I really don't like that and I miss talking to Someone higher than my human problems. Praying gives me a better perspective on my life. More importantly I want to have a better relationship with the One I say that I follow and has control of my life.
When I came home from college (aw yeah college kid!) I went to the mall in my hometown and went in one of those seasonal shops. It was a Mayan craft shop and it had some awesome jewelry. So good my wallet hurt.
Then I saw this little necklace (something similar to what is pictured to your right) and I got really excited! In my youth ministry class we had read "Presence-Centered Youth Ministry" which was full of different spiritual disciplines. The author Mike King discussed how he personally uses a chotki (or a prayer rope) to help focus on God during prayer. He assigned a prayer to each bead and held each bead as he prayed.
I decided that I wanted to try this out. I call the necklace my prayer training wheels. I haven't prayed for a while and instead of falling - I want to stabilize myself. Another metaphor would be conversational cards. If a marriage was not working and the couple was not talking anymore, then perhaps they would use conversational cards. Perhaps it seems a bit dysfunctional, but I am a dysfunctional human being and I am not alone in that :)
What I do with the prayer beads is I use the two top beads as "Glory Be" beads. I recite this prayer twice for both beads:
"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end."
Then I reach a strand of ten beads on the left side and I pray the Jesus Prayer for each of these ten beads, emphasizing a different word each time:
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
Then I go to the ten beads on the other side and say the bridge to Hosanna by Hillsong United:
"Heal my heart. Make it clean. Open up my eyes. To the things unseen. Break my heart. For what breaks Yours. Eyerything I have. For Your kingdom's cause. As I walk from earth. Into eternity."
Then I reach the five beads in the middle. The first bead is "God You are..." and I say how I see God that day. The second bead is "Thank You for..." and I say how God has blessed me that day. Third is "I'm sorry for..." and I say how I messed up that day. Next is "Please help my friends..." and I ask for help for a specific friend that is troubled that day. Lastly, I reach the "Please help me..." and I say one thing that I could use help with to become a better person.
Then I reach the cross and say the Lord's Prayer:
"Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen."
I like being able to personalize this method and that I can have traditional prayers in it that have been used throughout time. It connects me with other believers in far different settings than me, but adding in things like lyrics from worship songs help make it less traditional. I also put in those discussion beads so that I could start talking to God about my day like I used to.
Most likely this is just a temporary measure like training wheels and conversational cards. I doubt I'll be using this necklace forever. I just want to get back into actively being in a discussion with God. The method I'm using could be called strange...but so far it's working and I feel a bit more centered.
I just wanted to share that because we shouldn't be afraid to worship God in different ways. He is a big God who has revealed Himself in so many ways. I think He rejoices when we find new and creative ways to embrace Him and show our love. :)
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