In this post, I share a simple practice that has given new life to my prayers: visual prayer. I hope this beginner’s guide gives you the tools you need to explore visual prayer for yourself.
I’m a cradle Christian. That means I’ve never not known Christ as my Savior. For nearly seven decades I’ve worshiped, read Scripture, sang hymns and praise songs, confessed, received Holy Communion, heard sermons and Bible studies, believed, and prayed. From the outside, it might seem that I’ve figured out all this faith stuff. I’ll clue you in. I have not. I’m still practicing and learning new rhythms, especially with prayer. I love to read books on prayer, both within my denomination and outside. Because no one denomination has perfectly figured it out. (Gasp!) Almost ten years ago, I learned about visual prayer–a practice that gave my prayer life a new life.
Remember, the quality or quantity of our prayers has nothing to do with our salvation. God is not hearing my prayers and thinking, “Hmm, she ought to be praying more or better or longer or whatever. Hasn’t she learned anything from all these years in church and Bible study?” Nope. My assurance is in Christ. Not in the way I pray, my voice, or my word choices.
“When you and I pray, our voice is not our passport. Our word does not give us access. But Jesus’ voice does.”
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Pray without Ceasing
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
What does that look like? Pray without ceasing?! If we look at prayer as only the times we bow our heads and fold our hands – and close our eyes!? Impossible.
But if we see prayer as an ongoing conversation with God, every single whisper and heart cry is a prayer. In many seasons of life, this is the way our prayer life looks, tucked into the nooks and crannies of commuting to work, laundry, cutting carrots, and laundry. It’s the best we can do. But sometimes we long for quiet prayer times where we aren’t completely distracted, times where we linger in our conversation with God for more than 20 seconds.
Here’s one way to do that.
Visual Prayer: Process, Not Product
What is visual prayer? It sounds like such an oxymoron. How can a prayer be visual? Isn’t prayer the words we think or say aloud? Yes and no. At its most basic level, visual prayer is just adding a visual component to your prayers. (Visual prayer is one form of visual faith.) Think of it as another tool for your prayer toolkit. It’s taking a pen or some colored pencils and a piece of paper and coloring as you pray either aloud or silently. Easy.
Please know that visual prayer is all about the process and not the product. There is no right or wrong way to do any of this. We aren’t doing visual prayers to sell products or to share on social media saying, “Look at my artistic skill!” This practice is all about the fruits of a vibrant prayer life. God hears us when we pray, no matter how we pray. You will be blessed. Those for whom you are praying will be blessed. Isn’t that what we desire? All of the suggestions in this post are just that – suggestions and ideas for you to begin your own practice.
Benefits of Visual Prayer for You, the Pray-er
Without going into all the science, I’ll share four simple things that happen to us when we engage in visual and/or kinesthetic processes:
- One, we pause. And we all need that.
- Two, we focus. Your mind will stay with the prayer instead of wandering to your grocery list. (And if it wanders, gently nudge it back to the prayer. It’s all good.) You can’t really multitask while you are writing or doodling and coloring.
- Three, we remember. Your visual prayer will probably stay with you longer than a spoken or meditated one. You may pray about these things even after you put down your pen and pencil because the image will come into your thoughts easily.
- Finally, we touch. In our tech-heavy world, it’s good to hold a real pen and write on real paper every once in a while.
How to Begin Your Visual Prayer Practice
Choose your paper.
Select a white or light-colored card or piece of paper. Card stock is good. Regular copy paper is fine. I don’t like to use lined paper, but if that’s all you have, go for it. If you want to begin a daily or weekly practice with this, you may want to invest in a notebook for your visual prayers. I started with this sketchbook because it’s just the right size and if I wanted, I could use markers without it bleeding through the page. The pages are also perforated so you can tear out one page to share, if you decide to do that. (See prayer cards below.)
By the way, the preparation is part of your prayer time. Talk to God as you make these choices. Invite Him into this process from the start.
Choose your writing tools.
