Please check this new feature on the Resources page.

Check the About AFP Canada for our new video series "The History of the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer According to Betty Gracie"

Read a series of articles about prayer written by Paul Dumbrille and published in the Ottawa Diocesan Newspaper.

Prayer Matters - DR Consultation1

Prayer Matters - Prayer Groups

Prayer Matters - Pastoral Care

Prayer Matters - Prayer Walking

Prayer Matters - Healing

Prayer Matters - Intercession Preparation

Prayer Matters - Intercessions

Prayer Matters - Reader Preparation

Prayer Matters - Lent

O Lord, our Saviour, who hast warned us that thou wilt require much of those to whom much is given; grant that we whose lot is cast in so goodly a heritage may strive together the more abundantly by prayer, by almsgiving, by fasting, and by every other appointed means, to extend to others what we so richly enjoy; and as we have entered into the labours of other men, so to labour that in their turn other men may enter into ours, to the fulfilment of thy holy will, and our own everlasting salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

St Augustine, 354-430

15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs Ch23 KJV

Grant me, O God,
the heart of a child,
pure and transparent as a spring; a simple heart,
which never harbours sorrows; a heart glorious in self-giving,
tender in compassion; a heart faithful and generous, which will never forget any good or bear a grudge for any evil.
Make me a heart gentle and humble,
loving without asking any return,
large-hearted and undauntable,
which no ingratitude can sour
and no indifference can weary;
a heart penetrated by the love of Jesus
whose desire will only be satisfied in heaven.
Grant me, O Lord, the mind and heart of thy dear Son.

Translated from the French by G.A.

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

1 John Ch2 KJV

Prayer Courses

Harry C. Griffith

If the life of prayer is central to our relationship with God, and our relationship with God is central to our life, we will want help in growing in the life of prayer. If our parish is a center of prayer, that means that there will be opportunities available to teach about many aspects of the life of prayer.

The purpose of this section, then, is to consider how we might have a variety of prayer courses taught within our parish.

The first consideration is: who will teach these courses?

If we back off and think about it, we may be amazed at the talent available for teaching courses on prayer within our congregation. We want, first of all, to think about those people who, by their own lives, reflect that prayer is a priority for them. Then we want to think about what the particular prayer interest of each might be. Some will be involved in meditative or contemplative prayer, others in leading prayer groups. Some will clearly be intercessors, others will be involved in healing prayer. Some will focus on daily quiet time and having a rule of prayer, and others will be ones who journal regularly.

It is best, in other words, to find people who have been putting their prayer concerns into practice. They are the ones best equipped to teach others about the importance of that particular aspect of prayer. And, many of those people are right there in your parish; all you need to do is identify them.

These people will not (should not!) consider themselves experts in prayer. They simply need to be gently nudged into being willing to help others in the life of prayer; and, because prayer is so important to them, they probably can be.

But, in addition to these people, there are others who have teaching skills even if prayer has not been their top priority. They can become equipped to lead courses on prayer by drawing upon the many sources that are available to them (see section on Prayer Resources). In addition to books, videos and other educational tools on prayer sub­jects, a person can be trained in an aspect of prayer by "apprenticing" under someone else.

WHAT SUBJECTS SHOULD BE TAUGHT?

That could depend upon your particular parish, and a number of other factors, but here is a list of possibilities based on the experience of many congregations:

Daily Quiet Time
A Rule Of Prayer
Contemplative Prayer Meditation
Prayer Groups
Journaling
Intercessory Prayer Spiritual Direction
Prayer in the Workplace
Couples in Prayer
Prayer in Worship
Spiritual Warfare
Inner Healing
Prayer in Scripture
Psalms of Prayer and Praise
Forgiveness and Freedom
Praying for the World
Prayer and Action
Growing in Grace
Spiritual Gifts
Prayer Walking
Prayer Teams
Prayer Chains
Retreats and Quiet Days

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRAYER COURSES

In addition to the many opportunities for prayer courses as such within the congregation, there are other ways in which the life of prayer can be taught. Sermons on aspects of prayer would be an obvious possibility. Perhaps at least once a year you may want to have a prayer conference or seminar to which the entire congregation is invited (and, to some degree, expected) to attend. Sunday School classes, "coffee hours," adult forums, etc. also provide opportuni­ties for teaching about prayer. So do Quiet Days and retreats. People can be nurtured in the life of prayer through sacramental confession, spiritual direction and healing services as well.

Needless to say, there are resources for teaching people in the life of prayer within your congregation, there are many opportunities for doing so, and there are many aspects of the life of prayer about which all of us need to know more if we are going to grow in our relationship with the Lord.

The Parish as a Centre of Prayer
Anglican Fellowship of Prayer

This is so neat.  I had never heard this before.  This is beautiful - and it is surely worth making the 5 finger prayer a part of our lives.

1. Your thumb is nearest you.  So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you.  They are the easiest to remember.  To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a 'sweet duty.'

2. The next finger is the pointing finger.  Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal.  This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers.  They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction.  Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger.  It reminds us of our leaders.  Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators.  These people shape our nation and guide public opinion.  They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger.  Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify.  It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain.  They need your prayers day and night.  You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others.  As the Bible says, 'The least shall be the greatest among you.'  Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself.  By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

If you decide to send this to a friend, you might brighten someone's day!  Pass this on to someone special... I did.

Bernadette Njegovan
Children's Ministry Coordinator

Canadian Bishops and Diocesan Representatives