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You are here: Home / Prayer / How to Pray with Prayer Doodles

April 19, 2019 ·

How to Pray with Prayer Doodles

Prayer

What is a prayer doodle? Want to bring more focus to your prayers? Pray with prayer doodles to slow down, focus, and listen more in your prayers.

Do you doodle in the margins of your notes at school or work? Did you know that doodling actually helps your mind focus and retain what you’re hearing? 

Prayer Doodles are a way to use your love for doodling and drawing in your prayers to help you focus on God. Keep reading to learn how you can incorporate drawing and doodling into your prayers to bring more focus (and fun) to your prayer time.

Doodling improves focus and generates new insight

I almost can’t resist coloring in outlined letters, especially if I’m on a conference call. The margins of my textbooks were always full of designs, headlines and other outlined shapes filled in. Doodling is practically compulsive for most of us.

I remember my mother’s telephone notes were always full of doodles. As she noted down names, numbers, and other pertinent details, she’d fill the space around them with elaborate doodles.

Why do we do this? Isn’t doodling just a waste of time, a bad habit we should have given up in school?

According to the Wall Street Journal, Sunni Brown, author of “The Doodle Revolution,” says doodling is a “thinking tool” that “affects how we process information and solve problems.” She also claims that every president from Washington to Nixon doodled, along with numerous great writers (Mark Twain, Sylvia Plath) and inventors (Thomas Edison).

What is a prayer doodle? Want to bring more focus to your prayers? Pray with prayer doodles to slow down, focus, and listen more in your prayers.

What are Prayer Doodles?

Sybil MacBeth wrote a book called Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God (Active Prayer Series) {affiliate link} that outlines a way to pray through doodles. The act of drawing actually helps your mind better focus on your prayers and listen for God.

Her website has some wonderful illustrations and explanations on prayer doodling, but I’ll give you a brief overview here. You can pray different things through this method – names of God, names of people you’re praying for, scripture verses, or other prayer needs.

The key is to release the words to God as you draw. Make your doodling time prayerful.

What is a prayer doodle? Want to bring more focus to your prayers? Pray with prayer doodles to slow down, focus, and listen more in your prayers.

How to Doodle Your Prayers

1) Start with a blank piece of paper.

2) In the center, write a name for God, the name of someone for whom you’re praying, or a scripture verse.

3) Draw a shape around the words to start the doodle. This is your prayer space. Start to doodle around it, releasing your words to God in prayer. Doodle in silence or talk to God if you feel led.

4) Add other people, other names for God, or other parts of the scripture verse to your paper. Draw a shape around each set of new words to create a separate prayer space. Doodle around these and pray.

5) Pause and say “amen” between each prayer space you add.

Example of using prayer doodles to pray deeper, more focused prayers

In case you find the beautiful examples on Sybil’s page intimidating, these examples here are some of my prayer doodles. If I can do these, then so can you!

Don’t worry about the artistic quality of your doodles. Just let your pen draw and your mind focus on your prayers.

What is a prayer doodle? Want to bring more focus to your prayers? Pray with prayer doodles to slow down, focus, and listen more in your prayers.

4 Ways to Use Prayer Doodles

#1: Names or attributes of God

Prayer doodles can help you focus on praising and worshiping God, listening for his promises to you.

Start by writing out a name or attribute of God and doodle around that.

Then, continue with other names or attributes of God, or other words or promises you’re hearing him whisper.

In this prayer, you don’t need to pray a lot of words, just listen as you doodle.

Example of a prayer doodle. Use prayer doodles to slow down and focus your prayers.

#2: Prayers for Others

Praying for others is one of my favorite ways to use prayer doodles. Start by writing out the name of someone you’re praying for. Doodle around their name while you silently lift them up to God.

I’m very word-focused, so sometimes I’ll write words for that person – my specific prayers and praises – around the name as I doodle.

As you finish with that one, write the next name you’re praying for and do the same. Repeat until you’ve prayed through your list for the day.

Example of using prayer doodles to pray for others

#3: Praying Scripture

Another favorite method is to pray scripture with prayer doodles. I’ll write out a verse a few words at a time. I’ll doodle around those words, listening for God’s words to me.

This is a great way to soak deep in a verse – and can also help you memorize the verse.

Example of using prayer doodles to pray scripture

#4: Get Creative!

I’ve done prayer doodles for specific events, conferences, mission trips, doodling around names of participants, specific needs or concerns.

Sybil has templates on her site to use prayer doodles to pray through Lent and Advent, just doing one small prayer doodle each day over a single word from Scripture.

There’s no limit to how you can use this form of prayer, so get creative.

example using prayer doodles to pray over a women's conference

How Will You Use Prayer Doodling in Your Prayers?

Prayer doodling is one of my favorite ways to pray. It stills my mind and gives me a greater focus on the content of my prayers. I find I pray longer and more intensely when I doodle in my prayers. Doodling is also a great way to memorize scripture.

So, are you ready to grab your colored pens and markers and a blank sheet of paper and get started? Or maybe you’re already doing this in your prayers and just haven’t had a name for it.

Even if you can’t draw, you can doodle. It doesn’t matter what your prayer doodles look like. Rather, it’s about the process of spending time with God, truly listening for his word to you.

Will you give it a try?

PRAY DEEP CHALLENGE: Take a look through Sybil’s website for examples on Praying in Color. Then, take some time to do your own doodle prayer. Start with a name of God in the center and then add your prayer requests around it.


Resources:

Like this post? Explore this and other forms of prayer through the Pray Deep prayer journals. Each book will lead you through a variety of prayer methods through 21 days of focused prayers. Get started with one today!

