We value prayer
Everything we do is great, but of no real lasting value if God is not empowering it, using it, and led from Him. At St Christopher’s we really value prayer – a lot!
If you are person who is called, burdened and gifted in prayer, let us know! We’d love to get you involved. It’s vital to God moving! We’re not completely clear why God chooses to move and work when we pray, to co-labour (1 Corinthians 3) with what we do, but we do know that God love it when we pray! Daniel, a young noble’s son in ancient Israel, was taken to Babylon and God moved, he became a senior leader i the Babylonian empire. He was known for and we have several of his prayers. In Daniel 9 & 10, we see God sending the hosts of heaven when he prayed. There is also the story of a lady who had a serious health situation for twelve years, and yet when she trusted Jesus that God would work, she was healed. We expect God to work and move!
Calling all saints
Be you young, or old, super saint, or new at this God stuff, be you man, woman, kiwi or immigrant, prayers wanted!
We have several groups that pray in small groups every week. We have others who help lead prayers in our services. Others pray with people, discerning how to pray when need is brought to them. Some of these pray with people in the service after communion. Others will sit down and pray with people during the week as they share their burden.
Growing in prayer
The photo for this page is the scrambled jumbled letters… sometimes, we need space to figure out even what we want to pray. In our services, we often have well thought out collects (prayers that “collect” all of our burdens and give them to God around a specific theme, and we have “prayers of the people” where one person prays entrusting all our cares to God, the words crafted to capture all of our intentions and burdens. At other times, we open it up for people to pray as led. We give space for God to move and speak and people to speak out what is on their heart. There is a lot to this praying – this simple and holistic “talking with God.”
But at times, no words come, they are not possible. God gets it. We get it. Sometimes, the worship, the liturgy, the collected prayers keep us when we cannot keep them. It’s okay to not have words. Life is like that. It’s a point on a line, not the destination. It’s safe to come to Him anytime, no matter what!
Come on a journey
You may only know of prayer in intercessions, asking God to work in a situation. This is completely legitimate. Have you ever grown in what it is actually to praise God, to thank God, to acknowledge who God actually is? Have you encountered committed intercession for a person or family? Have you encountered Ignatian Prayer or Centring Prayer, or learned prayer that spends time with God, no words necessary? It’s a life long journey and we want to see you grow in your own prayer. Ask God what He’s awakening in you now!
