Intercessory Prayer (prayer@churchoftheres.com)

Have you ever wondered why you don't reach out for prayer more often?  I know I have asked myself that question.  Even knowing deeply the power of prayer, I sometimes hesitate. It seems vulnerable.  I think others may have more important prayer requests than me.  Sometimes I ignore my own and my family's prayer needs because I am too busy and scattered to even get an email pulled together or send a text or make a phone call.  

But yet, it is in God's design for me--and for all of us--to acknowledge that we need our brothers and sisters in the church to pray for us.  Intercessory prayer is fundamental to the Christian life.  We cannot do life on our own without the church community, even in our own prayer life.  James 5:16 reads "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."  All of us are called to pray for each other, and some the LORD will call to a special ministry of intercessory prayer for others. 

Church of the Resurrection is blessed to have several intercessors who are ready to join with you in prayer for your needs and concerns.  And we have two ways you can receive prayer.

First, we now have an email for prayer requests: prayer@churchofthres.com. Fr. Steve and I will have access to the email account.  Your prayer request may remain among the clergy or shared with the parish intercessors (our clergy, staff, trained intercessors, Leadership Council and the Stephen Ministry leaders). Either specify your wish or we will ask.

All prayer requests remain confidential (with the caveat of serious issues that require reporting or other intervention).

Second, we also encourage you to meet with our trained intercessors during Communion in our Sunday worship services for in-person prayer. Each intercessor has been trained to carefully listen to your request and pray faithfully for your requests.

In closing I wanted to share something from Nicky Gumbel about the "middle voice" of prayer that has been impactful to me.  Greek grammar has passive voice - things that happen to us; active voice - we make things happen; and middle voice - neither wholly active nor wholly passive.  "Christian prayer is spoken in the middle voice.  It cannot be in the active voice because it is not an action I control, as in the ritualistic pagan prayers where the gods do our bidding.  Prayer is not in the passive voice either, in which I'm at the mercy of the will of gods and goddesses.  In Christian prayer, as Eugene Peterson puts it, 'I enter into an action begun by another, my creating and saving Lord, and find myself participating in the results of his [gracious] action.'  In one sense, the whole of the Christian life is prayer.  We welcome God's gracious hand in our lives, and we participate in what he is doing in the world.  God involves you in his plans.  Of course, he could do it all on his own, but he chooses to involve you.  He gives you freedom, yet he remains in control."

Won't you let us pray for you? prayer@churchoftheres.com

In Christ's Love,

Vicky Gunning