I recently heard about this really cool new book and prayer resource called InstaPrayer: Prayers to Share by Kelly O’Dell Stanley. And being that tomorrow is The National Day of Prayer, I thought this was the perfect time to share this new book with you.
Let’s start with the description:
Want to pray but have no words? InstaPrayer’s colorful prompts are perfect to post on Instagram and other socials: Read. Pray. Snap. Share.
Sometimes the hardest part of having a vibrant prayer life is simply getting started. To help start that conversation in a quirky and non-threatening way, these prompts from author/artist Kelly Stanley open the door to creativity and are perfect for sharing on Instagram and other socials. With fun and colorful meme-like images, you will be encouraged to ask God to shelter someone who is going through a storm, pray for someone who is full of hot air, pray for the last person who texted you, and more. Each prayer prompt is designed to get attention on digital and paper pages alike.
Aren’t these images so cheerful and bright and fun? They are exactly the kind of thing we need to be filling our minds with during these uncertain and dark days.
I reached out to the author Kelly O’Dell Stanley with a few questions. You’ll be encouraged by our quick q & a!
Annie: Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into graphic design?
Kelly: I grew up with a father who was a professional watercolorist, so art and creativity were in my blood. I started college as an architecture major but changed to graphic design at the end of my first year. I’m one of those rare people who is still practicing the same career she started in—for 26 years, in fact! Two years into it, my oldest child was born, and three months later I started my own design company so that I could have some flexibility and be home with my kids. All these years later, my youngest is now in college and I’m still doing graphic design.
So the design came first, but about 15 years ago I also got serious about writing, and God has led me on a journey of prayer. I love to write, and I love to design, and my faith is so important, so somewhere along the way I discovered that where those three things overlapped, that was my sweet spot.
In 2015, my first book, Praying Upside Down, released, and it was about seeing God from new perspectives (based on the idea of drawing upside down and how that frees your mind to see what’s really there). In 2016 Designed to Pray came out, and it was a prayer activity workbook. The books were very different but both focused on creative approaches to prayer.
Annie: What inspired you to create this book?
Kelly: This evolution of prayer has been about using creativity to help others (and myself!) overcome whatever obstacles keep us from God—grief, disappointment, heartbreak, doubt—even boredom. Through my whole faith journey, the only constant is that my prayer life has been all across the board. Sometimes amazing, sometimes powerful, sometimes monotonous and uninspired.
About five years ago, I started creating prayer prompt calendars, free monthly downloads for my readers to help jump-start their prayers. It was something I could offer to my subscribers every month, and they were quirky and fun and the perfect combination of my abilities. I was thrilled when I was offered the opportunity to create a book of prayer prompts that was designed to be shared on social media.
The idea is that you can read a prompt, pray, and then post a photo of the page online (or text it to someone). Tag your friends, or write out your prayer… Let people know they’re remembered and loved. Use the book to inspire yourself when you’re sitting in your car waiting for a grocery pickup. InstaPrayeris fun, colorful, and inexpensive—and small enough to easily mail or tuck into a gift basket.
The prayer starters help you reach out and encourage others while also teaching people a little about prayer. Prompts talk about singing God’s praises, giving thanks, sitting in silence, praying for others, and praying for yourself. Some are whimsical (like pray for someone who’s full of hot air) and others are straightforward and simple (pray for someone who is overwhelmed).
What I love the most about prayer prompts is that even though we all start in the same place, because of our different personalities and experiences and thought processes, the Holy Spirit might lead us in totally different directions—because God is just that personal and beautiful.
What I love the most about prayer prompts is that even though we all start in the same place, because of our different personalities and experiences and thought processes, the Holy Spirit might lead us in totally different directions—because God is just that personal and beautiful.
Annie: What are you learning about prayer during this unprecedented time in history?
Kelly: Right now, most of us don’t have the ability to gather in person to worship, to pray and study and share our stories together. This pandemic has made us take a look at our lives and find new ways to do things—which, by the way, I’m a big fan of. But it’s also difficult to connect with others right now, and to combat loneliness—and, I admit, I’m struggling with prayer. Because my routine is disrupted and my mind is processing so many new things and new worries have surfaced and my responsibilities to my family have changed. But one way that God has always shown Himself to be faithful is this: He continually, again and again, draws me back to Him. When I don’t have words of my own, He leads me to other people’s words, or allows me to sit in silence because He knows my heart. When I am bored, He helps me discover fun new approaches. When I am heartbroken, He gently leads me around obstacles that have kept me from seeing Him clearly. My prayer life may be inconsistent, but God is the constant. He is the source and He is the purpose and He wants me to keep coming back, to keep trying again. And every. single. time. He meets me there again.
But one way that God has always shown Himself to be faithful is this: He continually, again and again, draws me back to Him. When I don’t have words of my own, He leads me to other people’s words, or allows me to sit in silence because He knows my heart. When I am bored, He helps me discover fun new approaches.
As I try to work through the uncertainty of this time, the chaos that is consuming the world right now, I find it’s easy to become overwhelmed. SO many needs—where do I even start my prayers? That’s where I hope this book will come in. When I wrote and designed it, I never would have imagined that we would be here right now. How frivolous to promote a book when people are sick, and many people’s finances are devastated—right? And yet, I see that God isn’t surprised by any of it. I feel like this book really was designed for such a time as this—because it’s all about connecting. First with God, through prayer, and then with friends, through online postings. It gives us words to help us reach out to God. The One constant. The One who never changes. The One who holds all things in His hands, and loves us, and wants to walk right beside us through every single trial, every single fear, every single moment of anxiety or worry or pain. How amazing it is to think that I get to play one small part in that.
“As I try to work through the uncertainty of this time, the chaos that is consuming the world right now, I find it’s easy to become overwhelmed. SO many needs—where do I even start my prayers? That’s where I hope this book will come in.”
Wouldn’t this be a great Mother’s Day gift?
And I’ve got great news! Kelly has partnered with The Gingham Apron to give this fun, quirky, bright book! She’ll mail it directly to you, and she’s even going to throw in a couple of surprise treats. Doesn’t that sound fun?
To enter, simply leave a comment below. Tell me something about prayer… where do you like to pray? Who taught you to pray? What are you learning about prayer? Or you can just say, “I’d love to win this book.”
Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
I’ve learned that prayer is a continual conversation with God. It never has to stop!!
You’re right; it never has to stop!
I’d love to win this book fingers crossed 🤗🤞
Good luck!
I pray when I’m washing dishes, making a meal, as I open emails, or when I scroll through Facebook, when I read my devotions, when I read my Bible. In other words, prayers don’t have to be formal, long, with our eyes closed. Prayers can be spoken or just thoughts.
Ruth, I love your words here a lot. I agree, prayers don’t have to be formal!
What an inspiring book! Thanks for sharing it! I like to pray when I walk our Australian Shepherd mix, Gina, on the rolling hills of NW Missouri.
This looks like a wonderful book to inspire anyone in their prayer life & I could use a little boost in that area. Thank you for sharing this & many Blessings to you & Yours. Happy Moms Day!!
Thanks so much for sharing about my book, Annie! <3