Oct 23, 2023

Prayer for Those Troubled in Mind and Conscience

Liturgy gets a bad rap in some church circles. Sure, people have been known to pray prescribed prayers in robotic fashion, yet we also need to give liturgy its due. All churches, whether they admit to it or not, follow a liturgy. Some churches observe a highly structured, standardized liturgy while other churches keep a less formalized yet equally predictable order of worship.
Liturgy in the Bible is a composite of two Greek words that translate “people” and “work.” Put them together and we have a word that correlates to “work of the people.” Liturgy takes work on our part to stay focused and engaged, yet the work implied in liturgy is also God’s work in us that leads us to praise and confess, give and receive.

We live in a culture addicted to novelty and change. Sometimes, we need to eschew originality and draw upon the “communion of the saints,” a phrase we recite in the Apostles’ Creed. We draw strength in joining with believers from all times and places in offering time-honored prayers to God.

The Book of Common Prayer is a compendium of corporate and individual prayers and readings compiled by twelve Englishmen (yes, they were all men), led by Thomas Cranmer. They collected liturgies and prayers from church history that was first published in 1549. Today’s “Prayer for Those Troubled in Mind and Conscience” is adapted from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer:

O merciful God, who hast written thy holy Word for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of thy holy Scriptures, might have hope; give us a right understanding of ourselves, and of both thy threats and promises; that we may neither cast away our confidence in thee, nor place it anywhere but in thee. Give us strength against all temptations and heal our afflictions. Break not the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax. Do not shut up thy tender mercies in displeasure; but make us hear of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Deliver us from fear of the enemy and lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, and give us peace, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rev. Dr. Peter James served 42 years as the senior of Vienna Presbyterian Church in Vienna, VA — 21 years in the 20th century and 21 years in the 21st century. He retired in 2021 and now serves as Pastor-in-Residence at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Even as a pastor, prayer came slowly to Pete. Read Pete’s story.