Prayer Practices

Too often we exchange small talk without really engaging one another.  I invite you try the questions here with some friends or strangers, and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised. Feel free to  go off on tangents. Allow yourself to let down. your guard, be a little vulnerable, and to give voice some of those dangerous questions that you usually hold back.  May these questions help reveal what matters most to you, and  open new paths to intimacy and understanding. Life can be juicy and engaging when we’re grappling with issues we really care about.  

May your responses push you beyond a simple “yes” or “no.” Probe and explain your responses. Look into your heart, be honest and brave, and let your mind really play with the difficult choices you find. If you do, these questions will lead you into some intriguing, unexpected, rewarding, even life-changing discussions and explorations.  use these questions  as a point of departure, not a destination. The more you engage with them, and invited others to do the same. As you explore and challenge your values and those of your friends, you may find  that questioning can be more than an entertaining pastime: It can become a way of life!
                                                                                                                                                - Jim LaDoux

CELEBRATING the many and various ways we are called to serve God and neighbor.
L:  We light a candle, reminding us that God has called us from the waters of baptism to be light in the world.  Each of you share God’s love and care in a variety of ways, through your vocation among, family, as colleagues, friends, and members of the body of Christ,
I invite you to notice your hands, notice the temperature, the marks, scars, wrinkles, moles, Turn over your hands and notice your palms,  Massage your hands and now fold your hands as you listen to the words of Teresa of Avilla.
“You are Christ’s hands Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours, Yours are the eyes through which is to look out Christ’s compassion to the world, Yours are the feet with which Christ is to go about doing good; yours are the hands with which he is to bless God’s people now.
We are living in uncertain times, disillusionment, suffering and injustice. We remember God has gifted each of us through the waters of our baptism.  We know God walks with us when we find ourselves in a groundless time.  Let us lean into God’s love and trust and call to be faithful.  We are Christ’s hands and we give thanks for our hands and our call to serve God.  Each of us is blessed by God’s Spirit:
Gather around the font.  
We give thanks for the many blessings and the gifts you have given  -  
gifts of: (insert teachers, nurses, mothers, grandfathers, farmers...)      
Bless these hands as they share your faith as _______,  
May your love O God, be felt and shared.  Hands are anointed with oil.

A great way to pray is to look for God's presence in your life. More than 400 years ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola encouraged prayer-filled mindfulness by proposing what has been called the Daily Examen. It’s a technique for prayerful reflection related to events of the day, helping us to be aware God's presence in our lives. Use this prayer practice at the end of a meal, at the end of a family gathering, or at bedtime.

STEP 1 | Become aware of the presence of God.

• Recite “Be still and know that I am God.”
• Become aware of your breathing; focus on your setting or scripture passage.
• Position yourself in ways to be more open to God’s presence.

STEP 2 | Review the day with gratitude.

• Walk through your day in the presence of God and note its joys and delights. 
• Thank God for the people you encountered throughout the day.
• Thank God for sights you experienced (nature, artwork, billboards).
• Thank God for the sounds you observed (birds chirping, music, etc.).
• Thank God for the smells of today (ocean breeze, food cooking, coffee brewing, flowers, etc.).
• Thank God for the moments of delight, joy, and laughter.

STEP 3 | Pay attention to your emotions.

• Reflect on the feelings of impatience, anger, jealousy, or detachment you experienced today. 
• Reflect on the feelings of joy, generosity, and openness you experienced during the day.
• Ask what God is saying through these feelings.

STEP 4 | Look toward tomorrow.

• Ask God to give you light for tomorrow's challenges. How might God use you?
• What do you need to let go of or resolve?
• How might you start fresh as a new creation in Christ?

STEP 5 | End the Daily Examen with a conversation with Jesus.

• St. Ignatius encouraged people to talk to Jesus like a friend.
• Ask Jesus for His protection and help.
• Ask Jesus for His wisdom about the questions you have and the problems you face.
• Do all this in the spirit of gratitude.

Lectio divina is a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures. Time set aside in a special way for lectio divina enables us to discover in our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. Within this rhythm, we discover an increasing ability to offer more of ourselves and our relationships to the Father, and to accept the embrace that God is continuously extending to us in the person of his son, Jesus Christ.

