This morning I woke up to new "symbols" in my prayer space. Next to the bible were 3 cheerios, which I have deemed symbolic of the Holy Trinity. Sounds good, doesn't it? And, next to the candle was a toy car - still trying to determine the symbolic meaning of that one. I'm sure I'll come up with something, but maybe a toy car is just a toy car. This week, we're going to explore the idea of throwing a prayer party. Most of the women I know love a little wine, something fun to eat, and great conversation. There are all kinds of parties to attend that include all of these elements. Pampered Chef, tupperware, scrapbooking, langerie, and Christmas cookie exchanges are just a few of the parties that we get invited to from time to time. When we go to a party, we want to feel uplifted, maybe come away with something new, and feel re-connected to old friends and possibly form new friendships too. Add a Prayer Party to the list of reasons for getting together. Prayer parties are a great way to share life, connect with people on a deeper level, and come away feeling refreshed and renewed in spirit. They can be held in a home, a church setting, a park, a restaurant, or any other place you can think of. Prayer Parties can have themes if you are a theme kinda person, or they can be very simple. The idea of a prayer party is to gather together to share favorite scripture verses and prayers as well experiences of God's activity in your life. Making prayer journals can also be a part of the prayer party. Prayer Parties are a chance to share your wisdom and insight about how God has worked in your life. Themes might include Joy, Peace, Surrender, Love, Hope, Resurrection, Praise, Patience, Gratitude, and Trust. If you choose a theme, then all of the scripture verses and prayers that are shared would be centered around that theme. For example, Valentine's Day is coming up, which might be the perfect time to do a theme around Love. Everyone invited to the prayer party would bring their favorite scripture verses and prayers around love. People would also have the opportunity to share stories around this theme. For example, they might want to share how they met their spouse, special times with grandparents, an event from their wedding day, or what it was like to hold a baby in their arms for the first time. Something else people might be willing to share would be a passage from a favorite book or prayer book, a devotion on that particular theme, or a quote from one of their favorite people. Other times of the year that are perfect for prayer parties include Lent, Epiphany, Advent, and Thanksgiving. Prayer parties are also a wonderful activity if you are hosting a retreat day. They can be designated as part of your retreat activities. Food and drink at this party could include wine, chocolate, and finger foods. Decorations could include candles and hearts. The whole idea of a prayer party is to celebrate how God is working in your life with other people and to have fun while tending to your spirit. This is the perfect party for a woman's group, mom's group, a small group at church, youth group or a couple's group. A prayer party gives people permission to have conversations on a deeper level and to build communities and connections of the heart. A prayer party is encouraging to people who are trying to deepen their relationship with God and wanting more insight into their own spiritual journey. Prayer is something to be celebrated, honored, and shared. Prayer is God's gift to us and a prayer party is a wonderful way to share the awesome power of prayer in our lives. Knowing that it is often difficult for people to say the word, God, let alone try to put into words where God is inviting us spiritually, a prayer party is the perfect opportunity to practice our sharing skills, to practice putting into words what we can't see or touch, and to practice rooting our lives in sacred scripture, the holiness of our own thinking, and the beauty of practicing ritual. Participating in a prayer party is also an opportunity to practice the skill of listening and honoring the wisdom of the one who is sharing. In order to spiritually grow, we must learn to listen to ourselves, to one another, and to the One Who Creates through us. Listen to another's thoughts, experiences, and wisdom. Listening to what is pouring forth from another's heart without judgment, labels, or expectations is so important to our spiritual growth. Because I find a part of me in you, what you share heals me, teaches me, expands my heart and grows me into the person I was mean to become. When I am able to celebrate God-in-you, I am also celebrating God-in-me. There is no better reason to celebrate than that!
So, to recap - Set a date for your prayer party. Decide where you would like to have it. Make a list of who to invite. If you have quite a few people, you can break into smaller groups for sharing. Choose a theme.
Choose some simple decorations to create a fun and prayerful environment. Don't forget the food. Door prizes are always fun - a mug of chocolates, journals, note cards that reflect the theme, small plants, candles, etc. are all ideas for door prizes. Some prayer parties have people bring canned goods to donate to the local food shelf. Be creative, be personal, and be passionate about your prayer party and be sure to pray ahead of time for the people who will attend. Celebrate the awesome power of prayer in your life and the lives of others. Give yourself permission to share your love of God with other people and celebrate all the good that God has done in your life. Sharing the activity of God in your life is like a magnet that draws even more of God's miraculous activity into your life and the lives of other people. And who couldn't use a whole bunch of miraculous activity in their lives? Next week: Praying in the Morning and Unleashing the Power of God all Day Long
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