Prayer, apart from the Office

Discussion in 'Faith, Devotion & Formation' started by CFLawrence, Jul 24, 2018.

  1. CFLawrence

    CFLawrence Active Member

    Posts:
    123
    Likes Received:
    78
    Country:
    United States
    Religion:
    Evangelical Episcopalian
    So here is another question rolling around my head. Aside from the office, how do you pray? Is mental prayer practiced by Anglicans? Does anyone here practice Lectio Divina?

    You get the idea... is this an Office and Mass only kinda crowd or do you pray in other ways?

    CF Lawrence
     
  2. Botolph

    Botolph Well-Known Member

    Posts:
    2,276
    Likes Received:
    2,529
    Country:
    Australia
    Religion:
    Anglican
    I think we do. Certainly the practice of reflection, and meditation are common for many Anglicans. I know the girls who wrote this book, and whilst the authors are from a different tradition, I know that the book has been well received by a number of Anglicans.

    http://www.movingtostillness.com.au/
     
  3. anglican74

    anglican74 Well-Known Member Anglican

    Posts:
    1,833
    Likes Received:
    1,340
    Country:
    USA
    Religion:
    Anglican (ACNA)
    In principle I know that many of us do grace before meals, morning and evening offices, mental prayers of imprecation and gratitude... it is a pretty strong prayer life


    On the Lectio Divina,,
    from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectio_Divina#cite_note-WilhoitHoward2012-27

    "The importance of Lectio Divina is stressed in the Anglican Communion as well."

    This points to the following book,-
    Wilhoit, James C.; Howard, Evan B. (2012-05-10). Discovering Lectio Divina: Bringing Scripture into Ordinary Life. InterVarsity Press. p. 138. ISBN9780830835706. Retrieved 24 November 2012.

    Therein is referenced one of the most famous ANglican collects,--
    "Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

    And says that this is a reference to the lectio divina- "This is lectio divina."
     
    CFLawrence and Magistos like this.
  4. JoeLaughon

    JoeLaughon Well-Known Member Anglican

    Posts:
    363
    Likes Received:
    320
    Country:
    United States
    Religion:
    ACNA
    I often use a shortened rosary to pray the Jesus Prayer and the Trisagion
     
    CFLawrence likes this.
  5. Magistos

    Magistos Active Member Anglican

    Posts:
    179
    Likes Received:
    138
    Country:
    United States
    Religion:
    Anglican (ACNA)
    For myself - the daily offices, compline, grace, and many mental and verbal "off the cuff" prayers, with reflection and meditation a part of all of that. Heck, the offices themselves have pauses for private/off the cuff prayer.

    The offices, for me, are many things, including STRUCTURE. Whole posts have been done about this. They can be...the gym, where we always go even if we don't feel like it. But it strengthens our prayer muscles for use through our day and life. Pray without ceasing.

    I might recommend a book called Liturgy of the Ordinary, by Tish Harrison Warren, about how we can see our day as an extended liturgical experience .
     
    CFLawrence likes this.
  6. CFLawrence

    CFLawrence Active Member

    Posts:
    123
    Likes Received:
    78
    Country:
    United States
    Religion:
    Evangelical Episcopalian

    Your post points to everything wrong with the way I pray the office. I just plow through! No stops to meditate on scripture. No stops for extemporaneous prayers.
    It’s kinda of a “let’s get this chore out of the way” attitude.

    Thank you for that post!
     
    Magistos likes this.
  7. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

    Posts:
    3,323
    Likes Received:
    1,626
    Country:
    UK
    Religion:
    CofE
    The daily offices are a first class way of marinating oneself in the scriptures. They are not necessarily 'study', nor necessarily 'instruction', they can even be 'a chore'. Chores are something we have to approach with diligence. If we have no diligence then the discipline of the daily office may inculcate some in us. We all need diligence.

    Having made this statement however, I honestly admit that I very rarely pray or meditate according to any set rule or 'office' CofE or otherwise nowadays. Much of that has 'soaked in' and my prayer life is much more 'fluid' and 'trusting' as my age increases and a 'meeting with my maker' approaches ever more imminently.

    I used to, for many years, assiduously read mark learn and inwardly digest 'Every Day With Jesus' by Selwyn Huges, and the scriptures of the day pertaining to it. I also used to regularly do the daily office laid out in 'Celebrating Common Prayer' for Tertiary Franciscans, together with my wife, a priest in the CofE, when we were in ministry together.

    Some things pertaining to prayer are needful of understanding in my opinion:

    (1) Avoid senseless repetition: "“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." i.e. God does not need to be 'pestered'.

    (2) Listen as much, if not more than you speak. Wherever private enough, pray aloud, and expect answers, (often in the form of scripture verses, which will come to mind, pertinently answering your question or leading you to question further). Learn to do this silently, anywhere, at anytime for any reason.

    (3) Offices are only 'pump priming' not 'Rivers of living water'. Jn.7:38. Having primed the pump, there is still work to do.
     
    Theistgal likes this.
  8. ahmed11

    ahmed11 New Member

    Posts:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    Country:
    Australia
    Religion:
    Islam
    informative thread