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