Prayer as Exercise: Ways to break the rut

 "The two best prayers I know are 'help me, help me, help me,' and 'thank you thank you thank you.'"

Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies

For me, prayer is like working out: I know I should do it everyday and always feel better when I do. But I usually tend to put it off or flat out not do it unless there is a crisis, or we hit the annual spiritual "new year's resolution"-like experience of Lent.

Here are some ways that I have rejuvenated my prayer life when stuck in a rut, can't find the words, or am just plain lazy.

• Breath prayers. Think of a mantra, phrase, or other simple thought you would like to say to God. Some of my stand-bys are "kyrie eleison, christe eleison" or "Emmanuel, Emmanuel, into my heart to dwell." Breathe in, thinking of the first part of your mantra, hold it, breathe out on the second. Repeat as desired. 

• Color/Sound prayers. Pick a color or a sound and pray every time you see/hear it. A common one is saying a prayer when you hear a siren for those it affects. Martin Luther is said to have prayed with gratitude for baptism every time he touched water.
• Prayer Labyrinth. Walking a labyrinth is an ancient tradition. There is one available at Franciscan Skemp, and ELC rented one this year for a weekend. If you're not able to get to a prayer labyrinth, sometime a walk around the neighborhood and praying for the people in each house you pass can serve. There is also an online prayer labyrinth if you're not able to get outside. 
• Protestant Prayer Beads. While the Catholics have their rosaries, we can also use beads as a way to pray. Luther recommended prayer beads for Lent, starting with one a day and adding one through each of the forty days. There is something very tactile and comforting about praying with beads. Again, there is an online version, but I would also invite you to make your own if Spirit moves.
• Praying hymns or Bible verses. When I can't make sense of my own thoughts, I sometimes go to those of others. Lectio divina is one way to mindfully slow down on passages that speak to our souls.
• Community resources. The ELCA has a whole page of prayer resources. I have found our pastors to be enormously helpful when I've been stuck in my prayer life. I have asked close friends to pray out loud for me when I cannot find my own words.

And when all else fails, I recite the Lord's prayer and/or the Apostles creed until my mind and heart are still enough to pray as my soul needs.  My prayer for you this week is that you are able to deepen your prayer experiences in a way that is meaningful to you and allows you to sense and hear the loving presence of our God.

~Rachel