Choose a pen and one or two colored pencils. This is personal. Whatever is comfortable. I would suggest you not use pencils for the writing part. You want this to be a permanent record, something that doesn’t smudge or erase over time. I like using this Tul pen or these Microns. Here’s my favorite colored pencils but use whatever you have. Remember, just choose one or two colors. You don’t want to be distracted by digging through your pencil box and selecting the perfect color.
Choose your place.
Find a comfortable and quiet place. Sometimes I play quiet instrumental Christian hymns or praise songs as a background. I prefer not to use music with words as those may distract me.
Pray.
Okay, isn’t this whole thing about prayer? Well, yes it is, but before I put pen to paper, I like to start with either a Bible passage or a really short whispered prayer. It can be as simple as “Lord, bless my time in this prayer.”
Put marks on the paper.
A blank page makes many of us uncomfortable. One of the first things I do is write the date in the corner. It’s so good to know when you prayed this prayer.
Next, draw a vertical line down the middle of the paper. Then make a horizontal one. Continue making lines, diagonally, vertically, and so on, giving yourself smaller spaces on the page. Alternatively, you could draw a big circle or triangle or box in the middle and then connect smaller ones. Actually, any shape works to create multiple spaces on the page.
If a blank page makes you freeze, then visit Visual Faith® Ministry for preprinted and free downloads or prayer spaces or cards. You will find hundreds of choices! Here’s one free downloadable set of prayer spaces for you.
Sometimes I will color over those black lines with a colored pencil and whisper something like “Lord, guide my time with You. Help me be still. May my prayers be pleasing to you.”
Now write one word or short phrase in each space, praying as you write. Consider all the junk in your mind that is troubling you or those blessings that are filling you up. Give thanks. Give it to God.
Keep your pen moving. If you can’t think of anything to write, then write “Lord, hear my prayer” in each space. Or just write powerful words like “mercy,” “help,” and “trust.” You will be surprised by how words will flow from your heart as you quiet yourself.
Once you have filled some spaces – you don’t have to fill them all in one sitting – you can color over the words you’ve written, praying as you do.
How to Visually Pray for Others
One of my favorite ways to pray for others is with a prayer card. This is similar to the personal visual prayer described above. The difference is that you will begin the prayer by writing the person’s name in the center of the card. Start with a circle, add the name, and then add words or images of things you are praying for him or her. You may simply spend time coloring and saying prayers quietly for whatever he or she needs. Sometimes I’ll draw shapes or flowers, or I’ll add a cross. Lots of doodles. These are not finished masterpieces at all. Just a loving prayer.
How long does this take? However long you want. There is no one right timeframe, no one right way, no one right path.
Here’s what I usually do, just to give you an idea. I’ll color and pray on a prayer card over several days or even a week. I will start one day with a few doodles, a few words. That might take me five minutes. I like to leave my visual prayer book or the card where I can see it often. Whenever I have some free time, I’m drawn to color some more and pray again. The next day, a little more. Sometimes I’ll do it all in one sitting if it’s an urgent prayer request.
Sometimes I will take pictures of the prayer card as I create it and text it to my friend so she knows I’m praying. When I’m finished, I like to send the card in the mail. I know how powerful these cards can be as the recipient of some.
Practice or Set It Aside
“For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
Romans 8:26 ESV
Like anything new, it takes time to get the hang of this. If you are even remotely interested, I’d encourage you to try it and not quit after the first time. Practice. Try again. If it doesn’t resonate with you, then no worries. Set it aside. Maybe in another season it will work for you.
Prayer & Visual Prayer Resources
A list of some books on my shelf that have encouraged me in my prayers:
- The Lutheran Book of Prayer
- A Simple Way to Pray by Martin Luther
- Praying in Color by Sybil MacBeth
- Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy Keller
- How to Pray by C.S. Lewis
- Armed and Dangerous by Jane L. Fryar
- A Prayer Journal by Flannery O’Connor
- With Open Hands by Henri Nouwen
- Prayer by Richard J. Foster
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