Date of Award

5-15-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Practical Theology

First Advisor

Mark Rockenbach

Scripture References in this Resource

Galatians 3:26-27; 1 Peter 2:9; Matthew 6:9-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Abstract

Reynolds, Abigail C. “Cultivating Confidence and a Habitus of Ex Corde Prayer Among the Baptized: Encouraging Ex Corde Prayer Among the Baptized as Part of Diaconal Soul Care.” M.A. thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2026. 77 pp.

Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions abound with encouragement to pray, describing prayer as communication between children and their heavenly Father. Yet, for many parishioners in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, praying ex corde prayers aloud with other Christians (family or friends) causes anxiety and is not a common practice. This thesis examines the Lutheran teaching that prayer is based in baptismal identity as God’s child and explores how teaching parishioners about the reality of their shared baptismal identity will encourage confidence in praying ex corde among the baptized so it becomes a part of the parishioners’ spiritual habitus. Based on secular research and theological investigation, this thesis addresses the need for teaching ex corde prayer, biblical teachings about shared baptismal identity (Family of God, Body of Christ, and the Royal Priesthood), cultivation of spiritual habitus, and scriptural, faith-based prayer. This work offers suggestions for how a deaconess in a parish or visitation setting can encourage confidence in and habitus of ex corde prayer among the baptized.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Download

Share

COinS