Prayer in the Night by Tish Harrison Warren
Week 12: Chapter 11 — Into Your Hands
Read Chapter 11 of Prayer in the Night by Tish Harrison Warren. Primary Compline phrase: "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit." (Luke 23:46; Psalm 31:5)
Previewing Week 12 of Prayer in the Night
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 15-week guide when you’re ready.
We arrive at the heart of Compline — and the heart of the book. To commend our spirit into God's hands is the ultimate act of faith, and it is a practice we are invited into every night as a rehearsal for the final surrender of death.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.These words — 'Into your hands I commend my spirit' — were Jesus' last words on the cross, quoting Psalm 31. What does it mean to you that Christ died with a psalm of lament on his lips, turning it into an act of trust? How does that reframe the Psalms of lament for you?
2.Warren describes the nightly act of commending ourselves into God's hands as a small death and small resurrection — we let go each night, and we are given back each morning. How does framing sleep this way change its spiritual significance for you?
3.She reflects on the enormous difficulty of surrender — that 'commending' ourselves is not passive resignation but an active, costly act of trust. What in your life is hardest for you to release into God's hands right now? What makes surrender feel dangerous?