Cult of Prayers
This article refers to the organisation of the religious group - for more information on how they are experienced in the world, you may want to read this summary or this longer explanation of religious experience
The Cult of Prayers is the biggest of the 18 Cults of the Holy Sanctorum, which represent the different ways that the people of Sammerden worship the Creator. Additionally, the Cult is one of the informal 'Big Three' of Sanctorum Cults - the three cults which comprise the vast majority of the worship of the Creator (alongside the Cult of Singers and the Cult of Rituals).
The Cult of Prayers' religious approach primarily relies on the offering of specific prayers to the Creator, and encouraging the faithful to offer their own personal prayers at regularly intervals. Their approach is one of the simplest, least intensive, forms of worship and is open to all to participate in - which explains their overwhelming popularity among the faithful.
Almost all believers will attend a service which the Cult of Prayers contributes to, and an estimated 70% of believers are at least a Devotee of the Cult, among other forms of worship. Equally, being a Prayer Devotee is among the easiest forms of worship, and many will include it as part of a more rigorous programme of praise for the Creator. Given the importance of the Prayers to the faithful, almost every public-facing consecrated Sanctor (of any Cult) is also an Acolyte of the Prayers, to aid them in the delivery of services.
Structure
In common with all Cults of the Sanctorum, the public ministry of the Cult of Prayers is divided into three levels: Devotees, Acolytes, and Sanctors.
Devotees are ordinary 'lay' folk with no special religious authority or duties, but who worship through the Cult. (However, people who are Acolytes and Sanctors in other Cults are regularly Devotees of the Prayers and do have religious duties in those Cults - this signifies that, though they have a primary allegiance, they also use the Prayers as a form of worship, and membership of multiple Cults is ubiquitous).
A Devotee of the Prayers is not merely 'anyone who prays to the Creator,' but someone who has pledged to pray some or all of The Creator's Cycle (see below) themselves - either personally, with family, or communally. They possibly visit a Sanctorum daily - at least once a week of the major service. This is the level that the overwhelming majority of the Prayers are happy to remain at - so the Cult make sure to include other forms of worship among their services. Principally these come from the other two of the 'Big Three' (a service of prayer, singing, and ritual comprises most of the important services of the Sanctorum).
Acolytes are those who have chosen to make an additional pledge of service to the Cult of Prayers, but retain a non-religious job and life. This can be for a number of reasons: because they want to help out in their local Sanctorum, because they want to work in the wider Cult administration, or so that they can provide some spiritual advice and guidance to their colleagues and friends who might be travelling or far from a sanctorum. This latter case is common among the Cult of Prayers (and rare among others) - allowing the laity to act as licensed (but limited) chaplains for small groups. Acolytes promise to recite a considerable portion of the Cycle each day - praying in the morning, the afternoon, and at night.
Sanctors are those who consecrate themselves to the Cult of Prayers, and receive a stipend and donations in return for full-time work for the Cult. Given the ubiquity of members of the Cult, and the relative easy of being an Acolyte of the Prayers, Prayer-Sanctors are relatively rare compared to the size of the order. While consecrated Sanctors do get increased roles within the Cult, the principle reason someone might seek to be a consecrated Prayer-Sanctor is to take up a religious leadership role, or found a new Sanctorum - for those who wish to make a profession out of the service to the Creator (but without strong attraction to another Cult), the Sanctors offer a moderately easy path to advancement. Prayer-Sanctors (as well as their public duties) commit to praying the full Cycle - praying early in the morning, at noon, in the afternoon, the evening, and at night.
The Prayers are organised alongside all other cults - they join a local Sanctorum wherever they reside, and work as part of that. Indeed, it is common for a Prayer-Sanctor to lead their local Sanctorum, or be very actively involved in governance. Within the Cult, each region has a Council of Prayers to oversee the Cult, reporting to the Grand Council of Prayers. In recent decades, there have been moves towards "High Councils," particularly in the Cult of Prayers - uniting all Councils within one political realm. The Grand Sanctorum Council officially deprecates this practice - and the political control over Cults that leaders get from these "High Councils."
Worship
While prayer takes many forms in the worship of the Creator, the Cult of Prayer's principal form of worship is the so-called Cycle of The Creator. This comprises of daily, weekly, and yearly sets of prayers - to be performed publicly or privately.
Daily, there are five prayers: one in the early morning, one at noon, one in the mid-afternoon, one in the evening, and one at night. Only Sanctors are required to pray all five, and only Sanctors may lead all five publicly. Acolytes are required to pray (and may lead publicly) only the morning, mid-afternoon, and night prayers. Devotees have made a personal commitment to pray at least one per day, but may choose (mid-afternoon is the most significant, but morning and night are often chosen by those with busy professional lives).
The early morning prayer - the Creation Prayer - is older than the Sanctorum itself, and is a traditional prayer thanking the Creator for creation, and for another day to enjoy it - pledging to improve it before the next sunrise.
The noon prayer - the Blessed Prayer - is a litany commemorating the Blesseds who have gone before, and their service to both the Creator and the Sanctorum. It is rarely said privately, instead any who wish to will find a Prayer-Sanctor praying in a Sanctorum.
The mid-afternoon prayer - the Purification Prayer - daily remembers and gives thanks for the Creator's efforts in defeating the Empty and their invasion of the land of the living. It is short and direct - and many will stop to privately or publicly pray this during the working day.
The evening prayer - the Forgiveness Prayer - contemplates how an individual may not have fulfilled their morning promise to improve Creation, and asks forgiveness. At the same time, it begs forgiveness for those the believer loves or holds dear. It is often publicly prayed by a Prayer-Sanctor for the whole community.
The night prayer - the Darkening Prayer - is also older than the Sanctorum, and gives final thanks for creation, bidding the Creator to give a safe night's rest until the morning prayer the next day.
This cycle is joined by a weekly cycle - which sees different prayers of the first day of each week (Revelation Day), and an annual cycle which sees specific days (often the commemoration of certain Blesseds or great events) have their own particular prayers.
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