All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night (ELW 565)
Devotion
1All praise to thee, my God, this night
for all the blessings of the light.
Keep me, oh, keep me, King of kings,
beneath thine own almighty wings.
2Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son,
the ill that I this day have done;
that with the world, myself, and thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.
3Teach me to live, that I may dread
the grave as little as my bed.
Teach me to die, that so I may
rise glorious at the awesome day.
4Oh, may my soul in thee repose,
and may sweet sleep mine eyelids close,
sleep that shall me more vig'rous make
to serve my God when I awake!
5Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise God, all creatures here below;
praise God above, ye heav'nly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Thomas Ken, 1637-1711, alt.
In the late 1700s, Anglican bishop Thomas Ken wrote a trio of hymns for morning, evening, and midnight. These hymns were originally printed in A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College, which instructed students to "be sure to sing the Morning and Evening Hymn in your Chamber devoutly, remembering that the Psalmist, upon happy experience assures you, that it is a good thing, to tell of the loving kindness of the Lord early in the morning, and of his truth in the night season." (Source.)
Similar to Luther's Evening Prayer, this evening hymn expresses the praise we give God and the forgiveness we seek at the close of the day. Although we sin throughout the day, we know that God watches over us in each day and through the night.
Prayer
Holy One, we thank you for the steadfast love and goodness you show us through our days and nights. Amen.