Good Shepherd Church Seminary Module 13; Your Prayer Life

GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH SEMINARY

MODULE 13

YOUR PRAYER LIFE

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER   

 

It is essential for the priest to be a person of deep prayer and personal integrity. There are different ways you can develop or deepen your spiritual practice and devotion to God.

      1) Make any important decision in your day or night after a quick prayer to God such as ‘God, please help me make the right decision. Thank you.’

      2) Call on the Angels to assist you in your daily and nightly decisions and life. Also, if you are in difficulties or in personal danger, call on the Angels to assist you. Archangel Michael is a powerful helper in times of trouble.

      3) Pray every day for some time. You can pray speaking to God quietly from your own heart. Or your can draw inspiration from reading the Gospels and the Scriptures. You can download or find prayers in the Internet, in prayer books, in churches or church bookstores which speak to your heart and help you to pray.

      4) Pray together with your family, and with your community.

      5) Worship personally and as a community regularly.

      6) Celebrate the Breaking of the Bread – the Eucharist - regularly.

      7) Pray the Lord’s Prayer

      8) Pray universal church prayers

      9) Read spiritually uplifting and enriching books. Keep a small library in your house with a Bible and spiritual books that you find helpful, if possible. Otherwise, ask to enroll at a library which has a good spiritual section, or go to a church near you and ask the pastor or priest to lend you some books from the church library.

      10) Another option is to go online to the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship website at  www.uuchristian.org. This website offers an online chapel where you can spend time in private prayer, lighting a virtual candle. Click on ‘Light a candle’ icon at the lower right of the website page. Then follow the instructions to join the international church of believers at prayer night and day.

      11) The virtual monastery at www.uuchristian.org offer

 - Meditations

-  Prayers

-  Sermons

-  Resources and Liturgies for the Christian Year

-  Bible Study Resources

-  Monastic Schedule

Well known prayers which may assist you as priest for both personal and communal prayer are to be found in Module 4 ‘Prayer for the Priest’ see http://lumierecharity.blogspot.ie/2011/12/module-5-prayer-for-priest.html

Purchase a minister’s handbook with ceremonies and rites in them you find helpful. These are available in the store online at the Universal Life Church Seminary at www.ulcseminary.org

You may also find helpful ministers’ books with examples of church rites and ceremonies which will be a good guideline for you. Let the Spirit guide you to choose the prayers and books which will enable you to best practice your own personal ministry, and develop your unique spiritual personality and gifts.

With thanks to Rev. Ron Robinson or Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship for his gracious permission of the UUCF online chapel and virtual monastery
Image by Rev Catherine Nicolette for use copyright free