Gebet eines Ehemannes
A Foundation of Holy Marriage
The husband acknowledges the divine origin of marriage and prays for grace to lead his household in love and unity.
Almighty, gracious God, you yourself established the holy estate of marriage and, through the first miraculous signs of your dear Son Jesus Christ, honored and adorned it as an estate pleasing to you—one in which many holy patriarchs and prophets also lived godly lives and found favor with you. Since, then, you have also settled me in holy marriage, appointed me to keep a household, and take special pleasure in these three things—when brothers are of one mind, when neighbors love one another, and when husband and wife live well together—I ask you from the bottom of my heart: grant that I may dwell with my wife, as with the weaker vessel, in Christian love and unity and with good sense; that I may give her her honor as also a joint heir of the grace of life; and that I may lead her, together with our children and household servants, toward knowledge of you and your divine honor in all discipline and decency.✦1 For this also give grace, that she may follow me in all that is good and toward all godliness, and let herself be led.
Protection and Provision for the Household
The prayer shifts to requesting protection from spiritual discord, physical harm, and for God's blessing upon his daily work and household staff.
Ward off the marriage-devil, so he does not stir up discord and quarreling between us; and if we should, out of weakness, be carried away into disagreement, help us to be quickly reconciled with each other again.2 Give me grace that I do not lust after any other spouse or wife, or look at her with an evil eye to desire her. Protect me, my wife, children, and household staff from sickness, according to your divine will. Grant also to me, your servant, that I may diligently attend to my calling, eat my bread by the sweat of my face, and not grow resentful even when the work must be hard for me—for you have so ordained it. Also grant success and blessing to my livelihood, that through your blessing it may increase without harm or disadvantage to others.3 Grant me godly household servants and faithful workers. Protect my house and farm, and everything you have given me.
Endurance and Eternal Hope
The prayer concludes by asking for strength to bear the cross in this life and for a final gathering in God's eternal kingdom.
Help us also to bear the cross patiently in our calling, and after this life gather us into your kingdom with all godly married couples—you who live and reign from eternity to eternity.✦4 Amen.
Read the original Latin
Allmächtiger, gütiger Gott, der du den heiligen Ehestand selbst eingesetzt und durch deines lieben Sohnes Jesu Christi erste Wunderzeichen geehrt und geziert hast als einen Stand, der dir angenehm ist, in welchem auch viele heilige Erzväter und Propheten gottselig gelebt, und dir wohl gefallen haben. Weil denn du mich auch in der heiligen Ehe beraten, zur Haushaltung verordnet und ein sonderliches Wohlgefallen an den dreien Stücken hast, nämlich: wenn Brüder eins sind, und die Nachbarn sich lieb haben, und Mann und Weib sich mit einander wohl begehen, so bitte ich dich von Herzensgrund, verleihe mir, dass ich in christlicher Liebe und Einigkeit mit Vernunft bei meinem Weibe, als dem schwächsten Werkzeug, wohne, derselben ihre Ehre, als auch Miterbin der Gnade des Lebens gebe, sie samt Kindern und Gesinde ziehe zu deiner Erkenntnis und göttlichen Ehre in aller Zucht und Ehrbarkeit. Dazu so gib Gnade, dass sie mir in allem Guten und zu aller Gottseligkeit folgen und sich ziehen lassen. Wehre dem Eheteufel, dass er nicht Zwietracht und Zank zwischen uns einmenge, und, wo wir etwa, aus Schwachheit übereilet, uneins würden, so hilf, dass wir uns bald wieder miteinander versöhnen. Gib mir Gnade, dass ich mich keines andern Ehegemahls und Weibes gelüsten lasse, oder dieselbe mit einem bösen Auge ansehe, ihrer zu begehren. Behüte mich, mein Weib, Kinder und Gesinde vor Krankheit nach deinem göttlichen Willen. Du wollest auch mir, deinem Knechte, verleihen, dass ich meines Berufes fleißig warte, im Schweiße meines Angesichts mein Brot esse, und mich es nicht verdrießen lasse, ob es mir sauer werden muss, denn du hast es also geschaffen. Verleihe auch Glück und Heil zu meiner Nahrung, dass dieselbe durch deinen Segen ohn’ anderer Leute Schaden und Nachteil gemehrt werde.
Beschere mir frommes Gesinde und treue Arbeiter. Behüte mir Haus und Hof und alles, was du mir gegeben hast. Hilf uns auch das Kreuz in unserm Stande geduldig tragen, und nach diesem Leben versammle uns in dein Reich zu allen gottseligen Eheleuten; der du lebest und regierest von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit. Amen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Pet.3.7 — Husbands, in the same way live with your wives according to knowledge, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since you are also joint heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
- ↩Matt.16.24;Luke.9.23 — Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Luke.9.23 — Then he said to all, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me."
Notes
- 1 ↩"schwächstes Werkzeug" and "Miterbin der Gnade des Lebens" deliberately echo 1 Peter 3:7; rendered with the traditional biblical phrasing rather than paraphrased away.
- 2 ↩"Eheteufel" is a Lutheran devotional term for the devil as agitator against marriage; kept as "marriage-devil" rather than flattened to generic temptation.
- 3 ↩"Glück und Heil" in an economic petition rendered as "success and blessing"; "Heil" here means welfare/well-being, not salvation in the strict soteriological sense.
- 4 ↩"Stand" rendered as "calling" (married estate/station in life); "Haus und Hof"-level estate language from the chapter context supports vocation sense rather than social rank alone.
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