Let Us Pray Winter 2023
Once again this year we will be gathering virtually each month on the third Monday of the month, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, to hear from a variety of speakers and to spend some time together in prayer.
Winter 2023 Schedule
- January 16th: Let Us Pray Gets Personal with members of the AFP Executive sharing the role of prayer in their lives and what prayer has meant to them. Within our hour together we will also be having time for breakout groups and for praying together.
- February 20th: Inspiration to Prayer, Books and Other Supports. This gathering will be an opportunity to hear from you, about those books on prayer and practices that have been meaningful to you! Perhaps it was something you’ve come across recently, or a favourite from long time ago, no matter, if it inspired you, we want to hear about it!
- March 20th: Primate Fred on St Columba Our former Primate Fred will be joining us in Lent to speak about St Columba, an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist who founded the important abbey on Iona, which became a dominant religious and political institution in the region for centuries.
- April 17th: Dr. Michael Harvey on the ACORN Program – Michael Harvey will join us from England to share his prayer program of invitation, ACORN. The ACORN program is a small group process that supports and encourages folks to view their prayer as becoming aware of God’s nudges to reach out. By following these nudges we are extending the presence of God in the world, transforming both ourselves and others as we extend care and compassion.
- May 15th: Bishop Riscylla Shaw on Praying in a New Heaven and a New Earth
- June 19th: Prayer from the Primate’s Perspective. We are so pleased that Archbishop Linda will be able to be with us in June. Join us as we hear the Primate’s perspective on the different aspects of prayer in her life and ministry.
The New Zoom link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87388880778?pwd=YWNXalB4ZUJaMG5HRlM0ZnVWMlgvZz09
Zoom Meeting ID: 873 8888 0778; Passcode: 997550
OR join by phone; find your local number: Zoom International Dial-In Numbers
We look forward to seeing you there.
Video On Demand
Perhaps you were not able to attend the monthly Let Us Pray session, or perhaps you enjoy them so much you’d like to share them with others? Well, now you can!
Edited recordings of our sessions will be available to you online approximately one week after the original live session. These videos will not contain any personal details of participants, but will isolate the presentation portion of the session, for use in your parish, deanery or Diocese. A perfect resource for a prayer gathering any time it suits your schedule.
To get things started, we recommend the Praying With Icons session, presented by Archbishop Anne Germond, which was recorded in June of 2022.
Praying during a Pandemic
By Paul Dumbrille. In times of crisis, Prayer Matters. In this pandemic period people are turning to prayer. One small indication that people are praying more than usual, is that the number of people visiting this Anglican Fellowship of Prayer website has increased as rapidly as the COVID-19 virus pandemic has progressed. Is this an … Continue reading “Praying during a Pandemic”
In a Time of Virus, Fear and Economic Meltdown
Almighty God, we pray for those who have died of the coronavirus; for those who are sick, and for those who are afraid of getting sick. Be the shepherd of your people, O Lord, we pray. In the midst of such uncertainty, we wonder how to keep ourselves, our families, our companies and our churches … Continue reading “In a Time of Virus, Fear and Economic Meltdown”
For those who are unable to physically receive communion
The Reverend Nils Chittenden, Rector of St. Stephen’s Church in Armonk, New York, shared a beautiful prayer from the Anglican Church of South Africa for those who are unable to physically receive communion. He writes, “In apartheid South Africa, many prisoners were denied the sacraments and had to find other ways of taking Spiritual Communion. … Continue reading “For those who are unable to physically receive communion”
We pray today for all those suffering from COVID-19, and especially today for those struggling to find support:
Father of all, you call us to be generous to one another, and to recognise in their faces the true image of your Son. Give us grace that as individuals, and as a whole society, that in this time of great need we may minister friendship and support in ways that are safe to all … Continue reading “We pray today for all those suffering from COVID-19, and especially today for those struggling to find support:”
Lockdown
Yes there is fear. Yes there is isolation. Yes there is panic buying. Yes there is sickness. Yes there is even death. But, They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise You can hear the birds again. They say that after just a few weeks of quiet The sky is no longer … Continue reading “Lockdown”
In Time of Calamity
O most mighty and merciful God, in this time of hurricanes, fires, earthquakes and viruses, we flee to you for succor. Deliver the people, we beseech you, from their peril; give strength and skill to all those who minister to the needy; prosper the means of their safety; and grant that, perceiving how frail and … Continue reading “In Time of Calamity”
Come Pray With Us
The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer (Canada) exists to encourage and enable the ministry of prayer in Canada. It is inclusive of all forms of expressions of Christian church life, whether they be lay or clerical, catholic or evangelical, monastic or secular, formal or informal. AFP (Canada) seeks to be a teaching resource to assist both individuals and congregations to grow in the life of prayer. It seeks to increase and strengthen the companionship of Christian prayer throughout the world.
To learn more, please visit our Come Pray With Us Page.
What is Prayer?
Prayer is effective communication with God: effective because it involves the release of energy and because it gets something done; communication because while it makes use of words it is more than words, and because it is not a monologue but a dialogue. God not only supplies the energy which makes the entire process possible, but also is the party at th other end of the line.
Prayer is at the centre of the spiritual life of a Christian. It is connecting and communicating with God. It is the essence of our relationship with God. Prayer is a privilege, not a duty. Like all good things it requires some discipline.
There are as many ways of praying as there are individuals. Our personalities and life experiences influence how we pray, and there are many different Types of Christian Prayer.
Why should we pray?
Because we are told to (I Thess. 5:17)! Because human experience teaches us that prayer a source of understanding and strength, a unifying force and a means of growth. Because by it we can help others (II Cor. 1:6), and because it is a way to the healing of minds, bodies, human relationships and the inner self. In prayer the center of living is shifted from ourselves to God.
How do we know that our prayers are being heard?
A certain way of knowing that our prayers are being heard is by their results. The results of prayer include not only what God may do by way of His personalized, compassionate response, but also direct influence related to the outreach of prayer-power, and not infrequently new attitudes and understanding on the part of the one who prays. In other words, the results of prayer fall into three categories: they are ‘heard’ when God intervenes, ‘productive’ as the release of mental energy (a physically measurable phenomenon) affects situations, and ‘therapeutic’ as change occurs within ourselves. We should remember that God’s concern is never less than our own (Matt. 6:8) and that, whatever may happen, we are never beyond the reach of God’s personal love (Matt. 6:26).
Writing and Sharing Prayers
The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer invites Churches across Canada to learn about writing and sharing prayers.
We invite you to share your prayers in posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Tutorial videos are available for setting up Instagram and Twitter accounts.
