Yesterday I mentioned that I’m coming across some pretty good resources useful for private worship. Here’s a list of some of the ones I recommend.

I’ve only recently come across the ministry of Ken Boa (at the time I’m writing this post, his website isn’t behaving very well). Ken has compiled a couple of books I think you should have. “Handbook to Prayer: Praying Scripture Back to God” is a prayer tool [that] will guide you through the process of praying Scripture back to God. It gives you form and freedom as well as a “balanced diet” in your prayers, since each day includes prayers of adoration, confession, renewal, petition, intercession, affirmation, thanksgiving, and closing prayers (this is the description from Boa’s website). I generally use this for morning worship times. “Handbook to Renewal: Affirmations from Scripture” is a resource I use generally at night. Boa’s explanation is that if we go to sleep having just read affirmations from scripture, we can renew our minds every day. Both of these books are almost exclusively scripture. They are very small and easily carried in a purse or breifcase or (in my case) a backpack.

I’ve been reading things about Phyllis Tickle over the past year or so (mostly from the writings of Scot McKnight), and while I don’t know much about her, I’ve heard good things about her three (now four) volume set entitled The Divine Hours. I was in a bookstore recently and saw the Summertime volume and bought it. Based loosely on the Book of Common Prayer, Tickle’s compilations are almost exclusively scripture. There are four times of prayer (aka, “offices” or “hours”): the Morning Office, the Midday Office, Vespers (evening), and Compline (bedtime). Don’t worry; the word “hour” doesn’t mean an hour of literal time. That is the term used in ancient times for the various services held throughout the day in monastic life. Classically trained music students are perhaps more familiar with these services than they want to be. The three volumes currently available are (links are to paperback versions but hardback versions are also available for all three): The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime, The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime, and The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime (available soon in paperback). I understand there is a fourth volume coming out soon (or may already be available) that covers the night hours between Compline and the Morning Office for all you insomniacs out there. These books, by the way, are pretty thick and not easily transported. If you plan to use them, I would suggest getting two copies (if you work outside the home): one for the office and one for home.

Now, lest you think that Tickle’s books are for use by “high church” folks only, you can view online versions of these daily prayers at Ann Arbor Vineyard Church’s website. Vineyard churches are not high church; they fall under the charismatic category. And, in his book Praying with the Church: Following Jesus Daily, Hourly, Today, Scot McKnight tells of a visit he and his wife once made to Ann Arbor Vineyard. Phyllis Tickle was speaking at that particular service.

The service began with people standing, waving hands in praise, and dancing, and the band was rocking—my memory was that the band was comprised of tattooed sorts and long-hair types and ordinary folks all mixed into one rocking band. The music was loud, the worship was expressive, and Phyllis was clapping and swaying with the best of them.

The pastor, Ken Wilson, stood up and said pointedly, “Phyllis Tickle taught me to pray.”

I also highly recommend “The Valley of Vision,” a selection of prayers and meditations in the Puritan tradition. A CD based on “The Valley of Vision” will be available soon from Sovereign Grace Ministries.

There are other resources out there. These are the ones I use or have used. If I come across more that are worth mentioning, I’ll update the list here. Please feel free to leave a comment if there are others you know about or e-mail me.