One-Minute Prayers

Throughout the month of February, we'll be giving all kinds of ideas and ways to experiment with prayer.  Ways to discover what works for you, what doesn't, and how to connect with God on a deeper level.

Today we're experimenting with the One-Minute Prayer.

"There is a beautiful simplicity about learning to seize moments here and there to connect with the presence of the Lord.  Even pausing to say the word Jesus [or God] on occasion, mulling over what he means to you for a few seconds, can have a great impact.  This may not come completely natural for you, though, so here are a few suggestions that can help you pursue the practice until it is woven into the fabric of your life...

"Be intentional."  Decide how many times you'd like to take a moment with God today and then think about how you can make that happen.  If this is new for you - start small.  Maybe 3 times?

"Be God-centered."  One of the most important things is to come to God, knowing who God is.  Maybe choose one of the attributes of God that you connect with, or a scripture verse that means a lot to you - write it down, keep it close by.  When you take a moment for your one-minute prayer time with God, this can be a great way for you to concentrate on God for a moment (and not your own situation or feelings).

"Establish 'triggers.'"  Think of moments in your day-to-day life that you do all the time, everyday.  Decide that one of those triggers can be time to spend with God.  For me, when I'm driving by myself I talk to God (maybe not aloud, people might think I was crazy...).  When I'm in the shower, I sometimes pray.  Maybe mealtime.  Maybe when you brush your teeth.  Maybe before you wake your kids up and after you put them to bed.  The key is to think of specific times and places that you will take one minute to center on God.

"Take a deep breath, welcome [God's] presence with a few seconds of silent acknowledgement, thank him or praise him for some aspect of who he is and ponder what it means in your life.  Present any situation or issue you need his wisdom on.  Ask him if he has something to reveal to you.  Thank him for his presence.  You can do all of this in one minute's time, and before long it will become a habit you won't want to do without."
--reading in italics from "Sacred Chaos" by Tricia Rhodes

If you decide to give this a try, please feel free to leave a comment!  This is one of the ways we learn from each other, is by sharing our experiences (especially when we're all experimenting together!).