Liturgical Prayers
Week 3 – Pray in Community
Learning to Pray Together
Prayer Practice: Liturgical Prayers
Day 20, Friday, January 23
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
- Ephesians 3:20-21
The Church has always had shared words, shared prayers, and shared worship. Doxologies, hymns, and creeds were spoken aloud together— memorized, repeated, and passed down. When we use “liturgical” prayers from the history of the church - prescripted doesn’t need to mean insincere. We can pray a heartfelt prayer that the saints before us were led to pray. When we do, we’re not just praying with the present community but joining our prayers with the generations before us. These historic prayers of the church are theologically rich and biblically sound and therefore help to inform and shape our own prayers and theology.
How to Practice
Choose a historic prayer to earnestly pray through:
The Prayer of Confession
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
The Prayer for Purity
Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hid:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer
I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you,
exalted for you, or brought low for you.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
So be it.
And the covenant now made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.
St Patrick’s Breastplate (Adapted)
I arise today
through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Threeness,
through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Gentle Reminder
When we pray the words of the church we live out what it means to pray in community.
