Praying With a Pen
READ
I have a morning routine, and I'm guessing you do too. Roll out of bed. Get my coffee. Make my way to my favorite chair. Glance outside to check the weather. Take a few sips of coffee. And then, before I'm even fully awake, I draw my awareness to the fact that God is in this moment and He is in this day. I begin to pray.
It's a time I've grown to love and cherish. It's a daily habit I now depend on. It's a discipline, developed over time, that has brought meaning and direction to my days and my life. You might even say it's been a reward from God Himself. In fact, Jesus speaks about this in Matthew 6:6.
Let's take a moment to read Matthew 6:6:
"But when you pray, go into your private room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees you in secret will reward you."
Jesus calls us to pray alone and undistracted. With pure motives and a devoted heart, we seek His presence. But to do this, we have to get away from the world and all its distractions. We have to let go of appearances and accolades and find some solitude where we can think and pray.
God invites us to sit with Him, and when we do, we discover a beautiful gift. We experience the joy of knowing Him and being fully known by Him. He is the reward.
REFLECT
"What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear,
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!"
I remember singing this song as a little girl. Standing in church on a Sunday morning, I loved that Jesus was my friend. But as I grew into adulthood, friendship with Jesus seemed harder to believe. Busyness and a full calendar took over, and I neglected devoting regular time to being with God. I attended church on Sundays and even volunteered. But I was guilty of wanting to live for God while skipping the part about being with Him.
I wanted to be more devoted in my time with God, but I always found praying difficult. My prayers were often fragmented and inconsistent — most left unfinished because of distraction or interruption. I struggled to carve out time to sit in His presence, and because of my casual approach, God often felt distant and far away. Seeking change, in 2016 I chose PRAY as my One Word for the year.
At church one Sunday, I heard Pastor Mike talk about writing prayers — "praying with a pen" — and I thought it would be a good, practical place to start. I was hopeful the process would help me focus. Maybe I could actually start and finish a prayer. Maybe I'd begin to feel a connection and closeness with God. So I bought a prayer journal, sat down in the comfort of our old swivel glider, and started writing to God each morning.
Initially, I started by simply writing out a Bible verse. This small beginning brought some needed encouragement. There was something about seeing Scripture in my own handwriting on the page — it slowed me down. And as I sat with the Word, God showed me His character. I saw that He was compassionate, merciful, forgiving, and loving.
I would write this simple line of gratitude — "Lord, thank You..." — and list everything I could possibly give thanks for. I started seeing evidence of His goodness everywhere. My prayers of thanksgiving kept growing, shifting my heart and perspective toward contentment.
Many times I'd write down my troublesome thoughts, admitting my struggles and asking God for direction and wisdom. I realized there was nothing I needed to withhold from Him. Laying down every fear and struggle, I began to feel that these written prayers were providing real peace. God was with me in the struggle, and I could lean on Him.
Finally, I started consistently praying for others — being specific about their needs and my hopes for them. As I wrote the names of individuals on the page, I came to fully know that my heavenly Father heard every request of my heart. I realized He was still doing miracles, especially now that I had evidence of it on the pages of my journal.
Fast forward ten years, and I'm still praying with a pen. I often sit in awe of how God has been working over time. In this small step, He has changed my heart and renewed my faith. It's in sitting with Him in the quiet each morning that I've rediscovered a beautiful, sweet reward I once knew as a child —
What a Friend we have in Jesus!
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
Spend some time this week thanking God for the sweet reward of knowing Him. Thank Him for being your Friend, and for anything else that comes to mind.
This week, find your comfortable "private room" and "shut the door" on all the distractions. Trust that this quiet time alone with God will be deeply rewarding in ways you might not realize yet.
Listen to the song Nobody Loves Me Like You by Chris Tomlin, and rest in the peace of knowing that God knows you and loves you.
REST
Take a moment to rest in God's presence, and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading. Then close your devotional experience with this prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of being able to commune with You. Your presence is my treasure. I am grateful that as I seek You in this quiet and secluded place, I find You. Help me to be diligent in removing all distractions so that I can focus on You alone. I thank You and praise You that in this sweet space, I find what my heart longs for the most — to know that I am seen by my heavenly Father, and that I am fully known by You. Amen.
Port City writer Holly Campbell wrote today’s devotional.