Since 2009 I have been guiding the Prayer Ministry at Servants of Christ. The Prayer Ministry grew out of a felt-need for the Body of Christ to be praying for one another’s specific needs. Deborah Bateman had suggested that a basket be available in the back of the church in which written prayer requests could be placed. Those who felt called to pray could lift up those needs to the Lord God. Soon it was apparent that some effort was needed to organize and maintain the fledgling ministry, along with a need for confidentiality. The Monday Women’s Fellowship had long been praying for one another, sharing and, eventually, sending out those prayer requests via email. Having realized the central place of prayer in Jesus’ ministry, I was developing a deeper interest in prayer and (at the request of our rector) I agreed to administer the prayer requests of our parish family. I drew together a group willing to commit to prayer and started emailing our “Prayer Chain” the prayer needs as they were received.
God’s timing was perfect! In 2009, Arty Hart, pastor at the Vineyard, conducted a Five-Step Healing Seminar, and, then in early 2011, the Vineyard offered the Christian Healing Ministries “Levels of Healing Prayer Class,” led by Bobbie Zeman and Carmen Lander. I, along with others from Servants, signed up for Level I followed by Levels II, III and IV, completing all four levels in 2012. By then the Prayer Ministry at Servants had grown to include, in addition to the Prayer Chain, Sunday Prayer Teams, “Operation Rolling Thunder” (an ecumenical nationwide prayer movement now known at Servants as United Day of Prayer), and Soaking Prayer, which is offered once-a-month.
In a ten-year search for truth earlier in my life I was led to Jesus as the Truth, that deep knowing that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. As Jesus made abundantly clear in His life on earth, we are to be about His work today – making disciples, learning to do all that Jesus said. I had to act on the trust that I had in the Lord. I knew Jesus prayed and taught His disciples to pray, so that became my work. Healing prayer ministry “is part of the Great Commission of Matthew 28 where Jesus tells his disciples to make new disciples and to ‘teach them to obey everything I have commanded you’ (verse 20).” (from “Come Holy Spirit” by David Pytches, p. 153)
Our Lord taught me, through His Word, healing prayer classes, and my experiences of praying with and for others, the power of prayer, which is, essentially, the power of His love at work. Knowing what others in our church are dealing with in their lives, in the lives of their families or loved ones, their struggles and deepest needs, heartaches and losses and then praying with them in their time of need knits us together as the Body of Christ. When we listen, love and pray, Jesus is present – healing and restoring. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that the Father of mercies and God of all comfort comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. His compassion for those who are suffering is made available, sometimes by having shared similar sorrows or sickness, or by walking through the difficulties together over time because we go together to the Throne of Grace, to the God for Whom nothing is impossible. It is God’s help and His power for He said, “I am the God who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26)
Notice that the cross is the letter “I” crossed out. Today, come, make your self available. Say “Yes” to serving our Lord and Savior at the next opportunity to your everlasting joy and to the praise and glory of His Name.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16:25
Mary Langeland
Mary has been a member of Servants of Christ since its beginning in January 2006, having been one of four persons on the organizational committee who met during 2005 to draw up incorporation papers and by-laws for Gainesville Anglican Church which became Servants of Christ Anglican Church. Since day one at Servants, she has been actively involved – often seen in the kitchen during the first years, helping in the nursery, taking minutes for Vestry meetings, setting up for the early service when it was held in the chapel then the “stair-step” room, attending adult Sunday school, and, eventually, becoming involved in prayer ministry. When not at church, she can be found at home reading books.