Prayer Meetings
2nd and 4th Fridays of the Month at 7:30pm
St. Anthony Catholic Church
Margot Hall
3400 12th Street, NE,
Washington, DC 20017
At the prayer meetings we gather for prayer and to encourage one another to be open to the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live the Christian life. We desire to be part of God's answer to the traditional prayer, "Come Holy Spirit and renew the face of the earth." We desire to help people enter into the great plans God has for His People when He said, "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!" (Luke 12:49). We are a community of praise that rejoices in how God has worked in our lives. We are like a fire that grows brighter as more logs are added to it, and we want to share the blessings we received with others. The gift of the Holy Spirit and unity with the Body of Christ are not ours to keep to ourselves. We want to share them. We desire to know God and help others know Him. Because God has blessed us, we are like an overflowing fountain, ready to bring truth, healing, redemption, and joy to those who need it. Here is what to expect at our prayer meetings.
"When you assemble, one has a psalm, another an instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Everything should be done for building up." - 1 Corinthians 14:26
Praise and Worship - United in the Holy Spirit, we worship in the Lord in jubilant praise. We thank God for many reasons, including His love, faithfulness, and mercy. We may praise God in song, in words spoken aloud or in our hearts, in our posture of kneeling in reverence or with upraised hands to receive or to surrender, or in tongues which enables prayer beyond the limitations of known language. We follow the example of St. Teresa of Avila who wrote of “jubilation” as ,“a deep union of the faculties” when “all [the soul’s] activity is directed to this praise" (Interior Castle 6.6.10).- Silent Prayer and Prophecy - People are invited to share what they hear God saying in their hearts if it is intended for the group. Leaders to help discern these words. Discernment is done in light of Scripture and Tradition, as taught by the Church. "Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good." - 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21.
- Teaching - A speaker may give a short talk on various topics.
- Intercessory Prayer - A time for individual prayer with the prayer ministry teams usually follows the talk. We encourage you to pray with the prayer teams to welcome Jesus into your life, for baptism in the Holy Spirit, release of gifts, healing, or any other intention.
- Fellowship and Social Time - By sharing fellowship, we encourage one another. This is a wonderful opportunity to tell others how you experienced God working in your life. This is also a great time to talk about upcoming events, share stories, laugh, and enjoy the company of old and new friends.
Encounter Jesus
"Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. Saint John's Gospel describes that event in these words: 'God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should ... have eternal life' (3:16)." - Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est
