Week 11 Prayer and Study Guide

FOLLOWING JESUS:
EXPLORING CHRISTIAN “BEST PRACTICES” FOR A MEANINGFUL LIFE
KINGDOM PRAYER & STUDY GUIDE MARCH 31-APRIL 6, 2019
Week 11: ORDERING OUR DAYS


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Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Scripture quotations marked Judaica Press are from A New English Translation of the Text, Rashi and a Commentary Digest, copyright © 1982,
edited by A. J. Rosenberg. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked OJB are taken from The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright © 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.
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Contents
WEEK 11 (March 31- APRIL 6, 2019)
ORDERING OUR DAYS
Day 71: The Daily.......................................................7 Day 72: The Jewish Daily..........................................17 Day 73: The Early Christian Daily.............................27 Day 74: The Evolving Christian Daily.......................39 Day 75: The Modern Christian Daily ........................49 Day 76: Developing “My Christian Daily” ...............59 Day 77: Practicing “My Christian Daily”....................71


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Day 71: The Daily
1. Center Down
Our breath prayer for today: As you inhale, whisper, “We will worship You...” As you exhale, whisper, “...all the days of our lives.”
2. Slowly read aloud the following Scripture passage
So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever. All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den. Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.” So King Darius signed the document.
When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God. So they approached the king and asked about
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his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for 30 days any man who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands and is irrevocable.”
Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you, the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.” As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel and made every effort until sundown to deliver him.
Then these men went to the king and said to him, “You as king know it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed.”
So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were brought to him, and he could not sleep.
At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said, “has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?”
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Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever. My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths. They haven’t hurt me, for I was found innocent before Him. Also, I have not committed a crime against you my king.”
The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, uninjured, for he trusted in his God. (Daniel 6:1-23, NLT)
For further explorat on:
Article: http://prayers.community/Blessing
3. Kingdom Prayer
Loving Father, we thank You for Jesus. Thank You for working in us; giving us the desire and the power to do what please You. We give You thanks, O Lord, with all our hearts. We will sing Your praises. We bow before Your holy Temple as we worship. We praise Your Name for Your unfailing love and faithfulness, for Your promises are backed by all the honor of Your Name. As soon as we pray, You answer us. You encourage us by giving us strength.
Divine Father, apart from Jesus, the True Vine, we can do nothing. We realize that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We do not belong to ourselves for You bought us with a high price, so we must honor You with our bodies. As true disciples of Jesus Christ, we will remain faithful to His teachings. We know the truth, and the truth as set us free. We will remain strong and
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immovable. We understand the impact of our influence on others, therefore we make a decision today to live in such a way that will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. Father, we declare that we listen to Your voice. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we take authority over our minds, wills, and emotions because we are surrounded by a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith. Therefore, we strip off every weight that slows us down; especially the sin that easily trips us up. And we declare that we will run with endurance the race that You have set before us. We will do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Holy Spirit, remind us that the Father has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self- discipline. We ask You to guide our lives so that we won’t do what our sinful nature craves. Give us desires that are opposite of what our sinful nature desires so that we can remain faithful to the calling of God on our lives. Show us how to develop an ear to hear You when You speak the Father’s will to us and help us to be quick to obey. Whenever we are in danger of backsliding into our old ways, please help us to remember that we are the salt and light to this world.
Holy Spirit, today I will commit to developing greater spiritual discipline by doing the following (write down the Holy Spirit’s instructions to you):
Precious Father, forgive us of our sins. Forgive us for neglecting and rejecting spiritual discipline in our personal lives. Forgive us for straying away and leaving
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Your righteousness to follow our own sinfulness. Forgive us for being foolish and prideful. Forgive us for failing to hide Your Word in our hearts on a regular basis to safeguard ourselves from sinning against You. Lord, forgive me for (list any sins that You have committed).
Holy Spirit, remind us of those we need to forgive and help us to be quick to forgive. As for me, Holy Spirit, bring to my remembrance those I need to forgive. (Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you names or faces of people that you may need to forgive. As He reveals them say, “I forgive name of person(s).” Now, trust the Lord to heal any wounds in your soul caused by unforgiveness.)
Holy Spirit, help us all not to yield to temptation but deliver us from the evil one.
