Bible study #2. This is is a compilation (thievery) of resources from Revs Bachman, Weedon, Peperkorn and Egret and my own study and the Treasury of Daily Prayer.
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Intro: try to list as many things that you can think of that you do everyday. Habits, routines.
What are Holy habits?
Praying is for the Christian is like breathing is for the rest of humanity.
But before the daily routines, let’s see the big picture: Church year (advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter..), the week (Sunday to Sunday), the day (sunup to sundown, the hours).
Meditation during the week flows from and towards the Divine Service, wherein we receive those other tangible gifts: the Sacraments of Absolution and Holy Communion.
Cycles:
PRAYER
Jesus:
40 days in wilderness
Sought a quiet place to pray
He taught his disciples to pray
After the Last Supper, sung a hymn, prayed in Gethsemane
Prayed from the cross.
He intercedes for us now.
Matthew 6:6-7
6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
Is prayer an option?
“'when' you pray" from Matt 6
How do we pray?
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and He gave them a set prayer to use: the Lord’s Prayer
“Pray then like this…” (Matt 6:9).
“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise” (Ps 51:15).
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How often should we pray?
The OT set out a pattern of evening and morning prayers at the tabernacle, and the Jews who could not attend would pray at the same hours, with set prayers.
From the Psalms, we see certain patterns:
“O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You.” (Ps. 88.2)
“I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your Word. My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your Word.” (Ps. 119.147-148)
“Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments.” (Ps. 119.164)
ELSEWHERE IN SCRIPTURE
Acts 2:42 - 4And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and THE prayers.
In Acts 2.42, the Early Church devoted themselves to “THE Prayers,” implying a set order of prayer.
“Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour” (Acts 3:1).
Rom 12:12 - Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
I thess 5:17 - pray without ceasing
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Benefits?
-Prayer is to the Christian what breathing is to a human.
-keep in communication with God
-grounds us in faith
Traditional prayer
-No need to “reinvent the wheel”
-No need to be a brilliant writer or speaker
-No need for “Wejustwanna” prayers
-Is grounded in God’s Word
-Is meditative
-Praying with the Church as a whole
-Go beyond “O Lord, woncha buy me…”
Monks
Liturgy of the Hours
Matins/Lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers, compline
Monks and nuns prayed/chanted all 150 Psalms each week
Continuous readings from Scripture, the fathers of the Church, and hymns
Use of a Breviary
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Reformation-era daily prayer
Matins (Morning Prayer)
Vespers (Evening Prayer)
Compline (was reintroduced later)
Catechism Prayers - Morning, evening, at meals
Also now, the short orders for individuals and families, etc.,
IMPORTANCE OF DAILY PRAYER LIFE
Luther
Small Cat: Daily prayers p 30 (APPENDIX B)
STRUCTURE
Cross self – When we make the sign of the cross, what we are doing is A) remembering our Baptism; B) Remembering Jesus’ death for our sins; C) Confessing to the world that I am not ashamed to be known as a disciple of Jesus; and D) Holding up the cross of Christ as the central core of my identity.
Read scripture –Daily lectionary (in LSB) LOOK AT IT
Luther’s prayers in Small Cat Daily Prayer
Weedon’s prayers. HAND OUT (Appendix A)
(Are written prayers ok? - Mostly straight from Scripture. "it is far better to pray from the riches of God’s grace than from the poverty of our hearts." - Bonhoeffer.)
**Make a list (index card or scrap paper will do) of people you want to pray for. Family members, pastor, church, godchildren, the nation and leaders, the sick, suffering, mourning; finally, your own struggles and needs.
-The Jesus Prayer."Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me [literally!] THE sinner." I use this prayer often, especially when driving. But as I pray it over and over again, I see the faces of the different people I am praying for and I pray that prayer as one with them.
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The greatest challenge is not to lose sight of the objectivity of the Word.
Christian meditation, Christian spirituality is oral and tangible.
We do not experience God in the silence of our hearts; and while we can marvel at the power of God and discern His glory from creation, we cannot know His will from beholding a sunset, mountain, or ocean.
We only know His will from His Word.
SPEAKING OUT LOUD
So when you are meditating on the Word, speak the Psalms, Readings, and prayers out loud. When you are praying by yourself, you simply say (or sing) all the parts yourself. Nothing else changes. Still speak out loud, unless it would not be acceptable. In those cases, even if you can move your mouth and whisper very quietly, do that.
This does several things:
-It compels you to slow down so that you are not flying through things without really praying and listening.
-Through engaging not just the mind but the mouth and the ear, more of the body becomes engaged and thus the Word becomes more memorable.
-Pray as though someone were listening; God just might be!
-The Word of God, and especially the Name of JESUS, drives the demons away and causes angels to rejoice. Name the Name of JESUS wherever you are; at the Name of JESUS every knee must bow.
-Luther: “You should meditate [on the Scriptures], that is, not only in your heart, but also externally, by repeating the written words externally and rubbing them (like a herb for its flavor), reading and rereading them with diligent attention and reflection, so that you may see what the Holy Spirit means by them.”
“Spiritual” does not mean intangible; in Christian thinking, it is not the opposite of physical. That which is Spiritual is that which is of and from the Holy Spirit. So for something to be Spiritual, it is something done in, by, or for us by the Holy Spirit. And the HS works through the means of Word and Sacrament. So don’t look for “spirituality” in an inward meditation of mind-clearing, deprivation, or silence. Look for spirituality where the HS is: in the Word (and in the Sacraments)
The HS is our Teacher, and He teaches us about Christ through His Word. Not mental guidance or immediate illumination, but faith and guidance through the Scriptures, which are external to ourselves.
