When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I want to do is pray – it is the last thing I actually think about doing though.
Instead, I am trying to motivate myself to get out of bed. I am trying to get in a shower before the kids wake up. I am toweling off quickly because the kids woke up crying. I am wrestling two kids into diapers and clothes while I try to finish getting ready. I am getting breakfast made before a meltdown happens. You get the idea.
But I want to pray.
I want to make morning prayer my priority. But, it is hard for me when I am overwhelmed by so many other thoughts and obligations. It is easy to put prayer off until later, and then later suddenly becomes 11pm when all I have to give to God is my leftovers.
So, I came up with something new: Prayer Sticks.
You guys, this is the easiest “craft” with huge benefits. I used a pretty mason jar that my aunt dolled up for me, but you could just use a regular mason jar or a ziplock bag or an old sock. I don’t think it matters. I just like pretty.
Then, I used large tongue depressor popsicle stick craft thingies (I didn’t want to get technical on you, but sometimes it is necessary.), and wrote different types of prayer on them.
Of course you can fill them out with whatever prayers work best for you, but here are some ideas I used on mine:
some of these are titles from my favorite daily devotionals
Then, I draw a stick each morning and complete the prayer. No decision needed.
You can do this right? Not just the craft; you can pray daily too. I know it.
What’s your favorite way to pray? I want to add it to my sticks!
What a great idea! I want 2014 to be a year of becoming better at prayer, and this could be a really great help in that area. I, too, know what it is like to hit the ground running with 3 kids three and under and suddenly God gets put to the side. Right now my lifeline is listening to our local Catholic radio station KBVM, which usually starts off every hour with a different prayer, and always broadcasts the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 pm and the Rosary at 6 AM and 7 PM. In fact, the whole 7 PM hour is the “Family Prayer Hour” with lots of different prayers, including an evening review/examination of conscience. KBVM streams online at kbvm.fm, so if you don’t have a radio station in your town, check it out!
I pray the Shorter Christian Prayer. It’s a very short version of the Liturgy of the Hours. Takes me 10 or 15 minutes depending on how much my mind wanders and how much I have to re-read. :) But I love it. It’s been such a help in bringing me closer to God.
this is great! im going to share this :)
I like this idea. I usually pray in the mornings when I first get up but I do like keeping a prayer journal too.
Oh, I like this! But I think I might have two jars. One with ways to pray and the other for all the people/intentions I’m praying for. Pick one o’ each and pray it up!
I love this! I’ve been trying to get up just a little earlier to get in some more quality prayer time, and the last few mornings as I’m trying to shake off the haze, prayer times goes something like “Morning Offering…um, now what do I do?” Mason jar and tongue depressors, here I come! This is great for family prayer too beyond Advent. Love it.
This is wonderful! Whenever I mentally jolt myself into focusing on prayer at those random moments of the day when it’s possible, I say the Angelus. It brings me so much peace.
This is great… I was thinking about doing something sorrrrrt of like this with the nannied. Thanks for the idea!