What is a morning prayer? What is an evening prayer?

TL;DR:

Morning and evening prayers can help us start with praise and end with gratitude, but God invites us to talk with Him anytime. Whether scheduled or spontaneous, prayer is our ongoing connection with the God who never sleeps and always listens

what does the bible say?

Prayer is communication with God, and in Jesus Christ, His door is always open (Hebrews 4:14–16; 10:19–25). In fact, in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, believers are instructed to “pray without ceasing.” David records in Psalms different times of the day in which he prayed to God (Psalm 5:3; 55:17; 119:62, 147). No matter what time of the day, we can seek God (Psalm 27:8) through prayer, knowing that He receives our thanksgivings (1 Chronicles 16:34) and praise (1 Chronicles 16:28). Today, we can follow the example of believers in Acts 2:46-47, who likely prayed together when they gathered to praise God. God cares about our communication with Him, as we are told to bring Him our prayers, supplications, and thanksgivings (Philippians 4:6), and confess our sins to Him for His forgiveness (1 John 1:9).

from the old testament

When it comes to prayer at any time of day, God receives our thanksgiving (1 Chronicles 16:34) and praise (1 Chronicles 16:28).
Gathering multiple times a day with other people for prayer and worship is not new. The Bible records Jews as being devout in their prayers, often praying at regular times throughout the day (Psalm 5:3; 55:17; 119:62, 147).
Morning and evening prayers can be helpful and meaningful. They provide a mindset and a posture to begin (praise) and end (thanksgiving) the day. When organized by the local church, they gather people together for encouragement, comfort, and sometimes teaching from God's Word. Still, God’s relationship with us has no restrictions on when we can or should pray. God invites us to come to Him: “You have said, ’Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, LORD, do I seek’” (Psalm 27:8). God simply says come to Him, He does not set restrictions on when we do so.

from the new testament

According to Acts 2:46-47, the early church was meeting regularly: “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” These meetings likely involved prayer.
God is a loving Father who welcomes our requests any time of day (Philippians 4:6).
God invites us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). He enjoys when we talk to Him all day long and not limit our awareness of Him to once or twice a day.
Because of Jesus Christ, we can communicate with God (Hebrews 4:14–16; 10:19–25), and morning and evening prayers can encourage us in our relationship with Him.
First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We should not wait until the end of the day to confess our sins but rather confess them to God in prayer throughout our day as soon as we are made aware of our sin.

implications for today

For as long as the sun has risen in the east and set in the west, people have been praying in the morning and at night. The tradition of morning and evening prayers is most commonly embraced by Roman Catholic, Anglican, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches. These gatherings are times marked by liturgy, which is most often associated with how a church organizes its services, being more historical(“liturgical”) or more modern and casual (“non-liturgical”). This is a matter of preference and style, not a determination of a right or wrong way to conduct corporate church services.

Liturgy can be helpful as it intends to uphold Scripture and worship and prayer, and many believers find that a routine of scheduled prayer aids their faith in Christ. However, a liturgy lived out of duty and obligation, and practiced blindly and without meaning cannot replace a life-giving personal relationship with Jesus. As many of the Psalms show, we can acknowledge God’s presence and authority morning, noon, and night. God hears our cries, complaints, and praises. Acts and 1 Timothy indicate that it is good to meet together to thank and praise God.

understand

Some believers find the structure of morning and evening prayers beneficial in their walk with God.
The Bible doesn’t require set times for prayer but encourages believers to pray continually.
Regular, consistent prayer, whether scheduled or not, strengthens our relationship with God.

reflect

Do you devote certain times of the day to prayer? Why or why not?
If you schedule prayer times, how has that impacted your walk with Christ?
How do you follow the Bible’s advice to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)?

engage

How can participating in set times for corporate prayer (e.g., weekly church prayer meetings) impact a believer's prayer life?
What are some ways to ensure liturgical prayer doesn’t become rote or done out of duty?
What are some advantages to scheduling prayers? Are there any potential drawbacks?