Emmanuel Mennonite

You gotta pray when the Spirit says pray

After last night's prayer meeting, Fran made two comments that made me wonder if she could read my mind!

#1 - "is the Prayer Wall something that we might want to continue?"--yes!  The idea for the prayer wall actually came from a resource that Marijke had passed on to me last year, and I had saved to use for our prayer meetings.  Some churches have a prayer wall year round; others also have a virtual wall on their church website where prayers can be posted.  Either way, both/and, I like the idea of having a prayer wall where anyone (from the church or community or visitors from far away) can post prayers, prayer requests, praise items, and that also functions as a visible call and reminder for us to pray.  In the last few weeks, I've sometimes just stood at the wall to pray; I see others taking note of requests to pray at home.  I think it would be wonderful for us to continue the prayer wall even after this month of prayer, and to develop a prayer ministry where people would specifically pray for requests on the wall. 

#2 - "have we ever had a group focused on prayer?"-- not a Bible study group, but a gathering focused on prayer, say 45 minutes, with a Scripture verse or maybe a candle or other visual focus.  In summers past we've sometimes tried this on Sunday morning at 9:30 in place of Sunday school, but that really wasn't the best time.  In the annual meeting report book this year, the deacons include considering a regular weekly meeting for prayer as part of their vision for 2010.  I could see this developing along with the prayer wall ministry, where we could have a regularly weekly meeting for prayer in the church sanctuary that would be open to anyone of any age, from any where.  Wouldn't that be a wonderful call to prayer and reminder for ourselves, and a ministry to offer to the community and have them join us? 

I have also been thinking and praying about prayer as a theme for us as a church for next year.  For 2009-2010, we're focusing on Jesus be the Centre which has been a good foundation for our discussion of core values as a church.  Then for 2010-2011, Prayer would be a very appropriate follow-up--as we pray for God's leading in living out our core values; as we look forward to celebrating Emmanuel's 30th anniversary in 2011; as prayer is one of the marks of the church that was singled out for special mention in our church constitution.  

So--is Fran reading my mind?  Not exactly--as I think about my own call to pray; as I see how youth, middle-aged, and older folks have responded to the prayer wall; as I reflect on the deacons' vision for a regular weekly time of prayer, I sense the Spirit moving in our midst.  Do you feel it too?