Multi-sensoryprayer
Allofusprayindifferentwaysatdifferentstagesinourlives.Sometimesourway
ofprayingchangesaswegrowinourrelationshipwithGod.
Prayerusingyourowncreativity
Thereisanartist,apoet,amusicianinallofus,recognisedornot!Thisisan
area where many of us need time to be encouraged to break away from the
myths of the past and the inner voice saying ‘I can’t draw, I can’t write, I can’t
sing.’ By freely entering into the experience of the ‘creator’ within ourselves
through the different creative mediums – knowing that we are not going to be
judged,don’thavetoperform,ortoproducearesult–canbethemostliberating
experience,leadingintoadeeperrelationshipwithGod,whocontinuestocreate
througheachofhiscreatures.
Thiswayofprayingisoftenachallenge,lettinggoofsomeofthemoreclassical
andformalwaysofpraying,andbeingpreparedtoenterintoan‘experience’of
the creator within ourselves. Trusting and exploring freely with the different
creative mediums of paint, clay, free writing and poetry can bring us into a
deeperplaceofprayer,andknowledgeoftheCreatorGod.
Booksuggestions
Bird,Ann(2003)ColourmeSpiritual,FounderyPress.
JulianMerryweather,Sheila(2003)ColourfulPrayer:ANewWaytoPrayWhen
WordsareInadequate,KevinMayhew
Pavitt,Pamela(2006)IdeasintoImages,GranaryPress.
Reynolds,Peter(2004)TheDot,WalkerBooks.
Frontcoverimage:GrahamandKatyHill
The Prayer Pack
Usingourheartandhandstodraw,colour,craftorshapeis
anotherwayinwhichwecanexplorethequietdepthsof
ourselvesandbringourfeelingsbeforeGod.Wecan
revealmoreofourselves…toourselves.
ChooseapassagefromtheBibletoreflecton,anddraworsculpt
whatevercomestomind.
Ignorethecriticalvoicesayingyou’renogoodatthissortofthing.
Relaxintotheactivity,taketimetobestillandaskGodtoguideyour
heartandhandsasyoucreate.Allowyourcreativitytoexpresswhat
youmayhavefoundhardtoexpressinwords.Usethepencils,
colouringpens,mandalas,playdoughormagazinestodraw,colourin,
cut,pasteorsculptwhatevercomestomind.
Whenyouhavefinishedcreatingyourpicture,collageorsculpture,
lookatitcarefully…Whatcanyousee?Whatisitsayingtoyou?How
doesitmakeyoufeel?Youmayfindtherearethingsyouwanttosay
toGod,orsensethatGodisinsomewayspeakingtoyou.
Don’tworryabouttheendresult:itistheprocessthatmatters.
Afewideastogetyoustarted
Writeyourname–oryoursignature–andlookatitfromallangles,
colouringitandaddingsymbolsifyoulike.Youmightwanttousethe
handyoudon’tnormallywritewith,tomakeitevenmoreinteresting.
Orletthepencilorcolouringpenswanderfreely,withoutanyideain
mindwhatthepicturemightturninto.
Tryaself-portrait–Lookinthemirror,andstudyyourreflection.
Whatdoyoureallysee?Doesittellyousomethingaboutyourself,
aboutyourlife?Youcouldeventryanddrawyourfacefrommemory.
Lookthroughthemagazinesandcutoutpicturesthatspeaktoyou.
Usethepictures,glueandpapertomakeacollage.
Feelingstuck?Justrememberyouarenotbeingjudgedonthequality
orthecontentofyourartwork.Thereisnoneedtorush,noneedto
feelanyconcernabouttheendresult.Justenjoy,ifanything,the
movementandquietsoundofpencilorcrayontracingoverpaper,the
feeloftheplaydough,theprocessofcreatingsomething,regardlessof
theendresult.
Whenyou’reready,gentlybringyourselfbackintotheroomandend
yourprayerbysayingthankyou,orusingwordsthatarefamiliar,such
astheLord’sPrayer(OurFather)–whicheverfeelsrightand
comfortable.
Pleasefeelfreetotakeyourartworkhomewithyouorleaveithere
tosharewithothers.