By Phyllis Tickle - The Divine Hours (Volume Three): Prayers for Springtime: A Manual for Prayer

The Divine Hours #3

by Phyllis Tickle

The Divine Hours completes the celebrated trilogy of fixed-hour prayer manuals edited by Phyllis Tickle. Where gospel and shared meals are known as the "food and sustenance of the Church," the fixed-hour prayer is the "work," according to Tickle, religion editor for Publishers Weekly . Fans of the previous Divine Hours books ( Prayers for Summertime , Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime ) applaud Tickle's uncomplicated format, her use of a modern calendar rather than a liturgical one, and the single ribbon in the binding, which is, amazingly, all that readers need to track the daily offices. Fixed-hour prayers (also called "keeping the hours" or "saying the offices") are listed for each calendar day--morning, midday, and evening. Almost all of the sacred readings are from the New Jerusalem Bible, and the psalms and psalm hymns are lifted from the Book of Common Prayer. Some readers may object to the occasional passages with traditional, patriarchal language ("Almighty God, my heavenly I have sinned against you, through my own fault....") Be assured that Tickle chose these readings carefully, no doubt relying upon her extensive religious studies and strong feminine perspective, as evidenced in her excellent memoir The Shaping of a Life . --Gail Hudson

Genres: Prayer, Spirituality, Faith, Nonfiction, Religion, Christianity, Christian

Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Phyllis Natalie Tickle was an American author and lecturer whose work focuses on spirituality and religion issues. After serving as a teacher, professor, and academic dean, Tickle entered the publishing industry, serving as the founding editor of the religion department at Publishers Weekly, before then becoming a popular writer. She is well known as a leading voice in the emergence church movement. She is perhaps best known for The Divine Hours series of books, published by Doubleday Press, and her book The Great Emergence- How Christianity Is Changing and Why. Tickle was a member of the Episcopal Church, where she was licensed as both a lector and a lay eucharistic minister. She has been widely quoted by many media outlets, including Newsweek, Time, Life, The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, C-SPAN, PBS, The History Channel, the BBC and VOA. It has been said that "Over the past generation, no one has written more deeply and spoken more widely about the contours of American faith and spirituality than Phyllis Tickle." A biography of Tickle, written by Jon M. Sweeney, was published in February 2018. Phyllis Tickle: A Life (Church Publishing, Inc), has been widely reviewed.

Reviews

[Joshua Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this is your first intro to fixed-hour prayer, Divine Hours can seem a little heavy. You might want to first try Common Prayer by Claiborne. However, this amazing series gives a much deeper journey into the practice as it includes 3 unique prayers for each day and a set of daily prayers for each month's compline. It also includes various special weeks for the high seasons of the Church. Following the BCP, with readings primarily from the Jerusalem Bible, and excerpts from Christians of many times, nationalities, and branches of the faith, you won't find a more beautiful way to structure your daily prayer life.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was introduced to "Praying the Hours" during a spiritual disciplines retreat. Though I am a Protestant, and this discipline is practiced mostly by Catholics (though it should be noted the author is a member of the Episcopal Church) , I was enchanted by it. I found "Praying the Hours" to be a comforting and meditative discipline that forced to me to stop my frenetic mind periodically throughout the day to focus on God, who He is, what He has done and what He has said. It helps me to slow down, to relieve myself of my concerns, to rest in His presence.

I have never completed a full year, probably not even a full book of this set. Rather, I use it during Lent and Advent to prepare my heart for the holidays, and I find myself returning to "Praying the Hours" during periods of stress, illness, or mental depletion. Having the prayers and Scriptures written out for me relieves the necessity of creativity in prayer, while giving me truth upon which to meditate, and a platform from which to make my requests known to God.

Occasionally, I will encounter a prayer that highlights a divergence of beliefs between Ms. Tickle and myself. This happens so infrequently, i cannot think of an example; but when it does, I will either make a substitution that comes to mind, or pray about what I do believe instead of the proposed statement. Nonetheless, I would want to emphasize to other Protestants considering this work as an aide to "Praying the Hours" that this seldom happens and does not detract from the overall benefit of this resource.

