Prayer Resources

PRAYER BOOKS
The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle
The Book of Common Prayer (1979 edition) published by Oxford Press
The Little Book of Hours published by the Community of Jesus

THEOLOGY AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION
Praying with the Church by Scot McKnight

A much-needed, timely book by a respected Evangelical theologian, who endorses the reengagement of the Evangelical Church in the historic practice of praying the divine hours. McKnight traces the prayer traditions of the three, major expressions of Christianity: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant-Catholic. Helpfully, McKnight also explains the Christian’s need to pray “in the Church,” “for the Church,” and “with the Church.” McKnight also gives a helpful overview of the prayer books most commonly used in each of these three, great traditions of the Christian Faith.

LITERATURE AND POETRY
The Book of Hours: An Anthology edited by Kevin Jackson

A creative, editorial undertaking that makes explicit the implicit living in Western societies by the now commonly accepted and divided hours of the 24-hour day. Collecting “the greatest literary moments that define the twenty-four hours of our day,” Jackson takes the reader on a literary journey through some of the most expressive authorial accounts of the Western tradition. In this way, Jackson brings afresh all the simplicities of life and all the complexities of living through an (extra)ordinary day, helping us to feel and understand again the daily rhythms of time-ordered humanity.

Prayers selected and edited by Peter Washington (Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets)

A beautiful anthology of poems structured around the divine hours of fixed-prayer: Matins (Lauds), Prime, Tierce, Sext, Nones, Vespers, Compline. Features some of the best poems from our most beloved poets. One word of caution: not all of these poems are penned by Christians, expressing the orthodox, historic, Christian Faith.

“Horae Canonicae” (Immolatus vicerit) by W. H. Auden in Selected Poems (expanded edition) selected and edited by Edward Mendelson

Written between the Summer of 1949 and the Spring of 1954, the poet Auden patiently traces a 24-hour day, penetrating the internal and external spiritual, psychological, social, economic, and political realities that make up human life. Auden orders these poetic expressions according to the historic, accustomed hours of prayer: Prime, Terce, Sext, Nones, Vespers, Compline, and Lauds. A beautiful experience, yet realistic accounting, of daily living that reveals the urgent need of hourly prayer in a rushed, frenzied world that too often neglects such crucial humanities and important divinities.

The Book of Hours: Prayers to a Lowly God (European Poetry Classics) by Rainer Maria Rilke and Annemarie S. Kidder

Having visited Russia during his twenties, the German poet Rilke was greatly affected by the spirituality he encountered there in the Russian Orthodox Church, especially the rhythmic ordering of life and prayer, according to the divine hours. Upon his return to Germany, Rilke (23) began to pen into poetry the prayers he received from his experiences in Russia, collecting them as “The Book of Hours” (“Das Stundenbuch”) from 1899 until 1903. Rilke influentially brought to his generation – and now potentially to ours – a renewed and deepened spirituality of and for life, being ordered through praying the divine hours.

WEBSITES
http://www.explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/
This website gives helpful information and instruction for those seeking to understand and implement fixed-hour praying of the divine hours. Be sure to read these excellent essays by Phyllis Tickle:

“A Complete Guide to the Ancient Practice of Fixed-Hour Prayer”

“What Drew Me In and Kept Me Practicing Fixed-Hour Prayer”

“A Brief History of Fixed-Hour Prayer”

“The Divine Hours: An Introduction”

“Notes to Help You Use the Prayers”

“Symbols and Conventions Used”

http://www.chastitysf.com/loh.htm
This unusual website, peculiar to the Roman Catholic tradition, does provide an online version of the FULL “Liturgy of the Hours,” as well as much-need instruction on using this more detailed, comprehensive – and thus complicated – book of prayer. Those coming from or wanting to explore Roman Catholicism will greatly benefit from this free, user-friendly version of the “Liturgy of the Hours.”

http://www.calvin.edu/worship/stories/prayer.php
A Reformed perspective on the blessings of fixed-hour prayer, offering careful instruction, inspiring testimonials, links to prayer books of various traditions, and a FREE prayer book download.

http://www.bcponline.org/
Features a FREE online version of the Book of Common Prayer.

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/liturgical_texts/daily_prayers.asp
Offers a FREE online prayer book in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, “Daily Prayers for Orthodox Christians.” For the very daring, one can learn how to chant through this website, as well.