Chapter Seven In All Things, Pray First! Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:6-7 Prayer is the starting place for every ministry. Creating a vital congregational care ministry starts with prayer. That being said, sometimes we take the power of prayer for granted. Every church and pastor have some basic ideas about the importance of prayer. Prayer is the means by which people expect the pastor to connect with God, yet so many times pastors are reticent to say, “I’d like to pray for you now. Would that be OK?” As leaders we should model and teach prayer as our key tool for care ministry. Please allow me the opportunity to pray for you as we begin the chapter on prayer together: O healing God, we give you thanks for the opportunity to serve your people. We give you thanks for appointing us to this holy task. Yet we do not know and are unsure of how to prioritize needs and create the systems that will best meet those needs. So Lord, I pray for everyone who is starting this journey. Give them courage and strength to know that you will guide them. Please provide them with vision, understanding, and resources. Help them not be afraid to ask for help from you and others. In all of this, we give you the praise as we point your people to your healing grace and love. In Christ’s name. Amen. Transformation and Restoration Prayer lifts us up and out of the chaos of the moment to a different reality. That reality is where we connect with God and where restoration can happen. Prayer creates a holy and sacred space. Prayer Is a Powerful Tool ​in person -​public space -​private space ​on the phone ​in an email ​in a handwritten note When They Don’t Have the Words ​intercede for them with prayer (Romans 8:26-27) ​model and teach them how to pray Prayer, at its simplest, is talking to God. There is nothing magic in prayer—no specific formulas you have to follow or words you have to say. There are some things that make prayer easier, but the whole goal is to open ourselves up to God and share whatever is on our hearts with God. Prayer can be silent or out loud; it can be in a group, or solo. We pray out of gratitude for good things, or out of mourning for lost things—or even screaming prayers of anguish for troubling things. Sometimes we pray to change God’s mind—we ask God for miracles, and sometimes they do happen. Other times, we pray . . . and we hear silence. But we find that even when God doesn’t answer how we want, that God’s presence begins to strengthen us for what is coming. I’ve prayed for hundreds, maybe thousands of people when they were sick, or in hospitals—I can think of a few times when the person miraculously got better, and some who significantly outperformed the diagnosis . . . but most of the time, my prayer is for God to walk alongside the individual and family to provide strength, comfort, and assurance. Even Jesus didn’t always get his first request, yet he was always seeking God’s highest purposes. Shortly before he would be betrayed, tried, and eventually crucified, [Jesus] went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. (Luke 22:39-44 NRSV, emphasis added) We pray for the times when it will get better, and also for God to be present in the times when it won’t; for God’s presence with the person, and the person’s family, and the doctors, and so on. Prayer invites God’s presence to suffuse our spirits; God’s will to prevail in our lives. Prayer might not bring water to parched fields, nor mend a broken bridge, nor rebuild a ruined city. But prayer can water an arid soul, mend a broken heart, rebuild a weakened will. —Rabbi Ferdinand Isserman Our prayers connect us and others to God. Sometimes miracles come—and always God hears our prayers. Learning to Pray Aloud Learning to pray aloud, and to be comfortable doing so, requires practice and some discipline, and sometimes just courage to do it as the Spirit leads you. All CCMs and key care leaders should be encouraged to pray out loud with others when appropriate. Many people are reluctant to pray out loud in a group or even with one other person. It is estimated that 75 percent of the population suffers from at least some glossophobia—the fear of public speaking. As leaders we encourage one another to practice praying publicly so that the ministry of the laity can be more fully unleashed. The following tools contain detailed information for training CCMs, congregants, volunteers, and staff about praying out loud and through other means such as through an email, on the phone, or through other written correspondence. Key activities to help one learn how to pray aloud include: ​understanding different forms of prayer, ​writing extemporaneous prayers, and ​finding inspiration and language for written prayers. Understanding Different Forms of Prayer For most people, having an understanding of the elements of prayer is helpful. As you develop your own style of prayer, you will find yourself not covering all of the different parts of the different prayer styles every single time you pray. Just being genuine and connecting people to God is the primary goal. Three different styles of prayer include ACTS, Collects, and Praying Scripture. ACTS ACTS is a multi-subject prayer model that covers many various aspects of prayer. It is based on the acronym for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication, and it provides a helpful and easy-to-remember framework for praying. You may use