Jesus calls us “the salt of the earth” (Matt 5:13), but he acknowledges that salt can lose its flavor. The same thing can happen in our prayer life. Whether called a “dark night” or a “dry spell,” prayer can sometimes lack the zest that calls us to come back for more.
Here are a few creative ways to pray that might just be the thing to spice up your prayer life. They can be done by anyone of any age, with some help!
- Bless someone when they are going to bed, or leaving the house for the day, or any other time that a blessing might fit. Anyone who is baptized can give a blessing!
How: Trace the Sign of the Cross on their forehead with your finger or thumb, or make the gesture in front of them, moving from forehead, down, and then shoulder to shoulder.
Say: “I bless you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” You can add other words, praying for them to do well on a test, or for success at a business meeting, for example.
- Write a letter to God. Go through the effort to get a pen and paper. Write from the heart. If you are young, or you struggle with words, you can draw a picture instead. Share those things that you really want God to know… even if you believe that God knows them already. God is always happy to hear from you!
- Use the format of an acrostic to choose things that you want to include in prayer.
How: Pick a theme. For example, decide if you want to focus on things that you are grateful for, or if you want to list people you want to pray for, etc. Then, choose one word, phrase, or even the alphabet to use as the starting letter of each item in your list. For example:
On Memorial Day We Pray For:
R: Regular, everyday, men and women who have sacrificed for our freedom – May they rest in peace.
E: Everyone who has given their lives in the line of duty – May we always honor them.
M: Many sacrifices made by the families of those that serve – May God grant them consolation for their loss.
E: Extra efforts made to celebrate the day – May God bless every participant for their gift of time and talent
M: Members of the military, current and past, and their civilian support staff – May we recognize the sacrifices they make.
B: Beautiful souls in less than beautiful circumstances – May our memories, and theirs, allow us to focus on the good.
E: Energy focused on seeking peaceful solutions – May we all seek love and justice for all people, ending war forever.
R: Restful peace to those we’ve lost – May we always remember them.
The starting word can be short, or long. Children can offer ideas while others compile the list. Beautiful writing can follow this format. Check out Psalm 119 for proof. If we all read Hebrew, we’d see that every stanza uses one letter, in the order of the Hebrew alphabet, to begin all eight verses in that stanza.
Just know that all prayer is a good thing if your aim is communication with God. The Rosary and other traditional prayers are wonderful, but they aren’t the only way to pray. God made you with wonderful gifts and talents. Let them shine in the way you pray!