Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous ordinances.
Psalm 119:164
The tradition of praying and praising God seven times a day began in ancient Judaism, and this rhythm of prayer became an important feature of the Christian life in the earliest churches. By the sixth century, St. Benedict had established his western monastic communities, and his famous Rule described the schedule of the monks under his care.
Seven times they gathered throughout the day to offer prayers and psalms, and they added an additional communal prayer in the middle of the night. These regulated hours of prayer reflected the Benedictine understanding that all time -
indeed even those darkest midnight hours - belong to God. Every hour is worthy of praising Him.
In the 1540s, Thomas Cranmer condensed these seven or eight hours of prayer into two daily Offices in his English Prayer Book. In the very first Book of Common Prayer in 1549, the Offices of Matins (Morning Prayer) and Evensong (Evening Prayer) were included as the central offerings of communal prayer for the English church. Later, the Offices of Noonday Prayer and Compline (late evening prayer) were included too. Cranmer knew that not every Christian was called to live out a faithful life in a monastery,
but that a regular rhythm of prayer was vital for anyone seeking to grow closer to the Lord.
We may find ourselves far from the monastery on most days, but this does not mean that we are not invited to structure our lives around prayer. Every hour belongs to God, and every hour, He wants to hear from us! Establishing a rhythm of regular prayer - whatever that might look like for us - helps us to turn to God throughout the day. We are reminded to turn our own hours over to His care, to trust Him with the good and the bad throughout our daily routines, and to keep our eyes on the One who blesses us with each day in the first place. It is holy work indeed.
If you are looking to reboot your life of daily prayer or to get started praying the Daily Office along with the Church around the world, there are a few wonderful places to begin. The Book of Common Prayer itself is most helpful, and the online resources from
Mission St. Clare guide you step by step through each Office in the Morning and Evening.
If you prefer a more extemporaneous prayer, try to choose a time or two each day when you will promise to dedicate your focus exclusively to God. And remember: there is no wrong way to begin to pray. Just as a father loves to hear from His children, whatever the occasion,
so too does our Father rejoice to listen to each one of us.
With you in prayer,
Mtr. Brit