Without this series of books as a resource, I would be able to be neither effective nor persistent in "Praying the Hours" on my own. In this sense, Phyllis Tickle's work has been of incalcuble value to my spiritual walk with Jesus.

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 4 out of 5]

So concludes a year of The Divine Hours—stopping three or four times through each day to pray through Psalms, traditional Christian prayers, and other selections from Scripture. It’s been good to cultivate a habit of regular prayer throughout the day, keeping the words of the Bible in the front of my mind.

My only criticism of this series of books is that there is a sameness to the language of the prayers that, after a full year working through them, becomes somewhat monotonous. Each prayer includes a selection or two from the Psalms, and though I didn’t keep track of which psalms were used, I started to feel that I was reading from the same set repeatedly, rather than the whole spectrum of what’s available. That’s not a huge problem—it just means it’s time for me to move to a different form for prayers for a while.

What would be fantastic is for these books to be converted into an app, which would alert me at the right times to stop what I’m doing and pray (even after a year of this, I’m lame enough that I sometimes forget), and which would allow me to choose from different translations for the Bible passages (being able to change translations would help keep the prayers fresh). If you know of an app like this, please mention it in a comment.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book with prayers for Morning, Midday, Evening, and Compline--basically, just Scriptures laid out to pray with a Collect for each week. Following the Christian Year, we celebrate those Saints who are included in the Bible: Saint Paul, Saint John, Saint Mary Magdalene, etc. The Springtime book, one of three (the other two are The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer and The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime, each one with a four-month span that takes us through the entire year.

Each prayer for Morning and Midday prayer include a reading from the Old or New Testament plus a partial Psalm. The Evening Prayer includes a hymn instead of the OT/NT reading but still includes the Psalm. Compline is a bit different, and it's the one part I don't use regularly because I have a Book of Common Prayer (2011) with a far more extensive Compline set of readings and prayers.

I have been praying from these books three times each day for years, and I am learning to memorize the Scriptures and continue to pray God's Word. There's nothing more powerful than that.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has made a huge difference to my prayer life and to my days. I look forward to pausing for a couple of minutes throughout the day to read from its selections. Sometimes I even remember and miss it when I am out of the house - then I use the Pocket Edition. I don't manage to read every prayer every day, but there's no condemnation here! I was a bit overwhelmed as I bought the Pocket Edition first, and that has all seven times for prayer, including Office of the Night Watch between 1:30-4:30am. Yeah, that's not happening (although might have a few years ago when I had waking babies). I didn't like that I would have to skip so much. The main book, however, only has 4 times for prayer - morning, midday, late afternoon/early evening and whenever you go to bed. Much more achievable. You're also advised to pray on the hour or half-hour of the time period (I think so you're praying with others around the world), but I just do it when I can. I would highly recommend this book and will be purchasing the other two when the season comes.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've used the Divine Hours books for several years. Well put together. Good quality throughout. I think they can now only be purchased new as paperback which is too bad as the hard cover edition will stay open on your desk or table. The p'back will not.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm falling in love with praying the hours and Tickle's collection is an excellent guide for someone who isn't part of a mainline church group.

[Steve Penner · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an attempt to create a habit of daily prayer. The book covers 4 months of 4 daily readings and prayers. I found it impossible to be consistent in morning, noon, evening and bedtime praying. The book is too cumbersome to carry around, so if you are working or traveling or just out of the house regularly, the regimen becomes difficult at best. The prayers and readings are most often taken from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer with lots of supplements from various sources. The Lord's Prayer and the Gloria were a part of each day, often 3-4 times each. It just turns out that it's not a pattern I can follow. It might be good for a retired person and/or someone in a more liturgical tradition. As for me I'll stick with my free form prayers and Scripture reading.