God, You are honored in Judah. Your Name is great in Israel. Jerusalem is where You live and Mount Zion is Your home. Salvation comes from You, the God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to You forever and ever! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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4. Concepts to Consider
In the reading above from the Book of Daniel we see him praying three times a day, as was his habit and custom to do, in spite of King Darius’ month-long vanity law to only pray to him. These daily times of prayer for Daniel appear to have been typical of ancient Jewish ways of ordering their days in devotion to God. Psalm 55:17 states, “Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and He hears my voice” (ESV). This saying from Psalm 55 seems to be the origin of praying three times a day. David’s Psalm pre-dates Daniel by some 400-500 years and these three prayer times were likely well-established by the time of the Babylonian Exile (598-538 BC).
Further, the command in Deuteronomy 6:7, “to teach [the Torah] to your [children] and speak of [Torah] when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up,” is commonly interpreted to mean that not only should one establish regular times of study of Scripture but also regular times of prayer, especially in the morning “when you rise up,” and in the evening “when you lie down.”
Later, we see Jesus “rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark” (Mark 1:35) to pray and spend time with His Father. This devotional practice seems to fit well into established patterns of prayer that arose during the Second Temple Period (516 BC-70 AD). (We will talk more about this tomorrow.)
After Jesus’ ascension we also see in the Gospels and the Book of Acts that His followers continued to pray
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and read Scripture in ways that to fit established private, synagogue, and Temple patterns of worship.
Even later, early monastic Christians used Psalm 119:164, “Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous judgments” to create seven-fold patterns of prayer and praise that became known as “rules” or “regula” that ordered daily life.
The word “regula” is related to the Greek word “kanon, ” which means “trellis” or “guide stick,” “plumb line.” If you’ve ever raised tomatoes you know that you must give the plant a guide--a cage or stake--to grow on, otherwise they will not grow properly nor produce their best fruit. In the same way, without a “regula,” “kanon,” or “rule” in our lives, then things have the potential to "grow wild." Life should not just simply be “happening” to us. We are made in the Creator God’s image. We have ruling and creative capacity that helps us regulate our lives.
The point here is that since the earliest times the followers of God have developed and followed patterns of prayer, praise, and Scripture study that were designed to help regulate life and to live in harmony with God and His ways.
This week we will not only explore how and why these patterns developed, but we will also endeavor to create our own daily “rule” so that we can begin to practically incorporate the “Christian Best Practices” that we have been learning over the past few weeks into our daily lives.
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5. Reflection Questions:
a. Personal Reflection. As you think back on all of the Christian Best Practices or “disciplines” we have explored, which ones have been the most helpful or meaningful for you? Why?
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b. Kingdom Reflection: Which practices do you believe are the most helpful for building up the Body of Christ as a whole? Which ones have helped you see outside yourself and attend more to God’s action and agenda for His world?


Optional Time of Centering/Soaking:
If possible, take some time, perhaps 5 to 15 minutes, to get into a comfortable position and simply allow the Lord to minister to you at a deep level (Psalm 42:7). Turn off or put down all distractions. Close your eyes. Hold in your thoughts a meaningful word, phrase, or image from the Scripture you read today. Release all other thoughts and concerns into the Presence of the Lord. If your thoughts wander, that’s okay, just gently return to your Scriptural word, phrase, or image. You may want to set a timer.
A "regulus" or "kanon" for the tomato plants
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Day 72:
The Jewish Daily
1. Center Down
Our breath prayer for today: As you inhale, whisper, “You have created us...” As you exhale, whisper, “...to walk with You.”
2. Slowly read aloud the following Scripture
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
God spoke: “Light!”
And light appeared.
God saw that light was good and separated light from dark.
God named the light Day, He named the dark Night.
It was evening, it was morning— Day One.
God spoke: “Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!”
God made sky.
He separated the water under sky
from the water above sky.
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And there it was:
He named sky the Heavens;
It was evening, it was morning— Day Two.
God spoke: “Separate!
Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place;
Land, appear!” And there it was.
God named the land Earth.
He named the pooled water Ocean.
God saw that it was good.
God spoke: “Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants,
Every sort of fruit-bearing tree.” And there it was.
Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties,
And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good.
It was evening, it was morning— Day Three.
God spoke: “Lights! Come out! Shine in Heaven’s sky! Separate Day from Night.
Mark seasons and days and years,
Lights in Heaven’s sky to give light to Earth.”
And there it was.
