Category / Prayer

by Karen Twinem

With Jesus on the National Day of Prayer

Today on the National Day of Prayer, let’s meditate on Rembrandt’s Storm on the Sea of Galilee. This great idea came from an online retreat I attended last week with Jan Johnson through Renovare.

Jesus is the passenger with a beard and some light around his head sitting to the right side of the painting. Who are you in this picture? Are you the disciples working the sails to try to keep the ship afloat? The disciple getting sick over the side? The disciple in brown crouched low at Jesus’ feet? Or the ones talking to him about the situation?

And what do you want to say to Jesus about the storm today?

by Karen Twinem

Christian Mindfulness Practice: Flash Prayers

Developing the daily habit of offering up a sentence-long prayer at specific times is a common suggestion. Kenneth Boa and Jenny Abel, authors of the free-pdf “A Guide to Practicing God’s Presence,” call these “flash prayers” or “arrow prayers.”

Use your own Jesus prayer or one of these suggestions:

  • Come, Lord Jesus.
  • Holy Spirit, act through me.
  • I thank you in all things.
  • This is the day that you have made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.
  • May I love and serve you and others today.
  • I love you, Lord.

Of course, you can also write your own prayer. Just make it easy to memorize.

You can use this prayer at various times through the day. One way to remind yourself is to set a subtle alarm for times. Other times to use flash prayers include:

  • When you walk up
  • When you are about to eat
  • Before a meeting
  • Before making a call
  • Before sending or responding to a text
  • While waiting in line
  • At bedtime
by Karen Twinem

A Perfect Prayer for a Pandemic

Lord, help us to see that our well-being is inextricably bound to the well-being of our neighbor. Our sorrows are shared. Our longings are shared. Our fears are shared. Enable us also to share compassion, patience and courage today. Amen.

Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoro
by Karen Twinem

Christian Mindfulness Practice: Name What You Need

The breath prayer is a common practice in Christian mindfulness or contemplation. A variation that helps during a pandemic or just daily life is to ask for the grace, knowledge or virtue you need at this moment in the prayer.

When you feel frightened, overwhelmed or unsure, sit or stand quietly for a few seconds. Then start your breath prayer. “Come, Lord Jesus” or “Come, Holy Spirit” work well if you want to create a prayer.

Inhale saying your breath prayer. Then exhale naming what you need, such as:

Come, Lord Jesus. Bring me patience.

Come, Holy Spirit. Grant me the wisdom to deal with this.

Come, Lord Jesus. Let me feel your peace.

Come, Holy Spirit. Speak through me.