The Five Finger Prayer

This is a prayer guide we use in our Gideon Auxiliary. I thought we could adopt it too. You've probably seen it before, but it works well in praying for people and yourself. Try it.

Five Finger Prayer
1. Put your hands together as if you were praying. You will notice that the closest finger to you is the thumb. Since it is the closest to you, the thumb reminds you to pray for those closest to you. To pray for our loved ones is, as C.S. Lewis once said, a “sweet duty”. While praying for our loved ones is easy, the Bible also tells us to pray for enemies who, in a negative way, are also near us. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to whose who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44

2. The next finger is the index finger. It is used for pointing. Let this finger remind you to pray for those who point you in the right direction. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors and ministers. It’s these people who tend to point the way. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction.

3. Next is our tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president and other governments leaders, leaders I business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God’s guidance.

4. Fourth is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are ill, weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night.

5. Last is our little finger, the smallest finger of all. Which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says…”for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.” (Luke 9:48) Your pinky should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs should be put into proper perspective. We should be asking forgiveness for our sins, thanking God for our many blessings, and laying out what is on our heart and asking that His will be done in our lives.