Palms Down, Palms Up Prayer

Pathway Points

Stepping Up for Jesus

So, you've decided to give up something for Lent. Now what? What are you supposed to do with all that time that you would have spent watching TV? Or, what are you supposed to do when you're desperately craving that piece of chocolate or Mountain Dew? Well, if you don't do something, you're definitely going to slip up and ruin a good thing.

Traditionally, giving something up for Lent is intended to give you more time to spend with God. So ideally, instead of watching your favorite Netflix program, you should be hanging out with God. What does that even mean? And how are you supposed to do that? Well, let me give you a quick and easy technique that you can use to overcome the cravings and spend some quality time with God.

The technique is called a Palms Down, Palms Up prayer. You can use it anytime, anywhere, and for as long or short of a time that you have.

This is a prayer made popular by Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline. First, a word about Christian meditation. Then, a description of the technique. As Christians, as is often the case, we do things differently than the world does them, meditation being one of them. Often, when non-Christians use meditation, they are trying to empty their minds or become one with something…nature, a greater force. There is also a lot of work that falls on the person to achieve this. For Christians on the other hand, meditation is not an emptying or losing of oneself. It is a focus on and a worship of God. You still retain your identity, but you recognize the awesomeness of God and spend time in His presence. Also, while there is work on our parts (they don’t call it a Spiritual Discipline for nothing), we are supported and assisted by the Holy Spirit.

That support and assistance is a key component of the Palms Down, Palms Up technique. The first step is to remove all the distractions around you. Turn off your TV, silence your phone, put your computer to sleep, give the kids a snack. Whatever it takes for even just a few minutes alone with God. Now, for the assistance part. Start with your hands gently extended in front of you with your palms down, feel free rest them on your knees or a table. This is symbolic of you letting go of all your internal distractions. If you haven’t already open your hands and say something like, “Lord, I give you my frustrations with my kids. I give you my struggles at work, my fear of flying next week.” Name anything and everything that is bothering you, be specific.

As you run out of things to give to God, turn your palms up symbolizing that you are ready to receive from God. You could say something like, “Lord, please give me your patience with my kids, your perseverance at work, your peace about flying, your love, your joy.” As your heart quiets and your mind stills, focus on God. Think about his characteristics and praise him for them. Don’t be afraid to just sit quietly and rest in His presence.

If your mind starts to wander, turn your palms back down and give those thoughts to God. “Lord, I’m worried about dinner tonight, the grocery list. Did someone feed the cat? I give all of this to your care for the time being, trusting that you’ll help me remember later.” Then, turn your palms back up again. Repeat this pattern as often as you need to as you focus and worship God.

Stepping up with you in His strength!

Monica Lebsack

Creative Ministries Director

At Grace, one of my responsibilities is to publish a weekly article in our e-newsletter, GraceNotes, about discipleship. Specifically, about the various components of our Discipleship Pathway and how a person could journey along it. This is my most recent article.