168 Liturgical Prayers: Are Written Prayers Biblical or Just Empty Tradition?

Are written prayers biblical or just empty tradition? If you've ever felt like praying someone else's words isn't "sincere" or questioned whether liturgical prayers belong in the Christian life, this episode will challenge your assumptions and open up a rich tradition of faith. Did Jesus forbid scripted prayers in Matthew 6:6–7? Many Christians assume prayer must always be spontaneous. But throughout both Jewish and early Christian worship, written prayers were a normal part of community life. In this episode, we look at the history of liturgical prayer and why Acts 2:42 says the early believers devoted themselves to “the prayers.” We’ll also talk about how written prayers can strengthen—not replace—your personal conversations with God. We will also explore the beauty and biblical foundation of liturgical prayers, from the Psalms (which are themselves written prayers) to the Book of Common Prayer and prayers written by early church fathers like Polycarp. Many American evangelicals dismiss written prayers as "ritualistic" or empty tradition, but Scripture shows us that God gave us the Psalms to pray, Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer to pray, and faithful Christians throughout history have used written prayers to train themselves in adoration, confession, and thanksgiving—not just requests. I also share a few favorite historic prayer resources and simple ways to turn Scripture into your own prayers. Shop Prayer Resources ⦿ Every Woman a Theologian Shop: Our Spring Shop is live and filled with new prayer-focused resources including the Praying the Psalms Scripture Guide and Not-So-Quiet Time: Psalms Volume 1, a multisensory guide that you can use alone or as a family discipleship tool. Watch the full Verity Podcast Prayer Series:

You can listen to 168 Liturgical Prayers: Are Written Prayers Biblical or Just Empty Tradition? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

168 Liturgical Prayers: Are Written Prayers Biblical or Just Empty Tradition? is an episode from Verity by Phylicia Masonheimer by Phylicia Masonheimer.

This episode is 40:15 long.

This episode was published on Mar 12, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Verity by Phylicia Masonheimer when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.