Drawing and Praying

Last week, we looked at some creative ways to pray for our neighbors-both in our neighborhoods and farther afield across the world. This week I'll offer some prayer suggestions for focusing your own prayer life. Last Saturday, I participated in the DRG Lent Retreat for Women at the Cathedral. During the quiet time, one of the options was to use the provided art supplies to draw your thoughts on the meditations and/or your own prayers. It occurs to me, belatedly, that having some directions-like these-might have been helpful in that area.
Drawing our prayers is not new. Hildegard of Bingen, mystic and abbess of the 12th century is well known for her drawings.Hers are often in the form of mandalas-a shape representing completion and unity. Hildegard's are rather complex and most of us draw much simpler pictures. Here is one I did during a class on mandalas.  

Sometimes in my journals I'll draw a simple line drawing inspired by my thoughts that day. Certainly nothing to frame for a public show, these little sketches do sometimes direct my thoughts into a new, deeper direction. One thing I often do is draw a cross and then on rocks around the foot of the cross write things I am trying to let go of. Another friend often draws trees with leaves representing the ministries she is involved in. It helps her see what, if anything, she needs to let go of.
A couple of other ways to start drawing your prayers are below. Remember line drawings and stick people are perfectly fine. These drawings are just for your prayer enrichment.
You can sketch a two-stage picture of the present and future or of the past and present. Fold a piece of paper in half or draw a line down the middle. On one side sketch how you are now-what you feel or worry about or are praying for. On the other draw the solution you envision (or you can draw a picture of the past to show where you have come from).
Another way to draw prayer is to use colors to represent how you are feeling. Draw yourself or the person or situation in your prayers using color. Do you feel stressed? Maybe dark colors represent how you feel or red if you are angry or blue if you are discouraged. You don't need to just draw prayers when you are upset. Are you joyful-probably you will lean toward drawing with brighter colors. Do you feel calm and serene? Pastels may be the colors of choice or perhaps yellows.
Yet another way is to use stick figures to represent how you are feeling. If you are in conflict with someone or even with God, draw yourself and the other figure. Let the stick figures speak to each other and to you. You may be surprised at what prayers and solutions pop out.
Because drawing uses a different part of the brain, you will find yourself seeing the situation you are drawing differently than you could just by thinking or even writing about it. Give it a try-you might be surprised.