Written Prayers

Most of us pray.  Even the people who make a claim to not praying are often heard in a moment of impending disaster crying out in a spontaneous manner, "Lord, help me!"  Prayers come in all sizes and shapes, but the One who upon whom we call is the same.  Those of who are intentional about our faith journey understand the life enriching and life giving power of that ongoing relationship with our Creator through the discipline of prayer.  As one who has prayed all my life, I have no doubt about its value in my spiritual life, but it has not always been something that I have done with the discipline it requires.   

When we get in a rut, or run into a dry season, it might be a good time to look at some ways of expanding our prayer life.  One way of expanding our prayer life is to reach back into the past and pull up some of the prayers that have sustained the saints and been offered to God by them or the church in centuries past.  Some turn away from such prayers because they are "written" and, therefore, less effective than some prayer which breathes the air of spontaneity.  It is an unfortunate conclusion because some of these ancient prayers open our spirits in ways that we might not experience otherwise.  Of course, even the diehards who refuse to pray a written prayer still pray the one we know as "The Lord's Prayer!"  

There are many resources available which can open the door to us to the rich prayers that have passed through the centuries.  There are prayers in the Bible, many of our hymns can be prayed, and worship resources provided by different denominations can be an invaluable tool as we avail ourselves of them.  Prayers come from the heart.  A prayer from the past can infuse our heart with new power and life.  The important thing is not to read the written prayers, but to allow ourselves to slowly pray them.