Alphabet Prayer
Today’s activity was inspired by an improv game, and while it does not require you to perform onstage, it does push you to think creatively and to release any “scripts” you might be leaning on when you pray. We’re calling it “Alphabet Prayer.”
In improvisation, the “Alphabet Game” is where each successive line of a scene must begin with the next letter of the alphabet. The first person to speak begins with an “A” word, the next person’s line must begin with “B,” and so on until you reach Z or somebody fails to continue the pattern. The scene might begin:
Actor 1: Absolutely wonderful to see you today!
Actor 2: Barely made it on time – my car broke down!
Actor 1: Call me if you need a ride to work tomorrow.
Actor 2: Don’t worry, the shop says they can fix it in no time.
And so on…
Here’s how you can incorporate this into your personal prayers: spend the next 26 days working your way through the alphabet, praying for something that begins with a specific letter – or beginning your prayer with that letter – each day. You can go in order from A to Z or draw a letter at random each day until you’ve gone through all 26. It’s a simple adjustment that could have a large impact on your prayer life – it’s easy to fall into patterns, and releasing the “script” of the people and things you normally pray over and the turns of phrase you tend to use can reinvigorate your conversations with God. And if these conversations are not as frequent as you’d like them to be, the Alphabet Prayer challenge can also push you to make prayer an intentional part of your day!
If you run into difficulty coming up with a prayer concern for a specific letter, we invite you to crowdsource it through us! Connect with us on Facebook or Instagram and the Desert Mission community can help you brainstorm ideas.
