Formally titled "Watchwords for the Warfare of Life," this devotional book is attributed to Martin Luther, featuring daily spiritual reflections drawn primarily from his writings, sermons, and letters. The work offers a daily text and meditation for each day of the year, designed to strengthen believers in their Christian walk and provide spiritual encouragement for life's battles. The structure typically includes a Scripture verse followed by a short, powerful excerpt from Luther's writings. The reflections emphasize key Reformation themes such as justification by faith, the sufficiency of Christ, the authority of Scripture, and the reality of spiritual warfare. Though compiled after Luther's time, the book captures his bold, honest, and faith-filled voice, offering readers guidance, comfort, and resolve. "Watchwords" refers to rallying cries or spiritual truths meant to be carried into the daily struggles of life, making this work both a devotional and a spiritual arsenal for the Christian soul.
January 1 The Commander We must strive, for we are under one Lord of armies and Prince of warriors. Therefore, with one hand we must build,
January 2 Omnipresence God is not confined to any place. He is also not excluded from any. He exists in all areas, and in the smallest of Hi
January 3 The Creation not Left Alone God hasn't created beings only to abandon them afterward. He loves them, delights in them, is present
January 4 The Creator To Magister Holflein, Doctor Martin Luther said: Dear Master, where were you sixty years ago? Where was I? How did I c
January 5 The Living God The most important thing that God requires from people is that they honor His divinity; that is, they should not re
January 6 "True Christian Divinity" "True Christian Divinity sets not God forth unto us in His Majesty. It commands us not to search out the
January 7 Christ Revealing the Father Christ, in His role, calls us back to the will of the Father, so that in His words and actions, we sho
January 8 Theology Beginning at Bethlehem The Christian religion starts not at the highest point, as other religions do, but at the lowest.
January 9 God Stooping to Man The Gospel is the Revelation of the Son of God With our intellect, we can't grasp who God, the Creator, is. An
January 10 The Incarnation In deep spiritual struggles, nothing has helped me more, with nothing have I encouraged myself and driven away th
January 11 The Childhood and Youth of Our Lord All the wisdom of the world is just child's play, yes, folly, compared with the knowledge of
January 12 Christ at the Judgment Seat Isn't it amazing that the Son of God should sit there and allow Himself to be so tormented, scorned,
January 13 The Last Supper The supper which Christ shared with His disciples when He bid them farewell must have been filled with warm and o
January 14 The Agony in the Garden Dr. Luther was once asked at the table about the "bloody sweat" and the other deep spiritual sufferings t
January 15 The Ascension of Christ It must have been an incredible sight to witness when Christ disappeared before the disciples' eyes and a
January 16 The Holy Spirit On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit began the New Testament era. Then He openly established his role and wor
January 17 The Love of God The limited capacity of a person's heart cannot fully grasp, let alone express, the immeasurable depth and intens
January 18 "True Definition of Christ" For, indeed, Christ is not a harsh enforcer, but a forgiver of the sins of the entire world. Therefor
January 19 Christ the Center "In my heart," he said, "this article reigns alone, and shall reign-namely, faith in my dear Lord Christ, who i
January 20 Christ the Priest Once, when his servant was reading from the Psalms the verse, "I have sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Pr
January 21 Christ our Sacrifice In His death, He is a Sacrifice, satisfying for our sins; In the resurrection, a Conqueror; in the ascension
January 22 Christ made One with Man God sent His only Son into the world and placed upon Him the sins of all people, saying, "Be Thou Peter,
January 23 Christ's Obedience to the Law Christ is not simply a teacher of the law, like Moses, but a follower who aimed to be obedient to t
January 24 Christ Conquering by Suffering Christ has become the essence of the law, the embodiment of sin, the end of death, so that He migh
January 25 Christ our Life "This life that I have now in the flesh, in very deed, is no true life, but a shadow of life, under which another
January 26 Christ Cleansing Us As if He would say (in washing the disciples' feet), "I am the true Laver and Bath. Therefore, if I wash thee
January 27 The Name of Jesus "If God takes me this hour, or tomorrow, out of this life, I will leave it behind me, that I confess Jesus Chri
January 28 The Gospel in the Crucifix I believe that many have been saved under the Papacy, even though they never heard the gospel as it is
January 29 Rules of the Service Obedience is a Glorious Apparel "Her clothing is all glorious within." What kind of glorious clothing is thi
January 30 The Law and the Gospel The law reveals our flaws; the gospel offers the cure. The law dictates what we must do; the gospel reveal
January 31 The Law a Fire The law is that hammer, that fire, that mighty and strong wind, and that terrible earthquake, tearing apart mounta
February 1 The Law a Prison The law is a prison, both in civil and spiritual terms. First, it restricts and confines the wicked; furth
February 2 The Law a Schoolmaster The law is not just a teacher, but a teacher that leads us to Christ. For what kind of teacher would const
February 3 The Law a Call of Defense By the Ten Commandments, the Lord has protected and strengthened the life of man, his wife and children
