Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God

by Sybil MacBeth

Maybe you hunger to know God better. Maybe you love color. Maybe you are a visual or kinesthetic learner, a distractable or impatient soul, or a word-weary pray-er. Perhaps you struggle with a short attention span, a restless body, or a tendency to live in your head.

This prayer form can take as little or as much time as you have or want to commit, from 15 minutes to a weekend retreat."A new prayer form gives God an invitation and a new door to penetrate the locked cells of our hearts and minds," explains Sybil MacBeth. "For many of us, using only words to pray reduces God by the limits of our finite words."

For more information, including author events, examples and contact information to request Sybil MacBeth to do a workshop, visit www.prayingincolor.com.

Use Praying in Color to help
lectio divina
memorizing Scripture
prayers for discernment
creating a personal Advent or Lenten calendar

Genres: Prayer, Nonfiction, Christian, Faith, Spirituality, Art, Christianity

110 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

Reviews

[Robin Hatcher]

I was interested in reading this book because I have begun to practice Bible art journaling, and I thought this might be a good tie-in. Not really and yet sort of. I liked the book and am using some of what I learned in my own prayer time since I can too often find my thoughts straying during prayer (so frustrating!). I believe that some of MacBeth's suggestions have succeeded in helping me stay focused on God during my quiet time.

This is not a deep, theological, scriptural book on prayer. It is much more an encouragement to find personal ways of deepening one's relationship with God through a different kind of journaling. It is also ecumenically liberal in some word choices which might prove a problem for some. It's a short read (about 100 pages or so) and the book is filled with lots of examples of the author's own doodling and drawings and discussions with God on paper with colored pens.

If you are a doodler or an artist, if you are a visual learner and respond to color, if you want to learn a way to quiet your spirit and listen to God as He speaks to you, you may find Praying in Color helpful.

[Trenare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fabulous little book that helped me to rethink what praying can look like. I highly recommend it.

[Marshan Alma · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I misunderstood the book. The author says that you can pray by drawing pictures and writing names in the pictures. I missed the part where she actually conversed with God. Now if she's using the drawings, to remind her of the people or subject matter, and then conversing to God then absolutely! Why a fun, new way to pray. But I thought that she simply write the names in the shapes and moved on the the next shape. How is that praying? That more like making a list. Prayer is conversing with God, and yes that doesn't mean you have to speak the prayer to him. Because Yes he knows our thoughts, and maybe that what she means by this whole book. I don't know, I jut didn't get it.

[Crimson Sparrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and simple, this little book takes you through practices of praying that engage body, heart, and mind through creative expression, color, and symbols. It also offers a unique way to meditate on and explore a variety of topics and issues, including practices of discernment and forgiveness.

You do not have to be an artist to benefit from this book. The options are varied in scope and easily accessible. Supplies are as simple or as elaborate as you want them to be. It may be particularly valuable, however, for those who find it difficult to concentrate, to focus, or to be still.

But perhaps its greatest contribution is an avenue for prayer for those times when you simply have no words.

[Lisa Mcbroom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different sort of prayer book using colors and shapes to convey prayer. My favorite quote from the book comes from the author's son who at age 3 described God as a sort of patchwork quilt with every kind of skin, fur, shells, and feathers of every creature on earth.

[Moriah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple and shareable. I appreciated most of all that the author is able to communicate so well what her normal everyday relationship with Jesus looks like. It’s encouraging to read of the “inner workings” of someone’s devotional life who is not so contemplative.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read, inspiring book, which made me pick up some colouring pencils and PRAY!

[Rachel Johns · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars: I liked this as a springboard for ideas. I am not intimidated by this approach. In fact, I began prayer journaling and applying her prompts immediately after I read the first few chapters. People with zero to no artistic ability will find this method approachable. I also that she brought in external sources. Careful reading surfaces a number of gems of wisdom.

-1 Star: Content is all over the place. Did the author have an editor? Lectio divina. So rich. I wish she would have devoted more time to this fascinating approach. This could have been expounded upon to be a chapter for each part of this spiritual practice. Not to mention you can’t drop a concept like prayer being like the quantum physics observer effect without explaining your point.

