EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH INTRODUCING THE EPISCOPAL WAY PART 5: A PRAYERFUL WAY: PATTERNS OF PRAYER

Prayer the church's banquet, angel's age, God's breath in man returning to his birth, The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage, The Christian plummet sounding heav'n and earth Engine against th' Almighty, sinner's tow'r, Reversed thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear, The six-days world transposing in an hour, A kind of tune, which all things hear and fear; Softness, and peace, and joy, and love, and bliss, Exalted manna, gladness of the best, Heaven in ordinary, man well drest, The milky way, the bird of Paradise, Church-bells beyond the stars heard, the soul's blood, The land of spices; something understood. George Herbert (1593-1633) PRAYER DESCRIBED Prayer is responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words. Christian prayer is response of God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord gave us the example of prayer knows as the Lord's Prayer. Our Father Speaking to one with whom we are in relationship It’s a relationship of parent to child It’s a relationship of obedience Who art in heaven the realm where all is as God wills it should be Hallowed be thy Name God’s Name is holy above all else, so we honor, revere, and glorify God’s Name above all else Thy kingdom come The realm where all is as God wills it should be Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven We ask that God’s will, which is always done in heaven, might be done here on earth That implies that we desire to follow God’s will in our daily lives

Give us this day our daily bread Expresses our need for God’s daily sustenance of our physical and spiritual needs It’s also says that we trust God to take care of us for today, and we don’t worry about tomorrow Forgive us our trespasses we need God’s forgiveness for our sins The sins of commission – sinful thoughts, words, deeds The sins of omission – sinful forgettings, silence, inaction As we forgive those who trespass against us It is not very wise to assume God’s forgiveness of ourselves if we don’t forgive others And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil God does not lead anyone into temptation The word means times of trial or testing We are asking to be delivered from times of trial, testing, and calamity For thine is the kingdom The realm where God’s will is done belongs to God And the power God is the source of the power, the strength, that helps us to live according to God’s will And the glory The word glory means weight or importance The weight of God’s glory is shown in the ways that God appears to humans The most important manifestation of God’s glory is that God appeared to us as one of us, in the person of Jesus

TYPES OF PRAYER The principle kinds of prayer are adoration, praise, thanksgiving, penitence, oblation, intercession, and petition. Adoration is the lifting up of the heart and mind to God, asking nothing but to enjoy God's presence. We praise God, not to obtain anything, but because God's Being draws praise from us. Thanksgiving is offered to God for all the blessings of this life, for our redemption, and for whatever draws us closer to God. In penitence, we confess our sins and make restitution where possible, with the intention to amend our lives. Oblation is an offering of ourselves, our lives and labors, in union with Christ, for the purposes of God. Intercession brings before God the needs of others. In petition, we present our own needs, that God's will may be done. In corporate worship, we unite ourselves with others to acknowledge the holiness of God, to hear God's Word, to offer prayer, and to celebrate the sacraments.

THE DAILY OFFICE Morning Prayer Noonday Prayer Order of Worship for the Evening Evening Prayer Compline Pattern of the Office Gathering Opening Sentence Confession Invitatory Word of God Preces & Gloria Patri Psalter Lesson Canticle Lesson Canticle Apotsles’ Creed The Prayers The Lord’s Prayer Suffrages Collects Intercessions General Thanksgiving The Closing The Grace Dismissal

DAILY DEVOTIONS Pages 136-140 of the Prayer Book In the Morning At Noon In the Early Evening At the Close of the Day Pattern of the Daily Devotion A Psalm A Reading A Response Silence Prayers The Lord’s Prayer Concluding Collect

STRUCTURE OF A COLLECT Ascription

Dear God

Statement of God’s Nature or past faithfulness

You are Love

Statement of present need

Show your Love to me

Closing

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING Remember that the Lord is always near, always present, even if you don’t sense him to be. He promises to be with us always. Therefore, prayer can be as simple as acknowledging the Lord’s presence, inviting him into the days and moments of our lives. Awareness of God’s presence is a form of prayer, and a walking intimately with him along our journey.