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

 

Please pray for children awaiting adoption, and for families considering adoption.  Charles Rathmann has forwarded a letter regarding adoption, which is available on this link, for those who may be interested.

11-07-2006

 

Its been over a year, but I attended your meetings for worship a couple of times while working on a farm in Lapeer County. I've returned to the Catholic Worker house in Saginaw (where I was two years ago), and would really like to find some Friends.

 I don't have a car, and so couldn't go to Flint (unless someone from the Saginaw area is going down there and could provide a ride). I am interested in starting a worship group. Do you know of any Friends or people interested in Quakerism who live in or near Saginaw? My focus is on Christ, but I'm open to starting a group with folks who aren't Christian.

Thanks,
Josh Medlin
09-11-2007

 

I am very sad to bring this news.  But please tell everyone you can that Thea's (a plain Quaker in California and a dear friend of many years) infant granddaughter contracted pneumonia, has since been airlifted to another hospital, her kidneys have failed and dialysis is being used to try to get them working on their own.  Thea said the little one, Annalise, was unresponsive last night.  Thank you all for your prayers and for spreading the word among other Friends.  [Update, 04-09-2008]  Annalise is apparently improved somewhat.  Please keep up your prayers for her!  [Update, 04-14-2008] Annalise is out of intensive care and getting better very slowly.  She still needs daily kidney dialysis (I thought that was done - but I was mistaken).  We are all so grateful for your prayers.  Please continue to pray that her kidneys kick in and start working on thier own.  With much love, Francis Clare

Bless you,
Francis Clare Fischer
04-02-2008

 

Please hold Nirmal Kaul in prayer.  He had surgery relatively recently, but developed an infection and complications which necessitate further surgery to be performed on 04-17-2008.  [Nirmal is the director of the Walton Retirement Home in Barnesville.)

04-09-2008

 

Our friend Kenny is in need of prayer.  He has been diagnosed with liver cancer, and is in very poor health presently.  He is on chemotherapy at home - a type of chemo which is quite new when applied to this sort of cancer.  He is apparently in much pain.  He has had to quit his job, and his wife, Ginger, is on an extended leave to help care for him.  Please hold them and their family in prayer.

05-02-2008

 

Our friend Dennis has been diagnosed and treated for testicular cancer.  Please hold him in prayer during this very difficult time, as he awaits a determination on the relative success of treatment.

05-04-2008

 

The wife of a Friend who attends regularly continues treatment for cancer.  During a hiatus in chemotherapy, they will be traveling abroad.  Please hold them in prayer, both for her health situation and for their safety in travel.

05-04-2008

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