A Prayer for Spring

January 30, 2020 by Rev. Dr. Louise Westfall

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. I Thessalonians 5:16-18

This verse may seem like a stretch in early February as the promise of a new year fades and the mystery and miracle of Lent still lies a few weeks ahead. At least in the northern hemisphere, winter is a fallow season, the ground hard and unyielding, the bony branches of trees stark against a cloudy sky.

You have to look beyond frozen surfaces and dead vegetation to understand how the earth is preparing itself for a spring of rebirth and new growth. Could this time provide a rich opportunity for similar preparation through the discipline of prayer?

One of the young adults in my church introduced me to a way of prayer that has helped her pray more often and increased her sense of thanksgiving. You start with your outstretched hand, and each digit represents a particular prayer.

  • Touch the thumb and pray: I love you, God, because you are …
  • Touch the index finger and pray: I’m sorry for …
  • Touch the middle finger and pray by name for a person or situation in need of God’s healing …
  • Touch the fourth finger and pray: Thank you, God, for …
  • Touch the pinky and pray: Please help me …

Such a simple practice, yet one that enlarges our mindfulness of God’s presence, unconditional love, and abundant gifts. Always.

In the dead of winter, a prayer to get you through til Spring. What might happen if we shared it with our congregation?

Rev. Dr. Louise Westfall serves as pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in Denver. She has also served as pastor of congregations in Cleveland, Detroit, and Iowa. She received a Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary. She has co-authored two Bible studies– The Face Is Familiar: Remembering Unnamed Women in Scripture, and Peacemaking in Mark: Restoring God’s Community of Men and Women. Louise is the mother of a son, Paul, an attorney in Washington DC. An ardent baseball fan, she once sang the National Anthem at a Cleveland Indians game.