The Power of Prayer

Dear Friends,

This past week I have been struck again by the power of prayer. In no fewer than three separate instances just in the last week, a large or challenging area of our church’s life (confidentiality prevents me from being too explicit) has been turned over to God in prayer and God has already started moving. In one case, God just straight up answered the prayer. And on my day off, no less! Shows how much God needs my help!

Someone asked me recently why I asked the group to commit to praying first for a season we started doing anything: “Because,” I said, “we have to give God a chance to move first.”

Prayer is on my heart partly just because it’s awesome to be a part of that divine-human loop and I want to encourage you in it. But also because this Sunday at our services we are bringing back our Prayer Partner ministry.

For those of you who are new to St. Andrew’s since the pandemic, or who never understood what this was about to begin with, the Prayer Partners are a group of lay ministers who will pray with you in the back of the Great Hall following communion. You can go back there and share anything with them — doctor’s appointments coming up, job interviews, stuff about your loved ones, questions of discernment, joys or thanksgivings — and they will pray with you. While you can trust their confidentiality, if you don’t feel comfortable being specific in your request you can also just ask for general prayer.

This ministry of prayer is a part of our commitment to be the body of Christ. It is part of how we live into Paul’s exhortation to “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.” (Col. 4:2). Prayer works; and I’m thankful and excited that we are bringing our Prayer Partners back to our common life together.

Keep praying,
Fr. Andrew