March 1, 2016

Praying for You

Who would have thought to use last year’s Christmas cards as a prayer cycle?

We received a note in the mail from a friend in New York. A talented and committed priest, we served together on a diocesan staff before she returned to parish ministry and I came to Forward Movement.

In her note, she explained that she had been praying for us this week. She kept her stack of Christmas cards and each week, pulls one out and prays with special intention for the sender.

I love this idea and plan to adopt it next year. It resolves some a small problem: I always hate to throw away all of the Christmas cards that people have worked hard to select, sign, and send. More importantly though, it can serve as a guide for an intentional, focused practice of prayer.

Many of us are probably pretty good at praying for specific concerns and in response to requests. But God works in all kinds of wonderful ways, and you never know when your prayer for a friend or family member may be just what they need—even if they didn’t ask for it.

Cycles of prayer have long been a part of our communal church life. The Anglican Cycle of Prayer calls us to lift up our brothers and sisters across the global Anglican Communion. Most dioceses have a prayer cycle, with each congregation and leaders in rotation for weekly prayers. 

If the Christmas card idea doesn’t work for you—or if you want to get started right now, you could run through your address book (or Facebook account), praying for all the A names one week, B the next. Or if you wanted to focus on your church community, you could pray through the directory (pictorial or text). Pull out a wedding book and pray for everyone in the pictures or those who signed the registry.

The important component is the intentionality. And if you feel inclined, write the person (or people) a note. Tell them that you are praying for them. If you’re lucky, they might pray for you right back. 

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