Very often our concerns, our relationships, our hopes and aspirations, naturally intertwine with our meditations on the Scriptures. We can attend "with the ear of our hearts" to our own memories, listening for God's presence in the events of our lives. We experience Christ reaching out to us through our own memories. Our own personal story becomes salvation history.

This form of lectio divina works best in a group of between four and eight people. A group leader coordinates the process and facilitates sharing. The same text from the Scriptures is read out three times, followed each time by a period of silence and an opportunity for each member of the group to share the fruit of her or his lectio.

• The first reading is for the purpose of hearing a word or passage that touches the heart. When the word or phrase is found, the group's members take it in, gently recite it, and reflect on it during the silence that follows. After the silence, each person shares which word or phrase has touched his or her heart.
• The second reading (by a member of the opposite sex from the first reader) is for the purpose of "hearing" or "seeing" Christ in the text. Each ponders the word that has touched the heart and asks where the word or phrase touches his or her life that day. Then, after the silence, each member of the group shares what he or she has "heard" or "seen."
• The third and final reading is for the purpose of experiencing Christ "calling us forth" into doing or being. Members ask themselves what Christ in the text is calling them to do or to become today or this week. After the silence, each shares for the last time, and the exercise concludes with each person praying for the person on the right of him or her.

Those who regularly practice this method of praying and sharing the Scriptures find it to be an excellent way of developing trust within a group. It also is an excellent way of consecrating projects and hopes to Christ before more-formal group meetings.

Sometimes in lectio divina, you may return several times to the printed text, either to savor the literary context of the word or phrase that God has given or to seek a new word or phrase to ponder. At other times, only a single word or phrase will fill the whole time set aside for lectio divina. It is not necessary to assess anxiously the quality of your lectio divina, as if you were "performing" or seeking some goal. Lectio divina has no goal other than that of being in the presence of God by praying the Scriptures.

Intro. . . about practicing the living presence of God. It’s one way we are ushered into God’s presence and experience a life-shaping faith.  Prayer allows the Spirit to work in our lives and leads to transformation as we are changed from the inside out. We are called to pray without ceasing, to make prayer a way of life.  Listed below are some ways embed prayer into the fabric of your life. If you are involved in a faith community, you will find many prayers below that can be used at. . .

ACTS Prayer
There are many ways to use this model. One another person to share specifically about coming back together ask participants to offer prayers based on their conversations.
A—ADORATION or ACCLAMATION, praise for who God is
C—CONFESSION, confessing of sins and weaknesses
T—THANKSGIVING, thanking God for blessings
S—SUPPLICATION, our deepest needs for ourselves and others

Birthday Candle Prayer
Whether the occasion is a birthday, anniversary, or any other cause of celebration where cake and candles are present, it’s an opportunity for prayers of affirmation and thanksgiving. Put the appropriate number of unlit candles in a pile beside the cake. Each person offers a prayer of thanks for a trait, a gift, or an act of kindness or friendship. As the prayer is said the candle is placed on the cake. Short, quick prayers, please—those candles burn fast!

Building Block Prayer
Set a pile of blocks off to the side. Place one block on the table proclaiming Christ as the cornerstone of faith. Invite each participant to add a block in a creative way to the cornerstone, while offering a prayer petition. The finished creation may look like a building, tower, path, or some other structure. Let everyone share thoughts or meaning seen in the creation.

Candle Lighting Prayers
There has always seemed to be some¬thing magical about lighting a candle. I learned early on as a youth minister that I could talk about anything, even with a group of junior high guys, in a dark room, lying on our bellies, with a candle burning in the center. I have also learned that families thirst for time when they can discover the spiritual light in their midst. Many of the prayers in this collection may guide your candle time prayers. Shut off the phone, the TV, and lights. Do whatever you need to help your group, your family, or yourself ignite your hearts in prayer and conversation.

Christmas Card Prayer
Celebrate the meaning of Christmas all year long by saving Christmas cards. At least once a week take out one or more cards. Read the cards and notes. Pray for the person who sent the card, then respond with a letter, card, e-mail message, or phone call telling the sender that he or she is in your prayers.

Chair Prayer
Place a chair in the middle of the room. Read Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Let the chair represent Christ’s and direct people’s focus toward the open chair inviting individuals to offer prayers to Christ.

