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I was reading Michael Frost’s Incarnate: The Body of Christ in an Age of Disengagement (You can find it here). Frost describes a prayer exercise that I think would fit well with the lesson in which we talked about praying scripture (Find it here).

Frost describes a prayer cycle based on the prayers of Luke 1-2. The daily cycle goes as follows:

Upon waking, read/pray Mary’s response to Gabriel: Luke 1.38.

This prayer serves as an opening of your day and prepares you for those activities of the day.

During the morning, read/pray the Magnificat: Luke 1.46-55.

Frost rightly claims that your morning is often the busiest time of the day and so Mary’s praise of the power of God serves to focus us on the one who is important, when compared to those things we might claim as such.

Midday read/pray Zechariah’s song (often called the Benedictus): Luke 1.68-75.

Zechariah’s prayer focuses us for the rest of the afternoon to come.

In the afternoon read/pray the response of heavenly host: Luke 2.14

After a busy day, this response of the angels reminds us of the Lordship of God.

Close your day with Simeon’s pray to God: Luke 2.29-32.

Although Simeon’s prayer is a reflection of the end of his life, it serves us well as we close down our day and rest in preparation for the next.

I found this cycle beneficial and wanted to share it with you as you spend time praying scripture.