In the last few years, I have practiced the Daily Office, or fixed-hour prayer. Usually four times a day, I stop what I am doing and pray ancient prayers. I have utilized the Book of Common Prayer and most recently have fallen in love with Phyllis Tickle’s book series, The Divine Hours.
I was taught as an Evangelical to use extemporaneous prayer rather than a rote or boring tradition of reciting written prayers. Eventually, though, extemporaneous prayers fell short and I found I didn’t know what to pray. It even seemed as if I didn’t know how to pray. I shared more about this in my new love for reciting the liturgy.
In desperation, I started praying the Daily Office and it revolutionized my spiritual life. So much so, that I would often cry as I read these ancient prayers out loud. I found these prayers were the words my soul longed to pray that I simply could not voice. Utterly refreshing and restorative, to say the least.
Recently, I was struck again by the following prayer. I even printed it and put it above my desk so I see it, and pray it, regularly. May it allow you to enter into the Divine’s presence and find peace today.
O God of Peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and trust shall be our strength, by the might of your Spirit lift us to your holy presence where we may be still and know that you are God.