God made two big lights, the larger to take charge of Day,
The smaller to be in charge of Night;
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and He made the stars.
God placed them in the heavenly sky
to light up Earth
And oversee Day and Night,
to separate light and dark. God saw that it was good.
It was evening, it was morning— Day Four.
God spoke: “Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life! Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!”
God created the huge whales,
all the swarm of life in the waters,
And every kind and species of flying birds. God saw that it was good.
God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean! Birds, reproduce on Earth!”
It was evening, it was morning— Day Five.
God spoke: “Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind: cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds.”
And there it was:
wild animals of every kind,
Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug. God saw that it was good.
God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them
reflecting our nature
So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,
the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself,
and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.”
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God created human beings; he created them godlike,
Reflecting God’s nature.
He created them male and female.
God blessed them:
“Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of
Earth.” (Genesis 1:1-28, MSG)
For further explorat on:
Article: http://b.link/DailyLifeQumran http://b.link/QumranDebate (scholarly)
3. Kingdom Prayer
Amazing Father, we thank You for preparing us for the Spring Feasts. Thank You for Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits and Pentecost. Thank You for drawing us into a more intimate relationship with You through these feasts. We will sing songs of joy to You. We will sing a new song of praise to You and play skillfully on the harp. Your Word, Lord, holds true and we can trust everything that You do. You love whatever is just and good; Your unfailing love fills the earth. We put our hope in You, Lord. You are our help and our shield. In You do our hearts rejoice, for we trust in Your holy Name. Let Your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in You alone.
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Holy Father, You loved the world so much that You gave Your only begotten Son as Redeemer, sacrificed on the altar of the cross, freeing all believers from slavery to sin. As we come together during the springtime of the year, we will prepare ourselves to meet with You to celebrate the Passover, the Festival of Unleavened Bread and the Celebration of the Firstfruits. We will examine ourselves and confess our sins to You, that we may be forgiven. In our homes, we and our families vow to serve You alone. We will carefully examine our homes, just as we examine ourselves, to be certain that there is no unclean thing that would separate us from Your presence. As You have decreed, we will remove all yeast from our homes as we prepare to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. At the same time, we will remove all wickedness from our hearts so that we can come before You with clean hands.
List the things you need to do in preparation for the Spring Feasts:
Holy Spirit, as we study God’s Word, instruct us in preparing for the Spring Feasts. Bring to our remembrance areas in our lives that need to be transformed in order to be cleansed of sin or idolatry. Help us to develop a greater appreciation for the blessings the Father has given us. Father, bless our families and enlarge our territories so that we may have even more to bring back into Your Kingdom. Help us to share this wonderful time with our friends and family members and use it as a tool to witness Your love and salvation to the lost.
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Redeeming Father, forgive us corporately and individually for our sins. Forgive us for holding on to our old ways and for being reluctant to follow Your precepts which are new to us. Forgive those who choose not to celebrate Your festivals or those who are unable or unwilling to bring offerings to You. Forgive us for being timid and afraid to share the information about Your festivals with our friends, family members and co-workers. Lord, forgive me for (list any sins that you have committed).
Holy Spirit, remind us all of those we need to forgive and help us to be quick to forgive. As for me, Holy Spirit, bring to my remembrance those I need to forgive. (Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you names or faces of people that you may need to forgive. As He reveals them say, “I forgive name of person(s).” Now, trust the Lord to heal any wounds in your soul caused by unforgiveness.)
Holy Spirit, help us all not to yield to temptation but deliver us from the evil one.
Almighty King, You created the heavens and stretched them out. You created the earth and everything in it. You give breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. You alone are the Lord! You will not give Your glory to anyone else, nor will You share Your praise with carved idols. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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4. Concepts to Consider
Scholars who study ancient liturgical practices believe that the earliest patterns of prayer and worship originated from the desire to live in harmony with God’s established created order. We know that in essence God created a big cosmic clock that “marks seasons and days and years.” The movement of all of the stars and even our own solar system follow the laws of physics that God gave them.
We also know that God established specific times for sacrifices in the tabernacle that were translated later into the Temple. These sacrifices happened daily, weekly, and seasonally. Indeed much of the Book of Leviticus is devoted to establishing this sacrificial system. Certainly prayer accompanied these sacrifices, but there seems to be no evidence that they were formalized or prescribed; they appear to be extemporaneous in nature (see: Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 8).
