InPrayer by CPH

This app is a handy way to keep Portals of Prayer and Today’s Light devotionals always at hand. They include the scripture text for the day’s devotions; allow you to select any desired date; and include the multitude of prayers for special dates and events in Portals of Prayer. The price for these devotionals is quite reasonable, not sure why so many expect these materials to be free. One complaint: the subscriptions are not eligible for family sharing. If I had purchased a print subscription for these devotional items, my family would share amongst ourselves, so very aggravating that the app version does not allow sharing. And one suggestion: make more materials available for the app. Specifically, the small catechism (not as subscription but a one-time purchase) would be great; also subscriptions to Martin Luther’s “Day By Day” and the “Faith Alone” daily devotionals would be appreciated options. Hopefully these two items (family sharing and additional subscriptions/purchased materials) will be added over time. CPH, are you listening??

My wife and I have loved the PrayNow app, but I thought I would give this new version a try. Was very disappointed to find out that it is missing all the Orders of Daily Prayer, Short Orders of Service, and other content that was available under the Table of Contents section of the PrayNow app. It is also missing the tune feature if you like to chant the Psalmody. The only reason to upgrade to this is that it includes the Suggested Reading from the Book of Concord, so that you don’t have to have a hard copy with you or the e-version. Also very disappointed that there is little to know preview of this new version or a free trial available online so you are forced to pay for the subscription to find out. Very questionable for a Christian publishing company.

How fitting that on the day our reading from the 3 year lectionary was Jesus throwing the money changers out of the temple in John 2, I learn that the reason I cannot recommend the “Pray Now” app to friends anymore is that CPH has abandoned a wonderful app that worked so well for family devotions. For the utility that was available for a one time cost of the previous app, CPH will exact the same amount for about a year and a half subscription to “In Prayer”. One would think that a non-profit organization interested in spreading the Word of God would receive enough support from Christian app builders that they could arrange public domain material in a way that places the least burden on the faithful and those seeking the Word. I understand that CPH needs to stay financially viable, but to go to a subscription model to share God’s word is appalling. I will also be canceling my “Portals of Prayer” subscription - a price I once thought small enough to justify; I can no longer accept this horrid business practice. This subscription based model is reminiscent of Tetzel.