prayer resources.
Online Bibles
Between these two websites just about every version of the bible you could ever want is online. If you want to read but don’t have your bible handy, just hop on one of these sites and pick a version. You can also use these sites to search for certain words and use other study tools and commentaries.
www.crosswalk.com
Helpful Hints:
• a great plain English version is called “The Message.” The version we often use in church is the “New Living Translation.” The NIV is a very readable version and the NRS is a very commonly used scholarly translation.
• the NAS strong’s version has little numbers in the text you can click on which will take you to the Greek/Hebrew word used in that passage. It will give the definition of the word and other verses and uses of the word. It’s a really easy way to dive into some of the original languages without getting lost in the process.
• once you enter a verse and hit “search,” you will have lots of options. Look on the left under “Bible Study Tools.” There are tons of resources under these tabs which are worth taking the time to explore. Hard to believe all of those tools are free and online.
www.biblegateway.com
Helpful Hints:
• bible gateway has some good study materials online as well.
• If you click on additional resources you can also use an online audio version. This is great to use if you are working on something mindless of watching the kids and still want to listen to the daily readings.
Fixed Hour Prayer & Devotional Links
The internet is an amazing resource for free devotional material. I think it would be possible to never buy another book as long as you live and have a rich devotional life just from the free materials that exist online. Almost any ancient writing which is public domain can be accessed online. This means masterpieces by Thomas A’ Kempis, St. Augustine, Aquinas, John Calvin, John Wesley, as well as most of the Eastern Church Fathers can be read online now. You’ll have to do your own search for all of those but here are a few helpful links to stir up your devotional routine. Much of the focus is either on fixed hour prayers or devotional material. For those of you who thrive on routine, try the fixed hour prayer route. For those of you who like things free and open, try the devotional material.
FIXED HOUR PRAYER
Sometimes called Fixed hour prayer, Daily office, liturgy of the hours, Breviary, The Hours, and other names this simply refers to a routine of praying certain times of the day. There are many liturgies and practices built up around this idea. Click Here for a great article on the history of the practice. For those of you who are interested in fixed hour prayers or using the internet as a devotional tool, here are some great sites for you to check out.
The Divine Hours:
this is the daily office developed by Phyllis Tickle. Many of the prayers are adapted from the Book of Common Prayer. This is a great way to start a fixed hour prayer ritual. You can also order these in 3 volumes from any book seller.
http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html
Daily Office from the Book of Common Prayer:
the BCP has a standard daily office as well. This site is a little hard to get, but just poke around a little and you’ll get the hang of it. The prayers in this are really great. http://www.missionstclare.com/ then click on daily office, then click “today’s prayer service.” The order of service is on the left of the split screen. Click on each component and the prayers and scriptures will come up on the right.
Universalis:
this is the daily office from the Roman Catholic church. www.universalis.com Millions of people all over the world pray these exact words and read these scriptures 4, 5, 6 times a day.
Sacred gateway:
this is a daily meditation which has been developed by some friends here in town at Youthfront. It is a really nice daily meditation, meant to be a simple guided prayer and time of reflection. It’s really good to do in the middle of a busy day. www.sacredgateway.com
DEVOTIONAL MATERIAL
This list is just a drop in the bucket of what exists online to aid in your devotions. These are merely 4 classic examples of devotional materials which have been used for centuries.
Book Of Common Prayer:
this is an online site for this liturgy book. http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/
My Utmost for His Highest:
this is a great classic devotional book which exists online as well. These are easy quick readings but they are profound. This book has influenced so many people and is a great daily devotional tool. http://www.myutmost.org/
Stations of the Cross:
The Stations are being so widely used by all denominations that I think they are a great way to encounter the passion of Christ. Here is a Catholic site which has some great prayers and meditations to go along with each station. http://www.catholic.org/clife/prayers/station.php
Labyrinth:
this is an amazing online prayer exercise. It is an ancient ritual but this site is done in a very ancient/modern format – it’s great. http://web.ukonline.co.uk/paradigm/
