Praying the Words of Others
Even as a spiritual director and leader of a spiritual formation ministry, I’ve struggled to find a rhythm of prayer and time with God these last couple of months. Not only that, but I’ve struggled to find my own words in prayer. As a writer and a lover of words, it’s been an odd experience.
I shared a few weeks ago about the practice of breath prayer, which I’ve held onto throughout our season of being sheltered in place. Another prayer practice I’ve found helpful in recent weeks has been praying the prayers of others.
I’ve been amazed at the beautiful prayers penned by friends and shared via social media. They’ve brought comfort, peace, and articulation to my experience that I didn’t even know I needed. (Thank you, Sarah Bourns, for your poem “We’ve All Been Exposed,” and all the other prayers you’ve shared!)
Tim Wildsmith, Unsplash
If you’re anything like me and need a little assistance in finding your words, then let me share a few favorite places to look:
EVERY MOMENT HOLY
If you don’t yet own a copy of this treasure, I’d recommend putting in an online order from the Rabbit Room right now. If you’re curious, Douglas McKelvey has generously made several timely and appropriate prayers for this season available for free download on his website.
THE VALLEY OF VISION
Some of the most beautifully written prayers I’ve ever encountered are in this precious book: a collection of Puritan prayers that have been handed down across several generations. Here’s a snippet from a favorite, “Spiritus Sanctus”:
O Holy Spirit, as the sun is full of light, the ocean full of water, Heaven full of glory, so may my my heart be full of thee.
Vain are all divine purposes of love and the redemption wrought by Jesus except thou work within, regenerating by thy power, giving me eyes to see Jesus, showing me the realities of the unseen world.
Give me thyself without measure, as an unimpaired fountain, as inexhaustible riches.
I bewail my coldness, poverty, emptiness, imperfect vision, languid service, prayerless prayers, praiseless praises.
Suffer me not to grieve or resist thee. (p. 27)
GUERRILLAS OF GRACE
Whimsical and honest, this book is filled with artfully written prayers. We were gifted this book by a former coworker of mine, and Ted Loder’s prayers have been a favorite of ours.
COMMON PRAYER
Shane Claiborne and friends reassimilated an alternate version of the Book of Common Prayer. This book includes some delightful prayers, a favorite of which is their "Sabbath Prayer." You can also find their Daily Office prayers on their website.
SABBATH PRAYERS BY WENDELL BERRY
Speaking of Sabbath, these prayers are so human, so relatable, and so beautiful. For those who have never spent any time with Wendell Berry’s works, start with This Day: Collected and New Sabbath Prayers. You might just find a part of yourself in some of his words.
BONUS: A.W. TOZER’S PRAYERS IN THE PURSUIT OF GOD
Every chapter ends with a passionate prayer from Tozer’s heart. These words have stuck with me many years: “O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me.”
Reading the prayers by these faithful men and women have not only been a comfort—they’ve also helped me to find my own words when I come before the Lord. Much like the Psalms, they’ve given me language for prayer.
This has been especially helpful in the last couple of weeks, when stories of brokenness, senseless loss, and grief have hit our news and social media feeds one after the other. Two Instagram accounts that I follow have been significant: @blackcoffeewithwhitefriends and @prayersfromterry. They both write liturgies and prayers out of raw honesty, and they move me to repentance, grace, and hope.
I leave you with one of my favorite lines, prayed by Flannery O’Connor:
“Please help me to get down under things and find where You are.”