How we approach prayer as a congregation.

“Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1)

Prayer is used to refer to many different things. Paul says, “pray always” and some take this to mean pray ALL ways. We encourage people to personal prayer and style is unimportant. We also take it seriously when Paul says, we do not know how to pray as we ought but promises that the Spirit helps us. Consequently, we do not want to pray for what we want, but what God’s Word tells us to pray. We want our personal prayer life, like our very hearts, to be formed by Christ Jesus. That way we learn what to want. Public prayer helps shape private prayer .

“the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought..." (Romans 8:26)

Weekly Prayers of Intercession

Intercession means praying for others, which has been a part of Christian gathering from the beginning. We consider it our priestly task as a congregation to pray on behalf of the whole Church for the sake of the whole world. We want our prayers to be prayers to which the whole Church can say, “Amen”. Here is what we pray for each week:

To pray to you O Lord, is to turn to power and forgiving love. So we pray: We pray for your whole church; all believers and those struggling to believe. We pray for those everywhere who are persecuted for their faith.

Empower your Church to proclaim your Word, that it will bear the fruit of joy & faith. We lift up our bishops, Elizabeth and Shelly, our pastor, Jami, Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Francis. Continue to raise up faithful pastors & servant leaders to proclaim your Word with boldness and joy.

We pray to be trustworthy stewards this property. Send us a minister of permaculture to lead us into the future. Thank you for those who live here now and care for this campus: Dale, Reid, Jami and Valerie.

Provoke in this congregation a spirit to use this place in ways that serve all humankind, the animals with whom we share the earth, and every aspect of your creation.

War, terrorism & violence rage in all parts of this world, and we pray against it, especially in ourselves and in our country. Shield, protect and heal all victims of violence. We pray specifically for the people of Ukraine & Russia, Sudan, Niger, Israel, Palestine & Lebanon. Make us instruments of your peace.

We lift up to you the poor, the weak, the oppressed, those who have no voice and those struggling to make their voice heard. We lift to you refugees who desperately wait at borders, crying for acceptance. Motivate us to use our own voices appropriately so that we speak and do your justice.

Thank you for the many public servants who work to protect the innocent and vulnerable. Give all who enforce the law sound judgment and appropriate mercy. Move all public servants to set aside personal gain so they diligently exercise their office to ensure an orderly, healthy, and just society. Also, Lord, do strip the power from those who neglect or abuse their positions.

We pray against racism, sexism, classism, nationalism, & all the ISMs that destroy human community. Let these evils be banished in us, in our nation, and in our world.

Your nurturing care embraces each person, whether they know it or not. We lift to you those we know who particularly want or need your nurturing care: Prayer list for this month below. Surround them each with your mercy and fill them with your peace and power,

Thank you for the witness of all those who have died in Christ, who now see you eternally face to face. Join our prayers and our praises with theirs. Let God’s people say, “Amen!”

Prayer list for this month

We offer prayers for people who we know want or need our prayers, like prayer requests. As a rule people stay on our prayer list for 1 month. We have been praying for some people each week for more than 20 years. Although we name names, we err on the side of protecting anonymity.

The List for week of November 18, 2024

Sharky

Micah F

Cole

Jim D

Kari R

the family and friends of Dr Mimms at her death

The jailed Pakistani pastors associated with Church of Redeemer,

Gaylene R

Monroe Mobley and Rihana Mason

Rich N

Daveen R and family

Merdie H

Terrence H.

Melissa M.

Janet H.

Caroline

Tess J

Praying 6X A Day, Using The Lord’s Prayer

Pastor Fecher prays these prayers at these hours each day, with imperfect consistency!

They are set as alarms on his IPhone.

Awakening

(cross myself to remember my baptism, saying, “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”)

Our Father, who art in heaven.

O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise: You are my heavenly Father and I am truly your child. You want me. I know this by your promise and the mercy you have shown me my whole life long. Help me to pray and think only of you, pouring out all I am to you, counting on you alone, and offering you my thanks and praise in Jesus' name.

10 AM (cross myself)

Hallowed by thy name.

You are holy and so is your name, worthy of all praise and honor. Thank you for making me your child and for allowing me to bear your name. Help me to live like it, to live in harmony with your word, and to encourage others to live in harmony with it. Thank you for all the lessons this day that direct me to you, through Jesus Christ.

NOON (cross myself)

Thy Kingdom come

Your beloved Son died on the cross, winning for you and for me your kingdom. Rule with your love in me and in your church. Thank you for your faithfulness. Stir me to trust you more fully. Whatever I feel this day, whatever ciµrcumstances I find myself in, I am in your hands. I know you work all things together for my good and the good of your whole creation. Give me courage to act on this assurance of your goodness and power in Jesus Christ my Lord.

2 PM (cross myself)

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Thank you that you bring about your good and gracious will even without my prayer or participation. Yet I pray you would bring it about in me. Do with me as you will. Make of me what you want. I offer myself to you, and ask you to overthrow my will in favor of your will, according to your justice and love. Thank you for making me your child, and for being my loving God in Jesus Christ.

5 PM (cross myself)

Give us this day our daily bread

Thank you that you give me all I need, and more. You provide plenty for your whole creation. Let me, and your whole church experience heartfelt thanks. Turn our gratitude into acts of love for our neighbors following our Lord Jesus Christ.

8 PM (cross myself)

Forgive us our trespasses and we forgive those who trespass against us.

As the darkness surrounds this evening so let your love and mercy surround and fill me, and your whole church. Fragmented as I am, accept me. Forgive me for whatever I have left undone and for the things I did that were harmful. I offer to you all my anger for the things that were not as they should be. I offer to you all the people who wronged me this day. I ask you to forgive them. I pray that I would find in me a forgiving heart that trusts in your justice and relies on your mercy, in Jesus Christ.

Last prayer of the day (cross myself)

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Into your hands I commend all I am and all I have. Grant me peaceful sleep and assurance of your protecting love even in my death, through Jesus Christ.