The Spirituality of Prayer with the Agpeya
The Spirituality of Prayer with the Agpeya (1)
Whoever has experienced the beauty of praying with the Agpeya knows the depth of its spiritual benefits. The principle of set prayers was given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself when He taught us a memorized prayer — the Lord’s Prayer. Since the days of the apostles, the Church has prayed using the Psalms, as evident from Saint Paul’s words: “with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:18), and also: “When you come together, each of you has a psalm” (1 Corinthians 14:26).
Surely, when the Holy Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, established the seven prayers of the Agpeya, it was aiming for our spiritual benefit. What then is this benefit?
- Prolonged Presence in God’s Fellowship Many people who pray privately find their prayers last only a few minutes before they run out of words, leaving God’s presence after only moments. But the prayers of the Agpeya give us the opportunity to remain longer in God’s presence and offer us words to say.
- Inclusion of All Types of Prayer While a person’s private prayer might focus mainly on requests, the Agpeya encompasses all forms of prayer — supplication, thanksgiving, repentance, and praise.
a. Supplication: The Agpeya includes requests covering every aspect of human life and need. b. Thanksgiving: There is a special thanksgiving prayer at the beginning of the Agpeya, along with many expressions of gratitude within the Psalms and supplications, acknowledging God’s abundant goodness. For instance, in the Morning Prayer we find in Psalm 27: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” Throughout the hours — Third, Sixth, Ninth, Vespers, and Compline — the Psalms overflow with thanksgiving and praise. c. Repentance: Each hour begins with Psalm 50 (51), “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy.” Many other Psalms express deep repentance, such as “O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger” and “Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord.” d. Praise and Glorification: The Agpeya includes numerous hymns of praise such as the Trisagion (Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal), the angelic hymn (Glory to God in the highest), and Psalms full of glorification like “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth” and “The heavens declare the glory of God.”
- Preservation of Holy Memories The Agpeya continually places before us the life of our Lord Jesus Christ for contemplation and spiritual nourishment. In the Morning Prayer, we remember His eternal birth from the Father before all ages and His incarnation as the true Light shining on those in darkness. At the Sixth Hour, we recall His wondrous act of redemption and His crucifixion for our sins. At the Ninth Hour, we remember His death on our behalf and His promise to the right-hand thief of entering Paradise. In the First Watch of Midnight Prayer, we remember His second coming and our need to remain watchful. At the Third Hour, we commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit. At Compline, we remember the hour of death, and at Vespers, the acceptance of the laborers of the eleventh hour. Is it not a great loss to deprive ourselves of such holy memories by neglecting the Agpeya, thinking proudly that we can offer deeper prayers than those established by the saints through the guidance of the Holy Spirit?
- Detailed and Comprehensive Requests The Agpeya prayers are remarkable for their detail. In thanksgiving, we thank God “for every condition, concerning every condition, and in every condition,” because He has sheltered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us, had compassion on us, and brought us to this hour. In seeking forgiveness, we ask Him to pardon our sins — voluntary and involuntary, known and unknown, hidden and manifest. In seeking help, we pray for deliverance from envy, temptation, the devil’s actions, evil people, and both visible and invisible enemies. In the closing supplication “Have mercy on us, O God, then have mercy on us,” we find a collection of requests such as: “Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, straighten our thoughts, cleanse our intentions, heal our diseases, forgive our sins, and deliver us from every sorrow and pain.”
- Prayers According to God’s Will Many people pray for things that are not in harmony with God’s will — as Saint James says: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss” (James 4:3). But the prayers of the Agpeya are entirely in accordance with God’s will, being composed of inspired Psalms and petitions written by the saints under the Spirit’s guidance. Thus, whoever prays with the Agpeya can be assured that his prayers are pleasing to God.
- A Lesson in Learning to Pray Through the Agpeya, we learn how to pray — what to say, how to ask, and the proper manner and reverence due to God.
- A Preaching and Teaching Element The Agpeya also contains moral and spiritual instruction. For example, in the Morning Prayer, the Church sets before us a spiritual guide for daily conduct through the reading of Ephesians 4:1–5: “I beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.” The first Psalm warns us against walking in the counsel of the ungodly and encourages us to meditate on God’s law day and night. Other hours likewise include instructive passages, such as the Beatitudes in the Sixth Hour and the Psalm “Mercy and judgment” in the Ninth Hour.
- Sanctifying the Entire Day While many people remember God only at the beginning and end of the day, the Agpeya sanctifies the entire day with prayer. The Church calls us to pray every three hours so that our connection with God remains unbroken.
- Numerous Spiritual Benefits Praying the Agpeya strengthens our faith, fills our hearts with peace, unites us with the Church and one another, and teaches us many spiritual lessons — to be continued, God willing.
¹ Article by His Grace Bishop Shenouda, Bishop of Education — El-Keraza Magazine, Second Year, Issue 6, August 1966.
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