February 4 The Ten Commandments to be Taught Affirmatively The Ten Commandments (that is, the Ten Commandments of God) serve as a reflection
February 5 Short Reflections on the Catechism as Dr. Martin Luther Taught at Home The Commandments Faith defines our understanding of
February 6 The Ten Commandments Based on Redemption Thus saith God, "I am the Lord thy God, who led thee out of the land of Egypt." Because
February 7 Fulfilling the Duties of our Calling is the Best Service to God St. Paul, in his letters, has written more fully and wisely about
February 8 Two Callings, of Faith and of Love No one can truly understand any job unless they are called to it. A calling is of two types: e
February 9 Two Sacrifices The first was known as the early or morning sacrifice in the Old Testament. This illustrates that we should first
February 10 Merit Merit is work for which Christ offers rewards. But no such work exists, because Christ gives based on his promise. Just as
February 11 What Obedience meant to Luther - At the Diet of Worms "Here I stand. I can do no otherwise. God help me. Amen." At Augsburg I wa
February 12 The Weapons of our Warfare Faith Faith is simply the truth of the heart; that is, a true and correct belief of the heart regardi
February 13 Faith is Not Merely an Empty Shell Christian faith isn't just a passive trait or an empty shell in one's heart, waiting for love
February 14 Faith and Good Works Because you have embraced Christ through faith, by whom you are now justified, start to act well. Love God
February 15 The Reflex Action of Faith The Power of Pronouns But carefully consider every word of Paul, and pay particular attention to the
February 16 Faith Lifting Us to God's Horizon Psalm 37:2: "For they shall soon be cut down like the grass." -He lifts us from our perspectiv
February 17 Faith and Hope Faith acts as both a teacher and a judge, combating errors and heresies, evaluating spirits and beliefs. But Hope
February 18 Faith and Charity Charity allows room, for it endures all things. But faith allows no room; indeed, it can endure nothing concer
February 19 Trial of Faith The trial of faith is the most challenging and intense of all trials, for it is faith that must triumph in every
February 20 How Luther's Faith Prevailed in Trial To the Elector Frederic of Saxony. Letter from Cobourg during the Diet of Augsburg.
February 21 To Melancthon during the Diet of Augsburg 1530 "The end and event of the cause troubles thee, that thou canst not order it. But
February 22 To Brentius, on Melancthon's Fears 1530 After us, God will remain the Creator, as He was before us and is now with us. He will n
February 23 To Spalatin Philip believes he can succeed by following his advice, "Sic fecissem ego." No, it should not be "Sic ego Philippus.
February 24 To Justus Jonas Christ has come and sits at the right hand, not of Caesar, but of God. This may seem very unbelievable. Yet, I f
February 25 To Chancellor Brück at Augsburg, from "the Wilderness" (Cobourg) I have recently witnessed two miracles. The first was when I wa
February 26 The Sea Restrained by a Rope of Sand Let the adversaries be angry and attack as much as they want, God has set limits to the sea
February 27 Through what Conflict this Faith of Luther's was Maintained during the Diet of Augsburg "I have and know nothing of Jesus Christ
February 28 The Weapons of our Warfare Prayer Let us pray and strive, for the word of faith and the prayer of the just are the mightiest wea
February 29 The Lord's Prayer What a strong wall and fortification to the Church, and what a weapon for Christians, is prayer! Ah, what an e
March 1 The Sigh of the Heart The cry and sigh of the heart raises a cry that not only God, but all the angels in heaven must hear. Thus, Mo
March 3 The Essence of Prayer: Submission to God's Will A complaint was once made to Doctor Martin Luther: "Dear Herr Doctor, things are iss
March 4 Prayer for Leaders "Princes and lords are poor people, especially when they are good and God-fearing; therefore, our Lord God has no
March 5 Praying and Waiting Let's pray and call on God in all our troubles, and wait. Let's stay close to Christ, cling to Him, and hang on
March 6 Thanksgiving Thanksgiving empowers our prayers, making them bold and strong, yet easy and pleasant, and ignites them like coal
March 7 Intercession Christ insists that we should not only pray for ourselves but for the entire community of all people. For He instructs
March 7 The Little Word Amen It's not about a prayer being devout, sweet, and long that makes it good, but about it being built and trusted
March 8 Prayer of Luther - Overheard during the Diet of Worms Almighty, everlasting God, how terrible this world is! How it would open its j
March 9 The Weapons of our Warfare The Word of God The Word of God is a fiery shield, for this reason, that it is more enduring and purer th
March 10 Commentaries "Through so many commentaries and books, the dear Bible is buried, so that people do not look at the text itself. It i
March 11 The Second Psalm This psalm is truly grand in its opposition to God's enemies. It starts gently and simply, but ends with grandeur.
March 12 The Sacraments Holy Baptism Doctor Martin Luther asked Doctor Hieronymus Weller, "How did it go with him?" "Sadly and mournfully,"
March 13 The Sacrament of the Altar "The true cause of this sacrament," said Doctor Martin Luther, "is the word and appointment of Christ, w
March 14 The Vow of Baptism: The True and Highest Vow A person who is focused on worldly matters does not understand why Paul often proudly
March 15 Preaching Preparation for Preaching Doctor Martin told a pastor, "When you are about to preach, speak to God, and say, 'My Lord God
March 16 The Best Teachers are Always Learners It's a true saying in theology that those who think they know anything actually know nothing.
