Now I lay me down to sleep.

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake.

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

I learned this prayer when I was little bitty thing.  I don't even remember how old.  One funny thing about this repetitive prayer (I would say it every night) is that I would say it so fast I didn't know what I was saying.  I remember once when I was little trying to figure out what "ifashadie" meant.  It sounded like some kind of a foreign word to me.  Then it hit me...oh, "if I should die".  Then it scared me!!  Was I going to go to sleep and not wake up in the morning??  Pretty spooky for a little kid to think about. 

The origins of the prayer go back to 1737 when it was printed in Thomas Fleets, "The New England Primer". I know it's the first prayer many many children learn. This prayer helped me learn that I had a Heavenly Father who loved me and would watch over me.