Praying With Intention

By Rev. Derek Dunwoody

Have you ever wondered about how much of an improvement is made by your prayers for the sick, distressed and oppressed? In the great scheme of things we may never know or at least not until we pass from this earthly realm into a wider and deeper reality. However, when we pray for those whose names are mentioned in, say, the “Prayers of the People” during the Eucharist, it raises interest in knowing just how powerful prayers for healing might be.

In her recent book “The Intention Experiment”, Lynne McTaggart has drawn together a most encouraging body of evidence that supports the effectiveness of prayers for healing, not only for individuals but also for distressed communal situations. The writer cites many scientific experiments and investigations that clearly indicate that these prayers are a meld of deep compassionate spirituality and applied scientific realities of the human mind and body.

McTaggart is an assiduous investigative U.S. journalist living in the United Kingdom whose research into medical malpractice, medicare systems, and the emerging acceptance of the reality of quantum science applications in every aspect of human life has won her wide acclaim. Her books make for riveting reading and I highly recommend them all, but in particular the one mentioned above.

In “The Intention Experiment” the author describes how Attention, Compassion, and Intention are essential for effective intercessory prayer. She does mention other desirable conditions but I think that these three are the most important and are the most easily recognized even by conventional Christians. At this point I should mention that the qualities of the Intention she describes are much more focused than just wishful thinking, being more like a laser beam of healing light.

As I reflected on the content of the book I began to think about the Sunday by Sunday “Prayers of the People” at St John’s and especially of those for those who are sick, distressed, or suffering from some other form of dis-ease. Given the time constraints and the need for a reasonable amount of confidentiality, the Intercessors do the best they can by their reverent and graceful ministry. Nonetheless, as far as the sick and distressed are concerned, this is simply, in terms of healing prayer, far less than these suffering people need. Most of us do not know these people nor even recognize many of the names. Yet it is possible that the congregation may be the only prayer support these people are receiving. I have heard this well-meaning traditional prayer described as “the Things To Do list for God”, for God to plough through during His/Her Monday morning coffee!

I’m wondering how we might institute a Healing Prayer Ministry in our parish, both to broaden the Ministry of Healing already in operation, and also to match the compassionate and active ministries our parish provides for the socially and culturally marginalized in Victoria and the wider Anglican Communion? I do have a suggestion for consideration. It is based on effective healing prayer ministry that I have seen in other Provinces of the Anglican Communion and in Canadian parishes of which I have been Rector. This arrangement not only benefits those for whom prayer has been requested but also enriches awareness of the Sacred Presence that permeates our parish community. In essence, this is the framework:

To begin with, volunteers would be asked to offer themselves as Intercessors who are willing to pray daily in their own homes for a short list of those for whom prayers have been asked.
Intercessors would then be divided into groups of four (c/f St. Mark 2:31-34). The members of each group (Prayer Quad?) would likely be composed of people who are well known to one another. The group decides what time of day they will pray, each in their own home/work place, for the people on their list.
Each group would designate one member to be the Contact Person who receives from the Coordinator their list of names. Each group would have a different list.
The Coordinator would be the central recipient of all prayer-requests-in-confidence from any parishioner, priest, or through the Church Office. The Coordinator would assign the name and need to just one of the groups.
Privacy and Confidentiality: To permit the necessary level of Intention, the Intercessors would need to have a fairly precise knowledge of the medical and /or social situation. Therefore, if confidence in the system is to be maintained, it is essential that every Intercessor and the Coordinator observe absolute confidentiality. One of the drawbacks of the “prayer chain” system is that it is open to weak links. I have seen parishes very compromised by gossips in this area of its life.

If anyone would like to know more about this way of doing Intercessory Prayer for the sick, please contact me by phone (250-920-9953) or email dunners2@shaw.ca.

“The Intention Experiment” by Lynne McTaggart is published by Free Press. ISBN 13:978-0-7432-7695-5 at Munro’s, Bolen Books, or Amazon.ca