If your devotional life seems aimless and unproductive, these devotional guides might be helpful. These are guides, not law, and certainly not the Holy Spirit! Use them in whatever ways they assist you in drawing near to God. Meeting with God morning and evening, however brief, is a spiritually healthy practice. How to Use These Devotional Guides
“Rising Prayer” and “Retiring Prayer” are brief devotional guides for those of us who cannot focus when we are tired, but wish to pray at the beginning and end of the day. “Lauds” and “Compline” are also for morning and evening. They are a bit longer and can be used individually or with a group. The rest of the guides will probably be most useful in group settings, but individuals may wish to use them as well. Each guide suggests a psalm, which can be read from the Psalter document. “Noon Prayer” is abbreviated “Midday Prayer.” “Noon Prayer” would be suitable on days when “Morning” or “Evening Prayer” are used, while “Midday Prayer” could take the place of “Morning” or “Evening Prayer.” I suggest you use just one of the options provided for each day under “Prayer of the Day/Night/Mission.” You may wish to enlarge the display on a phone if the text is a bit small for you.
You may think that saying the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer twice each day would come to be rote and meaningless. That can happen, but it’s not inevitable. Luther understood that our thoughts need to be molded toward God, and repetition is a necessary part of that process. The Creed reminds us that we do not worship just any god, but specifically the God who revealed Himself in the Old Covenant as “Yahweh,” and in the New Covenant as “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” The Creed also reminds us that our faith is rooted in real acts of our God in history. Every day the world, the flesh, and the devil tell us that only children and idiots believe in God, and if there is a God, He is an impersonal force. Every day the Creed summarizes the teaching of scripture that there is a true God who cares for us, and whose three persons passionately love us. The Lord’s Prayer was given us by Jesus with the instruction to say it.
“Rising Prayer” and “Retiring Prayer” are adapted from Martin Luther’s morning and evening prayer guides. I added a brief psalm reading because I think it is important to begin and end each day with a word from God. The other guides are inspired by the Book of Common Prayer also drawing from other prayer books.
Average Time
Rising Prayer: 2-3 minutes
Retiring Prayer: 2-3 minutes
Lauds: 3-5 minutes
Morning Prayer: 20-40 minutes
Noon Prayer: 6-8 minutes
Midday Prayer: 9-12 minutes
Evening Prayer: 20-40 minutes
Compline: 4-6 minutes
David Green 