“Keep Watch, Dear Lord …”
When it’s bedtime, I don’t have much physical, emotional, intellectual, nor spiritual energy, which is probably why I find it difficult to pray at night.
Sometime ago, I listened to the audiobook, Prayer in the Night by Tish Harrison Warren, a gifted author, and Anglican priest. In her beautifully crafted book, Warren personally and poignantly unpacks the power of a Compline Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer (attributed originally to the 4th century St. Augustine of Hippo).
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen
For several months, I have prayed these words each night after which I listen to a short nighttime devotional on the Lectio 365 app (I have told many about this app, which is free to download, and I have received only positive feedback.). The combination of these evening spiritual practices is meaningful, and I believe, has improved my quality of sleep—a blessed bonus!
During the past few weeks, the words of this prayer have seemed especially applicable. I’d like to share an example.
For some time, I have been following Face Book posts from a young woman who used to babysit for us. It was fun becoming reacquainted with our one-time neighbor kid, Mary Beth (a pseudonym), rejoicing when I saw she was married. I loved learning she and her husband fostered and later adopted three children. There was no doubt in my mind they would be wonderful parents.
Then, I read a post I didn’t like one bit. Mary Beth disclosed her beloved husband was in for the fight of his life with an aggressive form of cancer. I prayed for the family whenever she courageously posted about their valiant battle.
The saddest post was read before turning in one recent evening. The young wife and mama reported she was at the side of her “man” who lay dying in the hospital.
Preparing for bedtime that night, I repeated the familiar words, now memorized, which helped expand my prayer for this young family:
“… bless Kenneth (pseudonym) dear Lord, as his dying body transitions from this earth to enter his eternal home …
… soothe the emotional suffering of Mary Beth during this excruciating process …
… pity the affliction this loss will bring to their three children as they grow without the strong earthly presence of their daddy. Fill every hole in their young hearts with a deep assurance of God their Father’s love …
Kenneth passed away a few hours later.
Liturgical prayers such as “Keep Watch …” were not part of my early spiritual tradition. During the past few years when I became intentional about understanding spiritual formation, I discovered their great value. Pastor Rich Villodas from Queens, a borough of New York City, is an Evangelical author whose words have impacted me. In a recent Instagram post, Villodas spoke of the power of liturgy, saying such prayers “form us in profound ways.” This has been my experience. Liturgical prayers have strengthened my prayer life and deepened my faith.
How about you? Is there a Liturgical and/or Scriptural prayer that sustains you in seasons when prayer may be difficult? I’d love to hear from you.
Blessings on your journey,
