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BY CARRIE MADREN
UMCONNECTION CORRESPONDENT

The people at Emory Grove UMC in Gaithersburg still remember the feeling of the clock hitting 6 a.m. last Lent. Six o’clock meant prayer time.

For 40 consecutive days, some two dozen people started their mornings with a conference call of prayer. The Rev. Paulette Stevens called the season “our morning walk with Jesus to the Cross.”

“It was a transforming experience,” she recalled.

Stevens first introduced the concept to the church from the pulpit. “We have really been intentional about cultivating a culture of prayer at church,” said Stevens, who used FreeConferenceCall.com to unite about 23 early risers in prayer each Lenten morning.

“At 6 a.m., I would open with prayer, then other people would take the lead,” she explained. The group also read devotionals from the Discipleship Adventure Devotional before praying with a specific intention each day — such as young people, community, economy, Haiti earthquake survivors.

Members who regularly dialed into the half-hour prayer gradually became comfortable with jumping in and saying a prayer, said the pastor.

Sometimes the line would be silent, and inevitably someone would speak up and lead prayer. Others just listened in, praying silently from the heart. But always, the calls stayed focused and ended promptly at 6:30 a.m.

Part of the reason for the daily dawn timing was for the sacrifice of it. There were days when Stevens rolled out of bed at 5:45 a.m., tired, but knowing she had to keep her commitment. “I did it every single day, even when I was travelling,”

Stevens said. Others, too, made the early bird time work: “People were on their phones on the train, in their car, at home or already at work,” she said. “Some people whispered, some shouted.”

For many of the pray-ers, it was their first opportunity to pray publicly, or pray over the phone. Prayers were kept confidential, as some concerned struggles within the church or community.

The results were obvious and bountiful. Stevens said she witnessed people grow in their prayer life. After the 40 days of prayer, Stevens said people who weren’t comfortable with praying out loud before were now angling to pray. Prayer group members learned how creative prayer can be, that prayer doesn’t have to sound a certain way.

Reinforcing the out loud prayers, Stevens has the Wednesday night Bible study group dedicate 20 to 30 minutes in prayer, breaking into triads so that everyone has a chance to be prayed for by two other people.

Using technology and unconventional timing also freed up many who wouldn’t have otherwise been able to participate. “I’m a real techie,” Stevens said. “We do online Bible studies, too, and people love that they can do this in their pajamas.”

Stevens hopes to see another season of conference call prayer for her church.

“There is a desire to do it again,” she said. “Prayer changes people. It’s transformed our church.”

Resources for prayer

1 - Question:

It’s said, “the most important thing about a person is what comes to mind when they think about God. What comes to mind when you think about praying to God?

2 - Bible verses about prayer:

Romans 8:26-27
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”

James 5:13-16
“Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.”

3 - Web resources:

World Prayers
A multi-cultural prayer collective that gathers the great prayer classics from spiritual traditions around the world into a common archive for the purpose of inspiration, study and cross cultural appreciation

The Divine Hours
A complete guide to the ancient practice of fixed-hour prayer

Prayer Method
Lectio divina, the Ignatian Method, Praying the Psalms, with icons, a prayer wall, the Examen, young adults from The United Methodist Church help you explore new ways of praying.

4 - Books to deepen your prayer life:

“The Soul of Prayer” by P.T. Forsyth

“Companions in Christ: The Way of Prayer”

“Teach Me to Pray” by W.E. Sangster

“The Meaning of Prayer” by Harry Emerson Fosdick

5 - Types of prayer:

Praise and adoration
Confession
Petition
Thanksgiving
Intercession

6 - Thoughts on prayer:

Everyone prays in their own language, and there is no language that God does not understand. ~ Duke Ellington

No one ever prayed heartily without learning something. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God. ~ Billy Graham

To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world. ~ Charles J. Chaput

Prayer begins where human capacity ends. ~ Marian Anderson

The purpose of all prayer is to find God’s will and to make that will our prayer. ~ Catherine Marshall

Prayer tips

BY SUSAN HOGAN
UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE

Moses went to a mountaintop to hear God. Jesus fled to the desert.

But for many Christians, their most regular place for praying is whatever pew they sit in on Sundays. Work, children, chores and other duties make stopping for prayer seem a luxury.

“We forget to intentionally make space for prayer,” but that’s not the way it’s supposed to be. Souls, like vines, tend to grow wild and weak when untended.

Below are 10 things to consider when thinking about your prayer life:

* You are worthy.

Do not feel guilty about the quality of your prayer life, or fall victim to doubts and despair about your worthiness to talk to God. Each of us has a spiritual gift.

* The more you pray, the richer your prayers become.

To deepen your prayer life, pray. Like anything in life, to become good at prayer you must be disciplined. Just as running is an exercise in physical fitness, prayer is a spiritual discipline.

* Prayer is active.

Prayer involves action; namely being attentive to God’s voice in your life. Listening for God means stopping and sitting still. It means paying attention to what God may be saying to you at any point in your life.