-1 Star: Needs to be modernized and expanded from 2007 version. The drawing on your computer section was laughable. I’m picturing the author in Microsoft Paint, with a screen savor of a ball bouncing around the corners of the screen. I would have liked an updated, more modern edit. Perhaps she could include examples of friends’ prayer journals. I can’t see myself copying her style of abstract, interlocking puzzle piece shapes. I’d like to see more variety. Perhaps a different style I can relate to? The examples she did include looked quite primitive. Perhaps this was her goal? To make it approachable for all people and all ages? Somewhat turned me off aesthetically.

This is a beautiful concept for a book, but I felt there was a missed opportunity in the execution.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very wise friend recently asked me if I had prayed for those people who were taking up too much real estate in my mind. You know: the practice of praying for your enemies, just like Jesus told us to do! This praying for your enemy thing is hard stuff. I needed to find a way to engage in this spiritual practice. My research led me to an account of how to pray for one's enemies by using Sybil MacBeth's "Praying in Color" method.

I began the practice of praying in color, but then I decided that I needed to read MacBeth's book to really understand the technique. I'm glad that I read the book because I learned other methods of praying in color that have been extremely helpful to me in my spiritual walk. Another one of my favorite methods of praying in color is the "Compost Prayer" as a way to give all of my complaints, fears and general mess back to God.

I love this technique of praying, and I look forward to sharing "Praying in Color" with others.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

We stumbled upon praying in colour at a retreat centre and have used it as a tool to deepen our prayer life ever since. I was really excited to read the book and appreciate the wealth of ideas for praying on paper. We used the free printables on the author's website for advent this year along with advent scriptures suggested by the author (in one of her other books) and my husband called it his favourite advent calendar ever. A book worth reading and sharing!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Praying in Color is a certain technique for intercessory prayer that mostly involves doodling while you meditate on each concern or person you are praying for. So far, I've found it helps me stay focused on praying and also lets me offer someone before God when I don't really know how to pray for them.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read and a refreshing and interesting take on prayer. I'm definitely going to pull out some colored pencils and markers and give this a try. It did read a little like a blog post...there were highlighted phrases throughout that I kind of think of as links, but great concept and easy exercises make this well worth the read.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kept seeing this book at the library and since I like to color and want to pray more decided to take a look.

The author has a unique way of praying incorporating doodling and color which based on the many samples in the book have a nice look and written reminder of who/what we are asking of God.

Some thing that after learning more about it would like to try.

[Ryan Motter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve kept the practice now for a few weeks and it’s an slow burn- I find myself getting lost in the drawing. The review comes from the simple, straightforward and deeply devoted explanation of the practice. The true review will come after keeping the practice for awhile and seeing what it let’s fall away.

[Kristen Muldoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The basic premise is a good idea, though not anything revolutionary to me. I didn't think a lot of the explanation was necessary. I appreciated the picture examples and the thorough explanation of lectio divina though.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helping with dysgraphia

My daughter has dysgraphia and hates to write, but loves to draw. She was upset because she wanted a prayer journal like mine. She wanted a way to journal in her quiet time. This book has been a great help! Not only to her, but to me as well! There are people who have hurt me, that I just cannot write about in my quiet time journal. But as I am praying about that person and the situation, it has been very helpful and healing to color as I pray.

[Judy Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whimsical yet profound, idea for turning doodling into beautiful, colorful prayers.

[Terri Milstead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy this book and the new way to pray that it presents. Or, rather, that it identifies this way of praying. This is a fun exercise to do at a retreat and a great book to give as a door prize.

[Megan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a good way of thinking about prayer for more visual people. It is not detailed but it is a good way of thinking about prayer differently.

[Diane Mercadante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful and simple "to do" ways of praying with art and design.

[Kristin Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ebook. Loved her suggestions!

[Mark Staneart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really my thing. I'm not a doodler, but she does a good job of offering permission to reach out to God in a way that is personally relevant

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the message that any form of prayer that works for you is a valuable message.

[Kristi-Lynn Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read, clear examples. I appreciated the encouragement to pray through drawing.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this with it's illustrations and diagrams. Breathed new life into me.

[Peggy Wickham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting approach to prayer.

[Bailey T. Hurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to keep on the shelf and bring out when you need a prayer refresh or a fun activity for a Bible study.

[Nikolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting

Basically doodle while you pray. Or Color while you pray. It could help you concentrate. Or allow you to wander. I make lists.

[Susan Frey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept...am I willing to put that much time into prayer?

[Connie Maier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this an immensely helpful tool for prayer, geared at non-artists like me. Highly recommend!