Praying with Photographs
Photo by Josh Power via Unsplash
Art can provide opportunities to listen for the Spirit’s movement in us as we hold them prayerfully with God. When artwork, like photographs, capture our attention, they can stir up a variety of emotions, feelings, and memories, all of which can become means of attending to where the Spirit is moving within us. If you’ve never tried praying with artwork before, I invite you to use the guide below to see how you might experience God’s presence in a new way. While I invite you to look through one of my galleries and see if there is a photograph that speaks to you or calls out to you, you can also adapt this guide for use with any piece of visual art. You may even want to try this out with a photograph you took recently, especially if it was something that caught your eye in the moment and you want to explore why this moment slowed you down long enough to snap a photo. This practice is adapted from an ancient Christian spiritual practice known as lectio divina, a way of reading a text (often scripture, although not always) to listen for the Spirit’s movement in the words that capture one’s attention.
— —
To begin, take a few moments to breathe simply. Don’t change your breath; just notice what it is naturally doing.
After a few moments, turn your attention to the photograph that draws you in. Take a couple of minutes to just sit with the photograph — notice the shapes and colors, textures and details, the way your eye moves through the frame. What do you see? What do you notice?
As you shift into the next part of the practice, take a deep breath. Perhaps, as you looked through teh photograph, you began to notice different emotions and/or memories rise up. Now is the time to sit with what is arising in you. If you did not notice anything, that is ok! Perhaps one of these questions may speak to you as you continue to look at the photo — if so, sit with that question.
How do you feel when you look at this image?
If you were to describe this image in a sentence or word, what would you say?
How does this image speak to you in the midst of what you are experiencing today? How does it speak to you of God?
Allow what is arising in you to unfold and make other connections.
After some time (it may be a few moments or several minutes), listen for any sense of invitation that’s rising up in you or gift God is giving to you. God may be speaking to you in words, in feelings or images, or even in questions.
After a few more moments, rest into God’s love as you close in prayer, silent or otherwise.
— —
If you give this practice a try, let me know how it goes in the comments below!