Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Messier 92, located in the constellation of Hercules –
photo credit Hubble Space Telescope – NASA – ESA
Praying Into Celestial Brightness
Evening Prayer on the www.dailyoffice.org website can be similar. Each night’s prayers are much the same. But, a bit different, too. Tonight, for example.
Just before I was to pray for my personal intercessions, I got pulled up short by the prayer immediately before. It ran as follows: “Look down, O Lord, from your heavenly throne, and illumine this night with your celestial brightness; that by night as by day your people may glorify your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
As I read this, I was reminded so strongly of the Apostle John’s depiction in Revelation 21:23— “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.”
I am not certain whether the authors of the Book of Common Prayer had this section of the book of Revelation in mind when they wrote this particular prayer, but I sure was thinking of it.
On top of that verse from Revelation 21, I also noticed a link to Isaiah 60, verses 19b and 20. Both verses mentioned that “I, the Lord, will be your eternal light; the light of my glory will shine on you. 20 Your days of grief will come to an end. I, the Lord, will be your eternal light, More lasting than the sun and moon.”
Yes, I did pray to the end of Evening Prayer, but I had a new and enlarged appreciation for this particular collect. Celestial brightness. Eternal light. More lasting than the sun and the moon.
Thanks, Lord, for leading me towards Your brightness. Thanks, Lord, for shedding additional light on my understanding. Thank You for Your light put within me. You are a Lamp to my feet, a Light to my path, and You illumine my way for my whole life long. Thanks, Lord!
Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.
Visit the website http://dailyoffice.org/ to find out more about Morning and Evening Prayer!
Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind. @chaplaineliza And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er
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