The following is a revised version of Martin Bucer’s prayer of intercession from the Strasbourg Liturgy (1539). I changes the pronouns from singular to plural, removed thees and thous (from older English translators anyways), made the language for governing authorities appropriate for my context, and switched things around in the last paragraph.
Besides being a wonderful instrument for guiding our own prayers, Bucer’s intercession teaches us much about prayer itself.
- We see the four main categories for intercession used by the early church and revived by the Reformers: the civil authorities (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:2); the Christian ministry (Matt. 9:36-38; 1 Tim. 2:1-2); the salvation of all people (1 Tim. 2:1, 3-4), and the afflicted (2 Cor. 1:3-4, 11; James :13-18). Are our prayers animated by the same concerns?
- We see sin confessed with strong language. Do we speak of it in the same way?
- We see a burden for holiness. Are we burdened for the same?
- We see that prayer was a part of the service that took time and took preparation. Can we say the same of the role of prayer in our services?
Bucer’s prayer was only meant to be an example, a template to guide our prayers and to be expounded upon. But nonetheless it is impressively spiritual, in the truest sense of the word. My prayer life, both personally and corporately, has been immensely helped by reading old prayers like this one from Strasbourg. It’s not that our ancestors did everything right or that we should pray just like they did or just as long. But they almost surely thought more about prayer, especially in the corporate worship service. Read The Valley of Vision. Use Hughes Oliphant Old’s big book on prayer. Check out Liturgies of the Western Church. Glean the best bits from the Book of Common Prayer. Prayer is hard work. There’s no sense going at it all on your own.
