Prayer is vital to the life of faith. Trinity takes prayer seriously and offers a variety of prayer opportunities as well as classes to explore the depth and breadth of prayer.

"Jesus said: 'Again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.'" (Matthew 18:18_20)

Prayer Chain

Trinity has an active community of people who form the Prayer Chain. It’s called a prayer chain because each person is linked together in prayer concerns passed along to others who commit to praying each day. Prayer requests are kept strictly confidential. You may make prayer requests for the Prayer Chain by contacting the church office.

In addition to individual prayer concerns, the people of the Prayer Chain pray daily for the ministries and missions of Trinity and the greater Christian Church using a guided prayer calendar supplied each month.

Contact Pastor Kurt Jacobsonl for more information

Prayer Stations

Prayer stations are located along the walls and pillars of our Worship Center and serve as a "little pilgrimage." As you move from station to station, you go on a journey of spiritual contemplation.

Prayers for the Congregation

Every Sunday we list requests for prayers in our bulletin for a variety of people, from those celebrating the birth of a baby to prayers of sympathy for those mourning and encouragement for those undergoing medical treatment. Contact Cindy Beck, Ministry Assistant, to include names on this list.

Contact Cindy Beck, Ministry Assistant, for more information

Tips for Making Your Prayer Life Come Alive

Many Christians believe in prayer, but need a jump start. Here are seven ways you can jump start your prayer life in order to grow a more intimate relationship between you and God. Select a couple of them to implement in your life starting this week.

1. Set aside a time and place for daily prayer. This is the single most important thing you can do. When we establish a regular routine for prayer, we will make sure that our prayer life is not just 'on the run', or when our backs are up against the wall, or when our buildings are being brought down by terrorists.
2. Begin your prayer times by slowing down and quieting down. When we come to prayer agitated and stressed, it is especially difficult to hear God's voice and to sense God's presence. Spending a quiet minute or two focusing and breathing deeply can help quiet our minds and spirits and make two-way prayer more probable. Allow for some silence in your life. This silence doesn't have to be long. It can be as short as 30 or 60 seconds to begin with and then gradually extend it to longer times as you get more comfortable with silence and waiting and listening for God.
3. Have a prayer conversation with God. Simply begin a conversation with God, like you might with a good friend. It could go something like this: "Good Morning, Lord. It's Ben. Thanks for loving me today. Here's my situation... This is how I am feeling... This is how I need your help... What should I do? Silence. I am concerned about these people... Because... What should I do? Silence. Lord, guide me in... Thanks, Lord for listening. Help me to have eyes to see and ears to hear how you can guide me in these matters. Thanks God, I am counting on you."
4. Pray the Bible. Take a few moments to read something from the Bible and direct attention toward God. Use a Bible passage you are already familiar with to help you get started praying. Focus on the contents of the Scripture passage and allow it to steer your time spent in prayer. Slowly read a single verse or short passage two or three times. Pause for some silence in between each reading to allow God's word to sink deeply into your heart and mind. Record some of your favorite Bible verses in a notebook and pray with one or more of them when the need arises. All of Scripture does not speak equally to us. Pick out those verses that mean the most to you. Put yourself in the Biblical story and ask God what God might be saying to you about yourself, your life, your priorities, your relationships, your time, your money management -- you.
5. Write out your prayers. Name what is going on in your life. Sometimes simply by naming and articulating what we are thinking, feeling or experiencing - such as "I'm thinking about changing careers" or "I feel lonely" or "I feel hopeless about..." or "I am overwhelmed" can help us gain focus and reclaim a portion of the power our life experiences have drained from us. Writing it down , composing a short prayer and giving it to God can be an empowering ritual. Many people find keeping a prayer journal to be a helpful discipline.
6. Recall how God has helped you in the past. God told Israel over and over to "Remember how the Lord God brought you out of bondage in Egypt." It is as we remember the past saving acts of God that we gain greater trust in God's power and love. And so Jesus says "Eat the bread in memory of me." When we are caught up in our stress, pain or suffering, it is easy to forget how God has helped us in the past. The trials of life can cause us to lose perspective and weaken our sense of trust in God's caring presence. But as we remember how God has helped us in the past we can be filled with hope for today and tomorrow. "O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come."
7. Develop a Prayer Rolodex. Put together a rolodex with names of them. Use either 7 or 30 cards. On each card put together a short list of people and then take one card each day and pray for the people on the list. A short list allows you to go deeper into prayer for each person and yet keeps several people in your prayers every day. If you use seven cards, you have one for each day of the week. If you use 30, you have one for each day of the month.

Are these 7 ways the only ways to pray? Of course not! They are simply some tools you can use to jump start or beef up your prayer life. Pick a couple of them to implement in your life starting this week. How you pray isn't important. What is important is that each of us prays every day.

Prayer Links

The following web sites provide further information and resources on prayer:

• Moravian Daily Texts
  Throughout its history the Moravian church has provided daily scriptural verses intended to act as a contemplative theme for the day.
  • www.dailytext.com provided by Mount Carmel Retreat Center lists the appointed Moravian texts for each day.
• ELCA Prayer Web site
  This new resource from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America provides a treasure trove of information on prayer as well as many resources on various prayer disciplines.
• Gratefulness
  This beautiful web site offers numerous articles on the dynamics of a grateful heart and suggests many practices to implement which will foster gratefulness.
• Spiritual Practices
  This site displays articles on spiritual practices. The site is updated weekly and offers new suggestions. Periodically they will offer e-classes on various prayer practices.