Five Finger Prayer

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Eph 6:18

Of all the spiritual disciplines, prayer is often the hardest for me. I do talk to God all day, and I guess that’s prayer, but some days I feel like only emergency prayers get tossed heavenward. You could say that God certainly gets all kinds of requests from me, that’s for sure. But somehow, I’m not so sure that’s what the scripture above means.

Recently, my children and I have been discussing prayer. During the school year, we have a 20 minute drive to school each morning and we use that time to pray. We take turns praying out loud. But over the summer, without the commute, we haven’t been so diligent. On a recent outing to school for a summer meeting, we got into the car to drive and my children automatically started to pray. Then, they asked why we hadn’t been doing it every day since school had been out for summer. Good question. I was convicted and asked God (out loud where my children could hear) to help us do better in the future.

I reminded them (and myself) of the power of prayer.

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
James 5:13-18

We might not be Elijah, but out prayers are just as powerful. Here’s a little trick I’ve used with my children to remember some things to pray for.

Five Finger Prayer
1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember.

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God’s guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them. (Taken from sermonideas.net)

5. And lastly is our little finger – the smallest finger of all, which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, “The least shall be the greatest among you.” Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively. (Taken from sermonideas.net)

Why not take some time today to pray? I promise, you will be glad you did.