Sunday 15 September 2013

6. Bedroom Door Prayers



What does it say on your bedroom door? 'Keep Out'? Maybe your name?
What about inside? Maybe it is blank - perhaps covered in posters - or is it where your dressing gown hangs?

What about your house door? It might have just a number, maybe a 'Welcome' doormat. Perhaps a Christmas wreath in December.

In many religious traditions, written prayers or short blessings are put on doorways. The idea is that every time you enter or leave the house, you are reminded to pray. You don't even have to consciously say the prayer each time, you just see it and notice it as you are passing.

So this week, let's try writing doorway prayers for your bedroom door.
Let's do two: one for outside your door, that you'll see when you go in, and one for the inside, that you'll see every time you leave. (If you tend to leave your bedroom door open, put this one next to the door frame or light switch on the inside of room instead).

What would you like a prayer or blessing that you see going in to your room to say? You might be going in to go to bed, or to be on your own. You might just be popping in to get a jumper, sitting down to do homework, feeling sad or lonely or curled up with a good book or a computer game.

Perhaps: 'God bless this room'.
Or: 'God, be with me'.
Or: 'God bless all my thoughts and dreams'.
Or: 'God's peace be in this place'.

You could choose one of those, or write your own.
Write it out, on a piece of paper (decorate it as much as you like, make it something you enjoy seeing). Make sure the writing is quite big, so you can read it as you approach the door. Then stick it to your door, where you will see it every time you go in.

And what would you want to pray for as you leave your room?

You might be leaving for school; going briefly out to get a drink; about to see family who you may or may not want to see at that moment.

Perhaps: 'God, be with me wherever I go'.
Or: 'God bless me'
Or: 'God grant me patience and peace'.
Or: 'God, protect and surround me with your love'.

Choose one of those, or write your own. Again, decorate it if you like, and hang it on the inside of your room near the door.

Leave them there for a week. For the first day or two, deliberately say the prayers - either out loud, or just quietly to yourself - every time you see them. After that, you will probably find you hear them in your head anyway, but just make sure you notice them each time you go in or out.

If you like this idea, you could always do it for other doors too. The front door, the bathroom door, the kitchen door?


3 comments:

  1. You could also think about using pictures. Icons are sometimes helpful. I had a stained glass panel made for my house to remind me that the house is a safe place to be -- and while outside God might be destroying the rest of the human race. It is a visual prayer for protection and to remind me that the Lord is good to those who trust in him.

    Adriel

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good point, Adriel. Certainly would be good to use pictures

      Delete

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