Can liturgy be helpful?

Liturgical prayers can be powerful encounters with the Lord, provided that you're present with your mind and heart when you engage in them.

I pray what is often referred to as the "Lord's Prayer" multiple times a day. On a good day, I might recite this prayer four times throughout my day: during morning, midday, and evening prayers, and once with my son as I put him to bed. Whenever I recite this prayer, I try to be as present and engaged as I possibly can. And my presence to this prayer is what makes it meaningful every single time, even if I've recited it countless times by now.

I know some people may think that using a liturgical approach to prayer such as reciting the "Lord's Prayer" or using a prayer book such as Common Prayer (www.commonprayer.net) doesn't feel authentic or genuine for them. I used to think that way too. If liturgy isn't helpful to you, then feel free to not use it. Since your relationship with God is unique, you can be as unstructured and spontaneous with your entire time with the Lord as you desire. However, here's what I've discovered about liturgy which might inspire you to give it a try: structured liturgical approaches to prayer can be just as authentic, genuine, and powerful as spontaneous prayers. But there's a catch: you have to be present with your mind and heart when you engage in them.

When I started using Common Prayer, I wasn't very present. I was just mouthing words to who knows who. The structure felt a bit restrictive. I even tried to complete the liturgical prayers as fast as I could. It's no wonder I didn't get much out of this practice at the beginning and I often felt really bored. But after persisting for a few months with liturgical prayers, something changed. I became comfortable with the structure and I started to be more intentional and present with the prayers—directing each word and thought completely to God. Even though I didn't write the prayers myself, I found myself using these beautiful prayers that somebody else had written to communicate with God. And because I didn't have to worry about what to actually say, I could put my best effort in paying attention to God and saying these prayers as authentically as I can to Him. I found that the structure of liturgical prayers helped me to simply focus on God and be with Him. Liturgical prayers can be powerful encounters with the Lord, provided that you're present with your mind and heart when you engage in them.

In my times of prayer, I use a mix of both structured and unstructured (spontaneous) approaches so I can get the best of both worlds. Is there really a reason not to include both in your times with the Lord?

Barnabas the Monastic

Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.