Our prayers can be richer and fuller than they are.
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
– Isaiah 9.6
O Master, O Nazarene, O Bright-rayed, O everliving Satisfaction, O Tree of life, O true Heaven, O true Vine, O Rod of the stem of Jesse, O King of Israel, O Saviour, O Gate of life, O choice Flower of the field, O Lily of the Valleys, O Rock of strength, O Corner-stone, O heavenly Zion, O Fountain of the Faith, O innocent Lamb, O Diadem, O gentle Sheep, O Redeemer of the human race, O very God, O very Man, O Lion, O Calf, O Eagle, O Christ crucified, O Judge of doom, have mercy upon us.
– Mugrón, Litany of the Trinity, Irish, 14th century[1]
These Irish litanies came late in the period of Celtic Christianity – almost five centuries after the last great flourish of the Celtic Revival. Yet they recall some of the rich devotional life of that period. They’re fascinating to read, because you get the sense the writer, as he prepared these as aids to personal prayer and devotion, was straining to encode in writing something deeply personal and spiritual. He was hoping to give others words to use in coming before the Lord according to the greatness of God, to seek mercy and grace to help in his time of need.
The excerpt for today is a brief portion of a long prayer for mercy, in which the suppliant calls upon God, and in particular, our Lord Jesus Christ, using many of the Names by which He was pleased to make Himself known. The different Names appeal to different aspects of the Lord’s mercy and grace. They invoke His power, celebrate His marvelous excellence, and engage His life and sovereignty, all in order to find mercy for a poor sinner. It’s only in the light of the greatness and majesty of the Lord that the writer can see his true need for mercy.
Imagine praying like this each day, in which, before you even voice the smallest request to the Lord, you recite His many excellencies and virtues, to humble yourself, and to exalt Him by His many glorious Names, to hallow His Name.
Isn’t that where Jesus taught us to begin our prayers (Matt. 6.9)?
What effect would it have on your prayers to pray this way? How would it enlarge your vision of God, your security in His grace, your sense of gratitude at His forgiveness and renewal? How would that affect your walk with and work for the Lord?
Let’s face it: we’re pretty miserable when it comes to prayer. We don’t do much of it, and most of what we do is pretty shallow. We could improve our prayers by reading and praying great prayers from the Church's heritage and history – like these Irish litanies – and by making the psalms and other Scriptures a primary source for guidance in prayer.
But to pray this way you really have to want to, and the question of whether or not we want to pray like this is one we all have to address.
In case you do, however, start with some psalms that exalt the Lord and celebrate His works. Read them aloud, and pray them back to the Lord – particularly such Psalms as 104, 105, 145, and 147, which exalt the Lord and set us down in the midst of His works and the blessings of His covenant.
Here is real substance for a prayer life that can really lift you up in the Lord. We don’t know how to pray as we should, so we need all the help we can get. Our Christian forebears show us that it’s actually possible to pray this way, and the psalms lead us in learning how. By celebrating the Names of God, and all His works, our prayers can be fuller, more focused, and more edifying.
Our prayers don’t have to be shallow, self-centered, and insipid. They can be rich in celebrating the Lord and powerful to gain His mercy and grace to help in our time of need. But we’ll need to work harder at learning to pray this way.
Psalm 147.1-7 (St. Anne: Our God, Our Help in Ages Past)
Praise God, for it is good to sing loud praises to our Lord!
With joy our songs of praise we bring to God and to His Word.
The Lord builds up His Church and He His people gathers in.
The broken hearts He tenderly repairs and heals their sin.
The stars He counts, He knows the name of ev’ry chosen soul;
His pow’r is great, and great His fame, Who understands us whole.
The humble God exalts above; the wicked He casts down.
Sing thanks to this great God of love; let songs of praise abound.
Lord, is my prayer life what it should be? Teach me to celebrate You in my prayers, O Lord.
Introduction to Christian Worldview
For many of us, the subject of Christian worldview is a matter of interest, but also a mountain too big to climb. If only we had some easy handles with which to grip this subject; then we could begin making some progress in understanding it.
At The Ailbe Seminary we’re pleased to offer the course, One in Twelve, an introduction to Christian worldview using 12 diagrams and a variety of related study materials. In 12 brief videos I’ll show you how to organize your thinking and daily life for seeking Christ and His Kingdom according to a Christian worldview. The course materials will help you take this thinking into your walk with and work for the Lord. Study online and at your own pace. The course and all the materials are free. Simply click here for more information and to register.
Please prayerfully consider making a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe at this time. Only God can move you to do this, and we believe He intends to support this ministry from within the ranks of those who are served by it. If this includes you, please seek the Lord in this matter. You can click here to donate online with your credit card or through PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.
T. M. Moore, Principal
tmmoore@ailbe.org
All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
