Martin Luther
German reformer whose Small Catechism reshaped daily Christian prayer in the home.
Martin Luther was a German Augustinian monk and university professor whose 1517 challenge to the Roman Catholic Church set off the Protestant Reformation. He translated the Bible into German, wrote hymns that became foundational to Lutheran worship, and produced two catechisms in 1529 to instruct ordinary Christians. The Small Catechism, written for use by parents and children at home, included brief prayers for morning, evening, and meals that remain in use in Lutheran families almost five centuries later. Luther's instinct was that Christian prayer should be brief, scriptural, and integrated into the rhythms of daily life rather than reserved for clergy or formal liturgy. His prayers reflect this: short, practical, immediately memorizable, designed to be said quickly so the person praying can go to their work in good conscience.