July 27, 2025
Pastor Brandon Harris
REFLECTIONS ON THE SUNDAY SERMON
“A Sign to Pray”
Linda Waltersdorf Cobourn
Lord, teach us to pray. Luke 11:1
I peeked out between the stage curtains. The auditorium was packed. There were even people standing in the back.
Just what had I gotten myself into?
A simple poetry presentation for a high school class had morphed into something much larger. I took a deep breath.
Lord, steady my hands. I’m signing for You.
The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13) has been called the perfect prayer and is frequently used as a model for how Christians should pray. The words are powerful, but so are the images the prayer invokes. On that long-ago evening in my high school auditorium, I was using American Sign Language to perform Alice Cornelia Jenning’s poem, A Prayer in Signs. Written by a deaf woman in 1907, this version of the Lord’s Prayer doesn’t just use words—it speaks from the heart.
As Pastor Brandon told us on Sunday, “God knows what we are trying to say, but we still have a desire to tell Him.”
It doesn’t have to be in a traditional way. Meditate on the lines below, and let your spirit pray alongside the hands of a woman who signed her faith:
“Our Father!”
That appealing gesture lifts with force more potent than the spoken word…
👉 The right hand on the head, fingers spread, thumb bouncing gently. He is in us and all around us, over all the earth.
“In Heaven!”
We picture in the circling sweep of arm and hand the glorious dome above…
👉 Hand over flat hand, roll your hands upward toward the sky.
“Holy Thy Name!”
With reverent movement, keep the sacred thought of purity and love…
👉 The dominant hand held flat over the non-dominant hand, sweeps away all but the most sacred.
“Thy Kingdom Come!”
With imperial touch, we show the badge of royalty…
👉 Two fingers spread: the royal sash from shoulder to hip, then up in a swirl toward heaven.
“Our daily bread…”
👉 Cupped hands before us, empty but ready for what God has in store.
“Forgive as we forgive…”
The hardest thing to pray—and to live.
👉 Joined fingers wipe the slate of the flattened hand. We are cleansed.
“Deliver us from evil…”
👉 Wrist touching wrist, we break the bonds of evil and gently touch each shoulder.
“Forever and forever…”
👉 Thumb, index, and pinky swirl outward from the side of the head—on and on without end.
God loves to hear our prayers—whether shouted or whispered, signed or sung. When our language is music, art, or silence, He listens. And He responds.
Takeaway: You don’t have to use fancy words or perfect phrasing. God listens to your heart—even when the words don’t come. Let your whole self—mind, body, and spirit—become a living prayer.
Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank You for hearing our prayers—whether they’re spoken, sung, signed, or simply felt deep inside. Help us to remember that communication with You is not about performance but about presence. Teach us to trust that You know our hearts and to open ourselves fully to Your love.
Amen.
❝ Prayer doesn’t need a voice—only a heart willing to speak. ❞
