"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16

I. Daily Prayer

The church’s worship is governed by an annual ("Christ-half" and "Church-half") rhythm, and a weekly rhythm (Augsburg Confession and Apology XXW). But there is also a daily rhythm: "Give us this day our daily bread..."

Contrary to popular impression, the apostolic church’s worship was not messily "spontaneous," or chaotic. Acts 2:42 ("the prayers") seems to suggest set, liturgical prayers. Where did these come from?

The Jews at the time of the Lord’s earthly life followed a well established pattern of piety in stated prayers at stated times throughout the day (see K. F. Mueller and W. Blankenburg, Leiturgia, v. III, pp. 100-294: "Der taegliche Gottesdienst" Cf. A. Schmemann, Introduction to Liturgical Theology). There were prayers said at the time of the morning sacrifice in the Temple, in the afternoon, and at the time of the evening sacrifice. There were also set prayers for meal times and at bedtime. Certain psalms were long associated with these particular times, e.g. Ps. 63 for morning prayers, Ps. 141 ("and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice") for the evening, and Ps. 4 at night.

The apostolic church continued to observe the customary hours of prayer, no doubt with New Testament adaptations (see Acts 2:15; 3:1; 10:9; 12:12). Besides "psalms" there were also "hymns" (perhaps the OT canticles) and "spiritual odes" (Col.3:16). The latter were not camp-fire "songs" but theologically rich, Spirit-filled hymns like the New Testament canticles in Lk.1 and 2, and perhaps also creedal statements like Phil. 2:5 ff. or I Tim. 3:16.

Luther’s concrete suggestions in the Small Catechism about the daily prayers for morning, evening and mealtimes (to be taught to their families and pupils by heads of households and schoolmasters) are completely in this spirit.

II. Ministers and Prayer

The whole priestly People of God are engaged in daily prayer – but His ministers especially so: "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word" (Acts 6:4). To impart "doctrine" without prayer is arid intellectualism or cold professionalism; to practice "prayer" without doctrine is fetid mysticism.

Luther to Ministers:

"Now that they are free from the useless, bothersome babbling of the Seven Hours, it would be fine if every morning, noon, and evening they would read, instead, at least a page or two from the Catechism, the Prayer Book, the New Testament, or something else from the Bible and would pray the Lord’s Prayer for themselves and their parishioners. In this way they might show honor and gratitude to the Gospel, through which they have been delivered from so many burdens and troubles, and they might feel a little shame, because, like pigs and dogs, they remember no more of the Gospel than this rotten, pernicious, shameful, carnal liberty" (Large Catechism, Preface).

To replace various medieval prayer books with evangelical material, Luther published the Prayer-Book in 1522 (Luther’s Works, vol. 43, pp.11-45). This, as well as A Simple Way To Pray, for his friend, Peter, the Master Barber (LW 40, 189-211), consists largely of guides for meditating and praying through the basic parts of the Catechism, viz., the Commandments, the Creed and the Our Father. (H. Sasse: "Our Confessions can be prayed. The Book of Concord should be for the Lutheran pastor what the Breviary is to the Roman Catholic priest"). In meditating on various texts Luther fashions "a garland of four strands." First, instruction. "Second, I turn it into a thanksgiving; third, a confession; and fourth, a prayer" (p.200).

All this, however, presupposes a churchly context, with daily Matins and Vespers, at least in villages big enough to have schools (Luther’s Works, 53, 12, 13, 38, 69, 89).

Today, when daily prayers as a rule no longer take place in Lutheran churches, at least the ministers of the church might find in these ancient churchly forms a fitting frame for their own prayers. Seminaries are appropriate places to instill life-long devotional patterns, to equip the servant of the Lord for his spiritual battles, and to render him as independent as possible of his own moods or "ups and downs": "And although these daily services might not be attended by the whole congregation, the priests and pupils, and especially those who, one hopes, will become good preachers and pastors, should be present" (Luther’s Works, V. 53, p. 13).

Luther’s own spiritual and theological life was deeply steeped in the Psalms, which are sturdier fare than sugary modern "devotional" literature. In antiquity the entire Psalter was recited once a week. Note also the beautiful daily rhythm of promise/fulfillment, as expressed by the progress from the Matins canticle (the Benedictus) to the Vespers canticle (the Magnificat)!

ORA ET LABORA!

Prof. Kurt Marquart is a 1959 graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and also holds an M.A. from the University of Western Ontario, Ontario. He has written numerous books and articles, and has been on the faculty at Concordia Theological Seminary since 1975.

III. Resources

Daily Prayer:
Vol. 1: "The Time of Christmas and Easter"
Vol. 2: "The Time of the Church",
Edited by R. Sauer, CPH.

On Psalms:
The Interlineary Hebrew and English Psalter (Zondervan, 1970).
Ronald Knox, The Book of Psalms in Latin and English (Sheed and Ward, 1948).

On Prayer:
C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer.