Conservative Friends and Prayer

About Prayer

We know that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.
He knows the challenges we face, and what we need, better than we do ourselves. 
We know that God answers all prayers, whether we recognize and understand the answer or not.
For these reasons, many Friends spend most of their prayer and worship time
listening to the Holy Spirit, rather than in specific, detailed prayers of petition. 
Many Friends seek through prayer to unite with the will of God, and to embrace His plan for us.

"To be ready to listen means that we are ready to receive whatever God wishes to say.  Yet our hearing is often hindered by presupposition and prejudice. . . If we limit ourselves to what we want to hear, not many of us will hear what we need to hear.  It is critically important that we move past our personal preferences and allow God to say to us whatever He wills. . . As those who would serve God, we have not been asked to serve in 'an advisory capacity.'  It is our role (and our high privilege) to wait upon His Word and do His bidding, whatever that may be."¹

"When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they  may be seen of men.  Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathens do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."²

1. Henry, G., Diligently Seeking God, Word-Points: Indianapolis, 2003; quoted in The Conservative Friend, Number 24, Fifth Month 2006.

2. Jesus Christ, in the Sermon on the Mount, quoted in The Gospel According to Matthew 6:5-8, The Holy Bible, Authorized King James Version, 1611

Prayer Requests Are Invited

Friends are invited to send prayer requests to admin@michiganquakers.org
Please specify if you do not wish your request to be identified by your name.
Requests received will be posted as promptly as circumstances permit.
Posted requests will reflect the date posted, and will remain posted for a period of time suitable to the subject matter.
Friends using this website are invited to hold the matters requested in prayer.
If the matter regarding which you have requested prayer is resolved, please let us know.

Bible Passages About Healing and Healing Prayer
Selected by John Edminster

Arthur Berk
Reflections on Prayer

William Penn on George Fox in Prayer

Prayer Requests for Healing

We will not attempt to provide details on various Friends' medical conditions, unless they request this.  The Lord knows what's happening.

May God help two sisters in Christ, Karen and Diana, to begin to speak again and to reconcile.  Reconcile them with a holy and lasting friendship.  Help them take the first step, Lord Christ.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

K. Smith 12-10-2010

I'm from the Philippines and I came across your website and read your article about prayer.
I have breast cancer , stage 3, and the mass is already 8cm and I bleed a lot. I can't afford treatment, but I believe that God will heal me in His own way in His own time. Please pray that I will accept God's will with an open heart. I am so afraid. I have a family to look after, and I so want to live for them. I get so many well meaning advices, and the noise deafens me and just gets me confused. I just want to be still and hear God's voice. Please pray that I will find divine ellightenment, courage and a steadfast faith in God. Depression, self-pity are not part of God's plans for me, and it makes me feel guilty that I should feel those negative emotions at times. Please help me pray.

Darl.  03-30-2010

Please pray for my daughter as she seeks employment in Sf, Ca as it has been such a long, hard road in this terrible recession and employment is the key to the future.  We have attended Quaker meetings, and this is a position within a school that is of the faith.  Thank you.

Kate 07-15-2010

Ethan has suffered a head-on automobile crash, with extensive injuries.  For more information, please follow this link.

A dear friend here in the town we live in has just been told he has cancer of the lungs and a few spots in other places.  He has slowly been coming to an understanding of the Lord over the last two years and I can see that his heart has accepted Christ as his savior.  He is going in for tests tomorrow to see just what state he is in.  I would ask you all to pray if you would for his healing spiritually and that his cancer might be able to be bought under some sort of control.  Ric, is 52 years old.  His full name being Ric Smit.

Shane 09-12-2010

Please pray for Neal and his family and loved ones.  Neal was a Friend who took his own life recent when in great despair.

10-07-2010

Please pray for Dawn, who suffered injuries in a car accident some months ago and has continuing pain, and now has become dependent on the prescription painkillers the doctors gave her.

10-07-2010

We will provide general categories to facilitate prayer by those under a particular concern.

Cancer

Alla     Darl     Heather     Ida Mae     Jim     Maxine     Phil     Violet

Heart Condition, High Blood Pressure

Fran     Jim     Lewis     Phil     William

Diabetes

Elizabeth     Jim     Phil

Asthma and Respiratory Problems

Amalie     Connor     Phelan

Arthritis - Osteo- and Rheumatoid, Etc.

Bill     Sharon

Alzheimer's and related problems

Tony

Critically Ill

Glory     Rosalie

Epilepsy and Unknown Problems

Bob

Unknown Debilitating Problems

Archie

Autism

Dean     Fulton

Pending Surgery

Lawerence    Ludmilla      Zoe