Prayer is talking with God.

You can pray in all sorts of ways – in silence on your own; out loud in a group; using prepared words such as others’ prayers or psalms; singing and making music; doing activities such as arts and crafts; and many more besides. Prayer can be scheduled, perhaps for the same time every day, or can take place spontaneously, perhaps when you need to shoot a quick request to God (some people call this an ‘arrow prayer’).

Wardie Church has a dedicated prayer area where you can sit comfortably, hang prayer requests on our prayer tree or write your thoughts on paper panels, and offer your own prayers in a quiet space.

Wardie Church’s Prayer Discovery Group meets on most Wednesday nights in the prayer area, to pray and to talk about prayer. The group aims to help people pray, and we will regularly add suggested prayer activities and resources below. If you’d like to find out more about our Prayer Discovery Group, contact Cathy Ballantine.

Wardie Parish Church also holds Friday Prayers every Friday at 9.30am and everyone is welcome. Buzz at the Netherby Road door for entry. If you’d like to find out more about these prayer meetings, or if you have something you’d like us to pray for, contact Rev. Dolly Purnell.

What’s on this page:

• Try Praying
• Prayer A to Z
• A is for Art
• B is for Breath Prayer
• C is for Candle

Try Praying

You may have noticed our ‘Try Praying’ banner outside the church. Inside the Netherby Road door and in the prayer area there are a number of ‘Try Praying’ booklets that you’re very welcome to take. ‘Try Praying’ has a useful website too.

Prayer A to Z

The Prayer Discovery Group is creating an A to Z of prayer for 2025. Every fortnight we’ll explore a new letter to help you think about new ways to pray. By the end of 2025, we’ll have reached Z! Check below every couple of weeks to see what we’ve suggested under the latest letter of the alphabet.

A is for Art

In the prayer area at the back of the church the Prayer Discovery Group has put up a few artworks that help us think about God. ‘Christ Blessing’ (‘The Saviour of the World’) by El Greco, a picture of Jesus blessing the world, is one of them – you can see the original at the National Galleries of Scotland in the centre of town.

Rembrandt’s ‘Return of the Prodigal Son’ (below) is a favourite of many of those in the group, with its depiction of our Heavenly Father’s unconditional love and acceptance despite, or most likely because of, the shocking state of his wayward child. Henri Nouwen was so deeply inspired by this painting that he wrote a book about it: The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming. This book and Rembrandt’s painting are discussed in one of Pete Greig’s sermons.

The Prayer Discovery Group also discussed Christian icons. Watch a video about icons and their imagery.

We thanked God for creative people, created things and God’s own creation. This opened our eyes to the creativity all around us, which made us even more thankful! Why don’t you study a painting or another type of artwork and then spend some time thanking God for creativity, created things and his creation?

If you have a favourite artwork that makes you think of God, please add it to the display in the prayer area next time you’re in church. There will be some sticky tack there for you to stick your artwork to the wood panelling.

B is for Breath Prayer

Breath prayers are repetitive prayers you say as you breathe in and out. As Richard Foster writes in Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, they are a way to ‘pray without ceasing’. A breath prayer is something you can do at any time, for example when you’re out walking or at home doing chores, in order to turn to God and remind yourself he’s there with you.

Breath prayers are brief (usually five to nine words), they express intimacy with God, are an expression of dependence on him, and are often some sort of request. For example:

Jesus Christ, Son of God // have mercy on me (this is called ‘The Jesus Prayer’)

My God and my rock // I trust in you

His faithful love // endures forever

Loving Father // help me hear your voice.

God’s Old Testament name, ‘Yahweh’, can also be used as a breath prayer, with the first syllable on the in-breath and the second on the out-breath.

Richard Foster, on p. 129 of Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, suggests the following steps to creating your own breath prayer:

• Find a quiet space and sit in silence, becoming aware of the loving presence of God. It might help to imagine God calling you by name.
• Ask yourself ‘What do you want?’ The answer might be a single word, such as ‘strength’ or ‘peace’, or a phrase, such as ‘to feel your love’.
• Connect this phrase with the name you most like to use for God, such as ‘Lord Jesus’ or ‘Loving Father’.
• Write out your breath prayer, making sure it’s easy to say in one breath.
• Get used to saying your breath prayer over the next few days. You might decide to shorten or change it slightly with use. Try to use the same breath prayer for a long enough period (for example, a few weeks) to give it time to become utterly familiar.

In the prayer area at the back of the church, the Prayer Discovery Group has written on sticky notes a few breath prayers that help us. Please add to our ideas!

C is for Candle

The idea of Jesus as a light in our darkness is an important theme in our Christian faith. Candles are often used in churches to represent this.

As some of us found in the January storms, sometimes a candle can become essential. Previous generations were much more used to this idea than we are. As we are so accustomed to producing light at the flick of a switch, it can be a useful aid to our prayer to light a candle and consider God as our necessary light, hope and help.

Why don’t you light a candle in your prayer time? Below, we’ve suggested seven Bible passages, one for each day of one week, that you could hold in your mind while sitting with your candle.

If you don’t have a candle at home, we’ve put a few at the back of the church in the prayer area for you to take away. Or here’s a virtual candle online.

John 1:5

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 27:14

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord.

Deuteronomy 31:8

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Philippians 4:5–7

The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 40:31

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Psalm 139: 23–24

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.