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Plus, how it’s different from the Roman Catholic rosary
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This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Amy Bobinger, BA. Amy Bobinger holds a B.A. in English from Mississippi College and has spent over eight years helping people make sense of complicated topics. Since she began her career in 2016, she’s honed her skills in storytelling, content management, and editorial strategy. Amy loves turning complex information into something clear and useful, knowing that the right words can make a real difference in readers' lives.
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Not all members of the Lutheran Church pray the rosary, but some followers have found that it’s a helpful way to stay focused during their prayers. There’s not really a set way to pray a Lutheran rosary, so as long as you’re praying in a way that abides by your faith, you can’t do it wrong. But we’re sharing an example of how to pray the Lutheran rosary, plus alternate prayers and how the Lutheran rosary is different from Catholicism.
How do you pray the Lutheran rosary?
- Touch the crucifix and pray the Invocation while making the sign of the cross.
- Touch the first bead and pray the Apostle’s Creed.
- Say the Jesus prayer while touching the next 3 beads.
- Hold the next large bead and say Our Father while meditating on a Mystery.
- Think of the same Mystery while saying Jesus Prayers for the 10 small beads.
- Touch the chain and say Glory Be.
- Repeat steps 4–6 for the next 4 Mysteries.
- Hold the medal and say a personal prayer.
- End with the Invocation and sign of the cross.
Steps
Section 1 of 5:
Praying with the Lutheran Rosary
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Touch the crucifix and pray the Invocation. Hold the rosary in one hand and use the other hand to touch the crucifix hanging from the end. Repeat the Invocation as you make the sign of the cross, touching your forehead, breastbone, left shoulder, and right shoulder with the crucifix.[1]- English: In the name of the Father (forehead), and of the Son (breastbone), and of the Holy (left shoulder) Spirit (right shoulder). Amen.
- Latin: In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
- Note: This rosary meditation is based on a standard rosary. If you’re using something else, like a Lutheran Prayer Wreath, feel free to modify it to fit the number of beads.
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Pray the Apostles' Creed while touching the first bead. Move your fingers to the large bead just above the crucifix.[2] The Apostle’s Creed is a declaration of your faith in Jesus Christ.[3] You can say it in English or in Latin, whichever you prefer—just be sure to meditate on its meaning as you pray.- English: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, who was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day, He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.[4]
- Latin: Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae. Et in Iesum Christum, Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum, qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus, descendit ad inferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis, inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem, vitam aeternam. Amen.
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On each of the next three beads, pray the Jesus Prayer. The Jesus Prayer is a short, simple prayer. It’s a beautiful way to ask for forgiveness and mercy for your sins. Repeat this prayer 3 times.[5]- English: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.
- Latin: Domine Iesu Christe, Fili Dei, miserere mei, peccatoris.
- Alternatively: Recite Martin Luther’s explanation of each article in the Apostle’s Creed from his Small Catechism.[6] If you don’t have a copy of Luther’s Small Catechism, you can find his explanation of the 3 articles in the Apostles Creed online.
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Hold the next large bead and reflect on the first Mystery while saying Our Father. In the Lutheran Church, the Mysteries are 4 groups of 5 Biblical events each. Choose a group of Mysteries and start with the first one, contemplating it while you say the Our Father prayer.[7]- English: Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
- Latin: Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
- Alternatively: You can say Glory Be, if you prefer—the text is included a few steps down.
- Check out our section on the Mysteries if you need more information.
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5Say the Jesus Prayer on the small 10 beads. Skip the large medal where the chain connects and move to the first set of 10 small beads (often called a decade) on the left side of the chain. Moving counter-clockwise, touch one small bead and repeat the Jesus Prayer from above.
- As you do this, continue contemplating the first Mystery in the set you chose.
- Alternatively: Recite the 10 Commandments and/or the explanation of the 10 Commandments from Luther’s Small Catechism. Or, if you prefer, you can recite the 9 Matthew Beatitudes and one Glory Be.[8]
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6Touch the chain and say Glory Be To the Father. Place your fingers on the chain after the string of small beads and before the next large bead, and recite Glory Be while you continue reflecting on the first Mystery. Glory Be is also called the Doxology, or it may be referred to by its Latin name, Gloria Patri. This simple prayer of praise is common in the Lutheran Church.
- English: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.[9]
- Latin: Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
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Repeat the process with a different Mystery for each section of beads. Touch the next large bead on the rosary and say Our Father (or Glory Be) while you reflect on the second Mystery in the set you chose. Continue by saying the Jesus Prayer on the 10 smaller beads, then Glory Be as you touch the chain.- When you get to the next large bead, switch to meditating on the third Mystery, then the fourth, and finally the fifth.
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Say a personal prayer while you hold the medal. Once you’ve gone all the way around the rosary, touch the medal where the two sides of the rosary meet. Say a prayer from your heart—anything you’d like, as long as it’s meaningful to you.- Alternatively: Say the Pre-Trent Hail Mary (the version before the Council of Trent added the petition asking Mary to pray on behalf of sinners), a portion of the Magnificat, Martin Luther’s Evangelical Praise of the Mother of God. We cover these in the section on other Lutheran prayers.
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9Finish with the Invocation and sign of the cross. When you’ve finished praying the whole Rosary, say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” once more while making the sign of the cross. After that, you’re finished, although you can end with a hymn if you like.
- Some people prefer to end with Luther’s Morning or Evening Prayers, instead.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWhich Lutheran church encourages its members to pray the rosary?
Community AnswerIt's mostly a personal choice, and apparently is practiced/encouraged by some liberal Lutherans. For example, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the USA published something about saying the Lutheran rosary for Lent. But it isn't a common practice in the Lutheran church as a whole. -
QuestionWhat are the mysteries announced while praying the rosary?
Community AnswerBefore praying a specific mystery (Our Father, 10 Hail Mary and Glory), you should announce the mystery that you're going to contemplate and meditate. This is essentially a story to focus on about Jesus and Mary. For instance, to pray for the first sorrowful mystery, say, "The Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane," then wait a few seconds before start praying. -
QuestionDo Lutherans pray to Mary?
Logan BriscoeCommunity AnswerNo. While we believe Mary was a wonderful woman and can be used as an example of strong faith, we do not believe in prayer to her or any other saint. We believe our God does not care about our works but our faith, and that He will listen to our prayers directly - just as well as he would listen to the prayers of Mary.
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References
- ↑ https://youtu.be/PUg9OYmZrNY?t=249
- ↑ https://youtu.be/PUg9OYmZrNY?t=254
- ↑ https://www.faithlutherancorning.org/apostles-creed
- ↑ https://www.faithlutherancorning.org/apostles-creed
- ↑ https://witness.lcms.org/2020/the-jesus-prayer/
- ↑ https://southwestsk.lutheranchurchcanada.ca/2025/01/17/lutheran-rosary/
- ↑ http://orthodoxlutheran.fws1.com/bvm/lutheranrosary.pdf
- ↑ https://southwestsk.lutheranchurchcanada.ca/2025/01/17/lutheran-rosary/
- ↑ http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/Basics/GloriaPatri.html
About This Article
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Amy Bobinger, BA. Amy Bobinger holds a B.A. in English from Mississippi College and has spent over eight years helping people make sense of complicated topics. Since she began her career in 2016, she’s honed her skills in storytelling, content management, and editorial strategy. Amy loves turning complex information into something clear and useful, knowing that the right words can make a real difference in readers' lives. This article has been viewed 230,127 times.
Co-authors: 18
Updated: March 6, 2026
Views: 230,127
Categories: Christianity | Prayer
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 230,127 times.
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