Structured prayer
A challenge to transform your prayers.
Growing up, I was told to do devotions but seldom told how to do them. Other than the Lord’s Prayer, most prayers in my tradition are spontaneous. The structure might be ACTS (adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication) and they almost always end with, “in Jesus’ name. Amen.” The petitions are freeform. I think a place could be made for structured and shared prayers, especially in our corporate worship.
While visiting family in Kansas City over the holidays, our grandchildren’s youth pastor gave a message on prayer and how to craft a collect. “Collect” is a noun in some church traditions, especially Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran. A “collect” is a gathering of petitions in the form of a prayer.
It was a meaningful experience, and I was pleased that this person was providing spiritual nurture for my family.
How to write a collect
Start with invocation: addressing God. “God” is a generic title, not really a name. Choose a short descriptive word or phrase instead, such as “God of healing.” Vary this address to align with the main petition of your prayer. This first step of prayer is to turn towards God, know who you are addressing and make yourself present before God.
Then turn to acknowledgement: reflect on who God is. Think of a divine attribute or action relevant to your petition. This is a step towards how your prayer will be answered. God’s past is our foundation and gives us assurance.
Then, petition: make one short, specific request. What do you need right now? We often give God a grocery list of needs. A collect helps us focus our prayer. This will often be a fervent desire or desperate need. The need relates to a past or present concern and a future hope.
Next, turn to aspiration: Say why you are making this petition. This looks to the future. It helps to clarify our motives and our movements. Whose Kingdom are we building? This usually starts with “so that…”
Finally, pleading: say please and amen. A plea gives a reason or justification for your petition. It sets the foundation for your request. In Christian tradition the merit is not in us. We are “without one plea,” except for Christ Jesus. We say, “in Jesus’ name.” “Amen” often feels like “the end,” but it is so much more. “Amen” is for others to join in with the prayer when it is corporate. When prayed alone, “amen” is a statement of faith and trust. “Amen” is Hebrew for “faithfulness” and signifies our trust in God.
‘God of hope’
Here is an example of a collect that I wrote the last Sunday of 2024:
God of hope
Who brings the surprising light into the dark, surprising life into the dying, surprising love into the distress
Give us the patience to wait on you when we do not know or understand
So that we may listen for your lead, learn your love and live your life in us and in a broken and needy world.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
Thank you for this article. We often use collects in the Anglican church we sometimes attend, but writing our own is something we haven’t done much of. (Although I just did.)
Tom, excellent. I have led collect-writing workshops to great appreciation. One of the reasons I use the Anglican Prayerbook is because I love the collects so much.
I do make distinction between personal “prayers” and those used in corporate worship.
In my personal “prayers” I am either free form, speaking from my heart respecting those things that are current, or I used Jewish “prayers” which I actually often find touch my spirit more than many Christian ones.
Personally, I think we misuse what we refer to as “The Lord’s Prayer.” It was, in both Matthew and Luke, a teaching not meant to be used as a substitute for an actual, authentic petition to the Lord.
I also believe we misunderstand and misuse the phrase, “In Jesus’ name.” What the phrase means is that Jesus has authorized and supports what we have uttered. He has put his seal of approval on our words, our petitions, and, going back to his teaching, they are in accord with the seeking of God’s kingdom and God’s will. Hence, we can and should be able to pray in Jesus’ name without uttering the phrase.