When I was in college, I liked to keep a running list of prayer requests using post-it notes on my wall. This way, when someone asked me to pray for them, I could have a visual reminder of the prayer need, and I would remember to pray for them by name. It’s been a while since I’ve put up post-it notes. Like many aspects of our lives, our relationship to prayer changes over time. Some prayer practices may be meaningful for a season but feel more like an obligation than a gift after a while. It’s okay for us to let some prayer practices rest and try others for a while.

One prayer practice I have been thinking about lately is popsicle stick prayers. If you haven’t heard of this approach to prayer, it’s a great tool from children’s ministry. It can be used by people of all ages and together with friends or family. All you need is popsicle sticks, a pen or marker, and a container to keep them in. As you learn of prayer needs, take a moment to write them on a popsicle stick, and put them in your container. When you take time to pray, draw a popsicle stick, and pray for the need. The popsicle sticks can be a visual reminder just like the post-it note approach I used in college. When the need for prayer feels overwhelming, it can be helpful to start with just one name or one need. In these difficult times, may prayer be our center.

“A Christian fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses” Dietrich Bonhoeffer.