Another Way to Pray
Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God. (Colossians 4:2)
If I’m honest I must admit I struggle with prayer – a lot! It isn’t that I don’t believe God hears my prayers. It’s just that I don’t like praying alone. Now, for the first time, I have a prayer partner, and this way of praying is making a difference in my being persistent and alert as I give thanks to God.
A Family Prayer Huddle
I discovered the joy of praying with others after attending a Faith Incubator conference in Colorado this fall. This method is designed for families to do in a huddle each night. It involves sharing the day’s high points as well as the lows. First, a Bible verse or story is read, then followed by a brief discussion. A prayer and blessing brings an ending to the sacred time together. Depending on the day and the circumstances, the huddle time can be as quick as ten minutes or much longer. (For more information on this concept, go to www.faithink.com.)
Trying Another Way to Pray
I wanted to give this way of praying a try because I work with families in a church, and I didn’t want to ask them to do something I hadn’t tried myself. A hurdle I had to deal with is that I’m single and don’t have a “family” to huddle with each night. (I have a yellow lab, but she just wiggles and wags her tail.) I was in the middle of brainstorming options when a dear friend emailed to say she’d be happy to partner with me and suggested we connect by email. At first I wasn’t sure email would work, but as I considered the idea, I realized email might be a great way for a single parent or grandparents who live in a different town or state to pray and connect scripture with the daily lives of their distant loved ones. I decided to give it a try.
My friend and I are in our third week of sharing, talking, praying and blessing each other. We use the appointed readings in the back of the Evangelical Lutheran hymnal, but there are many options available. I begin my day with the appointed Bible passage, reading the text a couple times. As I go through my day I think about the scripture – sometimes I even pray about it. In the evening, I sit down at my computer to write to my prayer partner and reflect on my day and the Bible verse.
A Challenge and a Reward
For me the most challenging part of this way of praying is processing how the daily scripture readings weave into my modern life. Sometimes the scripture readings really hit home; other times I have to stretch to find a connection. At first glance, our modern life seems very different from Biblical times, but I don’t think we humans have actually changed much, and God’s way of being slow to anger through the centuries amazes me.
I’m finding the blessings and prayers shared with my friend loving and thoughtful. Through this practice the two of us are growing closer, and I’m more alert and persistent with my prayers. Thanks be to God!
by Jodi Lorenz, ELCA Associate in Ministry, [Tioga, North Dakota]
A passionate reader, I began writing as a young girl. After graduating from college, I became a teacher. Over the course of my career, I taught high schoolers, college undergraduates, and public school teachers how to write personal narratives, expository and persuasive essays, as well as poetry and short fiction. I continued to write: publishing professional articles, two textbooks, short stories, and poetry. In 2013, I won first place in Romantic Suspense in the ACFW Genesis Contest.
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