MORNING PRAYER: September 15, 2026

 Here is the recorded service of Morning Prayer for Ancient Paths Church of the Nazarene for Tuesday, September 15, 2026.  The service uses John Wesley's conservative revision of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (which he named The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America).

A written copy of the British version of the service can be found, here.

MORNING PRAYER: SEPTEMBER 8, 2026

 Here is a video of the recorded service of Morning Prayer for September 8 for Ancient Paths Church of the Nazarene.

The Morning Prayer text can be downloaded, here, under "Daily Office: Daily Morning Prayer".

A Prayer To Be Prayed By Those in the Wesleyan Tradition

 Here is my most recent YouTube video.  It introduces a prayer that I think is a great prayer for anyone in the Wesleyan/Methodist tradition to pray.  I would especially encourage those who are a part of the Wesleyan-Anglican Society to take this prayer up during the Daily Office.

Almighty God, in a time of great need you raised up your servants John and Charles Wesley, and by your Spirit inspired them to kindle a flame of sacred love which leaped and ran, an inextinguishable blaze.  Grant, we ask you, that all those whose hearts have been warmed at these altar fires, being continually refreshed by your grace, may be so devoted to the increase of scriptural holiness throughout the land that in this our time of great need, your will may fully and effectively be done on earth as it is in heave; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

(My YouTube channel can be found, here.)

The Continued Value of Written Prayers

Today, I was searching my blog for a particular quote, when I ran across a post that I had made back in 2012.  It was a response to a colleague who, as a part of an assignment for a "Spiritual Formation" class, had interviewed me about my regular use of written prayers.  The specific question that he had asked was, "How does your use of written or rote prayers help you to know God and to grow in your faith?"  

Ironically, I am currently teaching a class on Spiritual Formation, and I recently recommended to my class their taking a look at the Book of Common Prayer.  It is likely that, if I were to be asked that same question today, my answer may include some additional elements, but I think that the original answer that I gave back in 2012 still rings true.  And, perhaps it may be helpful for some who, today, may have a similar question about the value of written prayers.  -  With that in mind, I have copied my original response, below:

I have, for the past 12 years [now 21 years], or so, prayed the Daily Office as a part of my spiritual disciplines.  At times, it has just been Morning Prayer.  At other times, I have prayed Morning and Evening Prayer.  I also pray the Litany on Wednesdays and Fridays.

In praying the Daily Office, I have most often used John Wesley’s The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America, which was his (slight) revision of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer from the Church of England.  -  John Wesley faithfully prayed the Daily Office each day, and he passed on to the Methodists in North America a Prayer Book for their use each Lord’s Day.

In addition, I use other written prayers from the BCP and other sources in both corporate worship and personal devotions.

These prayers do not replace, but supplement my other prayers.

I find that God uses these prayers to help to shape me as a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.  The prayers have been prayed by Christians back to the early Church all the way up to today from around the world.  In this regard, God reminds me that, while my relationship with the Lord is deeply personal, it is not at all isolated.  God has made us to be a people, not just individualistic, “Lone Ranger” Christians.  -  The prayers serve as a sort of catechism in molding me in the Christian faith and life.

God uses these prayers to help me to pray beyond myself, as well.  By that I mean that they keep me from focusing just on my own concerns and move me to pray for those things that God would have me be concerned about.  Thus, God shapes my outlook and shapes me in Christlikeness. 

The prayers give me words that better articulate my own prayers.  They help me say what needs to be said.

Through these prayers God teaches me about my relationship to God, in that they set my priorities in prayer.  They call me to confession, but also remind me of God’s mercy, grace and forgiveness.  They remind me that thanksgiving is more than with “our lips,” but “with our lives.”

One of the most important prayers, for me, is the Collect of Purity.  While it is not a part of the Daily Office, it is a part of the regular Sunday service of worship, and I have incorporated it as part of my personal disciplines.  It is prayed by Anglicans and others every Sunday.  It has been said that it summarizes well what Wesley was talking about when he spoke of Christian Perfection (or Entire Sanctification).  It is a part of the context in which Wesley developed and articulated this biblical doctrine.  -  As I recall, P.F. Bresee once responded to some Episcopalians by saying something like, Why do you consider it strange that Nazarenes claim that God answers the prayer that you pray every Sunday? 

Since we are called to live under God’s sanctifying grace each day, the Collect of Purity is a prayer that helps me to seek God’s face, each day to the end that God might “cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of [God’s] Holy Spirit that [I] might perfectly love [God] and worthily magnify [God’s] holy name through Christ our Lord.”

Through these prayers, God focuses my day.  God draws me to Himself.  And then, in Evening Prayer, God puts my day in perspective and review.  -  At this point, I simply could not conceive of not including written prayers as a part of my spiritual discipline.

A Few Highlights From Today's Morning Prayer

 I will confess that these will seem a bit disjunctive.  (If I had not been hacked on Facebook, I would have posted these separately, there.)  Nevertheless, the following quotes/thoughts struck a chord with me, today, during Morning Prayer, and I thought I would share them with the readers of my blog.

The first was not really a part of Morning Prayer, as such.  However, prior to beginning Morning Prayer, I read today's devotion in the Reflecting God devotional.  A part of the format of Reflecting God is that, in the sidebar, it quotes a line from a hymn and a verse or so of Scripture.  The hymn that was quoted, today, was Katharina von Schlegel's Be Still, My Soul, and the line was:

    Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
    To guide the future as He has the past.

