Prayer & Care Ministry

Radical Love, Real Life, Rooted in Christ is the condensed vision for River Rock. How does that relate to the prayer team and how do we work in alignment with the Holy Spirit in conjunction with this vision?

In the Parable of the Persistent Widow, we learn what it means to pray
without ceasing, to understand the difference between the unjust judge who grants a request because he is being bothered in comparison to having faith in a loving and just God who answers the petitions of his own children who cry out for help. Is prayer the end result or a conduit for the Holy Spirit to work.

If it is the end result, then prayer is just an activity, a conversation with God but lacking fruit. If it is a conduit, then prayer works as a guide to join God in conversation, to allow the Holy Spirit to change us and guide us in the work God is directing us to.

So, how does the prayer team support this vision? How do we give a tangible or visible form to model relationships with Jesus through prayer? Radical love is different from the cultural norm. In Matthew 5:44 we are asked to pray for our enemies and those who persecute us. When we do this, we see the people we are praying for through different lenses. They become people with a face or a story. And instead of praying for The Holy Spirit to change people we become aware of how the Holy Spirit is changing us.

The prayer team would look for opportunities to meet people where they are at, to walk alongside them in prayer without “fixing them” with prayer.

In Real Life the prayer team is intentional about modeling opportunities for prayer. We seek to engage not only members of the prayer team, but other teams and members of River Rock. To create opportunities to connect in prayer, to demonstrate different methods of prayer and to help each other grow comfortable in prayer. Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles; teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Members of the prayer team are Rooted in Christ by staying in the Word, discerning God’s Word, and praying God’s Word.

If you have a prayer request or would like more information, please email prayer@riverrockcommunity.com or call the church office at (616) 874-0400.