Service of Prayer for Healing

Members of Trinity and of the community are invited to come together for another Service of Prayer for Healing. This brief worship service is scheduled for Thursday, September 22nd  at 7:00 pm.

In the past, people have gathered to pray for themselves, their loved ones and others in our community. We have also offered the ancient rite of anointing for healing as part of the service.

A list of people to be prayed for is made available at the beginning of each service. We ask that you write the first names of everyone you would like prayer for on this list, which will then become part of our worship prayer.

What is this service like? Here’s sort of a guided tour of what you might expect to experience when you come to pray for healing:

• when you arrive, there will be a piece of paper on the entrance table. You will be able to write the names of people you would like included in our prayers

• we begin with a hymn

• we hear God’s Word through Scripture readings

• we hear a meditation by the pastor to help us focus on our God’s healing gifts

• we sing another hymn

• we pray a bidding prayer (like what we do in church during our regular worship services when the pastor offers a prayer petition and we respond with ‘hear our prayer’) asking for God’s healing presence in Jesus Christ

• the pastor will lift up the names of all those on the list that we made when coming in

• when the prayers are finished, we then invite those who wish to come forward for special prayers or for anointing with oil (an ancient Christian practice that centers on healing). If you were to come forward, you would be asked to kneel at the altar if you’re able to, or stand if that’s more comfortable, and the pastor will pray for you by name, dip his thumb in the oil (usually frankincense or rose oil), and make the sign of the cross on your forehead similar to what is done on Ash Wednesday except that the oil does not leave a visible trace like the ashes do.

• when the special prayers and anointing are finished, we continue with the Lord’s Prayer

• the worship service of prayer for healing closes with a blessing, a final hymn and silent prayer.

Many of us are in need of healing in one form or another, perhaps healing physically, perhaps healing of our hearts and minds, perhaps healing of our relationships or attitudes. Many more of us know of family and friends who are in need of healing. Come for your own opportunity to experience the healing presence of our Lord, or come to pray for the Lord’s healing of a loved one.