A Reformed Prayerbook
While I have the utmost respect for the Book of Common Prayer–probably the single most important expression of historic Christian worship in my own life–lately I’ve been using a new resource for prayer: Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible Through the Year. Compiled by Philip Reinders, one could think of it as a Reformed prayerbook, embodying the Protestant emphasis on the centrality of Scripture while also honoring post-apostolic tradition (e.g., by including prayers that draw from the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Westminster standards). Like the most ancient and global Christian practices, it encourages a prayer discipline that is centered on the Psalms while also, in the spirit of the lectionary, walking us across the entire narrative of Scripture. It honors the tradition of disciplined (written) prayer while also making room for extemporaneous prayer and devotion.
