Reclaiming Daily Prayer as a Part of Faith Formation

Paul Simon penned the lyrics to one of those songs you’re ashamed that you sing when it comes on the radio. “Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the morning last.” Sing it with me now: “doot-in, doo, doo, feelin’ groovy.” Mr. Simon may not have been thinking of Paul’s charge to the church at Thessalonica to “pray without ceasing” when he wrote those lyrics, but perhaps there is a connection. The furious pace of 21st century life can be overwhelming. For many of the church’s most faithful lay leaders, members, youth, and children, “church”— and everything about it— is a flurry of activities. With all that is going on being formed in the faith, “praying without ceasing,” seems a little perplexing. Paul Simon’s charge to “slow down” might seem downright impossible.

In the midst of this chaotic existence, daily prayer may provide the best option to reclaim God in every aspect of our lives and recenter ourselves for faith formation. The Book of Order’s Directory for Worship asserts that “in worship the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in their lives.” The introduction continues, “In worship the faithful offer themselves to God and are equipped for God’s service in the world.” In other words, our faith is formed through the transformational power of our worship. In our worship, we are equipped and renewed for the tasks of our daily life as disciples. If this is true, then engaging in daily prayer is an act of faith formation.