March 17 Doctor Luther's Portrait of an Effective Preacher An effective preacher should possess these virtues and qualities: First, he shoul
March 18 Staying Focused Anyone who has a deep understanding of a topic can speak well about it. "I endeavor in my sermons," said Doctor Mar
March 19 Simplicity Make all your sermons as simple as possible. Focus not on the elite, but on the simple, uneducated, and unsophisticated
March 20 Earnestness This isn't the time for jokes, but for seriousness. "Ye are the salt of the earth." Salt stings and hurts, but it also
March 21 Feeding and Protecting In a true, good shepherd, feeding and protecting must go hand in hand, because if the protection fails, the
March 22 The Best Kind of Controversy I advise those who preach in countries under the Pope to teach the Gospel simply, without any harshnes
March 23 Religious Vanity-Gloria Religions He expressed strong dissatisfaction with the arrogance and self-importance of the clergy, particu
March 24 The Importance of Preachers and Teachers He who underestimates preachers and women will never achieve anything good, as is often sa
March 25 Trials and Burdens of the Preacher Being a faithful pastor and preacher is a significant responsibility, and if our Lord God Himsel
March 26 Rewards for Preachers If we stay true to our mission, we will receive ample honor, not in this life, though, but in the next. There
March 27 Patience as a Weapon Patience is the Best Virtue If you want to learn how to overcome the greatest, fiercest, and most spiteful ene
March 28 Patience with Those Who Are Misled, and Anger Against Those Who Mislead St. Paul shows the Galatians both fatherly and mother
March 29 The Armies of Heaven The Church "As it stands in the third article of our faith, 'One holy catholic-that is, universal-Church, the
March 30 Why the Church on Earth Faces Hardships Firstly, we should remember that we are exiled servants, expelled from Paradise because of
March 31 Amaranth: A Symbol of the Church Amaranth blooms in August, appearing more as a stalk than a flower. It's easily snapped off, yet r
April 1 None Suffer Alone We are not alone. Many here and around the world suffer with us, whom we do not know. The saints are but as dewdro
April 2 The Angels Fighting for Us It wouldn't be appropriate for us to know how passionately the dear holy angels fight for us against the
April 3 The Angels Serving Us “They are ministering spirits;" and here is presented to all good Christians a great heart-warming truth, and
April 4 Five The Enemy The serpent undermines God's good intentions towards us, and tries to persuade us that God does not have our best int
April 6 The Negative Nature of Satan's Work Everything God creates, He creates so that it may exist; Satan, so that it may not.
April 7 Satan Mimicking God's Work Just as the Holy of Holies among the Jews was dark and lacked light, so the pagans made Delphi and other
April 8 The Devil: The Only Enemy Worth Hating "Bless them that curse you." Do you know how you can do this? The best way is to shift your f
April 9 The Worst Perversion of the Best Brothers, sons, friends, when estranged, become the worst and most bitter enemies. Angels turn into
April 10 The Devil: The Spirit of Melancholy We have more reason to be happy than to be sad, for we trust in the God who says, "I live, and
April 11 War against all kinds of Evil, War against the Devil "I hold," said Doctor Martin, "that Satan sends epidemics and sicknesses among
April 12 How Luther Faced What He Believed to Be an Attack by the Devil "Once in the year 1521, when I traveled from Worms, and was confined
April 13 The Two Kingdoms The kingdom of the world, or the devil's kingdom, is the kingdom of wrongdoing, ignorance, mistakes, sin, death, b
April 14 Sin To Melanchthon from Cobourg, during the Diet of Augsburg. What can the devil do worse than kill us? I urge you, who are in all
April 15 Special Sins It's a misguided belief, a baseless fantasy, to say "It is a godless opinion, a vain dream, to say that all sins are a
April 16 Idleness Those who live in idleness are not following God's ways, but the devil's ways; they are not living according to God's plan
April 17 How Luther Worked To the Esteemed Father, John Lange, Prior at Erfurt. October 26, 1516 "Health. I have need of two secretaries or
April 18 Injustice To Elector Frederic, pleading for a poor man he deemed wronged 1522 I know well that no prince is so good that he may act
April 19 Falsehood A lie is like a snowball. The longer it is rolled, the larger it becomes.
