I Love our Prayer Team!
11/20/07 01:21 PM
I know at a lot of churches the Prayer Team is
simply a way to spiritualize gossip - you know,
"Have I got something for you to pray about!" Not
so with our Prayer Team. Now in some ways, we're
all on the Prayer Team - as a Christian (1Thess.
5:17, "Pray continually."), as a member of Coastal
(Membership Covenant: "I will share the
responsibility of my church . . . by praying for
it's growth."), and as a part of a Small Group. But
the Prayer Team at Coastal is a special bunch of
people who when they say, "I'll pray for you," they
mean it.
Let's be honest - sometimes as Christians we throw around so casually phrases like, "Keep so and so in your prayers. . ." or, "I'll be praying for you . . ." that they've lost their meaning and their power. We never think about it again. It's just a part of Christian jargon, Christianese. I'm guilty as anyone. What I'm trying to do more and more of lately is simply pray with people right then and there in that moment - whether it's in a hospital room, a parking lot, or over the phone. But what I inevitably do is call Prisca who leads our Prayer Team.
They are a group of about 12 faithful men and women who feel an extra burden to pray, behind the scenes - for our church, all it's Ministries, outreach, and growth, for me, my family, and my leadership, and all the requests that get turned in on every Connect Card each weekend. I honestly don't know how I would make it without their prayers and support. I mean that.
Well, today I want to brag about one of them going the extra mile. As most of you know, on Tuesday mornings, I lead a before school Prayer Group for the Faculty and Staff at Oakland Elementary School. And every Tuesday, after I get back to my office, the first call I make is to Prisca to pass on the prayer requests from Oakland. Last week one of the teachers brought up a family in her class that was struggling financially - a single mom (widowed) was having a hard time making ends meet.
This week I showed up to our group and the teacher started thanking me for what someone from our church had done. I had no idea what she was talking about. Evidently, someone from our Prayer Team called up that teacher, got more information about the family and gave them gift cards to Food Lion and Wal-Mart. It touched that woman in ways hard to express. It also touched the teacher. She told our entire group about what someone from our church had done. She was bragging about Coastal! I didn't have to say a word! I was so proud!
The person from our Prayer Team did what they did not for applause or to get noticed, but simply because they love and they listen to God. Prayer is the most important action, the most important work. We forget that. But prayer also always leads to loving action and loving works. They go hand in hand. I'm not going to single this person out, they wouldn't want that. Instead I want to thank the whole team for their example and faithful service to the King, His Kingdom, and our church. Thank you Prisca, Jeff, Matt, Kathy, Teresa, Pat, Mary, Dan, Jeremiah, Christy, and Nancy (mom). You are my Aaron and Hur (Exodus 17:10-13). I love our church and I love our Prayer Team!
Let's be honest - sometimes as Christians we throw around so casually phrases like, "Keep so and so in your prayers. . ." or, "I'll be praying for you . . ." that they've lost their meaning and their power. We never think about it again. It's just a part of Christian jargon, Christianese. I'm guilty as anyone. What I'm trying to do more and more of lately is simply pray with people right then and there in that moment - whether it's in a hospital room, a parking lot, or over the phone. But what I inevitably do is call Prisca who leads our Prayer Team.
They are a group of about 12 faithful men and women who feel an extra burden to pray, behind the scenes - for our church, all it's Ministries, outreach, and growth, for me, my family, and my leadership, and all the requests that get turned in on every Connect Card each weekend. I honestly don't know how I would make it without their prayers and support. I mean that.
Well, today I want to brag about one of them going the extra mile. As most of you know, on Tuesday mornings, I lead a before school Prayer Group for the Faculty and Staff at Oakland Elementary School. And every Tuesday, after I get back to my office, the first call I make is to Prisca to pass on the prayer requests from Oakland. Last week one of the teachers brought up a family in her class that was struggling financially - a single mom (widowed) was having a hard time making ends meet.
This week I showed up to our group and the teacher started thanking me for what someone from our church had done. I had no idea what she was talking about. Evidently, someone from our Prayer Team called up that teacher, got more information about the family and gave them gift cards to Food Lion and Wal-Mart. It touched that woman in ways hard to express. It also touched the teacher. She told our entire group about what someone from our church had done. She was bragging about Coastal! I didn't have to say a word! I was so proud!
The person from our Prayer Team did what they did not for applause or to get noticed, but simply because they love and they listen to God. Prayer is the most important action, the most important work. We forget that. But prayer also always leads to loving action and loving works. They go hand in hand. I'm not going to single this person out, they wouldn't want that. Instead I want to thank the whole team for their example and faithful service to the King, His Kingdom, and our church. Thank you Prisca, Jeff, Matt, Kathy, Teresa, Pat, Mary, Dan, Jeremiah, Christy, and Nancy (mom). You are my Aaron and Hur (Exodus 17:10-13). I love our church and I love our Prayer Team!
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