Morning Prayer

Morning prayer is a spiritual discipline of the Christian life that has been practiced since the early church. Morning prayer orients the day around worship and praise of God and serves as a daily practice of Bible reading as well. Morning prayer reminds Christians that we are not only part of an historic faith, but also a global faith that shares together in faithful practices and shared prayers.

In 1967 Jean Daniélou wrote, “The civilization in which we find ourselves makes prayer difficult. The first thing that strikes one is that our technological civilization brings about a change in the rhythm of human existence. There is a speeding up of tempo which makes it more difficult to find the minimum freedom on which a minimum life of prayer depends.” Read today his words strike us with even more certainty. Daniélou reminded his readers that since monks depended on their “rule” of life to structure and sustain their prayer life, the same should be true for Christian people “at grips with the realities of the temporal life as it is lived today, whether in the family, at work, or in the city.”

Most Christians know that they should spend time reading scripture and praying, but can often feel at a loss as to how to go about doing that. Yet, even if Christians are convicted that we need a “rule of life,” we also need a model for developing a practice. The Morning Prayer service from the Book of Common Prayer (ACNA 2019) offers Christians a practice that walks us through confessing our sin, worshipping God, reading scripture and praying for ourselves and others. Join us in the Johnson Center chapel as we practice this classic Christian formation together.