your own words, moving through the ACTS categories. Here are some scripture references that illustrate the scriptural and theological roots of this prayer model: Adoration “Let my whole being bless the LORD! / LORD my God, how fantastic you are! You are clothed in glory and grandeur!” —Psalm 104:1 Confession “For this reason, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve.” —James 5:16 Thanksgiving “Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.” —Colossians 3:17 Supplication “We pray our prayers for help to you, not because of any righteous acts of ours but because of your great compassion.” —Daniel 9:18 The Collect A collect (pronounced câh-lect) is a one-subject prayer that comes from Christian traditions in which worship is more formally structured, such as the Catholic, Anglican, Episcopal, and Lutheran traditions. It is a short general prayer of a particular structure. The Book of Common Prayer has many collects in the text. Many times, the words and phrases flow together into one poetic thought. The collect is especially useful to the pastor or caregiver to pray before entering a hospital room or before meeting with a congregant. For example, in The Book of Common Prayer under the section addressing visitation of the sick, one collect reads: “O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayers, and grant to thy servant the help of thy power, that his sickness may be turned into health, and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” Notice the simplicity and how it works: The collect has six parts: 1.​Invocation: Call upon God by name. It can be simple, as in “Dear God,” or more complex, such as “Breath of Life.” 2.​Attribute of God: Name an attribute of God that fits the petition. In the visitation prayer for the sick, the attribute is “the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers.” 3.​Petition: What one thing only are you asking God to do? In the visitation prayer it is “mercifully accept our prayer and grant thy servant help.” 4.​Purpose: The “so that” or anticipated result. In our prayer it is that the “sickness may be turned into health, and sorrow into joy.” 5.​Closing: This is a praise word or the basis for asking, as in “through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” 6.​Affirmation: “Amen.” “So be it.” “Let it be.” Those who are listening can join in saying this. Example: “Dear Creator God, who healed people who were sick in body and spirit, heal Mary from shingles and reduce her pain, so that she can serve you better and care for her family. With grateful hearts we pray, in Jesus’s name. Amen.” This type of prayer is such a helpful element of daily care calls because it helps you meet each person with an understanding of the importance of the minutes you have with them. It allows you to express their deepest concerns. One addition that is always helpful in this model is to add an expression of gratitude or thankfulness to God. Praying Scripture One of the beautiful practices a pastor or care volunteer can learn and use is the blending of scripture with prayer. If you have ever read any of the great essays of theologians, you can see how the words of scripture seem to flow easily out of them into their writings or prayers. When you know your scriptures, that is exactly what begins to happen as we pray with people. A scripture text will come to your mind and you find the words flowing out. People recognize these scriptures and many times these prayers can be such a help. ​Read a scripture aloud slowly. ​Pause in silence. Contemplate the passage. What is God saying? (If nothing, that’s OK. Not all verses speak all the time.) How would you paraphrase this passage? ​Read the passage aloud again. Pause in silence. ​Write down the portion that stops you because it touches your heart. ​Write your response to the portion of the reading that touched you. You may turn it into a simple prayer. ​Read Psalm 46 to a congregant, specifically the words of “Be still, and know that I am God!” (v. 10 NRSV); you can incorporate that scripture into the prayer with something like, “Lord God, help us quiet ourselves that we might truly hear what you are speaking into our lives, so that no matter what happens we can be assured that you are with us.” ​At a bedside reading of the Twenty-Third Psalm (v. 4 NRSV), you can appropriately use the words “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me.” Other scriptures that you can easily commend to prayer are Isaiah 43:1 (NRSV), “Don’t fear”; Jeremiah 29:11 (NRSV), “I know the plans I have in mind for you”; 1 Peter 5:7 (NRSV), “Throw all your anxiety onto him, because he cares about you.” When you have a few of these scriptures in your repertoire and dwell on them in your own prayer time, you can easily weave the words of scripture into your prayers. This adds another dimension to the gift of prayer that you share with people. Writing Extemporaneous Prayers Writing prayers down on paper is one of the best ways to begin to learn how to pray out loud. Just because your prayer is not extemporaneous does not mean that it is not a heartfelt prayer. Writing out prayers helps clarify and organize your thoughts. It is also a spiritual discipline that helps you grow in prayer. It is also helpful to know that the prayers that you write are replicable. If you are called upon to pray without any preparation, you can use one of the prayers that you have written or have said