Lenten Devotion, Mar. 10

Psalms 4:8 "In peace, I will lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me rest secure."

"Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep...." As a kid I prayed these words every night at bedtime, along with a similar prayer in Swedish taught me by my maternal grandmother. As an adult I basically still say the same prayer. Different words and no rhyming, of course. I add thanks for all the wonderful aspects of my life. Along with prayers for mercy and grace for those in need -- myself included -- I basically pray for "peace," a safe place to "lie down and sleep," and for "rest secure."

Dear God, We pray for those for whom sleep is a burden or a near impossibility -- those dealing with anxiety or health issues or personal loss. For all who have lost their homes and have no place to sleep -- the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria and neighbors whose bed is a cold piece of concrete. We pray for rest secure for all. Amen

Larry Sutton