A key job of a Parish Priest is to pray for the people of the parishes, either in public services, or when in prayer alone. People often ask me to pray for them, not just people who go to church regularly, but all sorts of people with all sorts of beliefs. Even on a couple of occasions professing atheists. On neither occasion did I enquire into the logic of their requests, I just assured them of my prayers.
Prayer is not about getting God to do what you want. Prayer enables a relationship with God. Prayer enables you to understand the will of God. Prayer enables you to better understand yourself. Prayer enables you to see the way forward in life. Prayer enables you to receive the peace of God. Prayers of thanksgiving enable a joyful life. Prayers of anger and frustration enable you to be honest with God and yourself. Prayer changes things, but most of all prayer changes you.
For these reasons, it is best you pray regularly yourself, but it is also good to ask other people to pray for you. The former Archbishop of York, John Sentamu often remarks that 'when he prays coincidences happen.' That neatly expresses the paradox of prayer. God is the ultimate cause, but God wants to work with us, to add our prayers to His agency. I find that when people pray together, blessed coincidences occur more often than when we pray alone.
The Welland Foss Benefice now has an E mail address to better facilitate prayer in our Benefice, wellandfosseprayer@gmail.com. You can send your prayer requests here, and the prayer team and I will pray for you. When you E mail you will get a response explaining how it works,
“Thank you for your Prayer request. The Vicar and Prayer Team will pray for you.
All requests are regarded as confidential, unless you state you would like prayers to be said in church. If you would like to stay on the prayer list for longer than a month, let us know, but we would love to be updated if you have an answer to prayer. We can only accept requests for prayer by self referral, or by permission clearly given by someone else for you to tell us about their request.”
If a key job of a Parish Priest is to pray for people, another key job is to encourage people to pray for themselves, and for others. As Christians we should be offering to pray for those around us because we care, and because people really appreciate it. There was a time in 2018 when I was so ill with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that I couldn't even think to pray, but knowing many others were praying for me encouraged me, and made me feel valued.
So, "do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6
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