many times over and over. A good example of this is praying at the hospital bedside. If you visit people in the hospital, your prayer for one person or another will most likely be similar. You do not have to come up with an original prayer for each new person. While intercessory prayer for someone else is essential there are other types of written prayers that don’t ask God for anything, but simply express to God what is going on in your heart. God knows you in entirety and your thoughts and feelings are important to God. Many times such prayers can be written and expressed in a prayer journal. It can be a very cathartic action to write or type your prayers. This can become a way of releasing your fears and anxiety. Encouraging others to write their prayers can be a very helpful tool for their healing. Sometimes writing prayers may include a scripture such as a psalm or words of scripture that inspire. Psalm 139:1-4 is one such example: “Lord, you have examined me. You know me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up. Even from far away, you comprehend my plans. You study my traveling and resting. You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways. There isn’t a word on my tongue, Lord, that you don’t already know completely.” Two other examples of prayers from the Psalms that express deep emotion are Psalm 8 (a psalm of praise) and Psalm 13 (a psalm of lament). ​Notice the many emotions that these psalms express. ​Compare and contrast the psalms using different translations or paraphrases. ​See how different translations of the Bible reveal different nuances of emotion. Notice how Psalm 8 praises the goodness and grandeur of God, and then how Psalm 13 cries out to God in anger and frustration in the midst of pain and suffering, but at the end the psalmist expresses God’s faithfulness through hard times. Psalms of lament typically end their cries of sadness by changing perspective and recalling the goodness of God. Using a blank sheet of paper, spend the next two minutes writing a prayer like a letter to God. Write whatever emotions you are feeling or whatever you would express to God using everyday language. Finding Inspiration for Prayers It is not “cheating” to write down a prayer or to use a composed prayer from a source other than your own head and heart. If a written prayer expresses what you want to say, then it becomes your own also. A beautifully written prayer can be a good way to begin a circle of group prayer, say grace before meals, give comfort during an illness or following a great loss. Ready-made prayers like the Lord’s Prayer or the Twenty-Third Psalm can resonate deeply within a person’s memory. On D-Day the soldiers waiting in the boats to go ashore joined together in the Lord’s Prayer. Patients who are suffering from memory loss will be able to call up these prayers. Begin to develop your own library of prayer books that inspire you with their words and tone. Many times such books will help give you words before you walk into particular situations. Don’t be afraid to search the internet for prayers, particularly for a special occasion. You may find a prayer you want to use “as is,” or inspiration that can help you write your own prayer. Looking through the different sources can inspire you to find appropriate words that will distinguish people of other denominations and faiths. Key Ways to Receive and Extend Prayer Four distinct ways to receive and extend prayer include: ​prayer requests received from worship and online requests, ​note writing, ​prayer vigils and holy spaces, and ​self-care. Prayer Requests in the Bulletin or Online These are so important to the congregation, and the logistical nature of prayer request intake is addressed in the documentation chapters. Whether a person has a new baby, faces a life-threatening disease, or sends a loved one off to war, people want to enlist their community of faith to pray with them. Confidentiality is always a high priority as the church seeks to be highly sensitive to the needs of the faith family and the community. Note Writing Note writing has become a lost courtesy in today’s instant messaging world. A handwritten note shows the reader that you care enough about him or her to invest in writing a personal note. To get started, create a rough draft of what you want to say. Think about what you might say in a face-to-face conversation, and then write it down. 1.​Pray first! Ask God to give you his thoughts and attitude about the person and situation. Ask God to use your words to bless the person to whom you are writing. 2.​Include the date or day of the week in the upper right-hand corner of the note. 3.​Start the note with “Dear ____________________,” rather than “hello” or “hi.” 4.​If the note is based on a prayer request, thank the person for submitting the request. 5.​Acknowledge the loss, health concern, addiction, or other problem mentioned in the prayer request. 6.​Express your sympathy for the loss of a loved one, your concern about a health situation, or other issues. 7.​Try to put yourself in the position of the one receiving the note. What would you want someone to say to you? 8.​Be brief. Keep the note simple. Use short sentences and descriptive words. 9.​As the Spirit leads, give a scripture reference or verse to encourage him or her. 10.​Avoid trite phrases such as “it’s all for the best,” “give it time,” “your mother is in a better place” (even if that is true). Also avoid attributing the loss or problem as God’s will. 11.