My prayer practice this morning was a combination of Praying with Color and Zen Doodling.  The upcoming Western District Conference is on my mind, so I spent time in prayer for that event and for some of the people connected with it.

To engage in this practice, you will need a piece of paper, a black pen, and something to color with–markers, crayons, colored pencils . . .

1. Draw a dot in each corner of your paper and connect the dots with wavy lines to form a border.
2. Next, draw a “string” inside your frame. Just make a random, curvy line that divides your framed area into different sections.
3. If some areas are too big and/or you think you will need more sections, add lines as desired.
4. Decide on a person or situation for which you would like to pray. Write this in one of the shapes.
5. Think about a scriptural image of God that seems linked to your prayer focus. (I chose the image from Ephesians 2 of Christ being the one who breaks down the dividing wall of hostility.) Write this on another shape.
6. In the remaining sections of your doodle, write words, names, and/or phrases associated with your prayer–people involved, graces you desire, words of encouragement and comfort from scripture . . .
7. Begin coloring your prayer doodle one section at a time. You can color in an entire section, draw in a pattern, use multiple colors . . . anything you want. As you color each section, pray specifically for whatever is written in that section.

As always, remember that your creative prayer practice is about process, not product. Let your spirit rest with God as you draw, write, and color your prayers.