Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.
Psalm 119:164
Throughout Scripture, prayer acts as a clock. Rather than marking time in terms of minutes or seconds, prayer dictated the sense of the day. This is also called set-hour prayer—specific prayers happen at set times of the day. These moments framed daily life, encouraging people to recall God’s sustaining presence morning, noon, and night.
Now don’t be fooled—perfectly praying like this is nearly impossible. In Matthew 6:5-8 Jesus sees straight through these set-hour prayers. He reflects on how hypocrites would use loud and lengthy prayers. Rather than giving glory to God, this way of praying was performative. Its sole goal was to make the person who prayed appear more religious.
In our Anglican Tradition, we’ve faced a similar tension between the discipleship value of set-hour prayer, and its descent into religiosity. We steward a wonderful gift in our Book of Common Prayer called the Daily Office. At its best, this practice carries the benefits of set-hour prayer, reminding us that God sustains each movement. Following our pattern of Morning (6-9am), Midday (noon), Evening (6-9pm), and Compline (before sleep), we frame our life in terms of our moments with God. And yet, these prayers can fall into striving and performance, just as easily as they can devotion.
At Apostles, we would love to teach you about the Daily Office. It marks our Anglican heritage, and is a fundamental training ground for a life of discipleship. This shared pattern of prayer acts as our community wide “quiet time” or “bible reading plan.”
So, as you read the following week's devotionals, I’ll lead you through each set time for prayer—called Offices. No, I’m not talking about a cubicle or a building where you work. Rather, we call set-hour prayer Offices because prayer is the work of God. Practicing the Daily Office allows you to participate in God’s work. In response, pay attention to a heart of curiosity and joy, and go where the Spirit leads. Whatever draws you nearer to the heart of God will not leave you ashamed.
Nicole Kallsen, Curate