​Your words reflect your theology. 12.​Assure people they are not alone. Tell them they are in your thoughts and prayers. Offer specific help, such as whom to call for additional prayer or guidance. 13.​Close your note with “in Christ’s love,” “Grace and peace,” or simply, “Blessings.” Useful Phrases for Notes Condolences Sympathy on the loss of your dear_________. We are/I am praying for you. We are available to walk with you on this journey. Condolence after a Long Illness We believe that ________________ is whole and happy and with God. We believe that ________________ was welcomed into heaven. We believe _______________ heard, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Please call if you are having a rough time. Holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions may be hard to get through. Health May you feel the loving touch of Jesus, the Healer. Praying you will recover and resume normal activity. Praying you will recover after rehab, either in- or outpatient (e.g., in the case of stroke, joint replacement, etc.). Praying for a speedy and uneventful recovery. Please give yourself time to heal. Remember to be patient and kind to yourself. We are looking forward to seeing you back in worship (choir, Sunday school, Bible study, etc.). Prayer Vigils and Holy Spaces These are wonderful ways to draw people together to pray. A church might consider having two major vigils each year, one on Thanksgiving and the other on Good Friday. ​Start the vigil early in the morning and continue through the evening. ​Set up a welcome table outside the appointed site for the vigil. Decorate with a either a cross, candles, or seasonal flowers, or all of these. Lay out prayer guides for adults and children. Have prayer walk maps and guides available. Ask CCMs and staff to volunteer to serve at this table throughout the vigil in two-hour shifts. ​Encourage small groups, Sunday school classes, or families to pray together. ​Incorporate a short noontime program and end the day with a meaningful closing service. ​Plan a prayer walk either in the church or around the church property, or both, with prayer stations and a prayer walk guide. ​Print out names of congregants individually or as families. This may take two or three or fifty sheets of paper, depending on the size of your congregation. Give one sheet of names to each person attending the vigil, with instructions to pray for those on the list. The sheet should be initialed and returned to the welcome table. Create holy spaces that encourage prayer. To learn more about holy spaces, visit other churches in your area to see strategic places set aside for prayer. If possible, have a special space set aside from the main sanctuary that is available daily for prayer or Communion. Other possibilities include: ​Consider building a prayer wall in a quiet outdoor space that is protected from the wind and direct public view. Provide a bench or chairs. Encourage people to tuck written prayers between the stones. Have a staff member collect those requests for the covenant prayer team. ​Supply an indoor holy space with Bibles, writing materials, prayer guides, candles, and chairs. ​Provide reading materials that provide guidance regarding life issues, such as grief, miscarriage, divorce, unemployment, and so on. Self-Care through Prayer Personal Prayer Lists As you begin to take on the duties of care, you will quickly recognize that the care will not have an off button. Once you know a person or family is walking through a challenging time, you will feel connected to their situation. As this mental list begins to grow, write down your list of prayer concerns. This allows you to actually note what their concerns might be and hopefully will help you release your concerns to God. For instance: ​If you know that a family is dealing with an impending death, you can begin to intentionally pray for that family’s well-being. ​If there is a particular member of the family who seems to be dealing with guilt of unresolved issues, your prayers can provide guidance and strength for you as the caregiver about how you might lean into the situation, or perhaps be on guard so that you are not pulled into the cycle of guilt. ​Most important, pray for God’s unconditional love and grace to be poured out over each situation. Prayer is a powerful tool in this way. Remember that God is always acting and we do not have to over-function. God is the Savior. Allow God to work in God’s perfect timing. Prayer Practice for Self-care In all of these ways that we have talked about prayer, we have not emphasized enough how important it is for us to wait upon God for our own self-care. Do you find yourself bogged down with the decisions and burdens of ministry? Taking personal devotion time to connect with God seems to be a common problem that weary caregivers skip over. Your prayer life is vitally important to your total welfare. You are hardwired for your response to be either fight-or-flight. This keeps you safe when danger appears. However, you don’t want to stay in that mode; rather, you need to pray and release anxieties. Prayer and meditation allow you to make an intentional shift away from those emotions that can keep you wound up tight in an unhealthy place. Ask yourself: ​When do you sit silently before God? ​How much time do you spend in quiet prayer, clearing your mind and waiting for