April 20 Covetousness Mammon has two virtues; the first is that he makes us feel secure when things go well, so that we live without the fea
April 21 Jeroboam's Calves Jeroboam's calves will always exist in the world until the End of Days because anything a person puts their confi
April 22 Little Desire for Christ It's a serious problem we see every day: how desperately a thirsty person seeks to drink, a hungry person
April 23 Durable Riches The Jews allowed themselves to dream and thought that the kingdom of Christ would be a worldly kingdom; as also the
April 24 Carefulness “They sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns." Let the Lord build the house, and be the householder. He w
April 25 Temptation and Depression of Spirit For One Heavy in Heart First of all, let her not look at herself, nor judge herself by her feel
April 26 To Valentine Hausmann 1532 Comfort in Spiritual Temptation I have heard of your distress through inward terror. But you must not wo
April 27 To Jonas Von Stockhausen 1532 Luther Advises Him on How to Fight His Tiredness of Life It has been brought to my attention by good
April 28 To Lady Von Stockhausen Advising Her on Her Husband's Depression The devil is an adversary to both of you because you cherish Chris
April 29 To Joachim, Prince of Anhalt 1534 In Times of Low Spirits We do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but He, as a faithful
April 30 To Johann Mantel, Servant of the Church at Wittenberg To Comfort Him against the Fear of Death Regarding what you've written about
May 1 To a Pastor Comfort against Physical Weakness and Annoyances Alas! We live in the realm of the devil from the outside; therefore, we c
May 2 The Offense of the Cross "God forbid that the offence of the cross should be taken away!" Which event would happen if we were to preac
May 3 Temptation: The Best School of Theology I didn't learn my theology all at once, but I've had to dig ever deeper into it. Many conflict
May 4 Training for Small Conflicts Prepares Us for Bigger Challenges "This will not be thy greatest nor thy last temptation. The wisdom of G
May 5 Luther Cast Down On St. Stephen's day, at the table, he said, "My preaching is nothing better than if I went through a great forest an
May 6 Conflict Temptation encourages us to live in fear of God, be careful in our actions, pray constantly, grow in grace and knowledge of C
May 7 Not Everyone Faces the Same Challenges Not everyone faces the same challenges. Indeed, they couldn't. Some must be the strength and st
May 8 Not Alone in Temptation Believe with all your heart that God will end this trial. For He brings into existence what does not exist; as
May 9 Combatting Depression Bishop Albert of Mainz used to say that "the human heart is like a millstone in a mill. If you place corn on it,
May 10 In his Illness "Ah, how gladly would I now die; for I am now weary and worn out, and have a peaceful and joyful conscience and heart.
May 11 To Hieronymus Weller 1530 In an Attack of Depression Therefore, first and foremost, you should firmly believe that these sad and nega
May 12 The Book of Job: A Reflection Ah, if the great man Paul were alive today, how eager I would be to learn from him what his "thorn in t
May 13 Society of Friends Good in Temptation See the kind of life the Lord Christ led while He was on earth. He was rarely alone; there was
May 14 The Leader For the rest, I am expecting daily the curses of Rome. I am organizing and preparing everything so that when these come, I
May 15 Christ the Shepherd What a beautiful and comforting message we find in the Gospel, where the Lord Jesus Christ presents Him
May 16 Striving to Lead Ourselves "I cannot guide myself," he said, "and yet would fain guide the world." Many times, I have written excelle
May 17 The Word of God as a Guide Even though God's works are clear and reveal Him to us, He comforts us even more when He adds His spoken W
May 18 The Clarity of the Bible It is a terrible insult against the Holy Scriptures and all of Christianity to claim that the Holy Scripture
May 19 The German Bible for the German People He said, "You have now the Bible in German. Now I will cease from my labors. You have now what
May 20 Evening Reading In the evening, carry with you some sacred words in your heart to bed, mulling over them, like a clean animal that ch
May 21 The Fountain My best and Christian advice is, "that all should draw from the spring or well-head; that is, should read the Bible dili
May 22 Always Learning To fully understand and thoroughly explore even a single word in the Holy Scriptures is impossible. I challenge all s
May 23 The Divine Art of Learning Although I am an experienced doctor of the Holy Scriptures, I have not yet graduated from the children's l
May 24 The Simplicity of the Bible In this Book, you find the simple clothes and the manger where Christ is placed. To this place, the angel
May 25 Exploring the Depths of the Bible Before a person can fully grasp the very first word in Genesis, "In the beginning God created the h
May 26 Is It Risky to Make the Bible Accessible to Everyone? Once, when Veit Dietrich discussed heresies with the Doctor, saying, “It would
May 27 The Bible was revealed through the open tomb of Christ. Cabala was relevant until Christ, but now that Christ has arrived, and His to
May 28 Always Learners "Oh, my Lord God, the Holy Scriptures are not so easily understood, even when one reads them diligently. Let us learn
May 29 True Pilgrimages Under the leadership of the Church, they would frequently undertake pilgrimages to the holy sites of saints, such as
May 30 The Gospel of St. John St. John the Evangelist speaks powerfully with simple words, as when he says, "In the beginning was the Word."