[Michele Zuniga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Praying and reading Scripture four times a day is a discipline one must practice in order to get the value of, like most anything, like physical exercise. The Divine Hours is like having a stationary bike in winter. I set alerts in my phone, and at the least I am able to say hello to God in the middle of playing with grandchildren or phone banking for a political campaign. Fixed prayer with the Divine Hours is better because God can speak to me throughout the day--when I am ready to listen, and when Scripture, hymns and prayers are ready to hand.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely reference and resource. Personally, too much to use all of it for daily practice, but wonderful for periods or used partially as time, needs, and desires permit. Has a section for use during Lent and Easter. Based on ancient Benedictine hours, with a Morning Office, Midday Office, Vespers Office, and Compline (Night Office).

Like the care of the publishing and binding of the hardcopy, even included ribbon marker (not certain about more recent editions).

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's simply a well-organized aid to structured prayer and worship. I have not followed it religiously (I have trouble with that), but I use it from time to time to help me get back on track. It's organized by day, week, and month within a season of the liturgical calendar. I recommend starting with any one of the three volumes in this set, depending on today's date (the time of year).

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the rhythm of praying the hours! My pastor gifted me with this book about 12 years ago, and I have enjoyed praying with it several times ... it encourages me to know the Scriptures and prayers are on the lips and hearts of millions of brothers and sisters in Christ on the same days

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my review for The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime

[Irmgarde Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the Spring version. With this one, I will have completed my first year of "praying the hours." What a fascinating process.

[Darlene Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the rhythm of praying the hours, even though, as a Protestant, it's not really part of my culture. These books make it so easy! I love these books.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have used The Divine Hours for three years now and find them beneficial for helping to center my prayer times.

[Terence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like all of Phyllis Tickle's divine hours books. They are a great combination of scriptures, hymns, and poems that really have helped my prayer life!

[Paul Baker]

2025-07-24

Review 2025.05.014

Reviewers Note: It is the middle of 2025 and I am not doing a good job of keeping up with this desired goal of mine to write book reviews. I do not want to lower my expectations but I am going to so that I can catch up. This will mean short reviews on the books I read.

The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle
672 Pages

I have enjoyed my liturgical journey. When I finished this book, I finished my first year of Lauds, Sext, and Vespers prayer. As I start year two of my journey, I am writing one thing in the book during the Sext or noontime prayer (love the Kindle Scribe). I have written randomly during the other prayers but my goal is to consistently write something at noon.

I think every Christian should try liturgical prayers at different times in their life. There are days where the prayers are extremely encouraging and helpful. There are other days where there is “nothing” but it is still good to be reminded of God’s kindness morning, noon, and night.

Definitely recommend all the Divine Hours for anyone wanting to try it out.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for working Scripture and prayer into the fabric of one's daily life. While there are maybe a dozen or fewer prayers in this book that I was not comfortable praying theologically, about 75% of this book is straight-up Scripture woven together so beautifully and with just the right amount of repetition for me to take notice, let the words sink into my heart, and become my own prayer. The balance of prayers and hymns was well-done too, and I believe I benefited from being prompted to pray the Lord's Prayer frequently. Even though I may not have used this book as carefully as it was intended, it brought a lot of refreshment and help to my spirit having a little extra prayer and Scripture sprinkled throughout my day. Would definitely recommend.

[Rachel L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I really appreciated this. Readings 4x/day got a little heavy, though, and I kept having to catch up until towards the end I just read one reading each morning regardless of when it was supposed to be read. I loved how centering and helpful it was for drawing my attention back to God and want to keep something like this in my daily rhythm, though at a more manageable pace.

FYI—some of the sources are Catholic and there are a couple of more Mary-centric prayers that I as a Protestant wasn’t comfortable praying. I had no problem skipping over those rare occasions though.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of a three book series of prayers for use in praying the hours throughout each day. Of all the prayer books I’ve come across, these are officially my very favorite. Cannot recommend them enough!

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent daily devotion material that stretches my meditation. I've been using these three books for over a year now, and I continue to do so.
I do sometimes have to skim over paragraphs that skew too marionistic.

[Child960801 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The spring time book of prayers.

[Rosie Gearhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only managed to do the morning and evening prayers. Some of them were really lovely! I’ll definitely go through this again, hopefully with midday and vespers prayers, too.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Zahnd has a story about praying the liturgy in the waiting area of a hospital while his grandson goes through a life-threatening procedure. He says the liturgy provided him with a prayer when he didn't know what to pray - a 'bridge over troubled water'.