Dice Prayer
This is a great tool for learning the various elements of prayer. Create a die using a wooden block. Draw or paste pictures of various symbols on each side. Each person takes a turn rolling the die, then says a prayer that fits the symbol rolled. Make several different dice. Some examples to get you rolling:
•     Gingerbread person—gifts you’re glad God has given you
•     Compass—direction and guidance
•     Sad face—forgiveness
•     Broken heart—prayers for someone who is hurting
•     Globe—world concerns and leaders
•     Cross—praise and honor recognizing God
•     Footprints—people and places God put in your path today

Flash Paper Prayer
Flash paper is a type of paper that can be purchased at most magic supply stores. As disappears—in a flash as soon as the paper touches a flame it Not even ashes remain. Give each participant a piece of flash paper to write a prayer of confession. Begin with silent prayers of confession and then invite each person to hold his or her paper over a lit candle. Offer the reminder that God’s grace and forgiveness is always available for each person and is final and complete.

Globe Prayer
Place a globe in the center of the table. Spin the globe as participants close their eyes while lightly touching the globe with one finger. Where the finger lands on the globe becomes the focus of prayer for each person. Brainstorm any information the group may have regarding living conditions, customs, or current affairs of the people in that area. Offer a prayer for our brothers and sisters in that county, their quality of life, and for their political leaders.

M&M® Prayer
Any candy that comes in a variety of colors will work. Beforehand, assign a designation for each color: green may be for environmental issues around the world, red for friends, blue for family, pink for the congregation, and so on. After everyone selects a candy from the dish, read the designations and give a few moments of reflection time. Invite participants to use their color to pray about specific issues or concerns.

Map Prayer
Post a map (world, country, or community) in place at home or at church. From time to time around the map and give everyone small stickers to indicate where there are concerns for prayer. India may prompt a dot on your world map. On mark the address of a friend whose father just Conclude with spoken prayers.

Motion Prayer (done silently)
Position self in a attitude of prayer with hands folded in front of the body. Slowly raise hands, still folded, above the head with arms outstretched, seeking God’s presence.  Gradually open hands and arms, fully prepared to received whatever God has to offer. Slowly and intentionally, bring arms down to the chest, bringing gifts from God to your heart. Hold them and cherish them. Give thanks.

Newspaper Prayer
One evening when they noticed the day’s newspaper was just lying on the floor, several family members grabbed a section and randomly began sharing headlines or quick synopses of local and global happenings. The newspaper was transformed into a source for prayer. In liturgical tradition the person said, “Lord, in your mercy,” and automatically the group responded, “Hear our prayer.” As the sharing of stories continued, so did the responses. This has become a favorite family candle time.

Please, Sorry, Thank You Prayer
These three little words will help our wee brothers and sisters with their first prayers. Don’t assume though, that this simple prayer reminder is only for small children. This simple pattern readily provides a memory tool for all who come before God in prayer.

Popcorn Prayer
Popcorn popping is a way to describe praying short, random petitions. Once somebody is ready to pray, they just pop in with praise, confession, thanksgiving, requests, or anything else. People may pray several times as thoughts flow freely.

Puzzle Prayer
Use a simple children’s puzzle with large pieces.  Either spray paint over the picture to create a blank writing surface, or use the back of the puzzle pieces. On each puzzle piece, print some of the following words and phrases: thanksgiving, adoration, concern for a friend, world /the leaders of our country, a family member, and other appropriate prayer suggestions. Distribute puzzles pieces equally among the participants. Build the puzzle a piece at a time, inviting each person to share a short prayer according to the topic. The completed puzzle is a visual reminder of how we support one another in the midst of life’s joys and struggles.

Question Prayer
Many prayers include praise, requests, a seldom do people bring their questions questions may feel risky—like God is be “How do I know you exist?” is a very “What is my calling and direction?” assumes listening for God. Invite participants to questions to God.

Seed Prayer
Give each person a packet of five seeds. As each petition is prayed ask participants to hold up one of the seeds. Responses to each is held in silence. Here are a few sample petitions.

