Prayer cards are a wonderful way to use your writing gift.
While prayer doesn’t always require words – some of the most powerful times of prayer are done in silence – we use words in prayer for several reasons. One is to express what’s in our hearts for confession, repentance, forgiveness. Another is to get the words of scripture into our hearts. And one of the most important reasons we use words in prayer is for the sake of the person receiving the prayer.
When you are praying with someone, your words offer a way to convey God’s comfort, hope, forgiveness, and assurance. Your words can help the person receive God’s love into their hearts. This can happen through spoken prayer but also through written prayer and blessings.
Does your church send prayer cards to people? If not, this might be a great time to ask. If they already do this, consider volunteering your writing skills. If this isn’t something your church does yet, maybe they would consider it – especially if they know they have a writer willing to volunteer.
Outside of your own church, what kind of ministries exist in your town? Is there a jail ministry, or a ministry to seniors, or a ministry to homeless kids, or a recovery ministry? Perhaps they can use prayer cards as well.
You can also write prayer cards on your own to send to people you know who need a word of comfort and encouragement.
If you are not sure how to write a prayer, remember that the most helpful words are often the simplest:
1. God loves you so much.
2. I pray that you will feel God’s [comfort, presence, hope, encouragement, peace … choose the right word for the situation].
3. I am praying for you. [We are praying for you … if this comes from the church.]
4. God bless you.
5. Then write a scripture verse as a closing prayer.
I hope you will enjoy the blessing of writing prayer cards. I know your words will really bless others.