Spiritual: April 17, 2024 Issue [#12515]
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 This week: 24/7 Prayer
  Edited by: Jeff Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter


"Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief."
— C.S. Lewis


About The Editor: Greetings! My name is Jeff Author Icon and I'm one of your regular editors for the official Spiritual Newsletter! I've been a member of Writing.com since 2003, and have edited more than 400 newsletters across the site during that time. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email or the handy feedback field at the bottom of this newsletter! *Smile*


Word from our sponsor

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Letter from the editor

24/7 Prayer


24/7 Prayer (sometimes called "prayer chains") can be a great way to pray for something as a community. It's particularly popular activity during the Lenten season, during Christmas, and around other significant religious days. The idea is to maintain a schedule where someone is praying every hour of the day for a specified period of time. Churches will often have sign-ups so members of the community can cover the entire period of time.

Easter of 2023 was the first time I actually participated in one myself (and immediately jumped into the deep end of the pool by volunteering for the middle of the night and very early morning shifts), and I found it a powerful experience, not just because I was setting aside specific time to pray, but I knew I was praying in community; that I was picking up the baton from the person who had the hour just before me, and I was passing the baton to the person after me when my hour was up.

Prayer can be an incredible difficult rhythm to get into when you're by yourself and trying to self-motivate. If you find yourself experiencing that particular struggle, consider joining a prayer chain with some of your friends or fellow members of your faith community. You don't even have to wait for a special occasion or holiday; prayer chains are also great for individual prayers. Someone who's experiencing a medical emergency, financial distress, or even just the down part of the ups and downs of life can benefit from a chain of people praying over their circumstances!

To set up a prayer chain, all you really need is a place for people to sign-up and see who else has volunteered and when. This could be accomplished with a shared calendar or other document, a sign-up sheet, or a specific individual setting it up and managing it for the other participants. And don't be shy about encouraging the other members of the prayer chain! Just like any other sustained effort, there will be high points and low points in the process, and you don't want to see a break in the prayer chain because someone wasn't able to follow through on their commitment because they didn't have support.

Prayer chains can be an amazing experience for a faith community. If you haven't yet, consider giving one a try! You can even start small: twenty-four hours or even less. In Saxony, the Moravian community of Herrnhut started a prayer chain in 1727 that was rumored to have gone uninterrupted for over 100 years... but you can work up to that. *Wink*

Until next time,

Jeff Author IconMail Icon
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If you're interested in checking out my work:
"New & Noteworthy ThingsOpen in new Window. | "Blogocentric FormulationsOpen in new Window.


Editor's Picks


This month's official Writing.com writing contest is:

 
Quotation Inspiration: Official Contest Open in new Window. [ASR]
Use the quote provided to write a story and win big prizes!
by Writing.Com Support Author Icon


I also encourage you to check out the following items:


 He Came In Dreams Open in new Window. [13+]
Kate and Taylor find each other in their dreams
by Purple Princess Author Icon

EXCERPT: Taylor saw her again. A vision in a flowery purple dress, standing under a tree shading her eyes from the unrelenting sun. He moved closer, wanting. No. Needing to know who she was and why he was so drawn to her. Every step closer his heart pounded harder, throbbing against his rib cage. He felt the sun at his back, a warmth rushing down his spine as he approached. She turned to look up at him.



 Eternal Life Open in new Window. [ASR]
Written for the "Share Your Faith" activity
by NaNotatoGo! Author Icon

EXCERPT: As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we talk about Eternity all the time. It means something different for us than most Christians.



 The cat always knows Open in new Window. [E]
the cat always knows-776 words
by Kevster Author Icon

EXCERPT: In a quiet corner of a suburban street, where daffodils danced in the spring snow, there sat an old baseball glove. It lay forgotten amidst the vibrant blooms, a fragment of childhood games and youthful dreams.

Nearby, a deaf dog named Charlie roamed the neighborhood, unaware of the changing seasons and the fleeting beauty of the flowers. He moved with a sense of gentle curiosity, guided by instincts that vibrated in the air. But it was the cat, a sleek feline with eyes that held ancient wisdom, who truly understood the rhythms of the world. She prowled the streets with a silent attitude, her presence reassuringly watching the chaos of human existence.



 Through the Forest Through the Trees Open in new Window. [E]
The following identifies how to let go of personal criticism to allow for personal growth.
by Gman Author Icon

EXCERPT: From my own experiences I’ve found that wisdom of the human experience can be used as a weapon for anything. Here’s the issue with hashing out your life: you can’t possibly do so honestly since there will always be parts that you’ve overlooked.



 Is there Room Left in the World for God? Open in new Window. [E]
People in our world seem to depend more on themselves than God. Me, myself. and I are real
by G. B. Williams Author Icon

EXCERPT: Is there any room left in the world for God?
Doctors have become miracle workers.
The government has become the primary provider.
Technology is the source of our future.
The internet is the source of our intelligence.
And we, the people, have become consumers of idolatry and folly.
Is there any room left in the world for God?


 
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Ask & Answer


Feedback from "Spiritual Newsletter (March 20, 2024)Open in new Window. about Biblical writing styles:


Hey there, Jeff Author Icon. I found your newsletter to be humorous and enlightening. Being a Christian myself, I've never tried to categorise the Bible into subgenres so that bit did tickle me quite a bit. However, there is so much truth in what you said. Our mortal minds can never understand the vastness of the Scripture. Categorising the Bible would have been the last on my mind, but now that it's brought to our attention, it did give me a different perspective or a new way to look at how people view it. Very enlightening indeed.



IMHO, "old" earthers have less faith in the word. Consider this: God created Adam on the sixth day, correct? So, on day 7, when God rested, Adam was one day old, correct? But, Adam was an adult when he was created. God created him to be so. Given this, could not God also create the earth to appear as old or as young as he wished?
Averren Author Icon



Nicely written, I have always seen the good book from a similar point of view. Not a book of literal history or science, but stories to feed the soul. Written by human hands for human minds, but with divine inspiration. That’s what I choose to believe.



Hello Jeff Author IconMail Icon. This is excellent. I have many times wondered how people believe that the Bible is the ultimate bottom-line word of God. There are so many authors. God may have "guided" their writing, but it wasn't from Him. God didn't choose the stories to put in the Bible, right? Anyway, thank you for a fabulous newsletter and a great reminder of how to "take" the Bible.



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