My Two Favorite Prayers
I was reminded today of my two favorite prayers, one a morning prayer and the other a prayer before going to bed. The reason they are close to my heart is that they were helpful in my transition from Confessional Calvinism to Orthodoxy. I always have been acutely aware of my brokenness and my dire need for God's mercy. Many years ago, this is what attracted me to Confessional Calvinism. It provided a model (TULIP) for explaining the data in my experience (namely, total depravity) and for providing foundation of hope (namely, perseverance of the saints). When I was on the threshold of Orthodoxy, renouncing TULIP was actually much harder for me than accepting the Orthodox veneration of the Theotokos. I had lingering suspicions about this emphasis on free will in Orthodoxy because it threatened what I perceived was the only hope of my salvation: the sovereign grace of God. However, when I ran across these two prayers--both prescribed to be prayed every day--my heart was finally set ...