May 31 Special Graces Love, Humility, Forbearance, Gentleness, Goodness Love It was enough, when listing the fruits of the Spirit, to say lo
June 1 How Luther Took on the Burdens of Others When Doctor Sebald and his wife both died of the plague, and Doctor Martin Luther took their
June 2 Joy This is the voice of the Bridegroom and the Bride; that is to say, sweet thoughts of Christ, helpful encouragement, pleasant song
June 3 Joy and Fear Compatible David says, “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice before Him with trembling." Let someone find a way to make
June 4 Grace and Peace These two words, "grace" and "peace," encompass the entire essence of Christianity. Grace involves the forgiveness of
June 5 Humility and Patience "Learn of Me" No one has ever made themselves as humble and modest as Christ, so that He alone has the authorit
June 6 Christ Washing the Disciples' Feet By washing the disciples' feet, He also wanted to show us that the kingdom He was establishing wou
June 7 The Gentleness of Christ There's a story about St. Peter that he always carried a cloth with him to wipe his eyes, which eventually b
June 8 The Silence of Christ Christ waited until He was 30 years old before He began to preach and teach; He always remained silent and did
June 9 Luther: Nothing in Himself Many believe for my sake, but those only believe rightly who would remain steadfast in their faith if they
June 10 Humility: The Secret to Unity To Michael Dressel and the Augustinian Chapter at Neustadt September 2, 1516 I am saddened to hear tha
June 11 The Magnificat All of God's works are captured in the Magnificat. If something raises itself, it amounts to nothing; yet, when it's
June 12 Forgive because Forgiven To George Spenlein For the rest, about which your soul is concerned, I desire to know whether, wearied out
June 13 On Supporting Those Who Struggle To the People of Wittenberg, 1521 Christ has supported us in our weaknesses, both in life and in&nb
June 14 The Incarnation: The Connection Between People God has become human; therefore, we should never be enemies with anyone. We should be
June 15 Care for the Fallen To Johann Lange, 1516 Take care of this fallen brother of yours; yes, of ours. Do not, turning away from compass
June 16 Hope for the Fallen No person has ever fallen so grievously that they cannot rise again. And, on the other hand, no person takes suc
June 17 A Child Helping a Veteran Go to your brother in times of temptation. One alone is too weak to face the tempter. I am often glad to h
June 18 Those Who Wrong Us, Still Our Neighbors My neighbor is every person: who although they have wronged me, or hurt me in any way, yet,
June 19 Choosing Peace If two goats encounter each other on a narrow path above a body of water, what will they do? They can't turn back, th
June 20 Tolerance Let none tear anyone away from the mass with violence. The issue should be left to God. It is His Word that must act, and
June 21 Accepting Differences "By the Word alone I condemn. Let him who believes, believe and follow. Let him who believes not, not think an
June 22 Christian Freedom Christian freedom is no trivial matter, even though it may concern something trivial.
June 23 Patience with Weakness 1516 I know, I know, it's inevitable that offenses come. It's not surprising when a person falls. The true mi
June 24 How Luther Bore the Burdens of Others Sermon preached at Wittenberg, 1539, during the Plague This is not a time to flee, but we must
June 25 Thankfulness How God Gives If God denied us the use of His creations for a while—if He stopped the sun from shining, or if He trappe
June 26 The Unchanging Nature of God's Gifts Leads to Ungratefulness If God were to say to the Pope, the Emperor, kings, princes, bishops, d
June 27 The Church: A Choir of Praise God has created all creatures and continues to nurture and sustain them freely, out of pure goodness.
June 28 Two Sacrifices The Scriptures highlight two sacrifices that are pleasing to God. The first is called the sacrifice of praise; when w
June 29 To be Enjoyed with Gratitude When grapes, nuts, peaches, etc., were placed on the table after the meal, and everyone was enjoying th
June 30 On Giving and Communicating Perseverance in Doing Good Let's be generous and giving towards everyone, and do so tirelessly. It's rel
July 1 Gate and Dabitur There was once a convent, which while it gave freely was wealthy; but when it began to tire of giving, it became imp
July 2 Hoping for Nothing Again Someone once tried to justify themselves by saying, "he would gladly help and serve people, and do them good
July 3 Quenching the Thirst in the Hearts of Others The noble Word naturally brings with it a burning hunger and an insatiable thirst, so th
July 4 How Luther Gave To Luther's Wife, on a Servant leaving their Service Since Johannes is going away, I will do everything I can to ensu
July 5 Luther's Theology Represented in His Seal To Lazarus Spengler 1530 Since you've asked me about the design for my seal, I'll share wit
July 6 Nature God's message isn't found just in the Bible, but also in trees, flowers, clouds, and stars. Creation of the Veil of God All cr
July 7 Miracles in Everyday Things The whole world is filled with miracles, but we must have a clear vision; otherwise, because they happen
July 8 The Creatures in God's Army All creatures are part of God's army. I have intentionally retained the word "exercitus," meaning army, a
July 9 The World is our Pantry God's power is immense, providing for the entire world. It's a challenging concept, indeed, to fully understa
July 10 The Beauty of Some Creatures: Their Purpose It doesn't mean that God has created all plants only to provide food for humans and anim
July 11 The Sun Doctor Luther mentioned he had noticed and paid attention to the fact that the sun had risen for two consecutive days as if
July 12 Flowers The world, since Adam's fall, knows neither God, its Creator, nor His creations; lives a life poorer than that of animals; d
July 13 A Green Tree More Glorious Than if Made of Gold If Adam had not sinned, all creatures would have appeared to us in such a way that e
July 14 A Rose He held a rose in his hand, admiring it as a beautiful and excellent creation of God, and he said, "If a man were to make one
