...since
Treasury of Daily Prayer first made its debut. It's been a blessed and wonderful year for me in the Word of God. Daily prayer has never been so easily carried out and so wonderfully integrated with the commemoration of saints and other festival days. Already I can't imagine ever using another way of praying. I suspect
Treasury will be at my bedside when I die. If you've been using it this year, I'd love to hear some of your reflections on it and how it has affected your life of prayer with God. How do you use it? What features have been the biggest blessing? And so on.
It took me a while after I got my TDP to finally get on a regular schedule,and I feel like I'm still learning to use all the treasures. Something happened in my personal life to boot me in to regular reading, and I think that's why it happened - the bad thing, that is. I copied your prayers that Pr. McCain posted on his blog and stuck them inside, so use them as well - I edited them to add the names of family and friends. It has helped me to finally, at the age of 57, have a regular prayer life, and realize what a difference it makes in my life, as well as those around me. I have a plaque on the wall that says "a day hemmed in prayer seldom unravels" (I'm a quilter, so "hemming" is part of my vocabulary), and that is on my mind every day. I HAVE to start and end with prayer, or it doesn't feel right. I'm still struggling to find the right mix of what works best for me, including mid-day while at work (and work is where I really struggle). One of my favorite things is Luther's morning and evening prayers. They hem both ends of the day perfectly. I have enjoyed reading the writings of the fathers, and learning more about the saints. It's a really nice mix. (BTW, my cats don't like it when I sing - one of them bit me the last time I sang outloud.)
ReplyDeleteBoth my TDP and my TLSB arrived last week. I cannot use TDP for the family because we are Swedish, but I use it for my own devotions. But I also want to dig into my TLSB! The Lord threw so much treasures in my arms when he gave me these books, that I feel kind of overwhelmed! Both books are really wonderful and I think these will be the books I'll use the rest of my life, together with my hymnals and catechism.
ReplyDeleteDuring our family morning and evening prayers we always use the catechism or a devotion, the Lord's prayer and Luther's morning and evening prayer.
I also use the book "The Lord will answer" containing daily prayers on the catechism, and I like that the short forms for daily prayer are the same as in TDP as well as in the Luth. Service Book. Otherwise I wouldn't know what to choose.
ReplyDeleteI love the TDP, for the following reasons:
ReplyDelete1) It helps to keep me focused. When praying just free-form it is so easy to get distracted and frustrated.
2) Written prayers - when I have trouble praying in my own words I can pray the words of those who have gone before me in the faith.
3) I love the connection to church history with the writings, prayers and commemoration of the saints - i.e. that church history is relevant to our lives of prayer today and not just interesting trivia.
4) I bought the TDP and was using it before I actually started attending a Lutheran church, and as such I think it cut down on the "culture shock" I otherwise would have had when moving from a baptist-type church to a liturgical Lutheran church. Things I encountered in Lutheran services were not so foreign as they would have been if I hadn't had the TDP for a month and a half before I started attending. It also helped familiarize me with such things as the Church year and the lectionary.
5) Having the Small Catechism in the back, as well as resources for preparation for Confession/Absolution and the Lord's Supper, has been very helpful to me.
So basically, I love everything about it ... TDP is great! Anyone who doesn't have one ... get one! You won't regret it.
The Treasury of Daily Prayer has added a structure to my prayer life that was lacking before; it has been extremely helpful to me in becoming more faithful in my personal devotions; regular Bible reading has yielded many spiritual benefits. I enjoy singing matins and using the other liturgies included in the book. This devotional resource meets my needs better than any other I've tried. Now that I have been using it for a few months, I really enjoy the options of selecting a different form of worship to suit the amount of time and/or privacy I have. I like how the book discusses some of the ancient practices of the church, quotes different church fathers and gives some background on various saints and feasts. This is going to be a very well-thumbed book! I am giving one to each of my three children (ages 22, 18 and 15) for their birthdays this year, and customized each one with the child's name and baptism date imprinted on the front cover.
ReplyDeleteIt has been good for adding a certain degree of discipline to our evening devotions as husband & wife.
ReplyDeleteKära Maria!
ReplyDeleteHar du sett Biskop Bo Giertzs "Att tro på Kristus" och "Att leva med Kristus"?
Nu har vi dem på engelska ("To Live With Christ")!
Har du tillhör missionären provinsen?
I admit, I haven't gotten into the regular schelude of reading and praying with TDP everyday yet. I'm working on it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it is a wonderful resource. I love the fact that I can on any day go to it, read the Scriptures, read the words of the Saints, and pray to the Lord.
I also love the inclusion of things like Matins, Vespers, etc. Though I haven't prayed those yet, I have started to pray the Great Litany, and I absolutely love it!
All in all, TDP is a gift, and an invaluable resource.
I like it, but I wish it would come in a "pocket" edition. It's big to travel with.
ReplyDeleteBill, It is indeed a Treasure! It has not only got me in the daily habit of prayer - but it has also brought me back to the confessions! I have been a Lutheran Pastor for over 16 years and I am enjoying reading the Confession again!
ReplyDeleteTDP for me is like the microwave. I can't remember what life was like without it.
ReplyDeleteFather Hollywood: Ja, jag har alla böcker av Bo Giertz! Jag gillar särskild hans romaner Stengrunden och Tron Allena. Jag är inte säker om Tron Allena finns på engelska. Det är en fantastisk roman om brytningstiden när Sverige blev luthersk efter att ha varit katolsk.
ReplyDelete(Yes, I've all the books of Bo Giertz. I especially like his novels The Hammer of God and Faith Alone. I'm not sure Faith Alone is available in English. It's a great novel about the time when Sweden became Lutheran after having been Roman Catholic.)
I like the writings in TDP. I could use a lectionary and find the bible texts myself in my bible and I could use prayers from the hymnal and The Brotherhood Prayer Book for example. But I don't have access to all these daily writings in other books, then I would have to buy a whole library.
ReplyDeleteIt took me some time to learn to pray using a prayer tool. I was brought up believing that you shouldn't have to use a prayer tool to help with your prayers. Just pray off the cuff so to speak. I have found that the TDP has really helped to keep me focused. I have not used the whole TDP yet, as I am still learning how to utilize all that is available. As you suggested, speaking the prayers and Word outloud is a real blessing. It does make a difference. For those who haven't tried it, try it. You will be amazed at difference in your prayer life. I tell you, when I sit out on my deck in the early morning with my coffee and TDP, my whole day takees on a whole new meaning. I feel life I can overcome most anything.
ReplyDeleteI greatly appreciate the structure, the order, of things in TDP. It did take some time to get accustomed to it, but before too long, it became a regular part of my morning. I confess that I only use TDP as part of my morning devotions- praying either Matins or Morning Prayer while doing all the readings for the day. At lunch time I attempt to do the suggested readings. Some days I succeed, some days I am caught by other things.
ReplyDeleteBut this book has become a companion in my prayer life. What a joy to sit in a near-dark sanctuary, to read out loud, hear, and be enveloped by the words of Scripture, the writings of faithful people, the prayers of the church, and the silence.
It's just a fabulous book.
Jeremy
The opportunity for a structured prayer life, the rich fare of Scripture, the catholicity of the prayers, feasts and festivals in TDP plus the evangelical witness to the centrality of Christ make the TDP the wonderful prayer resource that it is.
ReplyDeleteWhile I appreciate the writings from all historic eras of the Church catholic I am especially delighted in the writings of the Lutheran fathers and the selections from the Confessions.
Christine