Prayer is how we communicate with God. In prayer, we share our hearts. We also pause to listen for wisdom and guidance. As John Wesley wrote, “All that a Christian does, even in eating and sleeping, is prayer, when it is done in simplicity, according to the order of God.”
Many ways of praying are found in our United Methodist heritage. From the time of John Wesley we have encouraged both formal, written prayers and free, spontaneous prayers. The United Methodist Hymnal is full of prayers, as is the Bible. The most famous Christian prayer is known as: The Lord’s Prayer.
While many of us memorized prayers as children, for bedtime as well as table grace, it may be time for a prayer tune up.
Some ideas: visit the Prayer Wall in the Cross Lanes UMC Sanctuary. Like the wailing wall in Jerusalem, the Prayer Wall has places for you to tuck written prayers. There are also places to light candles as you lift up and pray about loved ones and prayer requests.
The prayer wall is a work in progress, if you have bricks, blocks, or interesting shaped boxes or even plant pots at home that you’d like to contribute to our Prayer Wall, please bring to church!
Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.
The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. (JAMES 5:14–16a)
Follow this link for prayers that you may use when healing and comfort is needed.
We look forward to growing in our faith journey as we dedicate ourselves to prayer.
As we pray may we hear God’s invitation to follow Him more clearly.
If you have a prayer request that you’d like shared with the CLUMC prayer chain, please reach out to Jerry Meadows or call the church office: (304) 776-3081.