One reason there is so much delight in saying liturgical or set prayers is the wealth of expression. There are astonishingly beautiful realities put to words that any one individual would rarely conceive on their own. When most of us “wing it” in our prayers, we usually say the same routine phrases over and over. This is usually not the case with good prayers written by others. They are often thoughtful, rich, challenging, and expressive. 

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Here is one such prayer excerpted from the Akathist entitled “Glory To God For All Things.” An Akathist is a hymn dedicated to one of the persons of the Holy Trinity, a saint, or a holy event. It literally means “unseated hymn” – it is to be sung, chanted, or spoken while standing or kneeling – “without sitting.” It usually consists of 13 parts or verses which conclude with an “Alleluia” meaning “praise the Lord.” 

 

Glory to God for All Things: Every flower is fragrant through the power of the Holy Spirit . . .

 

Every flower is fragrant through the power of the Holy Spirit, in a delicate flow of aroma and tenderness of color; the beauty of the Great contained in what is small. Praise and honor to God, Who gives life, Who spreads forth the meadows like a flowering carpet, Who crowns the fields with golden ears of wheat and azure basilisks, and the soul – with the joy of contemplation. Let us rejoice and sing to Him: Alleluia.