A Shower of Prayer
Summer Sampler 2025: The Spiritual Disciplines That Form Us
What are spiritual disciplines? And why are they relevant to our lives? Spiritual disciplines are purposeful practices that cultivate a deeper, richer, and more intentional relationship with God and others. They are not simply rituals, but tools for growth, transformation, and living a more Christ-like life. Each week in our Summer Sampler we will be exploring one of these disciplines. Our hope is that you’ll discover one or more that are a fit for you and that you can incorporate into your walk with Jesus.
By Abigail Velez
A young girl laid her head down to sleep, the whispered words of a prayer on her lips: “Dear God, could you please let Miguel kiss me beneath the basketball hoop tomorrow at recess. Amen.”
This little girl’s prayer did not come true. I know this because it was mine, and no recess romance would ever bloom between Miguel and me. What would eventually come of these innocent words was a deep sense of shame and guilt. How could I have said such a thing to God? How sinful. How embarrassing! Combine this with the fact that most nights I’d fall asleep before saying amen, and I truly thought I was a failure at prayer.
Can you imagine?
A girl talks to God as a friend, baring all that she is, even the secret dreams of her heart, and thinks of it as wrong.
There are so many things in our lives we could berate ourselves for. Let prayer of any kind not be one of them. And to this I say a heartfelt amen!
Thankfully, years and wisdom freed me from this burden. Prayer comes in all shapes and sizes: spoken or silent, quiet or loud, head bowed, hands raised, on the floor, in the car, with joy or in the depths of our sorrow. Hope-full. Hopeless. And even brimming over with anger.
We can go to God with anything, anywhere, at any time, and what a relief it is to have this constant connection. Yet this knowledge hasn’t made prayer easier. Praying takes effort, particularly as a daily practice, and so often it slips through our busy, modern fingers. As a working mom of four I know this intimately. Three years ago, however, as I stepped into a pastoral calling, I knew my prayer life would need to change. In order to care for others, we must also take care of ourselves. I found this care in a spiritual practice I’ve dubbed my “Prayer Shower.” This is what I would like to share with you today.
First, this spiritual practice is an actual shower. Behind the closed door of a bathroom and beneath the spray of water, in a place where people generally have to leave me alone, the needs of the world wait for just a little while. I believe it’s worked so well for me because I’ve placed it alongside my normal routine, making it hard to forget. It’s also been a great way to decompress before the stress of the day even begins – a perk I’ve learned to look forward to.
Next, as I step beneath the cleansing flood, I begin with a name – God’s name – in whichever way I need it that day: Creator, God of promise, or purpose, or peace, God who abides, Father, Beginning and End, Comforter, Healer, Friend …
Praying takes effort, particularly as a daily practice, and so often it slips through our busy, modern fingers.
I’ve tried a more proper progression of this prayer, yet after calling on God it feels most natural for me to pour out my heart in lament. My prayer might go a little something like this:
“God of Comfort, I have so much on my mind. My child’s going through a difficult time, there’s a big project at work, my husband’s company is downsizing, and I’m just not sure I’ve got the strength to deal with it all. Help!
Once past the lament, the true purpose begins – just as after the rain comes the sunshine. When my burdens have been shared, I make it a point to walk through every single thing in my life I am grateful for. Nothing is too small. And this has become my favorite part as it helps push me past turmoil and toward purpose. With a heap more hope in my heart, I continue on in the conversation, adding whatever petition I might think of and asking God for all that help so freely given. At the end of my prayer and the shower, ready for the day in more ways than one, I no longer even forget to say that elusive amen.
Now, I’m sure there are questions. This is a practice that works for me and may not work for others. To some it might even seem irreverent, like that girl asking God for a boy’s kiss on the playground. Overall, it’s just a multitasking mom’s take on a talk with God. As my kids would say, it’s not that deep. And yet, for me it has been. As I prepare for the day, I’m once again able to bare all that I am, even those secret dreams of my heart, to a God I’ve always known as friend. And that … THAT … is exactly what this child of God has always needed.
May my daily practice give you a few ideas for tweaking your own. Amen.
For more about Spiritual Disciplines, check out the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhoun.
Abbie Velez never thought she'd find herself in a church talking about faith, but as cliché as it may sound, God moves in mysterious ways. As partner to her husband of 23 years, mom of 4 boys, and pastor of a small church in Southern New Hampshire, Abbie does her best to keep joy in relationship and love of God going strong.