July 15 Dew I had not understood how beautiful the dew is if the Holy Scriptures hadn't praised it, when God says, “I will give thee of the
July 16 Wine He mentioned that the process of turning grape juice into wine through fermentation is a natural form of magic and can be seen
July 17 Birds See, Christ teaches us that birds are our masters and instructors; so that a humble sparrow, to our great and perpetual embarr
July 18 Cattle as Our Guides One day, as Doctor Luther observed the cattle in the field heading to their grazing, he remarked: "There go our
July 19 Diverse Types of Animals Wild animals are governed by natural law; they live in fear and trembling. But domesticated animals are cre
July 20 Astronomy The science of the stars and the movements of the heavens is the oldest of the sciences, which has led to the development
July 21 The Music of the Spheres Pythagoras says that the movements of the stars create a beautiful concert and harmony, in sync with each o
July 22 Appreciation for a Thunderstorm "That is a beautiful storm," he said once, with gratitude, when thunder came with a beneficial rain,
July 23 All Creatures Operating Freely within God's Design Whatever a being is created for, it does naturally, without any need for laws, an
July 24 Beauty Here: A Picture and Promise of the Ultimate Beauty Above Once, during a lovely day in May, he said, "What a picture of the Re
July 25 Humans, Not Nature, the Home of God Heaven and earth, along with all the castles of kings and emperors, could not provide a home for
July 26 People in the Holy Scriptures True Saints The life of a holy person is more about receiving from God than giving, more about longing
July 27 Adam and Eve If Adam had stayed innocent and hadn't broken God's law, he wouldn't have remained the same forever in Paradise. He wou
July 28 The Patriarchs It was incredibly valuable to have known the stories of the patriarchs who lived before the flood; to have understood
July 29 Regarding Esau and Ishmael He said, "The rejection and casting away was only temporal. For the hatred of Jacob, his brother, lasted
July 30 Job Job faced many challenges, even from his friends, who pressured him heavily; therefore, it's mentioned in the text that his frie
July 31 Moses and Aaron When God has a significant task to accomplish, He begins by working through one person and later adds more helpers,
August 1 Jephthah's Vow Jephthah, despite being filled with the Spirit, made a foolish and superstitious promise that after he won the victo
August 2 David No one has suffered more than David. His life was an absolute tragedy. There's nothing like it among the Greeks. We're all ju
August 3 Elijah The story of Elijah is truly tragic. That such a devout man felt compelled to pray for a prolonged drought! His outrage must
August 4 The Prophets He was asked about how revelations came to the prophets, who always say, "Thus saith the Lord," whether God had person
August 5 Pilate: A Well-Meaning Man of the World "Pilate is a better man than any of the princes of the empire (at present) who are not Evan
August 6 Judas Iscariot "Judas,” said Doctor Martin, "is as necessary among the Apostles as three of the other Apostles. He solves countless
August 7 The Personal Appearance of St. Paul When Master Veit Dietrich asked him, "What kind of a person, Herr Doctor, do you think St. Paul
August 8 The Triumphal Entry The entry of the Lord Christ into Jerusalem must have indeed been humble and modest; for Christ, the great and
August 9 The Apostle Thomas For this reason, there is still a great outcry against the beloved Thomas in all the pulpits, about how he was d
August 10 Books of the Bible The first chapter of Genesis encompasses the entirety of the Scriptures. In Deuteronomy, God establishes the mo
August 11 The Psalms As this beautiful book of David continues to be sung in all our churches and chanted countless times in those endless c
August 12 The Book of Job The Book of Job is excellent; it was written not just for him, but to comfort all who are troubled, suffering, or
August 13 Jonah Afterwards, Dr. Martin began to highlight and emphasize the grandeur of the prophet Jonah, who, despite having only three ch
August 14 St. Luke and St. John The world values meaningless things and ignores with dull indifference the profound, majestic words of Chris
August 15 The Letter to the Hebrews In no other book of the Bible is the priesthood of Christ so beautifully and uniquely presented as in th
August 16 Five Eminent Men The ancient Fathers and Doctors, such as Augustine, Hilary, Ambrose, and Bonaventure, among others, should not be
August 17 Of "St. John Huss," the Martyr In John Huss, the Holy Spirit was incredibly powerful, given that he could stand so joyfully and st
August 18 Legends of the Saints Doctor Martin once said he wished that the legends of the saints could be wisely selected from. There's much
August 19 Books He advised everyone, regardless of their field of study, to select certain books and read them with dedication, repeatedly r
August 20 Heroes Great men and heroes are special gifts from God, whom He gives and supports; who carry on their work and calling and do mar
August 21 The Simplicity of True Heroes Frank, open-hearted, joyful soldiers are concise, humble, don't boast, and speak little; for they ha
August 22 Princes Whom Luther Praised The Elector Frederick of Saxony The Elector Frederick was a wise, understanding, capable, and noble pr
August 23 The Love of Subjects: A Prince's Greatest Wealth Philip Melanchthon once shared with Martin Luther during a meal that in his youth
August 24 Six Children On the last day of September, Doctor Martin saw his little children sitting at the table, and he said:- Christ says,
August 25 Seven Music There's no question that many seeds of excellent virtues are in those souls who love music; but those who don't love i
August 26 Eight Miscellaneous Spiritual Miracles are Ongoing The spiritual miracles, however, which Christ considers the true wonder-working
August 27 Christian Women Passionate Christians He once said, “When women embrace the doctrine of the gospel, they are far stronger and more
