Category:

Call to pray #1

3/11/2025

Back in the ‘90s as I was ending my teaching career I ‘heard' this message that I was to pray for people. It didn’t go away, and never has. I started doing so, not worrying about the ‘right’ way or any theological understanding or perfection. What I knew was that I could never have made up such a call; it had to be from God. And so, I started 'praying for people,' preferring that phase to 'intercessory prayer.' This led me to volunteering as the spiritual care counselor for hospice, getting a divinity degree, and being active in a church.

April 29th, 2024

4/29/2024

Recently someone asked me about my call to pray for people. 'What do you do to respond to that call?' My response was to share what I believe I 'should' do, and what helps me have some sense that: yes, I am praying for others, I am making a difference.
Here are some rambling thoughts, in no precise order, and nothing that I do all the time, but try to keep it as a daily practice. Prayer is like that; we know when we're on the right track because we believe we are reaching God. We don't look for the 'right' results; we trust that all is well. And say, Amen.
• Spend time--morning, noon, and night praying, meditation, reading--pray without ceasing!
• Write down names--pray a long list daily and a short list, which I call The List, throughout the day
• Centering Prayer
• The Jesus Prayer
• Bible reading and Lection Divina
• Clear my mind of mental clutter--gossip, the news
• Clear my calendar of clutter
• Take care of my health

Iona healing prayer

11/6/2023

Spirit of the Living God, present with us now,
Enter you, body, mind and spirit,
And heal you of all that harms you,
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
     This prayer for the laying-on of hands from the Iona Abbey Worship Book is one of my go-to intercessory prayers. It is offered at A Service of  Prayer for Healing every Tuesday at the Abby, with everyone participating in the laying on of hands, but it satisfies personal prayer, as well.
I pray this prayer every morning. It clears me of
judgments or of telling God how help and healing 'should' go. That's not to say that I never pray for specific outcomes but  truth be told, I really don' know how things should go, and when I do think I know, very likely I'm off track. The phrase, 'Let Go, let God,' fits well here. Try the prayer.

Called to pray for people

8/6/2023

We have many ways to pray for people--lift up their names….tell God exactly what we want God to do … and everything in between. Theologically this is called intercessory prayer, but the term feels too formal, too impersonal, too privileged, too….
For me to say, "I am called to be an intercessor," sounds highfalutin--a call that suggests vain glory, not a God call which, by its very nature is humbling and replete with mercy.
Occasionally I tell people, "I feel called to pray for people." But not often because the call is in the doing between God and me, not in any proclamation to the world. It is not a job, such as teaching . It is between God and me, and sometimes I feel called to let people know I am doing it. Fine, but that's not part of the call.

Accept the mystery

3/10/2023

My best friend is having a shoulder replacement today. It may be happening right now. I have asked friends to pray for her . I know they are and I know their prayers will make a positive difference. The mystery of faith, however, is that I don't know what that positive difference will be. It may be just what I want--ease, no pain, a quick recovery. But it may mean something else. The mystery is that we don't know, the faith is that we believe it will be for the good. Even when things happen which are obviously not good in any of my usual ways, I try to turn to God and see, hear, touch, taste, and smell what God is offering me, which I believe is of the good.
Today I pray for my friend, accepting that so much is a mystery, believing that God is with her and with me, and knowing that is it of the good.

Prayer works

1/15/2023

I want to tell you what I have recently learned about prayer. Not only what I learned about prayer but what I now know! Prayer works. Prayer makes the difference in the hope we can feel and in what has actually happened.
Last week my grandson was randomly attacked in broad daylight on a city street. The assailant got away, my grandson was helped and taken by ambulance to a hospital to get stitches. He is now under the care of a skilled physician and will be back at work this week. That is only the skeleton of the his story, but it is enough for my purpose here. One might say that his story is my testimony.
When I heard this news I started praying and then I began contacting my prayer friends—a group in my church and a small group outside of church. When I say prayer friends, I mean friends who really pray. That’s what was needed, PRAYER. The responses from these friends showed me their different prayers, wording, emphasis. One was not better than the other. Each was from the heart, human heart to the heart of God’. Intercessory prayer, heart to heart, prayer working.

Prayers for Damar Hamlin

1/7/2023

I think it fair to say that everyone is offering their own version of thoughts and prayers for Damar Hamlin. This outpouring of love began the minute Darmar fell on the field from cardiac arrest. It started with his teammates, then to the other team, the fans in the stands, those watching on TV. The news media picked it up and the story kept going, way beyond the usual life span news of a football injury.
So why did the outpouring of love move beyond that moment on the field? Why were Darmar’s first words upon become conscious, “Did we win the game?” Why are people contributing to Damar’s charity toy drive? Why has Darmar just told his teammates over a video meeting, “Love you guys”? Why is this still as story on the top new shows?
Why? Because while the medical corp was doing its job, everyone else on the field started praying as they formed a human prayer box around Damar. The fans on the field saw this and they prayed. Viewers saw this on their TV screen and they prayed. As the news spread, the news of Damar and the news of the prayer box, more people prayed. And this prayer is continuing , prayer of love, not just for Damar, but for good to happen in the world.

Praying--it is enough!

11/28/2022

Here’s my challenge: What to do when I don’t hear from a close friend that I know is involved with a serious problem? I pray for her; I reach out to ask how things are going; I pray some more, daily; I don’t hear back; I keep praying.
Writing this for you, my prayer diary friends, most of whom I don’t know personally, helps me hear God’s answer. So thank you being there. Yes, I hear the answer—keep praying. If there is something my friends needs me to do, she will reach out. She knows I am here as a friend if she wants personal contact. She knows I am praying. It is enough!

Healing Power #5

8/30/2022

Discussions about intercessory prayer often begin with a question. In my previous post Henri Nouwen posed one. Today, I ponder a question by George MacDonald (1824-1905), Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister: “And why should the good of anyone depend on the prayer of another?” Although he is confident enough to answer, he does so with another question: “I can only answer with the return question, ‘Why should my love be powerless to help another?’”
MacDonald was writing at a time and place when the Christian theology of a loving God, who created human kind in God’s imagine, was accepted and believed throughout the culture. I love his nineteenth century response, which I believe is an affirmation of the power of love; but must work through twenty-first century intellectualism and skepticism to turn his question into a statement of faith: my love is powerful enough to help another.

Healing power #1

8/15/2022

Physical healing, emotional healing, psychological healing, situational healing! Healing can seem so obvious—you get better! You go from something bad, uncomfortable, and fearful, to no longer feeling angry, afraid or sick. You are now are loving, healthy, calm. You feel healed.
   That summary just rolled from my finger tips to the screen. I didn’t have to do much thinking because like many people, I know what bad things need to be healed and the results of what this healing might look like. As a person of faith, I am intrigued with the healings Jesus performed and how they might translate into what we, 2000 years later, might do.
   Jesus prayed, and so I pray. I pray to discern my part in God’s healing; I pray for God’s healing love to surround a person or situation; I pray that my loving heart reaches out to God’s loving heart; I pray Jesus walking with the person needing healing. I pray as I am able, which is the best I can do, all I can do. I’m not looking for results or proof that I’m on the right track, or for some amazing healing, or for some cause and effect result .
   I don’t have THE ANSWER, but I know and have come to believe that healing happens through prayer. Through reading and prayer I have been gathering ideas about healing. I will share them in subsequent posts.