Prayer is at the center of our congregational life, and indeed, of all Christian life. Jesus taught us to pray, and the apostles instructed us to pray without ceasing.
Prayer is central to our public worship. We always pray together the Prayer of Jesus (the Lord’s Prayer) and seek to live by its admonitions to surrender to the purposes of God, trust God for our daily needs, seek reconciliation with others, resist evil, and give glory to God in all things.
In our worship gatherings and Bible classes we pray for one another, obeying the gospel word to “weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.”
If you have a prayer request, we encourage you to complete the response form at the bottom of this page and request prayer for yourself or another. God hears and answers our prayers.
Contemplative Prayer
Providence also has a tradition of contemplative prayer.
What is Contemplative Prayer? It is may be described as simply resting in God’s presence; a practice of listening, attentive waiting for God to meet us and be with us. The service includes periods of silence, still in the presence of God. A text is read three times, sometimes in different versions, each followed by one of these instructions: Allow the text to wash over you, choose a phrase or word that has meaning for you, and imagine you are in the text as it is read. This practice is called “Lectio Divina.” Simple music is also part of the prayer experience, and we engage in intercessory prayer for the world, for our nearby world and for ourselves.
St. Theresa said “contemplative prayer . . . means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.”
All are welcome every other Wednesday night at 7 pm. The service is led by former pastor Rev. Gail Coulter. Questions? Use the response form at the bottom of this page to indicate your inquiry or interest in Contemplative Prayer.
“Prayer means that, in some unique way, we believe we are invited into a relationship with Someone who hears us when we speak in silence. here are the two be prayers I know: “Help me, help me, help me,” and “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” (Anne Lamott)
