Prayer during the day

Church of England Website resource.

Many people have evolved a daily Quiet Time, for reading Scripture and for praying. With this in mind, Prayer During the Day is offered as a framework for personal devotion; it follows a pattern which would be shared with others. In this way Christians can be united in their worship by making use of common lectionary resources and the overall shape of the Church’s year.

Some will use Prayer During the Day as their sole act of prayer and praise. Others will use both Prayer During the Day and Night Prayer in a simple pattern of prayer at the beginning and end of the day.

There will be those who wish to say the offices of Morning and Evening Prayer each day but without lengthy readings. They will be looking to what is sometimes called the ‘city’ or ‘cathedral’ model of office – prayer and praise – rather than to what is sometimes called the ‘desert’ or ‘monastic’ model of office – reading and meditation. For those who use Morning and Evening Prayer to focus on prayer and praise, Prayer During the Day will become a time for a greater concentration on Bible reading and meditation – an Office of Readings.

Others will use Morning and Evening Prayer with full Bible readings. Prayer During the Day will then become Midday Prayer, perhaps using the short Bible readings printed in the text of the service.

All of these patterns are variations on a common theme – praying the Bible together. A church in which people pray the Bible together becomes a church which is equipped for proclamation and service. It is in this hope that Prayer During the Day is offered as a simple starting point for common daily prayer. It is advisable, once choices have been made, to use them consistently for at least four weeks before any change is made.

Prayer resource