On the day after Ash Wednesday, day two of praying the daily office, I thought about that story as I tried to find a quiet corner of Waikato Hospital to sit and read the midday prayers while I waited for my mum to come round from a heart bypass operation. In the middle of the busyness of the hospital, people coming and going, a coalface of human experience, sitting in my corner, I could see how a prayer liturgy could be what Zahnd had found it to be.

I had decided to pray the daily office (or 'fixed-hour prayer' - set prayers four times a day) as an experiment for the 40 days of Lent, plus Easter. Lent's a good time for devotional experimentation.

Phyllis Tickle's books are the easiest way to get into that - everything you need (prayers, psalms, hymns and readings) are gathered into one place and ordered by calendar date. Once I had figured out that her 'Springtime' book would be the one to use in our southern hemisphere Autumn, and once I'd got off to a little false start due to starting midweek and therefore mixing up the date system she had employed, I was under way.

The book became a mainstay of my daily routine. Stopping at set times each day to reorientated, refocus and take a breathing/prayer space is a very healthy practice. It makes devotional practice a priority and, via liturgy, puts you in contact with the worldwide and historical church in an individual and communal turning to God.

Tickle's ordering of her prayer books by the secular, rather than church, calendar, works well by and large - though it does mean the prayers specific to Lent, and other festivals that are timed to the moveable date of Easter in the church calendar, are not specifically placed. That didn't seem to cause much of an issue though.

The material draws heavily on the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. The Marian observances took me a little by surprise (as they are not generally part of the Anglican tradition), but they are sparsely scattered throughout the book and easily edited in practice as required.

In the event, when Easter was finished, I carried on with the book and the daily practice, in the end doing it from mid February to the end of May. There were days when it was done as a bit of a chore, but mostly it was a welcome respite. It became formative, and the repeated prayers started to find their way into my memory. The rhythm established itself in my life.

I'm now taking a short break from praying the daily office, before starting another book that repeats a 7-day cycle of prayer. I think it's a distinct possibility, though, that I'll return to Tickle's prayer books in the future.

Repeatedly chucked into the car, carried in a satchel or backpack, stowed in the hull of my kayak, handled four times a day, the book's season ended with its cover looking pleasingly worn and dog-eared. Providing a taste of something more than bread alone, it has been a companion in the stuff of life.

---

Used again for the period of Lent 2021.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The practice of keeping the Daily Office fed me for three years. Last year I felt God calling me to daily spiritual practices which stretched me in new ways, so I have the full set from Phyllis Tickle on my shelf for when I feel called back. It is a practice which builds discipline and intimacy through the discipline of setting time apart to spend with God.

[Vance Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books were recommended to me years ago, but I guess I wasn’t ready for the habit of daily prayer. This January, a couple of guys from my church and an Anglican priest participated in Exodus 90, a 90 day program of daily prayer and accountability plus weekly fasting and other spiritual disciplines. I picked up the Divine Hours to guide my daily prayer. Now I can’t put it down.

Using this book to form a new habit has been especially helpful. Like diet or exercise, some days I don’t feel like praying. But on those days, I can simply pick up the book and grind through the prayers. Now in my 50s, I’ve realized by experience and by neuroscience, this is how personal growth occurs. To love anything, you first need to act like you love it.

The prayers are mostly taken from the Psalms and the Book of Common Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer and the Gloria are always included. The book has three prayers for daytime: morning, midday, and dinnertime (vespers). And it has a bedtime prayer, the compline, for each month that repeats each day of the week. So for example, the month of June has a Sunday-Monday compline that you repeat each week of the month. The compline also has a special reading or poem.

In my prayer practice, I only use the morning prayer and the compline. Before staring this practice, I didn’t have an evening prayer habit, so I found the compline to be especially rich. I loved revisiting the prayers and poems several times during the month. I also incorporated gratitude journaling both in the morning and evening. It’s hard to quantify how much this practice affects my posture toward God, myself, and others. Highly recommended.

[Jenna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tickle’s Divine Hours are the foundation of my daily rythms, and I never cease to be grateful for them.