Prayer Goes Both Ways

Posted on January 31, 2022 by Shirlee Abbott

 

You speak, God listens.

God speaks, you listen.

 

Have you been monopolizing the conversation?

Luke 11:28 (CEV)
The people who are really blessed are the ones
who hear and obey God’s message!

Share
Posted in Constructive Thought | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Prayer Goes Both Ways

Praying Hand

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Shirlee Abbott


Think of a child holding his daddy’s hand.

He feels safe.
He feels secure.
He feels loved.

 

When I’m scared, nervous or lonely, I can reach for my heavenly Daddy’s hand.

Psalm 139:10 (NIV)
Even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

I raise my hand in prayer. No words needed.

Share
Posted in Constructive Thought | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Praying Hand

Sketched Prayers

Posted on January 27, 2022 by Shirlee Abbott

I draw some of my prayers. They’re simple line sketches, something I could squeeze into the margins of my Bible. It need not be perfect — God knows what I mean.

 

Share
Posted in other | Tagged , | Comments Off on Sketched Prayers

Difficult Prayers

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Shirlee Abbott

 


Some prayers don’t come easily. 

 

 

Think of someone you don’t like:

        • Your grumpy neighbor
        • The politician you despise
        • The coworker who did you wrong
        • The guy who bullied you back in middle school

Now, imagine that person wrapped in Christ’s embrace.

Matthew 5:44 (NIRV)
Love your enemies.
Pray for those who hurt you.

Just the image, no words required.

Share
Posted in Constructive Thought | Tagged , | Comments Off on Difficult Prayers

Prayer Triggers

Posted on January 25, 2022 by Shirlee Abbott

 

Do you, like me, have photos of your loved ones everywhere? On your desk, on the wall, on your phone? 

 

I’ve been thinking . . . I should get in the habit of shooting a prayer heavenward 

        • every time I dust one of those photos
        • when I scroll past the photo on my phone
        • whenever the photo catches my eye

These photos can be prayer prompts:

Philippians 1:3 (MSG)
Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer.  

A trigger to pray — for their health, for their protection, for their spiritual growth.

 

Share
Posted in Constructive Thought | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Prayer Triggers

Picture Prayers

Posted on January 24, 2022 by Shirlee Abbott


Romans 8:27 (ERV)
God already knows our deepest thoughts.

God knows what I’m thinking. I don’t have to tell Him in words. I can tell Him in pictures.

 

How do I do it?

Sometimes the pictures I share with God exist only in my imagination. Some are actual photographs I hold in my hand, hang on my wall or simply remember. Some I sketch myself. Others are someone else’s artwork.

I hold these prayer pictures in my mind. I can share them with God anytime, anywhere. God’s eyes are on my prayers.

Share
Posted in Constructive Thought | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Picture Prayers

Colorful Prayers

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Shirlee Abbott

 

I ran across this book at the public library.
It opened my eyes to a new way to pray.

In Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God, Sybil MacBeth showed me how to add color, shapes and sketches to my prayers.

I now own a notebook that holds colorful sketches of my prayers for folks dear to my heart. The drawings flow out of my conversations with God, and most are tied to a bit of Scripture.

These drawings aren’t great art. They are good prayers, creative prayers, one-of-a-kind prayers. You might want to draw a few of your own.

Share
Posted in Constructive Thought | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Snapshot Prayers

Posted on January 20, 2022 by Shirlee Abbott

 

Yesterday, I posted God’s wordless answer to my prayer request.

Today, let’s consider some wordless requests.

 

Imagine:

A loved one who doesn’t know Christ kneeling at the cross.
Two people with long-held grudges shaking hands.
A fractured family happily sharing a meal.
Your depressed friend doing a happy dance.

Freeze-frame your image and share it with God. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. A snapshot prayer can hold more than words can say.

Ephesians 3:20 (NIRV)
God is able to do far more than
we could ever ask for or imagine.

Share
Posted in Constructive Thought | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Moving Picture Prayers

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Shirlee Abbott

 

Let me share a wordless answer to prayer. 

Our keys were missing. We looked everywhere — no keys. I prayed.

 

We need to find them, Lord.

Moments later, a short video played in my head. It showed our toddler pushing the keys through the side of the laundry basket. I searched the basket. Lo and behold! The lost keys were found.

That little movie? It wasn’t at my eye level. It was taken from above, as though the camera was above the ceiling. It was a God’s-eye view.

God answered my prayer — with a moving picture.

 

Share
Posted in Constructive Thought | Tagged , | Comments Off on Moving Picture Prayers

Wordless Prayers

Posted on January 18, 2022 by Shirlee Abbott

 

Romans 8:26 (CEV)
When we don’t know what to pray for,
the Spirit prays for us in ways
that cannot be put into words.

 

God needs no words.

Share
Posted in Constructive Thought | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Wordless Prayers