I am a pastor. I have been a pastor for thirteen years. Because I’m a pastor, many people assume that I know how to pray, that I pray often, and that I pray well. They assume that because I’m a pastor, praying comes easy to me.

They could not be more mistaken!

I find it difficult to pray. I always have.

I do love to read and teach, so I have no problem reading and teaching about prayer. But, actually doing it is another story altogether. Don’t get me wrong – my intentions have always been good. I would like to have a passionate, persistent prayer life. But the problem with intentions is that, without action, they remain just that – intentions. And, you know where they pave roads with such things!

A few years back I went through an extremely “dry” period in my prayer life. Gone were the days when I rose up extra early in the morning to pray. My prayer life had become stale, dry, and – worst of all – boring! I felt like I was constantly praying the same old tired phrases. I was not even sure if I meant them anymore. Spontaneous prayer had become routine, empty, and meaningless. My own words were not enough. I had absolutely no desire to pray.

Thank God for the prayers of others!

No, I don’t mean other people praying for me. I mean the rich resources of the Church – Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant.

It began with Phyllis Tickle’s wonderfully accessible, The Divine Hours. Through the help of this book, I began to incorporate prayer into the rhythm of my life. Little did I know that I was tapping into an ancient tradition. Little did I know that I was praying with thousands – probably millions – of Christians around the world. Little did I know that I was no longer praying in the Church, but praying with the Church.

From this resource I discovered the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. I also discovered Orthodox prayers, including the Jesus Prayer. Finally, I benefited greatly from Catholic prayers – especially Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val’s Litany of Humility, St. Patrick’s Lorica, St. Francis’s Lord, Make Me An Instrument of Your Peace, and numerous Thomas Merton prayers.

These resources brought new life to my prayer time. I continue to be enriched by incorporating them into my life.

If you learn one thing from my experience, I hope it is this: Don’t wait to go through the dry valley of prayerlessness before you avail yourself of the rich prayer resources the Church has to offer. Scot McNight’s book, Praying with the Church, is an excellent resource to begin your journey into these beautiful treasures of the Christian tradition.

I came to these prayers out of desperation. Like Scot, my past church experience looked down upon written prayers. To pray others’ prayers was deemed unspiritual, dishonest, and hypocritical – merely “playing a part” rather than experiencing a real personal relationship with God. But others’ prayers and a meaningful personal prayer life do not have to be at odds. The choice does not have to be between meaningless repetition and meaningful spontaneity. Both repetition and spontaneity can be meaningful – and, of course, both can be meaningless!

God’s Spirit is not only experienced in spontaneity. God’s Spirit is also known in order, structure, and ritual. My experience of prayer – both corporate and personal – is that without some liturgical guidance, spontaneous prayer eventually descends to a few repeated clichés and a whole lot of petition. But the purpose of prayer is not simply to present an endless running list of requests to God; the purpose of prayer is to know and experience union with God. This includes contemplative prayer – sometimes we are simply too “chatty” with God - and Practicing the Presence of God.

McNight has clearly demonstrated that praying alone in the church and praying with the church can co-exist peacefully, and indeed, enhance one another. His book is primarily meant to expand and enrich our personal prayer lives by connecting them with prayers of the Church. When we observe fixed times with set prayers we enter into a sacred rhythm of prayer shared by millions of Christians around the world. Our prayers take on a whole new dimension. We enter into something much larger than ourselves. Our voice joins in with countless others in the Church to offer glory, honor, praise, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication to God.

My prayer life has been enriched, expanded, and often sustained by the prayer resources Scot covers in his book. His helpful introductions to a wide variety of possible prayer books along with his practical insights on how to actively integrate these resources into the rhythm of our lives provide a solid foundation upon which to build a rich prayer life.

Right now is a perfect time to obtain this resource. As a special promotion, Paraclete Press is offering a free copy of Scot’s excellent book, The Jesus Creed, with the purchase of Praying with the Church. To take advantage of this special order, use the coupon code PRBLOG when you order Praying with the Church. Order soon, this special promotion only lasts through June 30th.

While you’re at it, check out McNight’s wonderful overview of the gospel in Embracing Grace. Click HERE for my review. And for a continuing resource of helpful Christian thought and advice, make sure to regularly visit Scot’s excellent blog, Jesus Creed.

© Richard J. Vincent, 2006