Today’s guest blogger is Dee Dee Parker.
I am a visual learner. Flannelgraph Bible stories intrigued me as a child. When my Sunday school teacher placed the figures of biblical characters alongside the familiar Holy Land scenery pieces, the stories became real to me. Many years have passed since I sat in that circle of church friends and learned about David, Moses and Esther, but visual prompts still help me.
In my backyard, a tall forsythia bush has become my favorite prayer spot. Nestled under its branches is a large river rock—a perfect place to be still before God and pray. I tie a different-colored ribbon on the bush for each person I pray for as a touchpoint to aid me in remembering to pray for individuals or situations. Some days the prayer requests are so plentiful that the bush looks like a leafy rainbow.
One day a ribbon came untied and floated to the ground. I felt led to spend a longer time in prayer for the person the ribbon represented. The next day I received word that that person had been injured in a serious car accident.
I believe in holy nudges, so most days I make my way through the early morning dew to gaze on the jewel-toned ribbons, many of them given by friends who wanted to be part of my sweet time of prayer with the Lord. I’m blessed with a good memory, so the color and placement is sufficient to remind me of the person or situation for which I am praying; only once have I written a name on a ribbon to help me remember.
After an answer comes, I release the request by untying the ribbon and offering either a prayer of joy or one of acceptance. I thank the Lord for the honor of standing with those I prayed over, asking Him to continuously bless them. If the ribbon is still usable, I repurpose it for another request.
12 Prayers for Summer
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Not everyone can create a prayer bush like mine, but maybe these three suggestions will prompt you to create something similar that works for you:
1. Pin prayer requests to a corkboard hung in a prominent place.
2. Use a Rolodex containing photos or requests on your desk or table.
3. Keep business cards or Christmas cards and pray over a few at a time.
Colossians 4:2 tells us to “devote [ourselves] to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (NIV). The prayer bush helps me to do both. Would a visual prayer reminder help you too?