However, we do have evidence, as we discussed yesterday, that ordered Scripture study and prayer developed over time in response to patterns suggested in the Torah and in the Psalms. We also observed that Jesus Himself followed daily, weekly, and seasonal rhythms of worship. We know He rose early to pray, attended synagogue services, went to the Temple during the Festivals, established His own minimum attendance for corporate prayer (two or three, instead of the traditional 10), and even gave us His own version of the established Amidah/18-Blessings prayer, what we call the “Model” or “Lord’s” prayer. This prayer would have fit nicely into the already coalescing systems of “fixed daily prayers”
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that came into greater prominence after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. (FYI: All of these prayers were based in some way on Scripture, and especially the Psalms.)
The earliest Jewish followers of Jesus seemed to have continued to pray two (sunset and sunrise) or three times a day (sunset, sunrise, noon or 3pm) in their homes and in the synagogues (local houses of prayer and study), and--if near Jerusalem--at the Temple, as long as it stood.
There is also significant evidence to conclude that sectarian Jewish communities, such as the group at Qumran [koom-RON] (possibly Essenes [es-SEENs] or another similar group from Jerusalem)--which thrived during the time of John the Baptist, Jesus, and the formation of the earliest Church--followed fixed patterns of prayer, worship, work, and Scripture study. We see some parts of the early church mirroring practices found in these communities; for, like the earliest Christians, the Essence and other separatist communities would have been viewed as “outside the norm” of typical Second-Temple Judaism, dominated by the revivalist/ nationalistic Pharisees and the Temple-centric/Roman- colluding Sadducees.
All of this background helps us establish that habitual, daily patterns of prayer, worship, work and study were an integral part of Jewish, and ultimately Christian, life and discipleship.
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5. Reflection Questions
a. Personal Reflection. Most Christians today do not live by any particular “daily schedule” that includes regular times of worship, work, and rest. What might be the benefits to having a daily rule for living? What might be the challenges?
b. Kingdom Reflection: If Christians followed a more obviously disciplined and loving lifestyle, how might the world view Jesus and His Church?
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Optional Time of Centering/Soaking:
If possible, take some time, perhaps 5 to 15 minutes, to get into a comfortable position and simply allow the Lord to minister to you at a deep level (Psalm 42:7). Turn off or put down all distractions. Close your eyes. Hold in your thoughts a meaningful word, phrase, or image from the Scripture you read today. Release all other thoughts and concerns into the Presence of the Lord. If your thoughts wander, that’s okay, just gently return to your Scriptural word, phrase, or image. You may want to set a timer.
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Day 73:
The Early Christian Daily
1. Center Down
Our breath prayer for today: As you inhale, whisper, “O Lord, You are the same...” As you exhale, whisper, “... yesterday, today, and forever.”
2. Slowly read aloud the following Scripture
Peter and John, upon their release, went right to their friends and told the story—including the warning from the council. The whole community responded with this prayer to God:
“God, our King, You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything they contain. You are the One who, by the Holy Spirit, spoke through our ancestor David, Your servant, with these words:
Why did the nations rage?
Why did they imagine useless things?
The kings of the earth took their stand; their rulers assembled in opposition
against the Eternal One and His Anointed King. [Psalm 2:1-2]
This is exactly what has happened among us, here in this city. The foreign ruler Pontius Pilate and the Jewish ruler Herod, along with their respective peoples, have
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assembled in opposition to Your holy servant Jesus, the One You chose. They have done whatever Your hand and plan predetermined should happen. And now, Lord, take note of their intimidations intended to silence us. Grant us, Your servants, the courageous confidence we need to go ahead and proclaim Your message while You reach out Your hand to heal people, enabling us to perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”
They finished their prayer, and immediately the whole place where they had gathered began to shake. All the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began speaking God’s message with courageous confidence. (Acts 4:23-31, VOICE)
For further explorat on:
Article: http://b.link/RuleOfLife 3. Kingdom Prayer
Eternal Father, we thank You for being in relationship with us. As a Church Family, we thank You for the opportunity that we have to join together today to pray. Thank You for drawing us into Your Holy Family through the meritorious works of Jesus Christ. Thank You for creating us to be kings of The King and lords of The Lord. Thank You, Father, for sending us the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us on this faith walk. The heavens proclaim Your glory and the skies display Your craftsmanship. Lord, we will praise You with our whole hearts. We will
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tell of all the marvelous things You have done. We will be filled with joy because of You. We will sing praises to Your Name, O Most High.
