Praying for you... Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16 James tells his readers to pray for each other. In fact, he says that the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective. I wonder if we really believe that. We often tell people that we're praying for them. But what do we mean when we say that? Is thinking about someone the same as praying for them? What if we were more intentional? What might happen if when people came to mind, we actually ask God to bless them, heal them, protect them, be merciful to them...(What if we were so bold is to actually say these prayers out loud!) On Sunday mornings we pray for the people on our parish prayer list. It is certainly not an exhaustive list…we usually leave space during our prayers on Sunday mornings for folks to add their own concerns. Maybe you are someone who keeps a list of people that you are praying for somewhere close at hand. Maybe it's sitting beside your bible or taped to your bathroom mirror or even hanging on your refrigerator. If not, why not start to do so today. And then every time you see your list you might take time to pray specifically for the people on it. Praying for others doesn’t have to be flowery or fancy. We are simply talking to God about our concerns. Your prayer could be something as simple as “God bless and heal my friend who is sick today.” Just pray! Blessings,
Matthew+ O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP p.234) | 
