The Ancient Practice Of Fixed Hour Prayer

I am a Protestant, Bible-believing, Evangelical Christian so the ancient practice of Fixed Hour Prayer is a relatively new idea for me.  Interestingly I was first introduced to the practice when a friend gave me an Advent Devotional called Christmastide.  Have you ever heard of praying the scriptures?  Well, fixed-hour prayer is basically that.  Praying God’s Word three to seven times a day.  Prayer is a Spiritual Discipline…

Fixed Hour Prayer goes by various names such as the Divine Offices or the Liturgy of the Hours.  Have you ever heard of The Common Book of Prayer?  The idea behind this practical form of prayer is to have Christians all around the world, praising and petitioning our Heavenly Father every single hour of the day.  How wonderful!

Here is an instructive history of Fixed-Hour Prayer…

Fixed-hour prayer is the oldest form of Christian spiritual discipline and has its roots in Judaism out from which Christianity came. When the Psalmist says, “Seven times a day do I praise You,” he is referring to fixed-hour prayer as it existed in ancient Judaism. We do not know the hours that were appointed in the Psalmist’s time for those prayers.

By the turn of the era, however, the devout had come to punctuate their workday with prayers on a regimen that followed the flow of Roman commercial life. Forum bells began the workday at six in the morning (prime, or first hour), sounded mid-morning break at nine (terce, or third hour), and the noon meal and siesta or break at twelve (sext, or sixth hour).  The re-commencing of trade at three (none, or ninth hour), and the close of business at six (vespers). With the addition of evening prayers and early prayers upon arising, the structure of fixed-hour prayer was established in a form that is very close to that which Christians still use today.

The Divine Offices

Fixed-hour prayer is also commonly referred to as “the divine offices” or “the liturgy of the hours,”.  From the time of the Reformation until very recently was held almost exclusively as a part of Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican Christian practice.

However, there came an increasing push on the part of many Christians from within every sectarian division of the faith to return to the liturgy, or work, of being Church on earth. The service was almost completely the people’s service in first-century Christianity.  Observance of fixed-hour prayer began to emerge once more as the desired discipline for more and more Christians.

Because of its long and elaborate history, Christian fixed-hour prayer has developed over the centuries a number of conceits. For example, within Orthodox and Roman Christianity, the hours until very recently have been more often observed by monastics and clergy than by laity. This is a direct violation of their origin as an office of the people, just as they have been as often chanted as spoken, a rich custom that is nonetheless, not a liturgical necessity.

In addition, over the centuries the keeping of the hours has also developed a number of tools and assists. For one not reared within the Orthodox, Roman, or Anglican traditions, these “books of hours” or breviary volumes can prove daunting. THE DIVINE HOURS offers a solution to all these problems by making the liturgy of the divine offices accessible to anyone of any station or ability who wishes to assume its discipline.

-Phyllis Tickle

The Ancient Practice Of Fixed-Hour Prayer

Family Prayer

For parents, fixed-hour prayer makes a wonderful family devotional or homeschool discipline.  I encourage you to try it with your children.  Teaching your children the habit of praying at a young age will make it easier to form a lifelong practice for them.  It also forms a strong connectedness with Christians around the world.  Add the missionaries you support to your prayers for added meaning.  Whether you use a written prayer guide or open your Bible and pray between 6 and 9 a.m., between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and 5 and 8 p.m., Praying the Hours is a life-changing practice!

Fixed Hour Prayer As A Devotional

For the past several years I have used this model of prayer for my daily devotional, I add my personal prayers after Praying the Hours.  There is something soothing about including Fixed Hour Prayer into the natural cadence of your day. This practice has become an essential part of my Christ-Centered Slow Living Lifestyle and allows me to be able to hear from God.  Stopping the business of the day to redirect one’s attention to Jesus is transformational.

Daily Rhythms of Peace

Spiritual Disciplines are practiced as a tangible way to know God more.  Legalism or rather “man-made” rules are not the end goal of this kind of prayer.  If you miss a scheduled time, no worries!  There is, and always will be, grace for believers in Christ Jesus! This is a tool, not a rule. It is a practice, not a performance. That said, participating in fixed-hour prayer is a soothing and anxiety-ridden practice. After many years of engaging with my Father in this way, I often find myself longing for the time when I can rest in the arms of God. The practice has brought me immeasurable peace.

GO DEEPER

YOUR TURN…

How has fixed-hour prayer changed your life?

Blessings,

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