In response to God’s amazing love, First Presbyterian Church aspires to be a community where prayer for one another is a regular part of our life together. We believe in the power of prayer to renew minds and redeem lives.

Whether you are interested in praying corporately with the congregation in worship or individually, we are here to pray with you and for you.

Prayer Requests

Should you have a prayer request or answered prayers to share, First Presbyterian wants to support you with prayer. Prayer request cards are available online (hyperlink to prayer request form) and in both worship services. The following week, church leaders will pray for you and your requests. If you like, you may request that a pastor follow-up and contact you personally.

In the traditional worship services, prayer request cards are located in the Sanctuary pew racks. You may place this card in the offering plate or submit it in the prayer box in the Narthex as you enter and exit the Sanctuary.

In the contemporary worship services, you are welcome to meet with someone privately for prayer following the benediction.

After-Worship Prayer and Care

Immediately following both the traditional and contemporary worship services, members of the congregation are available to pray with you, and to answer questions you may have about the Christian faith or the ministries of this congregation.

Members are available after the traditional worship in the Griffith Chapel, the small chapel on the left as you exit the Sanctuary, and after the contemporary worship service members are available in Westminister Hall.

The Prayer Ministry Team

The mission of First Presbyterian Church is to renew minds and redeem lives with the steadfast love of Jesus Christ. That mission calls each member to worship regularly, grow intentionally and serve generously. A critical measure of merit for determining mission success is that we have "knees for prayer." For Jesus, prayer with God was as essential as breathing in the air he needed for bodily survival. Prayer enabled Jesus to discern God's will for his life and find comfort and support amidst his struggles against the spiritual apathy, hypocrisy and injustice of his day.

The resurrected and living Christ promises that he will be "with us" in our own daily struggles. The Spirit he has placed in our hearts calls us to turn to God in prayer and find comfort and support, rest and peace. Moreover, Jesus calls us to come before our loving and just God, in and through prayer, so we might be empowered for loving service to a hurting and broken world.

Prayer Ministry's Purpose

To ignite a passon for prayer within the congregational life and ministries of First Presbyterian so that the power of Christ's love is made manifest in all we are and do.

Prayer Ministry's Strategy

Pray first, then plan! Work with the pastoral staff, lay leaders, church committee structure and the congregation to encourage, assist and enable individual and corporate prayer activities.

Prayer Ministry's Goals

To help achieve our purpose, we have identified several overall goals. They are to:

• Ignite a passion for prayer in each member of thecongregation so they may come to know that God hears their prayers.
• Identify and implement innovative ways of integrating prayer throughout the life of the congregation.

Prayer Ministry's Near-term Objectives

• Build intercessory prayer teams. These individuals would be trained and equipped to pray special requests for all ministries of the church.
• Train small group leaders. This would include instructions and materials on how to pray and how to identify and best use one’s spiritual gifts.
• Develop and/or acquire prayer-related instructional and educational resources. These resources would be made available to all ministries of the church.
• Communicate “prayer” as a core component of one’s personal relationship with Christ, and of life together within a faith community.

Prayer Opportunities

• Any place at any time, for God is always open to our prayers!
• Prior to worship: praying for the pastors, that God’s word of truth be proclaimed with boldness and clarity,and received with an abiding faith!
• During worship: personally and corporately—for self and for others!
• After worship: dedicated prayer ministers are available after each service!
• Prayer is an integral part of all activities of the Session and Diaconate!
• All church group meetings (staff, committees, Sunday School and weekday Bible Studies, small groups, Presbyterian Women, PW Circles, choir rehearsals, men’s prayer breakfasts, Shawl Ministry and many others) are encouraged to open and close with prayer, and to rely on prayer in discerning decisions and in growing closer to Christ and to each other as a community of faith, hope and love!
• Staff and congregational retreats, and family gatherings of all types and situations, provide great opportunities to grow in faith and service through prayer!
• Mission outreach activities, both local and global in nature, depend on prayer for success in meeting the physical and spiritual needs of those being served !
• In the privacy of your home or office, and wherever and whenever two believers are gathered together!

Join the Prayer Ministry Team

Will YOU answer his invitation? In Mark 21:13, Jesus said, “My house will be called a house of prayer.” In that command, Jesus has sent us a special invitation to always be in prayer. If you have a desire to help ignite a passion for prayer throughout this great congregation, please join our Prayer Ministry team as through the power of the Spirit we seek to make that happen! We normally meet on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 11:45 a.m. in Room 224. A brochure on the ministry is available in the Mauzé Lobby. For more information, contact Chuck Beatty at 826-3386 ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Scott Simpson at 226-0216, ext. 212 ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).  

Care & Concern line

This 24-hour line was conceived to inform the congregation of those who are hospitalized and of those with prayer requests. Call 210-222-CARE to listen to the day’s message. Prayer requests and/or messages may be left on the line by pressing “2” after the recorded message begins.

 To download the Prayer Ministry brochure, click here.