Dear Saints, I wanted to post two prayers found in the very beginning of the New England Primer. They were composed by Rev. Watts and for the purpose of instructing very young children how to pray to God upon waking up and before going to bed each day. These prayers are very short, but they give you a perspective of how very young children were taught to have affection for God once upon a time in North America. The New England Primer was a foundational textbook used in the schools back in the 17th and 18th century. It was first printed in 1690.
Model prayer for mornings:
[i]Almighty God, the Maker of every Thing in Heaven and Earth; the Darkness goes away, and the daylight comes at thy Command. Thou art good and doeth good continually. I thank thee that thou hast taken such care of me this Night, and that I am alive and well this Morning. Save me, O God, from Evil, all this day long, and let me love and serve thee forever, for the Sake of Jesus Christ thy Son. Amen.
And for the evening:
[i]O Lord God who knowest all Things, thou seest me by Night as well as by Day. I pray thee, for Christ's Sake, forgive me for whatsoever I have done amiss this Day, and keep me all this Night while I am asleep. I desire to lie down under thy Care, and to abide forever under thy Blessing, for thou art a God of all Power and everlasting Mercy. Amen.