Praying Hands

Perhaps you, like me, have heard the same bedtime prayer night after night.  Our children were quite young when I stumbled on this teaching tool that aided us in praying with a God-focus rather than a me-focus.

1.  Put your thumbs together and praise God for who is.  Name at least two things you love most about Him: i.e. "God, you are mighty and good."  Keep your thumbs together while you:
2.  Put your pointer fingers together and thank God for something He has given or done for you today.  "Thank you for the rain and a fun time with Carrie." Keep these fingers together and:
3.  Put your pointer fingers together.  Ask God to search your heart.  Confess and repent of specific sin that has not been dealt with.  "Please help me remember how I sinned today...  I'm sorry I got mad at Carrie. Help me be more loving."
4.  Add your ring fingers and pray for others who need God's help.  "Please help Gage's dad and heal Grandma's leg, etc."
5.  Put your pinkies together and ask God to help you.  "Help me do my best at school.  Please help me not to worry about the big kids on the bus, etc."
Our big kids still use this pattern and it is a delight to listen to their heartfelt prayers because it grows with them and their awareness of God, others, and themselves.  Before turning the lights go off, we would give a kiss, butterfly kiss, ugga-mugga (nose rub), bonk-bonk (tap foreheads) and hug.  What a blessed inheritance!

God's Word is the most valuable book on prayer you'll find--invest in it!  Other helps I've found are:  Valley of Vision (Puritan prayers) and Face to Face:  Praying the Scriptures for Ultimate Worship by Kenneth D. Boa.

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