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Setting the Stage:
* Make a commitment to daily prayer
* Schedule a time or times, either by the clock or by daily landmarks (e.g., after you get up, after breakfast, before lunch, 10pm, before bed)
* Communicate with others in your family what time you want to pray as a group
* There will be days when you miss it because life intruded, you were lazy, sinful, sick, etc. Don’t worry or let that cause total failure. Simply start again at the right place. No need to obsess about "catching up." Don't sweat it; the goal is to be faithful in praying, not to "keep score."
* Don’t try to do too much – better to do something, however small, than to set yourself up for failure and guilt. Luther’s advises to on start simply instead of trying to do too much.
Additionally:
* If you can, find a quiet place and quiet time.
-feel free to light a candle, or set up an area with a crucifix or icon.
* Turn off TV, radio
* Close doors if noise might distract you
* Turn off cell phone, email notifications
* Agree that you will not answer the phone. Let it go to voicemail. It can wait.
Don’t rush.
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Prayer is difficult
“Devotion” is so called because it requires devotion, dedication, discipline. The cares of the world, distractions, and sometimes the sinful thoughts that it doesn’t really matter or that nothing really changes can make us give up quickly.
The Fathers spoke of the “exercise of piety,” and like bodily exercise, playing an instrument, mathematics or foreign languages, if we do not keep on exercising, practicing, reviewing, we will lose what we had, and so the last state is worse than the first.
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APPENDIX A
Daily Intercessions
O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace. Help me in all things to rely upon Your holy will. In every hour of the day reveal Your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that come to me throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that your will governs all. In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by You. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray, and You yourself pray in me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son , and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen
O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, in Your mercies and lovingkindness You regard the humble prayers of all who call upon You with their whole heart; incline Your ear and hear now my prayer, offered to You in humility:
Be Mindful, O Lord, of Your Holy, Christian and Apostolic Church; confirm and strengthen her, increase her and keep her in peace, and preserve her unconquerable forever.
Be mindful, O Lord, of my pastor, (your pastor's name), and of all the clergy of the Church, which You have established to feed the flock on Your word; and by their prayers have mercy upon me and save me, a sinner.
Be mindful, O Lord, of all civil authorities, of our armed forces, of this place in which we reside, and of every city and the countryside; grant them peaceful times, that we, in their tranquility, may lead a calm and peaceful life in all godliness and sanctity.
Be mindful, O Lord, of my parents,(their names), of my brothers and sisters,(their names), of relatives,(their names), and of my friends,(their names); grant that they may have mercy, life, peace, health, salvation and visitation, pardon and remission of their sins; that they may ever praise and glorify Your Holy Name.
Be mindful, O Lord, of those who travel by land, by sea, and by air; of the old and young, the sick, the suffering, the sorrowing, the afflicted, the captives, the needy and the poor; and upon them all send forth Your mercies, for You are the Giver of all good things.
Be mindful, O Lord, of me, Your humble servant; grant me Your grace, that I may be diligent and faithful, avoiding evil company and influence, resisting temptation; that I may lead a godly and righteous life, blameless and peaceful, ever serving You; and grant me at last the grace of entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.
For a spouse - My bountiful God, I beseech You, listen to my humble prayer, that I may ever feel that the married state is holy and that I must keep it holy. Grant Your grace that I may never sin against the faithfulness and love of this marriage. Foster between “Name” and me the spirit of understanding and of peace, that no strife, quarrel or misunderstanding, may arise between us. Grant us health and our daily bread, whereby we may serve You more. Amen.
For children - O God, our heavenly Father, You love mankind, and are most merciful and compassionate, have mercy upon our children, Your servants, (their names), for whom I humbly pray You, and commend them to Your gracious protection. Be, O God, their guide and guardian in all their endeavors; lead them in the path of Your truth, and draw them near to You, that they may lead a godly and righteous life in Your love and fear; doing Your will in all matters. Give them grace that they may be temperate, industrious, diligent, devout and charitable. Defend them against the assaults of the enemy, and grant them wisdom and strength to resist all temptation and corruption of this life; and direct them in the way of salvation, for the merits of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
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APPENDIX B
Daily Prayers
How the head of the family should teach his household to pray morning and evening
Morning Prayer.
1] In the morning, when you rise, you shall bless yourself with the holy cross and say:
In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
2] Then, kneeling or standing, repeat the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. If you choose, you may, in addition, say this little prayer:
I thank Thee, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, that Thou hast kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray Thee to keep me this day also from sin and all evil, that all my doings and life may please Thee. For into Thy hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Thy holy angel be with me, that the Wicked Foe may have no power over me. Amen.
3] Then go to your work with joy, singing a hymn, as the Ten Commandments, or what your devotion may suggest.
Evening Prayer.
4] In the evening, when you go to bed, you shall bless yourself with the holy cross and say: In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
5] Then, kneeling or standing, repeat the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. If you choose, you may, in addition, say this little prayer:
I thank Thee, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, that Thou hast graciously kept me this day, and I pray Thee to forgive me all my sins, where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Thy hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Thy holy angel be with me, that the Wicked Foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Then go to sleep promptly and cheerfully.
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Sources:
http://lutheranlogomaniac.com/?p=584#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-do-we-make-the-sign-of-the-cross
http://cyberbrethren.com/2009/05/08/daily-prayers-you-may-find-helpful/
http://esgetology.com/2009/05/26/treasury-of-daily-prayer-workshop/
http://cyberbrethren.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/divine_office.pdf
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