Why Saint Matthew's Churches Blesses Items as Symbols of Faith and
Why We Use Visual Points of Contact as Faith Representatives in Prayer

• We bless weddings, and pray for a long, happy, and successful marriage.
• We bless marriages.
• We bless wedding rings, symbols of love and commitment.
• We bless newborn babies, young children, and teenagers.
• We bless families.
• We bless family members who live in different cities wherever they may be.
• We bless new relationships.
• We pray for broken and /or troubled homes.
• We pray for those with broken hearts.
• We pray for widows and widowers.
• We pray for those who live alone.
• We pray for the lonely and the discouraged.
• We pray for the sick and dying.
• We bless both by proxy and in person people who are in hospitals, hospices, and/or nursing homes.
• We pray for the doctors, nurses, medical researchers, and hospital staff who devote their lives to try and bring healing.
• We pray for ambulance drivers and members of emergency crews.
• We pray for our police officers, and firefighters.
• We pray for our schools and the safety of children who attend them.
• We pray for our schools, our colleges, and universities.
• We pray that God will help students with their studies and homework assignments.
• We pray that God will help students as they take exams.
• We pray for the teachers who are in the position to shape young lives.
• We pray for our libraries, and ask God to draw more people to them to read books.
• We pray over the Internet. It has so much potential for good, and so much for bad.
• We bless the little ones in kindergarten.
• We pray for blessings and peace of mind for those who have lost loved ones.
• We bless funerals.
• We pray each time we see a funeral procession, or every time we pass a cemetery where a funeral is in progress.
• We bless water that is to be used in sacred ceremonies.
• We bless coffins with holy water (for Catholics).
• We pray over the soil at the gravesite. "For dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return." (Genesis 3:19); "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
• We bless the water that is used in baptismal services where converts are baptized into the newness of life with Christ Jesus.
• We ask people to dip their fingers in holy water as they enter or leave our churches as a reminder that they have been baptized into the Holy Church of God.
• We pray over the water with which our presbyter, pastors, and deacons sprinkle members of the congregation.
• We pray over the olive leaves that are used to sprinkle the water on holy days.
• We pray for God to bless the tithes and offerings sown as seeds in God's work, both the work of God through this ministry and others.
• We bless our members' business and investments.
• We bless the starting of new businesses.
• We bless established businesses.
• We bless companies and organizations.
• We bless employers and employees.
• We bless job applicants.
• We pray for the unemployed.
• We pray for those on welfare.
• We ask God to bless our farmers who produce the food we eat.
• We bless each meal of which we partake, and thank God for providing it.
• We bless trucks, trains, and ships that deliver the goods we need to communities and to countries.
• We bless people when they are about to embark on a journey by land, sea, or air.
• We bless our members who travel for business or pleasure.
• We bless the elderly who are facing discouragement.
• We pray for the homeless.
• We pray for all ethnic groups, and for men and women at all socio-economic levels.
• We pray for unity, love, and understanding among all religions.
• We pray for those dear souls who are addicted to alcohol, or some other drug.
• We pray that God will stem the tide of illegal drugs flowing into this country.
• We pray for orphaned children.
• We bless single parent homes.
• We bless by proxy people who are in prison.
• We pray for those condemned on death row.
• We bless every, church, temple, synagogue or mosque that we pass on our daily journey.
• We bless every, church, temple, synagogues, and mosques of all faiths.
• We make the sign of the Cross each time we pass the church where we worship.
• We bless the doors of the churches where our members worship.
• We bless the pulpit.
• We bless the altars.
• We bless the pews.
• We bless the organ.
• We bless the piano.
• We bless the choir, and ask God to use their voices to glorify Him.
• We pray for our Sunday school teachers.
• We pray for visiting presbyters and missionaries.
• We pray over the church gymnasium and sports teams.
• We bless men and women of all faiths.
• We pray for the angels of God to protect and bless our members.
• We pray for our country's President.
• We pray for the members of the Hose and Senate.
• We pray for our Supreme Court.
• We pray for all of the cabinet members.
• We bless all branches of the United States Government.
• We pray for all governments of the world, and ask God to bring peace among the nations.
• Five times each day, we bless world leaders.
• We pray that all of the hate and jealousy in this world will cease.
• We bless houses.
• We bless lands.
• We bless automobiles.
• We bless unpaid bills.
• We bless items of clothing that our members wear, and ask God to protect the wearer.
• We ask God to protect all of us from harm and evil spirits.
• We bless anointed cloths.
• We bless billfolds and purses, and ask God to bring financial blessings to those who need them.
• We bless letters written to loved ones who are in trouble, or who are having problems.
• We bless crosses that are worn by our members, and ask that the crosses be witnesses and reminders that Christ loves everyone.
• We pray for entertainers and sports stars, and ask God to help them be mindful that young people are looking to them as role models.
• We ask that God inspire them to help, not hurt these young people.
• We pray over every book, every sermon letter, magazine, and Bible that this church mails out free of charge.
• We pray over every word in our sermon letters sent to our members free of charge, and over every word in the sermons that our clergy preach from the pulpit.
• We pray for the postal workers who deliver the mail.
• We pray for the missionaries who are trying to help people around the world find Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
• We pray for all those for whom it is our duty to pray.