Righteous Father, as citizens of Your Kingdom, we will keep on praying! We are righteous people who live by faith. We will trust in You with all of our hearts and not depend on our own understanding. We will seek Your will in all that we do and in every situation, we will trust that You will show us which path to take. We will strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. We will run with endurance the race that You have set before us; keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Champion, who initiates and perfects our faith. Lord, we confess that we will pray as Jesus’ instructed in the Model Prayer. We will continue to seek Your Kingdom above all else, live righteously, and trust that You will give us everything that we need. We declare, as Kingdom citizens, that we will trust You with our finances, families, jobs, businesses, relationships and every other area of our lives.
Holy Spirit, please help us to relinquish control to You to lead our lives. Help us to transform the way we think by meditating on the Word, so that we will fully embrace and walk in our Kingdom authority and rights. As ambassadors, help us make prayer a high priority in our lives, so that Your Kingdom is advanced. Give us the power to say no to the distractions that keep trying to steal our time with God. Remind us that nothing is a higher priority than the time we spend every day in prayer. Holy Spirit, please show us all those areas in our lives where our faith is faltering and reveal the tools that we need to increase our faith in those areas. Lord, there
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are some Church Family members who have had so many disappointments in life that they have a hard time walking by faith. Holy Spirit, please help them to get the help they need to process those disappointments and heal those internal wounds so that they can begin to walk in their Kingdom authority.
Compassionate Father, please forgive us for at times not praying and having complete faith in You. Forgive us for having more faith in ourselves, our jobs, our finances, our gifts and talents and other people than we do in You. Forgive us for at times walking in doubt and unbelief. Forgive us for harboring dead faith. (list any sins that you have committed).
Holy Spirit, remind each of us of those we need to forgive and help us to be quick to forgive. As for me, Holy Spirit, bring to my remembrance those I need to forgive. (Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you faces of people that you may need to forgive. As He reveals them say, “I forgive name of person(s).” Now, trust the Lord to heal any wounds in your soul caused by unforgiveness.)
Holy Spirit, help us all not to yield to temptation but deliver us from the evil one.
Triumphant Lord, all glory belongs to You, who alone are God. All glory, majesty, power and authority are Yours before all time and in the present and beyond all time! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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Scripture References for the Written Text: I Timothy 6:15, Psalm 19:1, Psalm 9:1-2, I Thessalonians 4:17, Hebrews 10:38, II Corinthians 5:7, Proverbs 3:5-6, Hebrews 12:1-2, Matthew 6:9-13, 33, James
2:18, Matthew 6:13, Jude 25
4. Concepts to Consider
As we can see from this example in Acts 4, the earliest church was meeting regularly and used the Psalms and other Scripture (2 Kings 19:15; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 146:6; Isaiah 37:16 as the basis for their prayers. It was typical in Judaism to have communal prayer gatherings in the morning and evening that featured the Psalms, and the Church continued this practice forward.
So those who received His word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers [the definite article here likely indicates a specific set of prescribed prayers and/or times of prayer]. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. (Acts 2:41-43, ESV)
Remember also that when Peter was released from prison in Acts 12 he ran straight to the evening house- church prayer service already in progress.
One of the earliest recorded Christian “rules for living” beyond the pages of the Bible comes from the Didache ([DEE-di-kay] a discipleship manual compiled between 80 AD and 150 AD.) In it we find the following prescriptive:
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And do not pray as the hypocrites but as the Lord ordered in His Good News. Pray thus [a paraphrase of the Model Prayer from Matthew 6],
“Our Father, the One in heaven,
Your Name be made holy,
Your Kingdom come,
Your will be born upon earth as in heaven, give us this day our loaf that is coming,
and forgive us our debt at the final judgement as we likewise now forgive our debtors,
and do not lead us into the trial of the last days but deliver us from that evil
because Yours is the power and the glory forever.”
Three times within the day, pray thus.
The Didache does not tell us what the fixed times of prayer were, but the thrice-daily prayer pattern was well known and established. Since there were no mechanical clocks (only sundials) the daylight hourswere divided into 12 equal units. So prayer times differed according to the season--later in the winter, earlier in the summer. The Model prayer was added to the normal recitation of the Psalms and the ‘Shema (Deuteronomy 6:5-9; 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37-41). It also appears that the Model prayer might have replaced the “Amidah” or “18- Blessings” prayer in the Christian community. Early on, the Jewish-followers of Jesus worshiped within mainstream Judaism and often also had other separate meetings for additional prayer, teaching, worship, and fellowship.