* Prayer should not be an afterthought.

Prayer was the backbone of Jesus’ ministry. Often, he broke away from his disciples to spend time with God. In the same way, prayer is essential to individual lives and to the life of the church. Break away from your daily routine for quiet time in prayer.

* Surround yourself with people who are seasoned at praying.

People who’ve established prayer routines have much to teach those wanting to draw closer to God. Seek out those who can help guide and encourage your prayer life.

* God doesn’t require eloquence.

Don’t worry if you fumble for words when you pray. God is not looking for Toastmaster’s graduates, but sincerity (not that you can’t have both at once). If the words won’t come, God still knows what’s in your heart. Lift up that desire.

* Prayer need not involve words.

The great Christian saints all write of prayer as a time of sitting quietly with God. Jesus even went off for 40 days of prayerful solitude. Take a deep breath. Exhale. Follow the breath as it flows in and out of your body. Think of it as the spirit of God breathing life into you.

* Prayer is a time for conversation with someone who loves you.

Whether you see that friend routinely or just every once in awhile, know that whenever you turn to God, you’re turning to someone who loves you unconditionally.

* Ask God for help if you get stuck.

Maybe you’ve hit a dry spell. There’s no shame in asking God to guide you to pray in a new way.

* Embrace the three Ls of prayer: listen, listen, listen.

Listening for God is central to prayer. It’s so critical that St. Benedict began his famous Rule with this command for monks: “Listen with the ear of your heart.”

Church prays ceaselessly

The spiritual foundation of the largest Methodist church in the world begins in a small dark room in the basement where two church members pray continuously 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Bishop Hong-Do Kim believes in the power of prayer and says the church’s success is based on the “saving blood of Jesus Christ.”

Kumnan Methodist Church has a membership of 120,000 and baptizes 2,000 people every year, according to Kim. More than 90 associate pastors and 800 Sunday school teachers help Kim “harvest souls for Christ.”

“I depend on the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit,” said the 70-year-old pastor.

A 10-story church in the middle of Seoul, Korea, Kumnan has 5 a.m. prayer services every day, four worship services on Sunday morning and another each Sunday evening. Members of a volunteer prayer vigil team take turns praying for the church in two small rooms of the large prayer space. Gleaming wooden floors are lined with prayer mats, and the basement space is open at any time for people wanting to pray or to seek prayers.

5 ways to pray with children

UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE

School. Soccer practice. Household chores. Homework. Television. Video games.

In today’s busy culture hectic lives often make it difficult to find an oasis for prayer. But church leaders are convinced that the chaos of the day actually calls for families to take time to teach their children to pray and to pray with them.

But getting started can be awkward. How do you help your child talk to God?

1. Make prayer part of your daily life.

Establishing a prayer routine will help your children develop a habit that can serve them for a lifetime. Parents often choose to pray with their children at meals or bedtime. But regular prayers also can take place in cars or gardens or playgrounds. Be flexible but consistent with whatever options you choose.

2. Know your child.

Does your daughter have an artistic, creative personality? She may love singing her prayers or tactile experiences such as touching a bit of anointing oil to her hand or forehead in the morning, offering the day to God. Other children may be more open to contemplative or private prayer.

3. Create rituals.

The rituals can be as simple as praying for thanksgiving and safety each time the car is started, or praying when you see emergency sirens or people stopped in cars on a highway. Or it can be a special prayer or biblical verse or devotion passed down from generation to generation.

4. Lift up the child’s voice

Recite “God bless” with your child, then ask who or what they’d like God to bless. A child may say a teacher, but don’t flinch if the answer is “a pet turtle.” This exercise is used to teach children prayers of petition.

To teach prayers of gratitude, recite “Thank you, God” together, then ask your child to name something. It could be a person, a favorite activity or even the sun.

5. Help your child create a prayer list.

Children’s prayer lists often include names of friends who are sick or important events in their lives. Keep the list posted in a prominent place, such as on the refrigerator. This will help to reinforce the

significance of prayer.

And, there is one other guideline that may be as important as all the rest: Pray for your children.

“You know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?” -- Matthew 7:11.

A moment of silence

Take a moment to quiet your thoughts and journey through this labyrinth. Before you begin, recall an issue or person that you want to focus on. With a pointed edge, begin at the start and trace the pathway to the center. Let your mind ebb and flow through the path God is leading you.

Linger with your prayers in the center, confident that God will speak. Listen. Let go.

Living Prayer Center

The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by Christian volunteers. When you call 800-251-2468, a person will answer the phone, receive your prayer request and pray with you. After your call, your prayer concern will be forwarded to one of 300 Upper Room Covenant Prayer Groups located all over the world. On the Web, requests can be submitted by visiting www.umc.org, click on “pray” in the green box. Your request will be e-mailed to the Prayer Center within 24 hours and sent out to Upper Room Covenant Prayer Groups as well. More than 30,000 prayer requests are received each month.