Healing Ministry:
Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. (Matthew 8:8)
The desire to be healed is one of the most personal and powerful expressions of faith that any of us can ever offer to God. We live with our own struggles and we live among loved ones, co-workers, friends, and family members who need the most personal gift from God: healing. Those who have experienced real healing as a gift from God know how precious this gift is. Those who need healing know cling to the same hope that the centurian clung to in Matthew 8. And while we understand that the healing that is promised by God is often different from what we want or receive, we also recognize that our need to ask for healing and God’s desire to have us come to him for healing is very real and is a sign of God’s love and grace.
Four times per year, we offer Healing Worship Services with the Anointing and Laying on of Hands and the celebration of Holy Communion. Individuals are given the opportunity to pray generally for their concerns or to gather with a designated prayer partner and have prayers offered for them. This is new ministry at St. Philip’s and has truly filled a need that is prevalent in our Faith Community and among our families and friends. As with every event at St. Philip’s, this service is open to anyone interested in joining us, member or guest, and the opportunities for prayer, anointing, and Holy Communion are open invitations.
Prayer Ministry:
Jesus taught us, “Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-9) Yet, despite Jesus’ invitation to come to God with whatever we need, most of us at one time or another report that we have had difficulty with the practice of prayer. There are many reasons that this happens. Sometimes with the busyness and the pace of life, our friends have found it hard to slow down and find the time to pray. Others report that they don’t know how to pray or they feel like they lack the words or direction about how to pray. Still others don’t feel comfortable praying for themselves despite the truth that we all need God to come close to us, especially at certain times in our lives.
On the First and Third Tuesday nights of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. we gather at the church for guided prayer meetings. This ministry is just a mere one year old, and yet in that short time, we have seen a tremendous amount of growth in the numbers of people participating as well as growth in the value of the time we spend together. There is never pressure for anyone to speak or pray aloud at any point, but rather it is an invitation to gather in prayer for things happening in our world, in our community, in our church, and in our lives.
For more information on Prayer Ministry Meetings, contact Pastor Downes anytime.