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*New - Audio and Video Resources
Please check this new feature on the Resources page. *New - Anglican Fellowship of Prayer National Consultation
The History of the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer According to Betty Gracie
Check the About AFP Canada for our new video series "The History of the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer According to Betty Gracie" * New - Prayer Matters
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 - Intercession Preparation Prayer Matters - Intercessions Prayer for Parish Diocese and the World
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 Scripture (Old Testament)
15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. Prayer
Grant me, O God, Translated from the French by G.A. Scripture (New Testament)
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: 1 John Ch2 KJV Extract
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 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 Five Finger 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. Bernadette Njegovan Canadian Bishops and Diocesan Representatives
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