“Praying the Hours”

In order to “pray without ceasing,” the Desert Mothers and Fathers followed a pattern of set times during the day for prayer. This has become known as “The Liturgy of the Hours”, “The Divine Offices”, “Fixed-hour Prayer”, or “Praying the Hours”.

Originating in Jewish tradition, the practice is based in Psalms:

Seven times a day I praise you
    for your righteous laws. Psalm 119:164 NIV

At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws. Psalm 119:62 NIV

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3 NIV

The Hours became a reminder that we are more important than our tasks, and that just about all our work could wait. It is a way to make ordinary life Sacred.

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.
What we do with this hour and that one is what we are doing.
A schedule defends us from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days.
Annie Dillard

In the sixth century, St Benedict named the hours, and they have since formed the basis of prayer for many in religious life. Scheduled by daylight hours, the times most commonly used now are:
Lauds (waking-up prayer) – dawn
Prime (beginning work prayer)
Terce (mid-morning thanksgiving)
Sext (noonday prayer of commitment) – noon
None (mid-afternoon prayer)
Vespers (evening prayer of stillness) – twilight
Compline (going-to-sleep prayer of trust) – before retiring, around 9 PM

Some traditions add a Midnight prayer, too.

To pray is to work, to work is to pray.
St Benedict

Praying the hours reframes our relationship to time, from a resource to be spent to a sacred gift to be cherished. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming or onerous.

Start simply right where you are.
Set a timer as a reminder to stop and pray once or twice in the day. Taking time to just be with God is the best place to find strength.

“When you’ve scheduled a time to pray remember this:
You have a real appointment with the King of the Universe.”
(unknown)

Use prepared resources.
Recite a written prayer or read a Psalm.

Don’t give up.
Remember, you’re never wasting time when you’re doing what God wants you to do.

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Find more resources at The Prayer Foundation.