Fifty Shades Of Prayer For Churches
The Blake family of six share my one bed-roomed cottage this week. They help lead youth and prayer ministries at my former church of Bowthorpe.
- 24/7 prayer days are fine – but usually as a special occasional treat!
- Daily prayer is a vital spiritual discipline – but not everyone can do this.
- A prayer slips box in a shop or church.
- A prayer wall or board
- Prayer stations set out in the building to which any may come and go anytime may include praying with
- ikons
- mirrors
- clay
- sand
- music
- prayer books
- painting.
- A group may pray along a street a week.
- Those concerned with justice, community, or education, health may place prayer needs on a web site prayer board.
- Prayer texting or tweeting.
- Praying while walking, cycling or driving on group themes.
- Creation praying and praising in nature spots.
- One to one laying on of hands hours.
- Prayer partners or triplets/
- Healing wounded group memory prayer group
- Allotment holders praying
- Pray visualisation on high places
- Prayer in shops, leisure centres etc
- Praying with music
- Praying in tongues
- Praying in silence
- Ignatian prayer group for SJ temperaments
- Conversation with God prayer for NF types.
- Spontaneous arrow prayers for SP activist types
- Analysing scripture praying for NT types
- Emmaus prayer walks
- The Jesus prayer
- Chanting prayers
- Lighting a candle praying
- Body exercise prayers
- Breath prayers
- Prayer stops: morning, midday and night.
- Prayer through enjoying something with God
- Prayer through doing something with God.
- Blessing everything around you prayers.
- The Caleb blessing prayer for neighbourhoods and professions
- Lament in song, liturgy or silent
- Anger prayers – throwing stones into water
- Prophetic prayers
- Circling prayers
- Cross-shaped praying
- Dance prayers
- Church daily office book/breviary prayers
- Memorising famous prayers
- .. its your turn- send us your suggestions
The Aidan and Hilda approach to prayer in churches is to link prayer with the natural patterns of people and nature. For example, seasonal prayer processions. On February 1 (in ancient calendars this marks the coming of the season of light and Saint Brigid) a house blessing card could be delivered to each house with prayer before delivery, and Saint Brigid's Cross be presented to each shop and pub. In Lent a congregation could walk through the neighbourhood with a Cross and music of lament, and sprinkle spring water over places they pass. A procession could celebrate the start or end of a football season with prayer banners for sports teams and leisure centres. A midsummer earth blessing in the park, perhaps. At All Souls each house could have an invitation to come in to an all-day open church and light a candle in memory of a loved one as well as to pray and come to a service. Each member of the church could be asked to identify the form of prayer they find most natural or effective and be commissioned and listed to follow that calling.
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