People often ask priests about how to pray, especially when they find it difficult to pray. They might feel isolated or alone. They might face difficult circumstances. They might struggle to move through a period of grief or loss and wonder if our Lord Jesus has abandoned them. Distracted by life’s challenges, they might not find the words to pray.
There is a great prayer that is always at hand, regardless of the moment or circumstance or trial. In fact, the prayer is right there, on your hand. The words are a prayerful affirmation for when everyday difficulties and ongoing struggles become too great a focus.
Simply, raise your hand, and spread your fingers wide. Then, point to each finger as you spell the word faith: F … A … I … T … H. Then, each letter (each finger) stands for a word in that prayerful affirmation: Feeling Alone, I Trust Him.
I like how handy the prayer is, that you can take it wherever you go. When facing a difficult situation or moving through a period of grief or loss, the words affirm that your Christian faith is about trusting that all situations, even the most difficult, will work out for what God intends in the end. This simple, prayerful affirmation can remind you that your Christian faith is a trusting commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faith
166 Faith is a personal act - the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself. But faith is not an isolated act. No one can believe alone, just as no one can live alone. You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life. The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others. Our love for Jesus and for our neighbor impels us to speak to others about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith.
There are adaptations of this prayerful affirmation for other moments, too.
The commandment, “Do not be afraid,” is common throughout the Bible. For example, an angel visits Mary and says, “Do not be afraid.” [Luke 1:30] Pope Francis spoke to young adults about overcoming fear, saying: “Do not be afraid of making decisive choices in life. Have faith; the Lord will not abandon you!” When you are unsure of what lies again, the prayerful affirmation can be: Feeling Afraid, I Trust Him.
At other times, you might be feeling anxious, ashamed, or even arrogant, each of which can find a place in this affirmation of your Christian faith.
Feeling Anxious, I Trust Him.
Feeling Ashamed, I Trust Him.
Parents can teach this handy prayer to children, who will then learn that Christian faith is about having a trusting relationship with Jesus. By involving their hands, they will use this prayerful affirmation more often.
And so, remember that you carry this handy prayer with you at all times. The words are there with you, on your hand.