August 28 Tauler's Sermons Suppose you're interested in reading a book filled with pure, deep, divine knowledge, almost on par with the work
August 29 The Jews "We hold the nation of the Jews dear," said Doctor Martin Luther, "and yet they are so scornful and proud. Verily, this n
August 30 England England is similar to Germany; they both use the Saxon language, as seen in Westphalia and the Netherlands, although it ha
August 31 Dialects Germany is home to many dialects, offering a wide variety of speech patterns, to the extent that people living thirty mil
September 1 Printing Printing is "summum et postremum donum" through which God sends forth the Gospel. It is the last flicker of the flame b
September 2 Grace Enhancing, Not Overriding Nature Grace doesn't completely transform nature but utilizes it as it is found. For example, wh
September 3 One Trial of Various Kinds Passio optima Actio We never do more, or in a more sacred way, than when we are unaware of how much w
September 4 The Peace of God under the Cross To Michael Dressel, Augustinian Prior in Neustadt 1516 Health and peace to you! But not the kin
September 5 Chastening If a father strictly corrects his son, it is as much as if he said, "My son, I pray thee to be a good child." It may
September 6 Heaviness of Heart St. Paul admits that God showed him mercy by healing Epaphroditus, who was so weak and close to death, restor
September 7 Trial the Interpreter of Scripture Hardship gives understanding - As says Sirach, "He who is not tried, what does he know?" No o
September 8 Our Questions Aren't Always Answered Here God will give us everything in Christ, so that He Himself may belong to us, if we humb
September 9 The Question Answered Hereafter When Doctor Martin was once asked why God did many things of which no one could find out the rea
September 10 Even as a Father, the Son in whom He Delights God deals not otherwise than a father with his son and his servant. The son he co
September 11 Better Anything from God than Silence "Oh, my God, punish far rather with pestilence, with all the terrible sicknesses on earth
September 12 Turning to God in Grief, Not Away from Him Eventually, we must realize that we can't keep running from God as if He were an exe
September 13 Victory through Surrender Anyone who can sincerely humble themselves before God from the heart and accept His discipline has al
September 14 David Singing Psalms in Trial When David could solve a problem, he did everything in his power, but when he found no strategy o
September 15 We Must Learn Our Lessons Repeatedly When one challenge is overcome, another soon arises, against which we must prepare ourselv
September 16 "The Order of Christ" Barley endures much from people, for it is first thrown into the earth, where it dies. Then, when it has
September 17 Christ is More Compassionate Than Any Christian Schlainhauffen was voicing his struggles, facing difficulties from every direct
September 18 The Lessons Set in this Life, Understood in the Next. On August 8, 1538, Doctor Martin and his wife were both ill with a fever.
September 19 The Incarnation is the Greatest Comfort in Sorrow This supreme gift and mystery, that the Son of God chooses to become human an
September 20 Two Sickness To the Elector Frederic in Sickness 1520 Christ's Suffering in Christians Our most blessed Savior and most graciou
September 21 In Luther's Illness To Justus Menius 1527 "I pray thee, cease not to pray for me, and to console me, for this agony is beyond m
September 22 Luther's Prayer During His Illness In 1537, after Dr. Martin Luther had preached at Schmalkald on the Sunday Invocavit, he beca
September 23 Luther's Approach to Visiting the Sick When Doctor Martin Luther visited someone who was ill, he would speak very gently to the
September 24 Three Bereavement On the Death of Louis the Second, King of Hungary To Maria, Queen of Hungary, on the Death of her Husband, de
September 25 Magdalene Luther's Illness and Death On September 5, 1542, Magdalene became ill. Dr. Luther wrote: To Marcus Crodel "Grace and
September 26 To Jacob Probst, Pastor at Bremen My dearest daughter, Magdalene, has passed away to be with her Father in heaven. I have manag
September 27 To Justus Jonas I think you will have heard that my beloved daughter, Magdalene, has been reborn into the eternal kingdom of Ch
September 28 To Amsdorf I thank you for trying to comfort me on the death of my most dear daughter. I loved her deeply and truly, not just b
September 29 To Lauterbach "Thou sayest well, that in this most evil age death is indeed to be desired (or rather sleep), for our daughters,
September 30 To Justus Jonas, on the Death of his Wife 1542 What to write, I scarcely know, so deeply has this sudden grief of yours affecte
October 1 To Wolf Heinze, on the Loss of his Wife 1543 "This very hour, Doctor Jonas has told me that your dear Eva has gone home to God her
October 2 To Hans Reinicke, on the Loss of his Wife Deep sorrow, indeed, must this be for you. My heart is also very heavy for your sake. Bu
October 3 To George Hosel, on the Loss of a Son 1544 Our Savior Christ says, "It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these l
October 4 To Ambrosius Berndt, on the Death of his Wife This tragedy is indeed a burning fire to thee. Yet is there sweetness distilled from
October 5 To Justus Jonas, on the Passing of Heinz's Wife 1543 "I know his sorrow and mourn with him." But the time is coming when we will g
October 6 To Baumgärtner's Wife, on the Imprisonment of her Husband 1544 Our grief has not escalated so much or become as severe as that exp
October 7 To Parents Unknown, on the Loss of their Son 1544 So also you, when you have mourned and wept as you need to, will once more comfo
October 8 The Sacrifice of the Will to God To the Widow of George Schulze, on the Loss of her Husband 1544 Even though you are indeed grievi
October 9 One The Last Conflict To the People of Wittenberg 1521 I cannot always be with you. Everyone must die alone. And in that greatest
October 10 The Death of Princes On July 22, 1533, Doctor Martin Luther spoke at the table to Duke John Frederic, Elector of Saxony: "It is a
October 11 The Fear of Death The fear of death is itself death, nothing else. He who has removed death from his heart experiences no death.
