Amy and Praying with the Lists

Praying with the Lists

I commend to you our sister Phoebe... (Romans 16:1)

Each week St. Francis sends out a prayer list to all those who choose to receive our weekly emails. This prayer list, if you haven't seen it before, is really four different lists of names, names of people beloved to people at St. Francis. There is a list of names of those with long-term needs. There is a list of those who serve in the armed forces. There is a list of names of those who are celebrating birthdays or anniversaries that week. There is a much longer list of names of those who are in need or who are ill.

I pray with this list every day, and as a gathered body in worship on Sunday mornings, we pray with this list at both the 9 am and 10:30 services during the Prayers of the People - right before we confess our sins to one another and share the peace of Christ with one another.

We keep prayer lists because there are prayer lists in Scripture. As part of Christian community, we are directed to pray for and with one another by name.

Have you ever noticed the prayer lists in Scripture? One powerful one is in Paul's letter to the church in Rome, chapter 16. I read it here for your meditation and prayer, and invite you to hear the names on St. Francis prayer list through Paul's list. You can receive our weekly prayer list by signing up for our email list here. You can also submit a name for the prayer list here.