October 28, 2025

Dear Holy Spirit,

Last week, we began talking about prayer — starting with the simplest prayer of all:

“God, I thank you for… and I ask you for…”

It’s a short prayer we can say anytime, alone or with others. This week, I want to share a way to go a little deeper in your personal prayer life using an acronym from Anglican theologian Martin Thornton: P.I.T.A. — Petition, Intercession,  Thanksgiving, and Adoration.

Petition is where we start. We bring to God our wants and needs honestly. Often, in asking, we discover something about ourselves — a need to apologize, a misplaced desire, or a new awareness of what really matters.

From there we move to Intercession, where we pray for others. As we do, we begin to see more clearly when our prayers for others are really about our own hopes, and when they are truly about them. This practice deepens both our compassion and our trust in God’s care for the world.

Then comes Thanksgiving. Here we thank God for the good things in our lives — a cup of coffee, a patch of sunlight, a friend’s laughter. Gratitude opens our hearts to joy and helps us recognize God’s goodness everywhere.

Finally, we come to Adoration. This is where thanksgiving overflows. We stop thanking God just for what God has done and start thanking God for who God is. In any deep relationship, we move from appreciation to love — and in adoration, we rest in love for the God who loves us first.

Give this pattern a try this week. See how it shapes your awareness of God’s presence in your day. I’d love to hear how it goes for you.

See you Sunday.

In Christ,
Jason+

P.S. Don't forget to fill out the Sunday after All Saints form here!

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The Rev. Jason Ingalls
Rector 

Stewardship
Congregational Life