October 12 How Luther Faced the Threat of Death In 1538, on October 21st, Doctor Martin Luther delivered a public speech in the church, hars
October 13 "The Damsel is not Dead, but Sleepeth" This place is very remarkable, for our Lord Himself describes death as nothing other than
October 14 Sleep like Death A person who sleeps deeply is much like one who is dead. Therefore, the ancient sages said, "Sleep is the brothe
October 15 The Martyr's Death They threaten us with death. "If they were as wise as they are unwise, they would threaten us with life." It's
October 16 To all the Dear Friends of Christ at Halle On the Murder of the Preacher George Winkler, by Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz Th
October 17 On the Martyrdom of Leonhard Kaiser 1527 I am so troubled, feeling so inadequate compared to Leonhard; I, a preacher of many word
October 17 Attestation ("The handwriting of Luther, which he had given to a messenger who asked for a certificate that he was alive. For the
October 18 Death: The Beginning of Life Death is the beginning of life. And this is what our Lord says, “He who keeps my sayings shall never
October 19 Death is like Baptism and Birth In death, I don't know where I'm going. But the holy angels, my guides, know it well. It's simila
October 20 Two The Present Life of the Saints with Christ On Him, sin rests no more, but only righteousness; no pain and sorrow are in Him a
October 21 Innate Sensations of Immortality Here is suggested the soul's immortality, in that no creature except man can understand and meas
October 22 Immortality in Truth and Name Since all people feel and recognize, indeed, see that they must die and pass away, everyone seeks i
October 23 Luther's Thoughts on Heaven During Illness I've been suffering from a severe illness, to the point where I surrendered my life to
October 24 Employment of Heaven I believe that in that future life we will need no occupation but to contemplate with amazed joy the Creator
October 25 Three The Glorious Advent and the Resurrection Christ has set us free, not in a worldly or physical sense, but in a spiritual sen
October 26 Christ Calling Everyone by Name to Him, and Recognizes the Calling of Each My Lord is named Schefflemini; "Sit Thou at My r
October 27 His Prayer for the Advent Help, O Lord my God, that the joyful Day of Your Holy Advent may soon come; that we may be redeemed fro
October 29 The Resurrection is like waking from Refreshing Sleep This body is a tomb. Sleep is nothing but death, and death a sleep. What is
October 30 Wonder of the Saints at the Joys of Heaven Those who, in their need and distress, could find comfort only because they had Christ
October 31 The Resurrection In the year 1539, on April 11, Doctor Martin Luther was in his garden, and with many deep thoughts, he looked at
November 1 Luther's Last Conflict and Victory On Wednesday, February 17, 1546, it was noticed that he was weak and unwell. The Prince of Anh
Open this chapter to start reading.
Open this chapter to start reading.
Open this chapter to start reading.
Open this chapter to start reading.
Open this chapter to start reading.
Open this chapter to start reading.
Open this chapter to start reading.
Open this chapter to start reading.
PREFACE By far the larger number of the Extracts in this volume have been selected and translated from the six volumes of Luther's German an
WATCHWORDS For The BATTLES OF LIFE: FROM DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER Translated and Arranged By the Author of “CHRONICLES OF THE SCHÖNBERG-COTTA FA
CONTENTS Part 1 THE BATTLE-FIELD 1. THE COMMANDER, 3 Everywhere at Once, 6 The Creation not abandoned, 6 The Creator, 7 The living God, 7 "T
12 CONTENTS The Law as Fire, 30 The Law as Prison, 31 The Law as Schoolmaster, 31 The Law as Wall of Defense, 32 The Decalogue to be Taught
CONTENTS, 13 PREACHING, 74 Preparation for Preaching, 74 The best Teachers always Learners, 76 Doctor Luther's Portrait of a Good Preacher,
19 CONTENTS Durable Riches, [2] To the Elector John of Saxony. 1529, 121 Carefulness, 123 To his Wife. His Last Letter to her but one. 10th
CONTENTS, 15 Simplicity of the Bible, 159 Depth of the Bible, 159 Is It Dangerous to Make the Bible Accessible to Everyone?, 159 The Bible R
CONTENTS, 16 Part 3 WORDS FOR THE HALTING-PLACES 1. LUTHER'S THEOLOGY IN HIS SEAL, 191 To Lazarus Spengler. 1530, 191 2. NATURE, 193 Creatio
CONTENTS, 17 Jonah, 226 Luke and John, 227 The Letter to the Hebrews, 228 5. NOTABLE PEOPLE, 229 About "St. John Huss" the Martyr, 229 Legen
CONTENTS, 18 "Even as a Father the Son in whom he Delighteth," 262 Better anything from God than Silence, 262 Turning to God in Sorrow, not
CONTENTS, 19 Part Fifth WORDS OF VICTORY 1. THE LAST CONFLICT, 313 To the People of Wittenberg. 1521, 313 The Death of Princes, 314 The Fear