.
Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way
Then his little child will take
Up to heaven for his dear sake.
- 1860 poem by Anna Bartlett WarnerAnna Bartlett WarnerAnna Bartlett Warner was an American writer, the author of several books, and of poems set to music as hymns and religious songs for children...
, set to music in 1862 with added chorus by William Batchelder BradburyWilliam Batchelder BradburyWilliam Batchelder Bradbury was a musician who composed the tune to Jesus Loves Me and many other popular hymns.-Biography:...
. This is the original version; rewritten versions are common.
Jesus Loves the Little Children
Jesus loves the little children,All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in his sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
- Words written by preacher Clare Herbert Woolston (1856–1927)
- Sung to the 1864 Civil War tune "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!"Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! " was one of the most popular songs of the American Civil War. George F. Root wrote both the words and music and published it in 1864 to give hope to the Union prisoners of war. The song is written from the prisoner's point of view...
" by George Fredrick Root - Inspired by Matthew 19:14: Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
- Some versions change Woolston's original words slightly by inserting the color "brown" between "red" and "yellow."
- Some modern versions read 'Every color, every race, all are covered by His grace' instead of 'Red and yellow, black, and white, all are precious in His sight.'
- Alternate lyrics:
Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Fat and skinny, short and tall,
Jesus loves them one and all,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
- A recorded version of this is played during several different parts of the movie See No EvilSee No Evil (film)See No Evil is a 2006 horror film directed by Gregory Dark, written by Dan Madigan, produced by Joel Simon, and starring professional wrestler Kane. It is the first major film produced by WWE Films and was released by Lions Gate Entertainment on May 19, 2006.The film went through many different...
. - Used as an introduction to the Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
song "Everything is BeautifulEverything Is Beautiful"Everything is Beautiful" is a song by Ray Stevens. It has appeared on many of Stevens' albums, including one named after the song, and has become a pop standard and common in religious performances. The children heard singing the chorus of the song, using the hymn, "Jesus Loves the Little...
". Steven's song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop singles chart, making the words of the introductory rhyme a #1 hit as part of the song.
He's got the Whole World in his hands
He's got the whole world in his hands.He's got you and me, brother in his hands.
He's got you and me, sister in his hands.
He's got the little bitty baby in his hands.
He's got the whole world in his hands.
- Laurie London sang a version of this rhyme which hit #1 on the Billboard Magazine Best Sellers Chart in 1958 - the only gospel song to hit #1 on that pop singles chart.
Michael Row The Boat Ashore
Michael, row the boat ashore, Alleluia!Michael, row the boat ashore, Alleluia!
Sister help to trim the sails, Alleluia!
Sister help to trim the sails, Alleluia!
The river is deep and the river is wide, Alleluia!
Milk and honey on the other side, Alleluia!
Jordan's river is chilly and cold, Alleluia!
Chills the body, but not the soul, Alleluia!
If you get there before I do. Alleluia!
Tell my people I'm coming too. Alleluia!
- First noticed in 1863, sung by slaves in the Georgia Sea Islands
- A song version of this rhyme by the Highwaymen hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop singles chart in 1961.
Away In A Manger
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head;
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay
- First published in a LutheranLutheranismLutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
Sunday school book in 1885 in Philadelphia