Books of Prayer

A Prayer for Sunday Worship

Photo by Sergiu Vălenaș on Unsplash

There are lots of useful books of prayer. Prayers of the heart are moving, powerful, illuminating, and transformative. Never lose the ability to pray from your heart. But, also, never overlook the usefulness of a book of prayer to help you hone and sharpen your language and rhythm of prayer. If you grew up in a church that prioritizes spontaneous, non-liturgical praying, it may take some time to feel comfortable reading the written prayers from previous eras of church. However, when you read the prayers of those who have traveled far on the way to a deeper life with God, there is little difference than when hearing the spoken prayers of friends within a prayer circle. You are merely reading the record of a pilgrim’s journey toward God. What is being recorded in printed word is like a signpost on the way. They are telling you they passed this way, and on this day, I experienced something of God that led to this prayer. Most of these prayers are useful tutors in the way of praying. Some are deeply moving.

A book of prayer I have been turning to since 1989 is A Diary of Private Prayer by Scottish theologian John Baillie. There is plenty of white space included on each page for writing down my own prayers of praise and petition. (For example, on my first day of use, on October 11, 1989, I thanked God for my daughter, all of two years old, and the “great joy” she gave me.) BAillie is wonderful proof that one can have both a clear mind and a warm heart. He wrote some of the church’s best theology and his prayers give testimony to a heart seeking a deeper experience of God.