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Over time, as we’ve discussed in previous weeks, the Church diverged from its Jewish roots and followed a more “Gentile” trajectory that absorbed cultural influences from North Africa, the greater Middle East, and Europe. As this divergence continued, the “rules for daily living” (regula vitae) among Christians, both inside and outside of the monasteries, took on new or “tweaked” elements that resembled, but did differ from their Jewish antecedents.
For instance, in St. Tertullian’s (160-220 AD) brief “Rule of Faith,” (regula fidei) we begin to see the outline of what becomes known as the Christian “Apostles’ Creed,” taking shape right before our eyes:
“Now, with regard to this rule of faith-that we may from this point acknowledge what it is which we defend-it is, you must know, that which prescribes the belief that there is one only God, and that He is none other than the Creator of the world, who produced all things out of nothing through His own Word, first of all sent forth; that this Word is called His Son, and, under the name of God, was seen ‘in diverse manners’ by the patriarchs, heard at all times in the prophets, at last brought down by the Spirit and Power of the Father into the Virgin Mary, was made flesh in her womb, and, being born of her, went forth as Jesus Christ; thenceforth He preached the new law and the new promise of the kingdom of heaven, worked miracles; having been crucified, He rose again the third day; (then) having ascended into the heavens, He sat at the right hand of the Father; sent instead of Himself the Power of the Holy Ghost to lead such as
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believe; will come with glory to take the saints to the enjoyment of everlasting life and of the heavenly promises, and to condemn the wicked to everlasting fire, after the resurrection of both these classes shall have happened, together with the restoration of their flesh. This rule, as it will be proved, was taught by Christ, and raises amongst ourselves no other questions than those which heresies introduce, and which make men heretics.”
(from Tertullian, the Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter 8)
We can clearly trace the lines between the “One God” claims found in the Hebrew Scripture (See the ‘Shema discussion above) and this early Christian “Rule of Faith.”
Not only is there doctrinal and Scriptural continuity between ancient Judaism and Christianity, there are formal and liturgical carry-overs. What eventually becomes known as the “Christian Church Calendar” does at some level mirror the heart of the Biblical Feasts, e.g., Lent/Advent = T’shuvah (Preparatory Repentance); Pentecost = Shavuot; Resurrection = Passover/Unleavened Bread, etc.
When it comes to daily living in the earliest Church, again the traditional Jewish cycles of prayer and study were seen as common-place among sincere followers of Jesus. As we move into the 4th-century AD, those believers who lived and worked outside the Christian monasteries and ascetic communities were obliged to pray and read/recite Scripture at least twice a day and perhaps three times a day, as they were able.
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Those who chose to live a monastic life were then bound to observe a daily rhythm that had a seven- times-a-day prayer, worship, work, study, rest, rhythm (e.g., St. Anthony the Great of Egypt (250 AD). See: Week 3 in this series of the Prayer & Study Guide for more information.)
So what exactly did the early church pray other than “The Model Prayer" three times a day? By the 6th-century AD, the seven-times-a-day readings and prayers were well- developed into what is now known as the “Canonical or Divine Hours.”
Approximately every three to four hours those living and working within intentional (monastic) communities would pause to pray and/or read/recite Scripture. Some of these times were brief (3x during the “work day” and 2x at night), while other times were more elaborate with longer segments that included singing (beyond the chanting of the psalms), reading of other Scriptures and other Godly teaching texts (e.g., the lives of the saints), and Eucharist/Lord’s Supper (usually morning and/or evening). (Video: http://b.link/ CanonicalHoursExplained)
5. Reflection Questions
a. Personal Reflection. How aware were you of the history of a “daily rule” for living within the Church? What is one thing that has stuck with you today that will inform how you see yourself within the Body of Christ?
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b. Kingdom Reflection. A “daily rule” is not just for the benefit of the individual follower of Jesus. It is also for the greater benefit of the Body of Christ. If more Christians followed a “daily schedule of holy living” how might the Good News of Jesus be “shed abroad?”
