Customs & Culture
Fixed Hours of Prayer
Regular times of prayer structured Jewish devotional life, with prayer associated particularly with morning, afternoon, and evening and with the rhythm of Temple worship.
Primary Scripture
Historical and Cultural Background
Daniel prays three times daily, Acts calls the ninth hour an hour of prayer, and Peter prays around the sixth hour.
Biblical Examples
Key biblical examples include Daniel 6:10; Psalm 55:17; Acts 3:1; Acts 10:9.
Biblical Significance
This background explains why Acts can identify a time of day as an expected time for prayer without further explanation.
Common Misconceptions
Evidence for regular prayer times should not be used to claim that every detailed form of later synagogue liturgy was already fixed in the biblical period.
Historical Setting and Evidence
Culture: Judean/Jewish, Early Christian
Period: Babylonian Exile, Roman / Second Temple Period, Apostolic / Early Church Period
Evidence: Well Attested
Interpretive Importance: Major
Biblical texts, Second Temple sources, and later Jewish tradition support regular prayer times, though details developed over time.