This is a timely comfort and reminder.  As I read it, I not only think of my own "transitional" time, but I especially think of my son who just headed back to Olivet Nazarene University for his final semester.  As he nears the end of his time in college, my son looks ahead wondering where God will lead him as he pursues his call to Music Ministry.  -  The song reminds us that we can, indeed, be still and know that the God who has guided us thus far will certainly continue to guide us in the future.

The second thing that spoke to me came from the Psalms.  In today's Psalm (Psalm 27), we find one of my two "favorite" life verses.  Psalm 27:4 says (in NKJV):

    One thing I have desired of the LORD,
    That will I seek:
    That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
    All the days of my life,
    To behold the beauty of the LORD,
    And to inquire in His temple.

As I said, this is one of my life verses.  It reflects "an eye single to Your glory" and our identity as the worshipping people of God.

The final idea that caught my attention was actually found in the study notes of my Bible for the Gospel reading.  -  As I noted, above, I am reading in the New King James Version. Now, typically, I prefer the NRSV.  That is the version from which I preach, and it is what I have been used to reading in my devotions for quite some time, now.  In the past, of course, I have read through the Bible in various translations, but the NRSV is my translation of choice.  -  So, why the NKJV?

Well, I decided that for this year, I wanted to read through the Bible using the notes found in The Wesley Bible: A Personal Study Bible for Holy Living*.  And, this study Bible was only produced in the New King James Version.  So, there you have it!  (As a side note, I think it will do me good to change up my reading for this year.)

Today's Gospel reading was the 14th chapter of Matthew.  This chapter included the story of Jesus walking on the water, along with His bidding Peter to come to Him on the water.  The notes commented on this: "When we ask according to His will, Christ accepts our offer to let Him show His power in us."

I find in this comment a spiritual challenge and encouragement as we have entered into this new year.

These are the three things that stuck out and spoke to me during Morning Prayer, this morning.  Perhaps God would use one or more as words of encouragement for you, as well.  -  Such is my prayer.

Blessings!

______________________________________

*This is not to be confused with The Wesley Study Bible, which a completely different study Bible.

A Few Thoughts from Today's Morning Prayer

I just wanted to share a few (random?) thoughts that came to me during the praying of Morning Prayer, today.  These are just a few things that stood out to me as I read, sang, and prayed.

The first came during my reading of the New Testament passage.  I have not been following any lectionary for Morning and Evening Prayer.  I have simply been reading through the Old and New Testaments.  This morning I was reading through the final two chapters of the Book of Acts.  The story follows St. Paul's (stormy) journey to Rome. 

In chapter 27, Paul is trying to encourage those on board the ship that God has promised them no loss of life.  The thing that caught my attention, though, was the wording that St. Paul uses in verse 23.  There he says, "For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship . . ." (NRSV).  -  What a perspective!  It seems to me that it is more than simply declaring that God is our God.  Rather, he is, in a very practical way, acknowledging what he says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20a, "Or do you not know that . . . you are not your own? For you were bought with a price . . ."  -  It is a powerful thing to say, ". . . the God to whom I belong!"

A second thing that caught my attention came while praying the General Thanksgiving.  In that prayer are these powerful words: "And we beseech thee, give us that sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we may show forth they praise not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to they service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days . . ." (emphasis added).  The prayer is that we show forth thanks and praise to God, not only in our words, but we give thanks and praise by walking before God in holiness and righteousness every day of our lives.

A final thing that caught my attention was seen in the final hymn.  The hymn is #147 in Ken Bible's Wesley Hymns.  It is titled, "Author of Life Divine."  It is a Eucharistic hymn, and the first verse says:

 

Author of Life divine

Who hast a table spread,

Furnished with mystic wine

And everlasting bread,

Preserve the life Thyself hast giv'n,

And feed and train us up for heav'n.

 

These three things have been ideas to ponder and words upon which to meditate.  -  May God use them to draw us closer to God and to make us more like Christ.

Taking Up the Daily Office for Lent

The Constitution of the Wesleyan-Anglican Society encourages members of the Society to pray the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer, as well as to pray the Litany on Wednesdays and Fridays. 

I have made this a habit for years and find it to be an important part of my spiritual life.  Though there have been occasions when I have been able to pray the Daily Office in a group, usually this is something that I do alone.  -  And yet, I am keenly aware that I am not alone.  Rather, I am joined by sisters and brothers around the world and throughout time, from various traditions within the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. 

Over the years, I have prayed using various versions of the Book of Common Prayer including the 1662, the 1928, the 1979, the ACNA version, and Wesley's The Sunday Service.  This latter one is the version that I have most often used.  -  A link to each of these BCP versions can be found on the sidebar of this blog.

We are now in the beginning days of Lent.  If the praying of the Daily Office is not a current practice for you, I want to encourage you to take it up during this Lenten season.  -  Perhaps you will find it to be as spiritually profitable as I have, as you join in the prayers of the People of God around the world and throughout history!

Morning Prayer on Facebook Live

Following the lead of a few colleagues on Facebook, I am going to try something new! 

Tomorrow morning (Friday, Oct. 28), at 9:00 AM (Eastern Time), I will be leading the office of Morning Prayer on Facebook Live!  -  Or at least I'm going to attempt to.

I plan to use John Wesley's conservative revision of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, known as The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America.

If you do not have a copy of The Sunday Service, you should be able to follow along with the 1662 BCP.  Or, there is a link on the sidebar for The Sunday Service.  The link is to the British version, which is nearly identical.  The only time I think you will find a difference is toward the end, when we get to the prayers for the government.  -  We won't be praying for the Queen. (Though you can if you want!)

I hope you will look me up an Facebook and join me in Morning Prayer!