Optional Time of Centering/Soaking:
If possible, take some time, perhaps 5 to 15 minutes, to get into a comfortable position and simply allow the Lord to minister to you at a deep level (Psalm 42:7). Turn off or put down all distractions. Close your eyes. Hold in your thoughts a meaningful word, phrase, or image from the Scripture you read today. Release all other thoughts and concerns into the Presence of the Lord. If your thoughts wander, that’s okay, just gently return to your Scriptural word, phrase, or image. You may want to set a timer.
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"9th hour"
"3rd hour"
"6th hour"


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Day 74:
The Evolving Christian Daily
1. Center Down
Our breath prayer for today. As you inhale, whisper, “I will awaken the dawn...” As you exhale whisper, “...in praises to You, my Redeemer!”
2. Slowly read aloud the following Scripture
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’
Cornelius stared at him in fear. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked.
The angel answered, ‘Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.’
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When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’
The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’
This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.’
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Peter went down and said to the men, ‘I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?’
The men replied, ‘We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.’ Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. (Acts 10:1-23, NIV
For further exploration:
Article: http://b.link/CelebratingCelibacy 3. Kingdom Prayer
Our Father, we thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your love and compassion. Thank You for keeping Your covenant with us throughout the ages. Thank You for making us Your people. Lord, what a joy it is to be one of Your children. You are good, and Your faithful love endures forever. You are full of power and might; we bless Your Holy Name. We proclaim Your unfailing love in the morning and Your faithfulness in the evening. Lord, You are compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. Your unfailing love toward those who fear You is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. Let the whole world fear You, Lord. Let everyone stand in awe of You. Almighty God, You are so awesome! Father, You are great and most worthy of praise. We will praise You at all times and constantly speak of Your praises.
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Righteous Father, with grateful hearts we will obey Your commands, walk in Your ways, and fear You. We are thankful that Your instructions are perfect, reviving our souls. Your decrees are trustworthy, making wise the simple. Your commandments are right, bringing joy to our hearts. Your commands are clear, giving insight for living. Revering You is pure, lasting forever. Your laws are true, and each one is fair. Father, we acknowledge with thanksgiving that Your Word is more desirable than gold, yes, even the finest gold. Your Word is sweeter than honey dripping from the honeycomb. Your Word warns us and we expect great reward as we obey it. We declare that as we are willing and obedient to You, we will eat the good of the land. We will seek Your Kingdom above all else, and live righteously, and we know that You will give us everything we need.
Omnipotent Father, please let Your ears be attentive to our prayer. Holy Spirit, show us individually and collectively where we are consistently missing the mark. Help us to turn from our areas of disobedience and fully release our whole hearts to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Remind us to continue to encourage each other and build each other up on a daily basis.
Compassionate Father, forgive us for sins of pride, rebellion, disobedience, selfishness, hatred, and idolatry. Lord, forgive us for half-hearted worship. Forgive us for disrespecting Your Word and treating You irreverently. Forgive us where we have not glorified Your Name and Your Kingdom by our actions and lifestyles. Lord, forgive me for (list any sins that you have committed).
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Holy Spirit, remind each of us of those we need to forgive and help us to be quick to forgive. As for me, Holy Spirit, bring to my remembrance those I need to forgive. (Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you faces of people that you may need to forgive. As He reveals them say, “I forgive name of person(s).” Now, trust the Lord to heal any wounds in your soul caused by unforgiveness.)
Holy Spirit, help us all not to yield to temptation but deliver us from the evil one.
Triumphant Lord, You are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. You are the God who is, and who was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One, El Shaddai. All honor and glory belong to You, God, forever and ever! You are the eternal King, the unseen One who never dies; You alone are God. Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture References for the Written Text: Psalm 136:1, Psalm 92:2, Psalm 103:8,11, Psalm 33:8, Psalm 96:4, Psalm 34:1, Deuteronomy 8:6, Psalm 19:7-11, Isaiah 1:19, Matthew 6:33, I Thessalonians 5:11, Matthew 6:13, Revelation 1:8, I Timothy 1:17
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4. Concepts to Consider
In Acts 10 we have a clear example of both a gentile convert to Judaism (known as a “God-fearer”) and a Jewish follower of Jesus (Peter) praying according to the traditional, fixed midday time options (3pm or noon), and in these prescribed times of prayer God met each of them in powerful ways. Extemporaneous “Spirit led” prayer is not more powerful or Godly than fixed and ordered prayers. The Holy Spirit is present in and can work through both. It’s just if you have “appointed times” to pray, then God knows He has your attention at least three times a day! :)
As we continue to follow the progression of the early Church through their various “Rules for Living” and “Rules of Faith,” we move into Late Antiquity and the early Middle-Ages wherein many of the more well- structured “Rules” come into full bloom. Some of the most influential are the "Rule of St. Pachomius" (323 AD), the “Rule of St. Basil” (370 AD), the “Rule of St. Augustine” (388 AD), and the “Rule of St. Benedict” (ca. 530 AD).
