In A Simple Way to Pray, Martin Luther described how he uses the Ten Commandments as a guide in his prayer life:
I divide each commandment into four parts, thereby fashioning a garland of four strands.
That is, I think of each commandment as,
first, instruction, which is really what it is intended to be, and consider what the Lord God demands of me so earnestly.
Second, I turn it into a thanksgiving;
third, a confession;
and fourth, a prayer.
For more on Luther’s theology and practice of prayer, see this helpful article by Mark Rogers.
