10 cent Prayers for Families

I’ve always been a mover and a shaker. Standing still is not my gift. I get things done. And there is always something to be done. When someone tells me they are bored, I wrinkle my forehead and stand in amazement, because I don’t think I’ve been bored one second in my life. It’s just not me. I tend to be an over-involver not an under-involver (I made those up).

Some are born to act, and others are born to contemplate and think. It is the rare person who does both well naturally.

So, when it comes to prayer – to quiet meditation and study – that is something I’ve had to learn. To practice. And at times, to force myself to do.

And it breathes fresh life into my soul…every time.

Prayer is a practice that is hard to explain, but the effects are profoundly felt. There is a mysterious nature to it. It invites the presence of God, and welcomes a spirit that is more than we have within us by ourselves. There is an accompanying peace and a movement toward love and kindness, rather than selfishness and bitterness.

When I am preparing food for guests to come to our home, I pray over them. I pray over the food they will eat at our house, and I pray that they will feel deeply loved and honored. They are 10-cent prayers, short and to the point, but they are sincere and heart-felt prayers.

Are we praying for our own family as we fold their laundry, pick up their cleats for the 100^th time, and cook their meals? Are we inviting love, patience, kindness, and unity into our relationships?

I often lift my hands wide in our house and invite God to fill it and the people who dwell in it. Because God is the only one who can move and change hearts.

So today, as you do what you usually do, and walk through rooms of your home, wash your regular dishes, and pour milk into cups, actively pray over those who live under your roof. Put a bracelet on your wrist that says, “pray,” or make a dot on your hand that reminds you.

They don’t have to be fancy, long, or well-spoken – 10 cent prayers will do.