Themes That Move You

The Best Prayers Are One-Liners

In my prior post, Open To What Is Next, I relayed the time my father spoke words to me that also seemed to be his prayer: I’m in your hands. I stated that some of the best prayers are one-liners and when expressed are often spontaneous and raw.

I experienced such a moment when I was 26 years-old and about to have emergency surgery for a burst appendix causing obstruction. Alone in an open hospital ward, I contemplated my life. Fear started to rise then just as quickly a palpable wave of reassurance went through me. On an uncomfortable gurney ride to the operating room during which I felt every bump in and out of elevators, I turned over my right hand to be palm-side up and silently prayed: Dear Jesus, hold my hand.

That simple, spontaneous prayer has stayed with me my whole life. When words fail, this prayer is always accessible. I’ve shared it with many friends including those of different faiths who use variations such as: Dear God, hold my hand. There are actually numerous Bible verses you can explore that reference “hands.” (1)

Heart Notes

Just over a year ago, I was sitting with a friend the day before she was having brain surgery. She asked me to pray with her and I knew that reading long excerpts from books or even short paragraphs was too taxing. Out of my bag I pulled some heart-shaped sticky notes on which I had written a few one-liner prayers. We held each one and read it together. She said it was the perfectly light-yet-powerful way to set her mind, heart and spirit before surgery.

I’ve since given these colorful heart notes to friends and relatives who are experiencing different challenges with an invitation to write their own one-liner prayers. Prayer can be many things from gut-wrenching, to reverent to playful. It most certainly can be creative.

If you feel so inclined, here are the heart notes I purchased.

What would you write on yours?

Themes That Move You

Prayers, mantras, positive thoughts, intentions and affirmations. These each have different connotations when taken separately, yet they can be combined effectively. For example, many people like to choose a word or phrase to focus on for the new year. I’ve referred to these as themes.

What started years ago as a coaching exercise has become for me a prayerful one. A new theme emerges with a change of season, whether it’s a literal turning of the calendar or related to a life event. The theme becomes clear after reflection and specifically after the questions: What is being refined in me? What is it now time for?

The word or phrase selected is not a forced slogan or short-lived motivation. My theme for the year becomes an overarching prayer that moves me, both inwardly and outwardly. I invite it in and grow into it. It guides me and teaches me. I keep it on my phone with symbolic photographs. As new insights form, other prayer one-liners branch off the central theme.

It’s amazing to me how much a simple word or phrase, when prayerfully selected, can influence my decisions and bring peace of mind.

Wonderfully, there are many forms of prayer. Just as you can vary your physical workouts, you can do the same spiritually. Whether selecting a theme is a new process for you or a familiar one, it can be an easy and creative way to integrate prayer into your days.

It’s incredible what a few words – selected prayerfully – can do.

Reflection:

• How might you explore writing your own prayers?

The words that become your theme,
the ones that will really move you,
come from your heart.

Note:

(1) About occasional prayer references: If the faith language contained in today’s post differs from your faith tradition or spirituality, I invited you to adapt it to your own. While cherishing my faith, I respect the richness of different faiths and marvel at the intersections where we can meet. For more of my thoughts on this, please see About Faith.