Creative Prayer: I Remember

Focus: People and memories from the past

Before You Begin:

Pull out the old photo albums and scrapbooks and get ready to take a trip down memory lane!

The Prayer Time!

Gather everyone on the couch or a bed, spread out your photo albums and scrapbooks, and reminisce about trips taken, past holidays, events and other occasions. Tell kids it’s an “I remember…” game where everyone gets to share about their favorite memories. Take your time looking through the pages of your photo albums and scrapbooks and allow different family members to tell their memories of when each picture was taken.

Soon you’ll be hearing things like, “That was the Christmas Mom had the flu and we got to order pizza!” and “Remember when Mr. Cunningham lived next door and we used to eat the strawberries from his garden? Does anyone know what ever happened to him?”

As you think of events and friendships, stop occasionally to pray. For insatnce:

When pictures remind you of a fun vacation or wild adventure, thank God for the time you were able to spend together and the memories that were shared during that time.
If a snapshot brings back memories of a hard time financially, or the death of a loved one or other difficult times, thank God for bringing you through that time and for being there with you.
Ask God to continue to heal old wounds.
Thank God for the lives and memories you have of deceased loved ones.

When you come upon pictures of long-lost friends, pray that God will continue to show himself to these friends.

You may even want to find a person you’d forgotten about to ask forgiveness for a past wrong or to share with this friend about God’s love. Or if friends pictured are still an active part of your lives, ask God to build your friendships and thank him for putting these people in your lives.

You may find pictures of family members no longer living with you, such as a daughter gone away to college. For some, this could be those who have left because of divorce or other family separation. Remember to thank God for these people and to bring their needs before him as well.

As you talk with each other and God, don’t forget to thank God for each other, and for the time that you have to spend together right now!