What began as a few parishioners gathering to pray for written prayer requests at the end of our annual Canal Day's event for several years, took on new life and new pray partners when one of the leaders of our church family became very ill. With that need to pray, along with another parishioner who received God's call to pray for others, our "Prayer Brigade" was born.
Our ministry of gathering to bring petitions, praises, and intercessory prayer before God then began on a regular basis. The first few times we met, we prayed spontaneously for the needs of others. It then became evident that it would be helpful to have a written prayer service to focus and guide us, as not all who attend are called to spontaneously pray aloud in front of others. One of our " Warriors" created a Prayer Brigade service booklet using prayers adapted from The Book of Common Prayer and prayers found online, which allows time for spontaneous intercessory prayer within a more structured intercessory prayer service.
We believe that God hears and answers what we ask in faith. As “Prayer Warriors,” we pray for strength and wisdom. We pray for help in defeating the troubles and diseases faced by so many. We pray for God’s healing touch and His comfort. And we praise Him for all of our blessings and answers to so many of our prayers.
We meet at 5 P.M. on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month. We invite the congregation to submit their prayer requests by using the forms in the pews, through phone calls, or just word of mouth.
An unexpected benefit of this Prayer Brigade… we found that this gathering has become a healing ritual for all of us as members. Most often we are 4-5 gathered together, but have had up to 10. It has never mattered how many people attend. What matters is that it is always an uplifting, strengthening, and calming time for each of us.
We invite others to join us when possible. There is no commitment, no expectations. Please consider joining us once in a while. You just need the desire to join in prayer for a short time against the troubles of the day on behalf of others.