If there's anything to kill my communion with God, it's looking at a list of requests. I'm fine checking off items on my to-do list, but too often "prayer lists" end up feeling the same way.
I wanted to be able to touch the names I'm praying for. So I took some of the "currency" that I'm using for my co-op class (we refer to them as "Krizzies") and labeled each one:
Then I took the labeled Krizzies and filled a pretty ceramic jar with them. Each evening, I take them out one by one and pray for each person. I also arrange the Krizzies into cool designs:
If you asked me to pray for you, here's where I talk to Jesus about you:
What began as a Lenten discipline has turned into a pleasure. I don't enjoy fitting it into my day, and I always sigh deeply when I kneel at the altar. Halfway through, when I've stopped checking off items and am in communion with God, I've relaxed. When I reach into the jar and find that no names are left, I'm a little disappointed.
Thanks for sharing this Lent with me.
-- SJ
9 comments:
What a great idea, Sara. I too can feel overwhelmed by all the needs I want or feel I "should" pray for. That will certainly make me fail before I even start!
A friend of mine did something similar to what you're doing. She took a shoe box and decorated it, cut a hole in the top, and would write prayer requests on slips of paper and put them inside. Then, she'd just pull a few of the papers out each day to focus on. That helped her not feel overwhelmed and really focus on the person/issue she'd selected for the day.
Thank you, daughter, for inspiring your mother; I know that you inherited my tendency toward disorganization, so I understand that this prayer discipline is a victory for you. I love you.
Thanks for all your prayers, Sara! Praise God that what was going to be a drudgery has turned into a delight! =) Amazing how often God does that with us - we do what we don't want to do but know we should, and then find that it's fun after all!
Hope prayers continue to be a little more enjoyable for you after Lent...but I am looking forward to your return to facebook. ;)
~ Leah
I love this idea, Sara! So much more engaging to have something hands-on and tangible.
Thanks for allowing us to be a part of your prayers!!!
Mollie
Danielle - I like that idea as well, except it doesn't have the tactile satisfaction that glass beads do.
Leah - Well, I wouldn't say *fun*, but definitely more enjoyable than expected. :)
Liane - Well, yes, you WOULD like an idea like that! I can only imagine what cool thing you could do with it.
Mollie -- My pleasure!
Mom -- Thank you.
So, when you said you added in a few extras, were you saying that you are praying for a few more people than responded, or that you were praying for a few things other than what we requested? ("And would you please help Kendra to find my story . . .") :-)
Also, you said that my name was on a bead, I think. But that looks more like a discolored polliwog. No matter! I'm thankful for the prayers!
Well, it's easier to call them "beads" rather than "oddly-shaped pieces of glass that I bought at the dollar store." Maybe we can call them "glass paisleys." And they're not discolored -- they're variously colored. I had to add some more in, and now I've got yellow, green, and orange and it looks pretty cool.
"Extras" means people who didn't respond. Just think, all of you who didn't email me... THAT MIGHT MEAN YOU!
-- SJ
I like "glass paisleys," though beads works, too. They're actually kind of pretty if I don't think of them as polliwogs. :-)
And I'm sure glad that you're not praying for ANYTHING more than I asked you to!
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