“Seven
times each day, I stop and shout praises for the way you keep everything
running right.” (Ps. 119:164 MSG)
Ancient
cultures made a practice of praying several times a day. Even to this day, many
Muslims stop what they are doing and pause for prayer, five times a day. In the
Middle Ages, Catholic monasteries and convents prayed at set times all
throughout the day. The Divine Office (also called the Liturgy of the Hours)
starts with morning prayer time (Prime), the three daytime prayer breaks
(Terce, Sext, and None), Vespers in the evening and Compline at night. I’m sure
lots of people would see prescribed prayer times as an interruption to
productivity. Yet, if it were completely done by one’s own choice, I imagine it
could be a beautiful daily practice.
I
have customized this practice to fit my daily routine. I have my daily morning
quiet time—scripture reading, prayer, writing, listening, singing along to
praise songs, and reading other inspirational literature. Once I get started on
my day, it’s difficult to stop and make time to focus on God, so I’ve had to
change the way I think. My daily purpose, my job, my work is to be devoted to
God. So prayer is never a distraction from productivity. It’s the desire to be
productive apart from God that is the problem. Now, I try to incorporate my day
into my prayer life, rather than the other way around. I still don’t have set
times other than in the morning, but I take prayer breaks. I just stop whatever
I’m doing, go into my room, shut the door, and pray. After meals are a great
time to have a cup of tea and rest in God’s presence. The Psalms are a
wonderful resource for lyrical praise. Surprisingly, so is Youtube! I’ve made a
playlist of praise songs that I listen to frequently. I’m still working out the
kinks in my prayer routine, but with God’s help, I hope one day to be “praying
continually.”
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