It's easy to get stuck in a rut when praying. Sometimes our prayer seems the same every time. While it is not necessarily wrong to always pray with this sort of repetition, sometimes a little push out of our routine will help. ABC Prayer Circle does that. With a little encouragement we can discover more things to pray about.
This ABC prayer prompt is to discover prayer ideas which start with different letters of the alphabet. This is a suggestion for a group prayer, but it could also be used as an individual prayer starter.
This activity helps break youth out of the habit of just praying for the same thing every time. You can use toy alphabet letters or just write the letters on pieces of paper.
ABC Prayer Circle
Materials
- Foam alphabet letters (optional)
Instructions
- The group should arrange themselves in a circle so that there is a clear order.
- Pass out the alphabet letters in order to each person. Some people might have multiple letters.
- Let them spend a few moments deciding what they will pray for.
- The first person (who should be holding an A) prays for something which starts with the letter A. (Aunt Mary, attitude adjustment, answered prayers…)
- The next person (holding a B) prays for something which starts with the letter B (better habits, blessings for my teachers, belief… )
- The next person (holding a C) prays for something which starts with the letter C (crime victims, courage, conversion …)
- Continue in this manner until you reach the end of the alphabet
Feel free to add additional suggestions in the comments.
Notes
Some letters might be challenging. Be prepared to give suggestions if someone gets stuck. Here are some ideas:
- A: adoptive parents, agnostics, atheists
- B: belief, baptized Christians, bishops
- C: courage, converts to Catholicism
- D: discernment, desire for the Eucharist,
- E: evangelization, elderly
- F: faith, fathers
- G: gentleness, gratitude
- H: hospitality, healers, holiness
- I: immigrants, inclusiveness
- J: joy, justice
- K: knowledge, kindness
- L: leadership, love
- M: ministers, mercy, married couples, mothers
- N: nuns, new life
- O: outsiders, oneness
- P: priests, persecuted Christians, peace, patience, pope
- Q: questions, quiet
- R: religious, reconciliation
- S: sisters, self-control, sick
- T: teachers, trust, truth
- U: understanding, United States
- V: victims of violence, vocations
- W: wisdom, wonder
- X: xylophones and the gift of music, x-rays and the technicians who take them
- Y: youth ministers, yearning
- Z: zoos and the diversity they represent, zeal
Print This
Click on the image below to download a printable PDF copy of ABC Prayer Circle instructions.
More Prayer Circle Ideas
Popcorn Prayer Circle
A popcorn prayer circle gives everyone an opportunity to offer a prayer, either silently or vocally. This is a nice way to pray if you are doing an activity where you are practicing silence. But it is also just another way to pray together, or if you want to make sure everyone has a chance to offer their whole prayer without interruption.
Hat Prayer Circle
If you are doing a Treasured theme, use an explorer style hat for this prayer activity. But you can use whatever hat fits your theme. Think of a cowboy hat, a train conductor hat, a construction helmet, a baseball cap, etc.
One Word Spontaneous Prayer Circle
A one word spontaneous prayer circle is a way to encourage spontaneous prayer in a group. The simplicity helps group members participate even if they are a little intimidated by spontaneous prayer.
Ball Toss Prayer Circle
Ball Toss prayer circle is an activity to help give everyone a chance to offer a prayer. It also encourages the more quiet ones in your group to participate.
Flashlight Prayer Circle
Flashlight Prayer Circle is a simple activity to hold attention during prayer time and to make sure everyone has a chance to offer a prayer.
Leave a Reply