7

newsongbkk — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:13:31 +0000

7 CREATIVE PRAYER IDEAS

The Examen: This is a cool ancient form of prayer that asks you to think back over the last week or month. Let your mind wander through the following questions as you pray:

Thinking back over the recent past, focus on the moments when you were most grateful and the moments when you were least grateful.

What were they?

Which moments did you give and receive God's love the most?

When did you give and receive love the least?

When you were paying the most attention to the love of God in the world?

When were you paying the least attention?

Finish by thanking God for the gift of today and ask for guidance in being more open to God’s presence in your daily life.

Pray Scripture: Pick up a Bible and start reading. Select a verse such as "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me" and turn it into a prayer: "God help me to reach out to the least of these in my world and to treat them as your beloved children." Or select a psalm as an inspiration for prayer. Try taking the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) and write your own translation in a way that reflects your life and needs.

Be quiet. If prayer is a conversation, then you also need to listen in silence. Simply sit in silence, perhaps close your eyes, and see what comes to you from God.

Give Thanks: Using paper or a journal, make a word cloud or list of all the things in your life or in the world for which you are thankful. If you are feeling artistic, doodle images of all the things you are thankful for today.

Repeat a word or phrase: Repeating a simple prayer over and over can focus your thoughts and free your mind to be open to new things. Pick a word to say slowly and repeatedly to yourself quietly (or in your thoughts) such as love, peace, life, or perhaps the name of someone or something important to you. You could also choose a phrase such as “Jesus, be with me” or “God so loves the world” or “Open my mind, open my heart,”

Ask Questions: What are the big questions of life you’d like answers to today? You know--the ones like “Why is there suffering in the world?” Spend some time just asking those questions, one after another, offering them to God and see what happens.

Imagine: Close your eyes for awhile and imagine the world as God would have it be – not as it is.

What do you see?

How is that world different from the one we live in today?

Now imagine yourself as part of that vision, helping to make it come true. What are you doing?

How is God calling you to be part of bringing that vision to reality in your own little corner of the world?

Hello world!

admin — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:36:16 +0000

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Newsong Bangkok

7

Hello world!