{These are affiliate links – and my own books – so any purchases help grow and sustain this blog.}

The very best resource on prayer doodles is Sybil MacBeth’s book, Praying in Color. She has several books available on prayer doodling and I highly recommend them!

{These are affiliate links, so a small bit from any sale goes back to sustain this blog, but I’m only recommending them because I’ve personally found Sybil’s books to be so valuable in my own prayer life.}

Want to bring more focus to your prayers? Looking for a new way to memorize scripture? Or, just want to try something different in your prayer time? Try prayer doodles. One of my favorite ways to pray! {+free printable prayer cards}
Pray Deep

This post is part of the “Pray Deep” series. For more information on the series, click HERE.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tai East says

    March 16, 2015 at 1:04 am

    I’m super excited about trying this!

    • Kathryn says

      March 16, 2015 at 4:35 am

      This has become one of my favorite new forms of prayer! It’s super-easy and really powerful! Let me know how you like it. 🙂

      • Tai East says

        March 16, 2015 at 6:15 am

        I’m going to try it this morning, so I definitely will. 🙂

  2. Dianna Auton (@DiannaAuton) says

    March 16, 2015 at 9:00 am

    This is so cool. As a journaler and natural doodler this is something I never thought to do. Thanks for posting.

    • Kathryn says

      March 16, 2015 at 9:10 pm

      I hope you’ll enjoy this new way to pray. I have just loved it – so glad I stumbled across this one while researching ways to use art in prayer.

  3. llicenogle says

    March 16, 2015 at 5:57 pm

    LOVE this idea – can’t wait to try it 🙂

    • Kathryn says

      March 16, 2015 at 6:15 pm

      It’s “art” I can do – and the doodling and repetition help focus the prayer and really let it sink in. Definitely my favorite of the art methods – although the others are powerful too.

  4. B.Brittain-Marshall (@ritewhileucan) says

    March 16, 2015 at 8:59 pm

    I’m loving this creative, original approach to prayer. I love that it requires no artistic talent too… 🙂

    • Kathryn says

      March 16, 2015 at 9:09 pm

      This is definitely a ‘no-pressure’ art form! I’ll be writing on a different type of prayer through art on Wednesday and it intimidates me a little – more ‘artsy’. But this one is really fun – and a powerful way to pray.

  5. kortneystanis says

    March 20, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    I have tried this, I did this a few weeks ago. Its a fun way to try prayers a different way!

    • Kathryn says

      March 21, 2015 at 6:48 am

      It is fun, isn’t it! This has become one of my favorite ways to pray.

  6. Elaine A Lankford says

    March 20, 2015 at 8:18 pm

    Hi there! Stopping over from Faith Along the Way Soiree Party. I love your website! I also love this post. Our church is doing a series on the Lord’s Prayer and doing some doodles around that is a great idea. I think the more we lighten up and just have a conversation with God the better the give and take is. Thanks for sharing your creativity!

    • Kathryn says

      March 21, 2015 at 6:52 am

      Thanks, Elaine! Doodling the Lord’s Prayer would be a great way to do something different and experience it in a new way. I’ve found when I doodle a scripture, it really sinks in. I also wrote on some different ways to pray the Lord’s Prayer a couple weeks ago.

  7. Sarah Ann (@faithalongway) says

    March 27, 2015 at 2:40 pm

    LOVE IT, Kathryn! It’s such a great idea! Thank you for sharing at the Sat. Soiree & Social Media Share! You were featured this week!

    • Kathryn says

      March 27, 2015 at 10:00 pm

      This has become one of my favorite prayer techniques – and so powerful! Really honored by the feature – thank you!

  8. Jules Middleton says

    May 4, 2015 at 3:30 pm

    love this!
    have just posted a round up on prayer doodling on my blog, including yours, hope that’s ok!
    Jules 🙂

    //pickingapplesofgold.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/prayer-doodling-round-up.html

    • Kathryn says

      May 5, 2015 at 5:35 am

      I’m so glad you liked this post – this has become one of my most favorite prayer techniques (and I’m not artistic at all!) Of course you can include a link! 🙂 Can’t wait to check out the other posts on prayer doodling!

Trackbacks

  1. Pray Deep: Ignite Your Prayer Life - Finding Hope says:
    March 18, 2015 at 5:32 pm

    […] Prayer Doodles […]

  2. Faith Along the Way says:
    March 27, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    […] Kathryn Shirey: Prayer Doodles […]

  3. Praying Deep in Real Life - Finding Hope says:
    April 7, 2015 at 4:46 am

    […] I may decide to pray through doodles or color a mandala. This is one of my favorites. I may write out verse from the day before, phrase […]

  4. Prayer Doodling Round Up | Apples of Gold says:
    May 29, 2015 at 2:17 pm

    […] on the Finding Hope blog with some good advice on where to […]

  5. Pray More. Pray Better. Pray Deep! - Finding Hope says:
    September 25, 2015 at 5:25 am

    […] numerous other ways to engage God in prayer. I’m no artist, but I love praying through art and doodling. I love getting out my markers and Bible to pray over a key verse, writing out the verse in my art […]

  6. 10 Ways to Find Stillness {even if you don't like silence} - Finding Hope says:
    April 3, 2016 at 10:01 pm

    […] Doodle as you pray. Linger over each person on your prayer list, drawing their name on a piece of paper and then […]

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Hi, I'm Kathryn! I'm glad you're here to journey with me! I'm just an ordinary girl following an extraordinary God, learning to seek God's possible in this world of impossible. Fueled by loads of coffee, I'm passionate about helping and encouraging you along this journey, too! Let's step forward together and learn practical ways to live into God's possible! Read More…

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