Daily Office

What is a Daily Office?

Daily Office is a specific time set aside to meet with God, to take up office time with the Lord. Its purpose is to connect us with the presence of God amidst the everyday-ness of life.

Jesus is often found with his disciples at the Temple, they are there teaching and to participate in the daily calls to prayer. The early apostles also often went to the Temple to pray during these hours:

• Ancient Jewish Calls to Prayer- Morning, Afternoon and Evening call to prayer at the Temple
• Ancient Christian Calls to Prayer- 8 times a day, starting at 2am going until 7pm. Begun in the 400’s as set times of prayer each having its own time, name and focus.

Ideas for developing a daily office today: morning, afternoon, evening

There are 3 distinctive characteristics of a Daily Office:

• Attention: Focus of the mind and heart upon God’s presence- This can be reading or listening to scripture, reading or listening to others thoughts and reflections on scripture. Set a specific time or times to turn your attention towards God. (Romans 12:1-2)
• Communication: Intentional direct communication with God- A time of prayer that involves both listening and speaking to God. PRAY- pause, rejoice, ask, yield. (Philippians 4:4-9)
• Integration: Discerning something to apply or carry with you back into your Inner, Outer or Others life. Is there any specific point of action this might be leading to in your day? (James 1:22-25)

Click the highlighted text to learn more about these resources for developing a daily office.