Why, when and how do we pray?
WHY? Prayer is as much a part of who we are at All Saints as our worship. Christianity is about a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ and in any good relationship, there has to be communication. That’s what prayer is - simply talking to God. The Bible teaches us that God wants us to pray at all times—good and bad. To ask for things we need and to thank Him for things we have.
WHY? Prayer is as much a part of who we are at All Saints as our worship. Christianity is about a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ and in any good relationship, there has to be communication. That’s what prayer is - simply talking to God. The Bible teaches us that God wants us to pray at all times—good and bad. To ask for things we need and to thank Him for things we have.
When?
Prayer is part of our worship service. We have a time in our service called the “Prayers of the People” when we pray for our families, friends, community, nation and the world. We also have an opportunity for personal prayer during the communion part of the service. If you have any sort of need, there are two teams of two people each in the back of the church who will pray with you during the time of communion. In addition, we communicate with one another through email during the week when special prayer needs arise. We also offer private prayer with the clergy or trained members of the congregation. All you have to do is ask.
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How?
As Anglicans, we believe that prayer shapes belief. That’s why much of our worship service includes formal prayer from a resource known as the Book of Common Prayer. We also pray informally, privately, in silence or aloud, in groups of two or more, over the phone, through email, and just about every other way you can imagine. Some of us also pray kneeling because often our body’s posture will influence how we feel, the intent of our prayer. It’s not required, but some find it to be helpful. If you would like to kneel for prayer, we have prayer cushions in the back of the church for you to use.
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