• “God of the soil, speak today that your message may be planted in the hearts of those present.”
• “God of the seeds, inspire us through your Word, and strengthen us with your Spirit in the mountain top and valley low experiences of life.”
• “God of the sun and the rain, pour down upon us all that we need to be Christ-like in order to fulfill your mission and purpose.”
• “Be in us, be with us, be above us, be beside us. Walk alongside (list each participant by name). Amen
• Telephone Prayer

Praying in a conversational manor may be best compared to having a conversation with a good friend on the telephone. The friends share their day’s events, their relationships, their fears, and even the things they did wrong. Pass a cellphone around, encouraging participants to talk to God as if they were talking to a good friend

TRIP Prayer
Use the acronym TRIP by offering prayers of:
T—THANKSGIVING
R—REGRET (confession of sins and weakness)
I—INTERCESSION (prayers on behalf of others)
P—PURPOSE (what God wants from us)

Walking Prayer
Walk together around a church building, camp property, or through the community. Pray for a specific ministry, for healing, for new life, for those living in the houses or apartments, for the shopkeepers, for thanksgiving or other special needs. Carry a cross, a candle, or some other symbol that holds meaning for your family or group.

Web Prayer
Form a circle with a group of people. Have one person begin by holding a ball of yarn and then offering a sentence prayer. He or she end and tosses the ball to someone across person who offers a prayer, holds on to the yarn and then tosses the ball to someone else. Continue to toss the ball and offer prayers until everyone has had a chance to share, or until the ball of yarn is used up. Close by thanking God for having a connected faith community and a web of support.

FAITH 5 was developed by Vibrant Faith specialist, Debbie Streicher, who has worked with Vibrant Faith Ministries and Church Innovations, and now is one of the partners of Milestones Ministries. This practice  connects church to home, faith to life, and parents to kids in a powerful way. The five steps of the FAITH5 are:

1. Share highs and lows. Name something good and bad you experienced today. Can’t think of a personal one? Check out the headlines from the news and teach empathy and compassion for the broader world.

2. Read verse from your Bible.

3. Talk about how the verse relates to highs and lows. Unpack the verse a bit. What does it mean in your own words? How might it relate to where you are today in your highs and lows?

4. Pray for one another’s highs and lows, for your family, and for the world. Simply talk to God, thank Jesus for the good, and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in specific problems.

5. Bless one another. Trace the sign of the cross on one another’s forehead or palm as a reminder that you belong to God and to one another.


January 
This prayer comes from the a baptismal liturgy. I chose it for this month since January is the Baptism of our Lord, and a great time for Affirmation of Baptism. I chose it in general because it is a prayer we pray at every baptism, with hands laid on the baptized. It's a good prayer to know by heart, since we enter the life of faith through baptism.
We give you thanks, 0 God, that through water and the Holy Spirit you give your daughters and sons new birth, cleanse them from sin, and raise them to eternal life. Sustain us/name with the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever. Amen.

February
This is a prayer of faith and courage in new ventures. Lord God, you have called your servants to new ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrod, through perils unknown. Give is faith to go out with courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love is supporting us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

March
From St. Patrick's Breastplate:
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation. Amen.

April
This is the Proper Preface for Easter.
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you Almighty God. But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us, and has taken away the sin of the world. By his death he has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again he has won for us eternal life.
And so with Mary Magdalene and Peter, and all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy, lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

May
This prayer comes from the service of Affirmation of Baptism. It is the prayer said over every confirmand with the laying on of hands. I chose it for May because many congregations celebrate the Rite of Confirmation in May. It is a good prayer to have committed to memory, both devotionally and liturgically.
Father in heaven,for Jesus' sake, stir up in us the gift of your Holy Spirit; confirm our faith, guide our lives, empower us in our serving, give us patience in suffering, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

June
Luther's morning prayer:
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings in life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angels be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

July 
This is a prayer that has always meant a lot to me personally at the beginning of the day.
Almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome with adversity, and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

August
Prayer of St. Richard.
Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which you have given us, for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us. Most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother, may we know you more clearly, Love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.

September
This is the Serenity Prayer, by Reinhold Niebuhr. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.

October
 A Prayer of St. Francis.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy.
0 Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.

November
I chose this Thomas Cranmer prayer for the last month of the church year, because of its sense of teleos.
Support us, Lord, all the day long, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over, and our work is done; then Lord, in your mercy, give us safe lodging, a holy rest and peace at the last. Amen.

December
This is the Proper Preface for Christmas. It is a beloved incamational prayer, and one that is handy to have memorized on Christmas Eve.
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you Almighty God. "In the wonder and mystery of the Word made flesh you have opened the eyes of faith to a new and radiant vision of your glory; that, beholding the God made visible, we may be drawn to love the God whom we cannot see. " And so, with Angels and Archangels, and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy, lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.