Praying & prayers

N:gage with Sunday Mornings

First steps to pray & keep going ...

An ideas sheet prepared for St. Columba’s parishioners by Rev’d Robert Ferris

Much of the prayer of St. Columba’s is corporate, that is to say we do it together and this is reflected in much of what you will say when you come along to church on a Sunday Morning - wether it be Holy Communion, All Age worship or Morning/evening prayer. Yet there is another side to our prayer life, our own individual prayers, as we try to share in Christ's prayer to his Father, that his will be done, his kingdom come.

The advice we provide here was originally written for a children's book. However, whether you are a child, young person or an adult, prayer is easier than you might imagine! Millions of people of every age pray every day.

You don't have to know any prayers if you want to pray - in fact, words can often get in the way. Picture Jesus, and then say what is in your heart, what you feel.

Remember!
God hears every prayer - but not all prayers are answered in the way we might expect or desire: we don't always pray for his will to be done!

'Arrow' Prayers
can be offered to God anywhere, at any time.

But thankfully we don't live all our lives in moments of extreme crisis. What about day-to-day praying? We need to come closer to God, to experience His love for us and to try to make sense of where we are in the world. Prayer is the way we do this.

How to start?

Use your hand.
Your fingers can be used to bring to mind different things to pray for.

thumb
this is the strongest digit on your hand. Give thanks for all the strong things in your life, like home and family, relationships that support and sustain you.

index finger
this is the pointing finger. Pray for all those people and things in your life who guide and help you. Friends, teachers, doctors, nurses, police, emergency services and so on.

middle finger
this is the tallest finger. Pray for all the important people who have power in the world, like world leaders and their governments, members of parliament and local councillors, MLA’s, the Royal Family, other world leaders and their governments.

ring finger
this is the weakest finger on your hand. It can not do much by itself. Remember the poor, the weak, the helpless, the hungry, the sick, the ill and the bereaved.

little finger
this is the smallest and the last finger on your hand. Pray for yourself.

When should I pray?

Traditionally, prayer times have been morning and evening, but you can choose a time which is best for you. It helps to be somewhere quiet, where you can have some time for yourself.

Do I have to kneel?

Kneeling is the traditional posture for penitence and standing for praise, but you can pray anywhere - walking, standing, sitting, whatever feels comfortable.

What else do I need to know?

Be creative - use music, a stone, a feather, a flower, or a candle to help you focus - if you are very young, or elderly, be careful with candles!

Prayer activity is a discipline - it can be difficult at times, just like keeping fit, being on a diet, or keeping weeds down in the garden! Little and often is best, but don't give up! No prayer, however inadequate you may feel it to be, is ever wasted or of no value.

What next?

Build up a collection of favourite prayers and sayings -anything that speaks to you. You can find them in greeting cards, cuttings in the press or bookmarks and prayer cards. You could make a scrapbook for them.

Visit your local church bookshop and have a browse.

Why not start with the prayers in the Green - Book of Common Prayer - Daily prayer pages ...

If you want to know more about prayer why not get involved in our parish Bible Study group or speak to a trusted christian friend or member of the clergy?

Many other ideas include

• Prayer Journals
• Giving thanks to God
• Prayer walking / driving
• Arrow prayers
• praying with others
• 24/7 Prayer stations
• posit notes
• lecto divina
• Pray, read, think, pray, do as a bible study method

Source: Adapted from Church of England Website: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/learnpray/

The prayers this morning were structured around ... fingers topics

God our heavenly father, we give thanks to you for all those whom we care about because their lives are closest to us and their love is strongest. In a moment of silence we pray for our families, asking God to bless them at this time wherever they may and holding before him any issues which are on our hearts concerning them.

Silence

Living Lord,

We hold before your all those provide direction and leadership in our communities. We pray for teachers in our schools, clergy, vestry and all involved in leadership in this parish, we pray for bosses and all involved in trainning those in workplaces. Help us all in our learning to be dilligent in study and help us all to be the best we can be. We ask this in Jesus name Amen

God of all authority

We pray for those who hold authority in this community and in the nations of the world.

At home we pray for the PSNI as the seek to maintain justice and peace in the midst of threats of violence. We also pray for our politicians both MP’s and MLA’s as they seek to guide the population through difficult economic situation.

In the wider world we give you thanks for the good news stories from Chile this week, for the miners who have been rescued. We thank you for the evidence, that when people work together the common good can be achieved.

We pray all these things in Jesus Name Amen

God of the weak and the poor,

We hold before you those known to us and those in our community who are struggling -

• struggling to pay the bills at home
• struggling to see a future for themselves and their loved ones
• struggling to come to terms with news they have been given
• struggling to come to terms with physical / mental illness
• struggling to come to terms with addictions
• struggling with the pressure of work commitments

You are a God who has always been concerned with those on the edge of society, You are a God who is a help to the helpless, lover of the unloved, you turn noone away. Help us as individuals when we see those whom we know are in need to reach out to them, to be your hands, your feet, your voice in their circumstances.

We ask this in your name Amen

We pray for ourselves

In a moment of quiet reflection, we remember that we are called to be a people of persistent prayer, never giving up but a people who worship, confess, thank and ask our heavenly father for all his many blessings.

We take a moment in the stillness of this place to bring before God our own prayers for our concerns before God this morning

Silence

We conclude our prayers as we pray for each other in the words of the Grace ...