Monday, July 24
Throughout the months of June and July, our daily devotions will be invitations to pray, perhaps in familiar ways and sometimes in new ways. This week, we will explore a practice of praying throughout the day. “One of the hallmarks of monastic life is praying the hours. The community gathers seven times a day to read scripture, sing and pray. The number of times they gather is based on Psalm 119:164 – Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous ordinances. To start the habit, you can set alarms on your phone for the various times.” The times we will use are suggested by a resource produced by Vibrant Church Communications entitled Pray the Day, which “seeks to make the hours accessible and meaningful as possible in our modern context.” They suggest, and we will practice, six main times of prayer this week, with an optional seventh time if you wake up in the middle of the night. I challenge you to add the next time each day of this week until you are praying all six, or seven, times by Sunday.
Today, Praise God When You Wake. “Give thanks to God for a new day. If possible, spend some time in silence, opening your heart to God.” You could pray Psalm 100 and/or sing the Doxology as ways to praise God today.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Serve the Lord with gladness; Praise God, all creatures here below;
come into his presence with singing. Praise God above, ye heavenly host;
Know that the Lord is God. Praise Faither, Son, and Holy Ghost.
It is he who made us, and we are his; AMEN.
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100 (NRSV)
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