praying the ten commandments
Martin Luther wrote to his barber in 1535, giving him a few simple guidelines for prayer. This was later published as "A Simple Way to Pray". It's brief and practical, especially in how he instructs Peter (his barber) and us in how to use Scripture in prayer. Specifically, Luther gives directions about praying the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles Creed, and the Ten Commandments. Luther says that the Ten Commandments have a fourfold use -- for instruction, for worship, for confession, and for petition. What he means is this, the Decalogue is in turn a textbook, a hymnal, a confessional, and a prayer book. I have recently enjoyed giving praise to the Lord (second use, worship) for his goodness as revealed in the Ten Commandments. They point us to God's perfect character, his good plan for us, and what the future world will look like, what Jonathan Edwards called "a world of love." There, people will rightly honor God, think well of him, show dignity to one anot