My Grandmother's often prayed "Lord teach me how to pray and what to pray for."  Knowing exactly what to pray for can be a challenge when you are petitioning for yourself or someone close to you.  It can be an even greater challenge when you don't know the person well and are not aware of the circumstances of their lives or illness or other needs.  It can be helpful to have a way to start. Follow the links at the left to find books and links that may provide inspiration or ideas for prayer. 

At the bottom of the pages in this section, you will see italicized statements about prayer.  Some of these were submitted by caregivers and Deacons of United Church.   For a complete list of the statements about prayer, read Reflections on Prayer.

Why Pray?

I pray because I need someone who is “above it all” to listen to me. Someone who loves
me but who also see the other person’s view, too, and hopefully can help me to see it,
as well.

I pray because God has known me longer than anyone else has, and He knows me better, too.

Morning prayer sets a tone for there to be flow in my day.  There is an undercurrent of
peace helps me move forward at a less hurried  pace.   I am more apt to listen for and
perceive God's guidance throughout the day if I spend a few moments in the morning
preparing a space for it.

 On a more practical level, praying helps me look over my day and see God in it. It helps me organize my thinking at a more soulful level.

If we pray, we will believe; if we believe, we will love; if we love, we will serve.
-Mother Teresa

God does not die on the day when we cease to believe in a personal deity, but we die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason.
-Dag Hammarskjold

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Books ] [ Links ]

Send mail to demby@email.unc.edu with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2004 United Church of Chapel Hill
Last modified: 03/14/05