611 Devotions

Some of you might recall that in the spring of 2014 I went out for a run on a cold morning. I made it all of twenty yards. I slipped on a patch of ice and hit my head hard. (One of the guys I was running with said that it sounded like a melon smashing on the ground.) I was hurting pretty bad, but I drove myself home (which I shouldn’t have) and then it was as if my brain was slowly shutting off. It was very scary. I had a pretty significant concussion..

In the weeks after that, after I could stand to read or to be awake for a long period of time, I really struggled. I tried to drive but it was like I was going into a panic attack. I would find conversations and sounds overwhelming. I had difficulty forming coherent thoughts and more difficulty bringing thoughts into speech.

During that time, fighting depression, anxiety, and pain, I found it difficult to pray. I had, however, been introduced to a little prayer book called The Minister’s Prayer Book by a friend of mine. It, along with another great prayer book, gave me words for my prayers and helped me get through those difficult days.

I am writing a series of devotions modeled after The Minister’s Prayer Book for the students to use during 611. There is a morning and an evening component to each day’s devotion. They are fairly simple in their format, and everything is contained in the booklet they will receive. Please encourage your student to do these devotions each morning and evening. In fact, you might find it desirable to use these for your own devotions, and, when appropriate, have conversations with your child about them. 

If your child is in class on Sunday, she or he will receive a copy of this little booklet. If not, please have them come here to spend some time in prayer and Scripture readings. I will explain the assignment to the students on Sunday as well.

This is not a small assignment, but I also don’t believe that it is difficult. It will mostly be a matter of remembering and taking the time to do the devotions! It is my hope, however, that these devotions will help your student (and maybe you!) in the following ways.

-        Growing in knowledge of God’s Word. It is full of Bible verses.

-        Learning the teaching of the Small Catechism.

-        Improving their prayer vocabulary.

-        Increasing their gratitude for daily blessings.

-        Experiencing a devotional habit that is valued by many and has blessed many for centuries.

Thank you for your help!