After the “Great Schism” between the Eastern and Western Churches in 1054 AD, Eastern monasticism (both hermits who separated from society and only met together occasionally for worship and prayer, and those who lived in monasteries but worked and worshiped more as a group and in society, i.e. cenobitic [sin-oh-BIT- ic] continued under the guidance of church Elders and Priests, emulating the lives of the ancient church Fathers and Mothers, embracing silence, study of Scripture, and concentrated prayer as a means of establishing their own "Rule for Living." (List of Eastern Orthodox monasteries: http://eastern.church/MonasteriesList)
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In the Western church, “orders” or formal groups of monastics continued to develop. Most notable are St. Bruno’s “Carthusian Rule” (1084 AD), St. Francis of Assisi’s “Franciscan Rule” (1209 AD), St. Albert’s “Carmelite Rule,” (ca. 1214 AD), the “Rule of St. Dominic” (The Dominicans) (1216 AD), and St. Ignatius Loyola’s rule for the “Society of Jesus” (the Jesuits) (1540 AD). (Link to timeline: http://b.link/WesternReligiousOrders)
An example of a "Daily Rule" from St. Bruno and the Carthusians
While all of these “Rules” and orders are all generally regulations for persons (both male “monks” and female “nuns”) who live celibate lives within gender- segregated monastic communities, there were (and are) persons who lived “normal lives” beyond the walls of the monasteries who had spouses and families and regular jobs that were (are) known as “oblates” [OH- blayt] or “third-order” lay members who chose to follow the general contours of a particular Rule in the outside world as an expression of their desire to live a holy and disciplined Christian life connected to a particular order
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or monastic community. Here are two example of modern-day adaptations of the Rule of St. Anthony and the Rule of St. John for those not necessarily living in a monastic setting: http://b.link/ModernOrderAnthony;
http://b.link/SSJE-Rule
5. Reflection Questions:
a. Personal Reflection. What is your impression of this history of Christian brothers and sisters who chose to live “Ruled” lives for the sake of following Jesus in a more formal, intentional and communal way?
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b. Kingdom Reflection. Why do you think monastic Rules still thrive today? How do they benefit the ongoing spread of the Good News of Jesus today?


Optional Time of Centering/Soaking:
If possible, take some time, perhaps 5 to 15 minutes, to get into a comfortable position and simply allow the Lord to minister to you at a deep level (Psalm 42:7). Turn off or put down all distractions. Close your eyes. Hold in your thoughts a meaningful word, phrase, or image from the Scripture you read today. Release all other thoughts and concerns into the Presence of the Lord. If your thoughts wander, that’s okay, just gently return to your Scriptural word, phrase, or image. You may want to set a timer.
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Day 75:
The Modern Christian Daily
1. Center Down
Our breath prayer: As you inhale, whisper, “You are our Rock...” As you exhale whisper, “...and our Fortress.”
2. Slowly read aloud the following Scripture
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our
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Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:19-27, NIV)
3. Kingdom Prayer
Loving Father, You are the force that holds us all together. Thank You for being compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. Thank You for Jesus who prayed that we would all be one, even as He is one with You. Thank You for gifting the Body of Christ with apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip us to do the work of the Lord and build us up until we come to unity in our faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Father God, You are our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. We praise Your Name! We stand still before You, knowing that You are God. You will be honored by every nation throughout the world. May the nations of this world recognize You, Lord. We give You the glory You deserve!
Omnipotent Father, this day we commit, as a Church Family, to search for You and for Your strength continually. We declare that we will not be afraid, for You are with us. We will not be discouraged, for You are our God. You will strengthen and help us. You will hold us up with Your victorious right hand. We know that for the life of God to thrive among us, there must be harmony and unity
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