God to speak? No doubt Jesus understood how important his prayer time was as he experienced the rigors of ministry. We remember the story of Jesus in a crowd of people when he feels the power being drawn from him as a woman touches his garment. In our daily ministries we will come into contact with a multitude of needs and issues to be addressed. Like Jesus, we will feel the energy being drained from us. Yet we can also feel the power being shared with us as Jesus moves past us and we reach out for the hem of his garment. When we look at the example of Jesus, we find him regularly going to the garden, the mountaintop, the wilderness, and the lakeshore to reconnect with God through prayer. We may not have the luxury of going to the garden, but we might find a quiet place in our closet or at our kitchen table with a candle burning. We must build a disciplined life of prayer to be able to do this healing ministry. About eight years ago, I found myself really depleted from the daily demands of ministry. One of our CCMs who is a professional counselor encouraged me to talk to someone who had taught meditation throughout the city. I have to confess I put it off for a while (too busy, right?), but the first time we met I knew that whatever she had I needed. There was a sense of peace and grace within her that was nearly palpable. We have been meeting every Wednesday since I first met her. This disciplined life of prayer has revived my ministry. The prayer practices that we share remind me so much of the language that we find in the Gospel of John. Below is one such practice. A few simple steps before you begin the prayer include: ​Sit for a moment in silence. Take four deep breaths. Breathe slowly and deeply from your abdomen. Fill your lungs. Shallow breathing increases tension; deep breathing relaxes. ​What is the name of God that brings you greatest comfort (God, Jesus Christ, Father, Creator, Holy One, and so on)? ​What is your greatest need (peace, strength, hope, healing, guidance, comfort, love)? ​Combine the answers into a breath prayer for yourself. ​Take several deep breaths, focusing on your breathing. ​With your eyes closed, combine the name (breathe in) with the request (breathe out). Breath Prayer Practice A four-step personal breath prayer practice is a prayer tool to help anyone who is in ministry or those going through a challenge. Many times humans begin to hold their stress, fear, anxiety or pain in their bodies. The Breath Prayer allows you to name those negative emotions and then release them through the breath practice in step three. Plan to spend about five minutes on each segment, and perhaps a bit more on the last one. Give yourself twenty to twenty-five minutes for this exercise. Build this prayer practice into your daily disciplines for twenty-one days and you will find yourselves developing a new habit. This practice can offer healing spiritually, physically and mentally! 1. I acknowledge my feelings, Remembering we are all human. Am I feeling angry, resentful, fearful, anxious, and so on? What are the lower emotions that I usually have? Just be aware, don’t judge. Do these emotions serve God, others, yourself? 2. In this moment, I am feeling _________. But this is not who I am. I am not this anger, resentment, fear, and so forth. I am a child of God. My soul is connected to God. I can choose to be different. I choose to distance myself from the lower emotions. 3. Focus on your breath. Breathe in and hold. Breathe out and hold. Visualize your breath as the light of Christ coming into your body. The light comes into your mind, your eyes, your mouth. The light goes down into your throat, heart, stomach, and out into your arms and legs. The light of Christ expands in your center as you hold your breath and then release it. Hold the focus on the light. 4. Visualize yourself as light, then do the same with peace, love, joy, grace, and compassion. Take time to center yourself in each of these higher attributes. Breathe in each attribute fully and slowly. Visualize yourself walking into any situation carrying God’s light, love, peace, grace, joy, and compassion. I am light, love, peace, joy, grace, compassion. I fully surrender myself to God. Breathe in and out. The purpose of experiencing silence in prayer is to welcome God’s presence, allowing the divine light to dwell in you more fully. Other tips to help you develop your personal prayer practice: ​Find places where you can remove yourself to be alone and un-distracted. Turn off phones, music, and any other noise-making device. Resolve not to respond to a knock on the door, the chime of emails, or that overwhelming urge to clean your closets or attic. ​Set a timer for twenty minutes. ​Take time to become completely silent in your head and spirit. Concentrate on your own breath or the sound of wind moving past you. Do not think in words or pray, just enter into God’s presence and sit quietly. ​Silent prayer is a time to take the focus away from yourself, your needs, and your petitions—even for other people. You need to be quiet and experience sitting with the Holy Spirit, turning your mind to the light of Christ. Acknowledge negative emotions and visualize dropping them into a fire. Do not dwell on them or try to name them—just take the feeling and get rid of it. ​Let your arms rise above your head as the light of Christ rises up in you. Then let your arms spread open as the light of Christ flows out of you. Repeat this step several times. Experience yourself embodying light. ​At the end of twenty minutes, end your silence in praise and thanksgiving for God’s presence in your life and in this time together. My prayer for you, dear ones, is to take time with God. Give God space and time to truly speak into your life. Use your breath prayer during those times. As you sit quietly, become aware of that peace, joy, or love that you requested. Breathe it in. When we take this important time, we receive what we need to be sustained in caring ministry. We are able to hear God say, “All is well.” Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. —John 14:27a Practice Time! If you are reading this as part of a team or group, pray for one another. Break up into groups of five, and pray for one another. You can go in a circle and pray for the person to your right, or you can do it popcorn style, whatever works for your group. Pray for the weekend, for the person’s gifts and that they may use the gifts God has given them, or pray for something going on in their life. But spend time in prayer. Debrief afterward. BEST PRACTICES Prayer of preparation: before every counseling session, pastors and CCMs are encouraged to pray. This prayer of preparation allows you to care for yourself spiritually, emotionally, and mentally, as you understand the rigors of such a session. This gift to yourself must not be neglected! The Redemptive Force of Prayer Redemption means the act of restoring. The importance of prayer for redemption in all situations is primary. Let me illustrate through a personal story: my own need of prayer. Redemption Story: Karen’s Story Easter Sunday had finally arrived. That morning promised to be one of the best Easter Sundays ever for our church. The weather was exceptional, spring break was over, and the sports schedule was minimal. However, the week before had been brutal in other ways. Our department tended to the needs of eight families in the congregation who had experienced a death. For three of those funerals, I had been the lead pastor to attend to the services and the families. On Easter Sunday, I felt charged for the day, but I have to say I was running on near-empty. I arrived at the church before our earliest service at 7:00 a.m., parked along the far edges of the parking lot, and began to walk toward the church. My robe, stole, two clean shirts, two pairs of shoes, and two bags of other needed items filled my arms. As I walked briskly—nearly breaking into a jog—I felt myself begin to stumble. As I continued at my quick pace, I completely lost my balance and went face-first toward the pavement. The left side of my face ate gravel and my glasses gave way. I thought, “This is not good.” Lying there, I hoped someone had seen the fall, yet in my embarrassment, I also hoped no one had seen me plummet. I picked myself up and quickly realized blood was coming from my mouth and nose, and I had scrapes up to my left eye. I was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital. The prayers that occurred in between the time the accident happened until I returned home around 1:00 p.m. revealed something about prayer and the restoration that happens through the redemptive process. Here briefly are a number of prayers that someone said for me or I said for someone else that Easter morning: •​The medical doctor who volunteers his care for our congregation during worship services prayed for me and I prayed for him. •​Our pastors came and prayed over me individually before I was taken to the hospital. •​On the way to the hospital I prayed for the young EMT in the ambulance who told me she and her partner could not find a welcoming church. •​I prayed with the custodian in the ER who said he was working three jobs and would not make it to church on Easter Sunday. •​My husband and I prayed with the young man who shared our large room in the ER. He shouted that he was scared and asked us to open the curtain separating us. Whenever someone was praying for me or I was praying for someone else, we were in the act of restoring. We were transcending the chaos of the moment and connecting with God—where restoration can happen. That crazy Easter morning that I will never forget was full of opportunities for people to be touched by God’s love—including me! After that morning, I received many calls, cards, social media messages, and emails from people telling me they were praying for me. I truly believe those prayers accounted for why I healed so quickly. Assessing Your Community As a CCM, you are going to go into people’s homes, hospital rooms, and funeral homes and sit at gravesites and walk with people through the deepest hells they have experienced. This is holy and important work. Prayer is your most important tool. ​What is your daily prayer routine? ​What does it mean for you to pray without ceasing? ​What routine activities might give you daily prompts to pray? ​Enlist a colleague or trusted congregant to discuss: -​Your content and prayer strategy. -​What is working? -​Why do you think it is working? -​What is not working? -​How can that be improved? -​Name steps for designing a strategy to follow on prayer requests. ​Do you have a prayer team that regularly follows up prayer requests? -​If not, how could you develop one? -​How could your ministry benefit from an increased focus on prayer? -​When have you seen redemption happen though a personal illness or injury?