Many of us learn prayer as children at the dinner table. We fold our hands, bow our heads, speak simple words.
It’s a beautiful way to start.
And yet, as an adult I struggle with prayer sometimes. My mind races. Distractions steal my focus. Good intentions turn to words unsaid.
Here’s another confession…sometimes prayer feels, well, routine.
Ack! I can’t believe I wrote that. But it’s true.
Obviously, the problem isn’t with the God of the Universe. He’s endlessly compelling and interesting. It will take all of eternity to know Him.
So, the only other logical conclusion is that the boring part is somewhere on my end. I thought I just needed to grin and bear it. But a coworker recently loaned me a book called Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God.
The author shares how she turned doodling into a form of focused prayer. Having recently purchased an unlined journal (my first!) I’ve found it freeing to write without lines. Now I’ve discovered I can pray without “lines” too.
Those lines aren’t literal…they just represent all the “rules” that are often associated with prayer. Depending on where we grew up or what churches we’ve attended, they vary. But they usually cover things like how long we should pray, what words we should use, the location or time or method.
I discovered while those “lines” help many people (and if that’s you then keep them!), for me they were really just artificial borders keeping me from experiencing God in more intimate ways.
David wrote Psalms. Jesus spent time in the wilderness in prayer. Hannah made a trip to the temple. Paul prayed without ceasing.
God is endless and creative. Why shouldn’t our communication with Him be too?
I’m curious…when, where, how do you pray? Are there creative ways you do so? What helps you focus when you do?
Every Sunday we pray and share. You can share by answering the questions above. You can also ask for prayer by leaving a comment and taking a moment to pray for the last person on the list too.
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