The Prayers in Deuteronomy (what’s the most common prayer type?)

The book of Deuteronomy is about looking back and about preparing for a challenging but exciting future. The book begins with a speech by Moses, recounting the difficult history of the Israelites in the desert. Much of the book deals with the law and how the people of God should act, but also warnings and recriminations about the lack of faith. We might expect a lot of petitions and intercessions in such a book, but it is not so.

There are only six prayers. The most common form is a blessing. There are three of them, including a final blessing (a lengthy twelve-part blessing). There is one intercession by Moses for the people; one thanksgiving for the first pickings of the harvest year, and one praise. There are no petitions.

The prayers in Deuteronomy remind us that most of the prayers in the Bible are not petitions or intercessions, even though those are the most common prayers offered in the modern world. There is much more to a life of prayer than just asking for things; our prayers can be rich and varied.

Over the next weeks, we will study each of these prayers in detail. During this week, you might find a way to read all of Deuteronomy. Parts of Deuteronomy are easy to read, they are narratives or stories. Other parts are more technical. Do the best you can. The goal is to get a feel for the whole book before we begin exploring the prayers.

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