Words of WorshipHow it works & interactions with other cards

How the Replacement Effect Works

Words of Worship creates a replacement effect that waits for your next draw action. When you activate the ability for {1}, the effect sits in the background until you are instructed to draw a card. Instead of that card entering your hand, you simply gain 5 life. This effect lasts until the end of the current turn or until it is consumed by a draw.

Activating Multiple Times

You can activate Words of Worship multiple times in a single turn. Each activation sets up a separate replacement effect. If you have activated it three times and are instructed to draw two cards (for example, during your draw step and then via a spell), you will gain 5 life for each of those draws, leaving one replacement effect still active for any subsequent draws that turn.

Timing and Strategy

Because this is an activated ability, you can use it strategically during an opponent's turn if an effect forces you to draw, or right before your own draw step. It is a fantastic tool for stabilization when your hand is already full but your life total is dangerously low.

Interaction examples

Surviving the Tax

Ghostly Prison

With Ghostly Prison on the battlefield, your opponent must pay mana to attack you. If they manage to pay and send a large creature your way, you can activate Words of Worship during their end step or your upkeep. By replacing your draw with 5 life, you effectively negate the damage that bypassed your Prison's tax.

Strategic Draw Replacement

Smothering Tithe

If you have Smothering Tithe out, you are likely generating many Treasure tokens when your opponents draw. You can use one of those Treasures to pay {1} for Words of Worship. When your draw step occurs, you choose to gain 5 life instead of drawing. Note that if an opponent has their own Smothering Tithe, they will not get a trigger from you because you never actually 'drew' a card; the draw was replaced by life gain.