“Do not forget that the value and interest of life is not so much to do conspicuous things …as to do ordinary things with the perception of their enormous value.”
— Teilhard de Chardin
To begin our conversation with Aubrey and Tim Chaves in June, I offered the invocation by reading a prayer I had been creating. Afterwards, several people asked if they could have a copy of it. I continued (and still continue) to refine what I want to say in this prayer. I humbly offer it below as my attempt to articulate and remember what I most hope to become when I pray.
The genesis of this came in part when I had listened, a couple of weeks before, to the Faith Matters podcast series called Sanctuary. The host was exploring Ritual with Matt Bowman, who I’ve had lead several discussions for my group and for whom I have a great deal of respect. As I’ve aged, ritual has become more meaningful to me and I’ve created several personal rituals related to prayer, positive affirmations, nature, and transformative connection with God. I’ve experimented with praying in different ways and positions over the years but lately my primary position for morning prayer had been lying in bed half-dosing as I talked to God. I haven’t felt this latest approach was helpful to me or very respectful to who I was hoping I was communicating with. Following the Sanctuary podcast I had the idea to create a prayer that I would seriously sit or kneel down to offer with real intent.
It seems easier right now to be mindless and rote in my prayers by just winging it as I’ve so often done throughout my life. I’ve had some profound experiences praying that way so my recent shift is not to exclude spontaneous prayer, but to spin myself back into more formal and intentional prayer. Ritual is helping me get there. My written prayer centers and focuses me on what I am doing and who I am talking to. It reminds me of all my best intentions and encourages me to make my sincere attempt to pray more regular and serious. Of course I still also pray for specific people and private and. hopefully appropriate yearnings.
This quote sums up well what I’m feeling about this approach: “The value of persistent prayer is not that God will hear us, but that we will finally hear God.” – William McGill
My prayer continues to evolve but I’m pretty content with it for now. At least for today.
My daily evolving prayer
My dear beautiful God, Father, Mother, Son. Holy Spirit. My creator, collaborator, facilitator. The great, I Am:
Thank you.
Thank you for the generous grace that you’ve gifted me all of my life. For experiences painful and confusing—as well as pleasant and amusing. Thank you for the many brief and simple moments of divine joy, connection, and contentment. And wonder and delight.
Thank you for mother earth who every day of my life nurtures me with food, shelter, and pleasure. And so much beauty and wisdom that inspires and nourishes me. Help me to live in gratitude and generous reciprocity with all of creation.
Thank you especially for binding me in love to my family, friends, and dog. My community of faith. And the stranger and those in need. Even my enemy. Thank you for bringing such a variety of people and experiences into my life.
Thank you for giving me another day to live and learn. To be curious and explore. To doubt and have faith. To imagine, create and be created by.
Please help me to be meek as a little child. Fully present in the moment.
Help me to nurture compassion where there is apathy or animosity. Promote compromise where there is contention. Choose covenants over convenience. Facilitate abundance where there is scarcity. Courage where there is fear. Hope where there is despair.
May I foster healing where there is injustice. Forgiveness where there is injury. May I mourn with those who mourn.
And laugh and cry and hug often.
Help me to pursue questions where there is certainty.
Help me to be still. To listen and observe. To hear, receive and remember. Then help me be brave and act.
I pray to embody the teachings and life of Jesus the courageous, loving and kind Christ. To always remember him. In his name, amen.
