Intercessory Call for Pope Benedict XVI’s mission to Turkey

Michael - the Guardian Angel

Dear friend in Christ,

You can help further God's plan for unity among Christians, and peace with the Muslim world by praying for Pope Benedict XVI as he travels to the nation of Turkey later this month. It is not a pastoral visit to Catholic faithful, but a mission for unity with the Orthodox Churches and a challenge to dialogue with the Muslim world. Because there is so much at stake in this mission at this moment of history there needs to be a strong and meaningful support of prayer for the Pope. Are you willing to take up the challenge?

We invite you to join a communion of intercessors around the world on November 28-29 that the power of God will be manifested in the actions and words of Pope Benedict XVI. We will pray that God bring fruit from ecumenical dialogue, Christian unity is established and that God will put in order Islamic-Christian relations. We will intercede for an infusion of the Holy Spirit to displace all infidelity and error and place the Name of Jesus above, under and through the nations. Please - read more & "pray the news"

“God or the Girl”

What do you do when someone exercises undue influence over you that has caused spiritual damage? What do you do when we suspect we have caused such damage to another? The answer is simple: tend to your boundaries. The word of God shows us how.

Part 1

“God or the Girl”

Recently a “Catholic Reality TV” series called “God or the Girl” aired on the A&E Channel. It showed the process of four young men who were discerning the call to the priesthood. As it turned out, one out of the four decided to enter the seminary. What was disturbing to me was that in two of the cases, I sensed a violation of spiritual boundaries on the part of two imprudent priests; the third by a domineering mother.

In one case, the priest “spiritual director” told the young impressionable man that in order to discern, he would have to literally carry a heavy cross many miles to another town. He suffered miserably, but it didn't bring him any closer to a decision. The other priest invited the second young man to stay in the rectory with him and serve in the parish. His aim was to get the upper hand over influences of the man’s girl friend. When the young man finally told the priest he sensed the call of God to the married life, the priest reacted by saying that it “was a dagger in his heart!” The third could scarcely talk with his mother without her bringing up the topic of the priesthood. The forth man, upon hearing the gentle yet voice of God through a challenging invitation, journeyed in faith to Guatemala where he experienced the love of God through a holy missionary priest in the most beautiful and deep way. This empowered him to freely give himself to the calling.

After reflecting, I see that the spiritual boundaries of the first three young men were being violated by the priests and the mother. They overstepped healthy boundaries by manipulating these men with their agendas and desires. Thank God they didn't enter the seminary! And thank God for the fourth who freely and joyfully gave himself to God's service in the ordained ministry.

Healthy spiritual boundaries are a means of communion and grace read more...

The Birthing Process of Intercessory Prayer

Using the charisms of the Holy Spirit for prayer

By Maryellen Grewer

My heart wept with love for Sandy as I started to pray for God’s healing over her life. Along with some serious health issues, she alternately did not believe in God or had anger towards him for the circumstances of her life. There was a deep groaning which God meant for me to hear and pray for, but I had mistaken it at first.

The Apostle Paul says, “We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom. 8:30 ).

Intercessors are called to pray for what is on the heart of God:
1. For all creation;
2. For redemption for ourselves and others

It is the extension of Christ’s Redemption that causes the intensity of this groaning. As intercessors we must attend to this groaning. We can get mislead and off-track by confusing the true groaning with our own angst, if we do not also attend to the gifts of the Holy Spirit in prayer. read more...