“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and morning. Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” Joel 2:12-13

A good friend in Seattle recently reminded me recently that our lives of continuous prayer are largely internal – an ongoing conversation with God. Most of our life in prayer is far from visible, and it can take on all kinds of forms: internal conversations, journaling, meditation on the Word, reciting liturgical prayers, speaking in tongues, or singing.

Hopefully, we choose daily to come before the Lord in prayer because we want our hearts to be moved by the things that move God’s heart. Or at least we want to want to. In return, He hears our cry and turns to us. When we choose to press in, He awakens our hearts with love and we can’t live the same way anymore. We push through the hard times because He is worth pursing violently.

Some people are gifted to serve, study the Word, or to evangelize. For others, prayer is what they were created for. The body of Christ does not truly look like Jesus without each one of us operating in our gifting. However, we are all called to be a people of prayer. If we are not, we run the risk of missing the heart of God entirely and ending up burnt out and frustrated or worse. Although praying corporately is not always comfortable or natural, we are drawn closer to one another for having experienced Him together. Fortunately for us, there are numerous ways to join together in prayer at the Salvage Yard.

How to be involved:

• 6:45pm Tuesdays – prayer in the side room before the service
• Prayer for individuals is also held after Tuesday night services on the stage steps.  Contact Jackie Liberto (612-481-7632) if you would like to be on the prayer team that prays for people on a monthly rotating basis.
  
• 1st Tuesdays – extended time of prayer following communion
• Prayparation quarterly (or so) evening of prayer
• All-church prayer chain – pray for emergency needs, informed by phone or e-mail (contact John Fournelle)