I grew up in Non-Denominational and Charismatic churches, ergo we did not have prayer books like The Anglicans, Lutherans, and Catholics. I am accustom to prayer being intimacy with our Lord Christ and talking to him. A prayer book to me seemed formal and perhaps akin to prayer by rote, “And praying, do not use vain repetitions like the pagans, for they think that in their many words they will be heard” (Matthew 6:7). Prayer books risk being repetitious and for this reason I have often avoided them.
One day under heavy mind attack, I took the Apostle’s Creed and read it aloud, the thoughts that plagued me silenced. I discovered in that moment reading Scripture, a Creed or even Prayer was not to preform repetitious prayer to make our Great God and Savior hear our entreaties, but rather it is for us believers, to affirm the truths of our faith and recite them in moment that our minds are clouded with uncertainty, mind attacks from the accuser of the brethren and more. I saw the benefit of reading aloud the creeds and prayers because they encourage my faith and act as a tool to quiet the worries in our hearts and minds.
My tune about prayer books has thus changed. I still hold to that you should bot use them as a means to get God to budge on something or use them in place of personal prayer with you speaking to God. But in times of duress and onslaught from the powers of this present darkness (Ephesians 6:12), I do recommend reading aloud the Creeds, Scriptures, and Prayers. I will say avoid The Book of Common Prayer used on Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches. In that particular book of prayer there are antichrist prayers to the Madonna and Saints, “There is one God, and One mediator between God and man, The Son of Man Jesus Christ.” (1 Timothy 2:5). Instead I recommend The Moravian Book of Prayer (Moravian Daily Texts 2019 App on Apple iStore) or The Lutheran Book of Prayer, preferably an older edition .
There is a tension, Christ said do not do repetitious prayer, “And praying, do not use vain repetitions like the pagans, for they think that in their many words they will be heard” (Matthew 6:7), which actually is empty phrases, but he does say to keep praying earnestly in a parable, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes,will he find faith on the earth?”” (Luke 18:1-8) and He did say, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.” (John 14:13). We have to understand there is a difference between empty repetitious prayer and being persistent in prayer, our hearts are the marker of which a prayer really is, if we say in a dazed stare “Our father in heaven..” due to repeating it so much we are in empty prayer, but if we are praying with great fervor for a miracle day after day that is persistent prayer.
Prayer Books can be useful, especially for those struggling to pray or under deep distress and unable to think of what to pray. However prayer books should not be a substituted for communal prayer (quality time) with Christ, and talking to Him and listening. Prayer books are a tool, but not a replacement for our own conversation with The Holy Trinity. Amen.
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