We started this thing last summer called Prayer Partners. The idea came from another UCC church (thanks, guys!). About a hundred people signed up one Sunday morning to get matched with someone else, making the promise that they would touch base once a week and (gasp!) pray for the other person. I've gotta tell you, I'm a believer in this Prayer Partner deal. No meetings, minutes, no maintenance, no money involved . . . just a simple thing called prayer. And what a difference it's made.
So far, I've heard these stories:
* A husband who was looking for work for months found a full-time job.
* A church member who was experiencing a painful mis-communication with another church member found the problem resolved itself within 24 hours of her partner's prayer.
* A teenager who was really struggling with depression decided to pursue treatment.
* A woman whose husband has been in hospice care for several months found support that enabled her to say goodbye to him.
* A newcomer to our community and our congregation found strength through a prayer partner, since she still hasn't developed a good support system in the Chicago area. She was able to ask for prayers for health concerns and family issues.
Bill McKibben writes about the importance of deep relationships in his book Deep Economy. "Americans have a surplus of individualism and a deficit of companionship. Having connections with others is much better than having more money." Prayer Partners are good news for those of us living through a financial recession.
Oh yeah, I'm a believer.
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