A daily prayer rhythm is a way of centering our days around the presence God versus the hours on the clock. We tend to believe time is measured by the hours on the clock and for good reason. Our days are usually structured by when we clock in and when we clock out or when the kids wake up or fall asleep. Our days can easily revolve around school drop off or school pick up or when we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So what ends up happening is that our time is regulated by what WE do. However, the scriptures invite us to shape our days not by what we do but by WHO WE’RE WITH. A daily prayer rhythm is aimed at ordering our days around God’s presence by entering into God’s presence through morning, midday, and evening prayer. Ancient Israel and early Christians had a daily prayer rhythm of praying morning, midday, and evening together every day at the temple. When Jesus’ disciples ask Jesus “teach us to pray” they reference the prayer rhythms of John the Baptist. For the disciples, prayer not only meant connecting to God, but when Jesus teaches them to pray “The Lord’s Prayer”, it is also a reminder of their shared identity in Christ. A daily prayer rhythm is not only a means of ordering our days around God’s presence it also a way of cultivating meaningful Christian community. For us, we believe prayer is the intersection of Beholding Jesus, Becoming like Jesus, and Belonging in Community.

Below is a daily prayer rhythm that we have learned and adopted from the folks at 24/7 Prayer.