Daily Office (prayer)
The new year approaches – mere days away. Ann mentioned resolutions in her devotion yesterday, and many of us are making resolutions, or setting goals, planning what we want to do differently in 2017. That’s good. Change is good, though we often balk at change – I know I do.
One practice I want to re-embrace, I’ve done it before and feel the time is overdue to begin it again, is the Daily Office. As Christians we often speak about a daily quiet time, or a daily devotion. We pray in the morning before we start our day. I think that’s so important – it keeps us focused, and we can start spiritually fresh – sins forgiven, heart set on God, prayers lifted for others, time spent in worship.
But for me it’s even more helpful to spread that out throughout the day. Instead of taking one block of time in the morning, why not spend time with God in the morning, at noon, and at night. Daniel prayed three times a day, and it continued to be a practice throughout New Testament times and in the early church.
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. Daniel:6:10
Coming before God in silence and stillness, three times a day, centers us and helps us maintain our focus on God in the midst of whatever we are doing. The Daily Office, as it is called, has long been a tradition in the more orthodox churches, the Anglican Church, the Episcopal Church, and now it’s finding it’s way into evangelical churches as well.
As Pete Scazzero notes in his book Daily Office, silence, stillness and centering is the “essence of a daily office. We stop our daily activity and pause to be with the living God.”
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for HIm. Psalm 37: 7a
Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10a
Join me in practicing the Daily Office in 2017.
I’m with you! Great way to start the new year!
Isn’t it? There are a lot of good resources too, but just committing to coming before God more than once a day is really life-changing.
That is such a great reminder to be in communion with the Lord throughout the day!
Happy New Year – Katie