How to Pray the Daily Office
The Daily Office is the Church's daily rhythm of prayer — chiefly Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer — built from psalms, Scripture readings, canticles, and set prayers. Anglicans and Lutherans have prayed it for centuries. Here's how it's structured and how to begin.
What the Daily Office is
Rather than praying only in your own words, the Office gives you the Church's words: the psalms in order, readings from the Old and New Testaments, ancient canticles like the Magnificat and the Benedictus, and fixed prayers. You pray largely the same shape every day, which is what makes it a sustainable daily habit.
The shape of Morning and Evening Prayer
A typical office runs: an opening sentence and confession; the appointed psalms; a first reading with a canticle; a second reading with a canticle; the Apostles' Creed; the Lord's Prayer and set collects; and a closing. Morning Prayer traditionally uses the Benedictus (the Song of Zechariah); Evening Prayer uses the Magnificat (the Song of Mary).
How to start
Begin with just Morning Prayer, or just Evening Prayer — not both — at a fixed time. Use a Book of Common Prayer or an app that lays out the day's psalms and readings for you, so you're not flipping between references. Ten minutes, once a day, done consistently, is the goal.
Bosko's Daily Office lays out Morning and Evening Prayer for you each day with the psalms, readings, and canticles in place, so you can pray it without assembling the pieces yourself.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Daily Office?
- The Daily Office is the Church's set daily prayer — mainly Morning and Evening Prayer — made up of psalms, Scripture readings, canticles, and fixed prayers.
- Do I have to pray all the hours every day?
- No. Most people begin with just Morning Prayer or just Evening Prayer at a fixed time, and add more only if it fits their life.
- What book do I need?
- A Book of Common Prayer is traditional, but an app like Bosko lays out each day's Office — psalms, readings, and canticles — so you can pray it without cross-referencing.
