Arrows Prayer Method: Archery as a Tool for Developing a More Intentional Prayer Life

Hello, friends, and welcome to another post on The Fangirl Fulfilled! Today I’m SUPER excited to introduce a new prayer journal I designed. This journal has a unique format inspired by ARCHERY!! That makes it the perfect gift for yourself or your friend/family member who’s either 1) obsessed with archery, 2) obsessed with Katniss and The Hunger Games series, or 3) all of the above 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️. This idea has been sitting in my brain for several months now, and I even had inklings of it up to a year ago, so I’m thrilled to see it in person and share it with you. Enjoy!

Intro

I heard someone say once that the goal of prayer is to align our hearts with the heart of our Father in Heaven. Something about that reminded me of the meditative-but-also-empowering practice of nocking an arrow, aiming carefully, and hearing the satisfying thud as it lands on the target. There’s a whole lot of hidden forces at work, both in archery and in prayer, that make the results possible. And like in archery practice, in our prayer life we don’t always hit the mark we were aiming for. But the best way to get better is to practice.

This prayer journal takes the physical practice of archery and turns it into a metaphor for prayer. Each part of the bow and arrow symbolize a different aspect of prayer that I believe is important: gratitude, worship, obedience, Scripture, the presence of Jesus, our own words, Holy Spirit, and surrender. Use it to add a visual element to your prayer practice, and to guide your thought process as you work to align your heart with the heart of Heaven.

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You can listen to this post in podcast form here!

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Parts of the Bow

Grip = Gratitude

It’s impossible to use a bow without some way to hold it; gratitude for what God has done before powers faith in what He will continue to do in the present and future. Psalm 116:1-2,7 nlt

Arms = Worship and obedience

The arms of the bow are what propel the arrow forward with speed and accuracy. A recurve bow allows the archer to more fully draw the bow string, transferring more energy to the arrow. Some bows have “takedown” limbs which can be replaced with a greater draw weight as the archer’s strength increases. Worship and obedience power our prayers, and we become more powerful prayer warriors the more obedient we are to the Lord’s instruction. Eph. 3:14-17

String = Jesus/Yeshua

The string is what connects the upper and lower limbs of the bow and allows them to transfer the potential energy generated by the archer to the arrow and then to the target. Jesus holds all things together, and His abiding presence allows our worship to become our obedience – without Him, I can do nothing that pleases God.

The string is also where the arrow comes to rest or be anchored just before it is released.

Parts of the Arrow

Tip/Head = Scripture

The tip or head of the arrow is what allows it to pierce its target; an arrow without a tip can’t do much. In the same way, our prayers become effective only when we allow our hearts to be shaped by God’s Word, praying His own words back to Him in faith. 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12

Shaft = My Words

The shaft of the arrow holds the energy created by the limbs and the string, carrying it from the bow and archer to the target. It has to be strong enough to withstand the force of impact with the target without shattering. The words we pray are powered and strengthened and powered by the connection we have with Jesus/Yeshua (Hebrew name) through Holy Spirit, the Word, and our constant dependence on HIm. Psalm 69:16, 33, 19:14

Fletching = Holy Spirit

The fletching is what allows the arrow to fly and guides it with speed and accuracy to the target. In the same way, Holy Spirit’s intercession on our behalf and guidance and instruction as we pray allows us to more closely align our prayers with the heart of God. Romans 8:26

Nock = Surrendered Heart

The nock connects the arrow to the string of the bow before it is released; constant acknowledgement of our dependence on God is essential for an effective prayer life. 1 Peter 5:6-7, Hebrews 12:1-2

How to Use This Prayer Journal

Thanks so much for letting me fangirl over geeky archery terms for a bit 😸🏹🔥Now, thinking about how to take all of these ideas and turn them into a practical way to pray…

Let’s start by looking inside the Arrows prayer journal, shall we?

As you can see, the journal starts with a title page and two pages explaining what each part of the bow and arrow are used for – like a portable version of this blog post that you can look back on anytime you need a reference! The back of the journal has some blank pages for specific prayer requests that you want to remember or additional notes on ways to pray and how god wants us to pray. In the middle are lots and lots of these lovely pages with the bow on one side and the arrow on the other, with headings reminding you of each piece and what it represents. Here are some of my ideas for how to use this prayer journal:

• Write down a verse from the Psalm of the day (for example, if today is the 12th, you can write a verse from Psalm 12, 42, 72, 102, or 132) and use it to praise God
• Remember how God has been faithful to you in the past and give thanks for it
• Record an actionable way that you can be obedient to a verse or teaching that you’ve received
• Write down and recall a verse that’s been on your heart and ask God to shape your hear according to what it says
• Study the character of God the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit and keep that aspect in mind as you pray

Conclusion

I hope you’ve enjoyed and were inspired by this brand-new, completely unique Arrows Prayer method and journal. You can purchase the journal on Amazon for yourself or a Hunger Games-loving friend or family member today! If you do, please let me know; the knowledge that people are benefitting from what I create is the best feeling in the world to me 😊

Happy journaling, and may the odds be ever in your favor 🏹