Write a Prayer-a-Day Project

Breathe. Awake. Arise. Welcome the new day. Acknowledge anxiety. Confront challenges. Know that no effort used for the good is ever in vain. Our lives are made up of infinite small acts and activities. We are of the universe, and the universe is of us. What we do today matters, so proceed with good intent. Imbue living with love, DOing with BEing. There is no failure in righteously living thus. For today’s activity, we give thanks. Blessed Be, and Amen.

Spirit of Truth, we believe that we are born with all the personal resources we need to flourish and find fulfillment. And yet, we encounter those who, upon first glance, it would seem have squandered life’s precious gifts. Our compassion for these souls is often a challenge; that is what makes compassion a spiritual calling. We recognize that we are not all born equal, that some of challenges they must face from first breath. We are called upon to be grateful for what we have, and to be generous to those with less. For compassion, we are eternally grateful. Blessed Be, and Amen.

The human heart is the place in which our emotions dwell, and from which we show the world how we’re feeling right now. The human soul is the processing station, that takes those emotions, blends them with experience, and makes us who we are. The soul gives us the resources to process our pain into wisdom, and depth of character. And ultimately, the soul will create in us the gifts we bring to heal a hurting world, and to practice compassion, and strive for justice. May we recognize that anguish and pain and mourning, though sometimes difficult to endure, are turning us into exactly who we need to be. For becoming soulful, we give thanks and praise. Blessed Be, and Amen.

For this day, we give Thanks.

For our senses, we give Thanks.

For the people in our lives, we give Thanks.

For opportunities, we give Thanks.

For our sacred Earth, we give Thanks.

For animals and all beings, we give Thanks.

For Fridays, we give Thanks.

For all that is our lives – yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we give Thanks.

May we be present and processing, in this moment, and in the next.

Blessed Be, and Amen.

Oh blessed Force of all that is, you move swiftly and stealthily through our lives.  At our best, we go with this flow; too often, we feel dragged along, or worse yet, dragged under.  Balance and perception are our tools of negotiation.  May we find, this day, our inner resources, that we live into the flow; not to master it, but navigate it, that we might find ourselves at the end of our day knowing we’ve lived well and loved deeply.  For perception and perseverance we give thanks.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

A bedtime prayer: as night draws the curtain of the universe over us, we reflect on our day’s endeavors.  Were we productive?  Did we live into the relationships we would wish for ourselves?  Were we our best possible selves?  Take note, and let it go.  A new day presents a blank page of possibilities.  So rest & renew.  For this day just spent, and for the promise of tomorrow, we give thanks.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

Traveler of Life, our path is sometimes long, but almost never as long as we might wish.  We make our journeys cognizant there is a destination, and yet we would forestall it  with more and more detours.  Enjoy the journey, yes, but know too that at road’s end there awaits simply another highway, leading to vistas unknown.  Our spiritual path is to fulfill our travels in this life, but also to prepare us for the further expedition.  May we navigate our current sojourn with awareness and gratitude, and may we embark on our further voyage with grace, in peace, and cognizant of our lives well lived and well loved.  For the road, the unexpected attractions, and for the journey we give thanks.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

Arbiter of the cosmos, grant us, this day, balance and resilience.  Compassion is a complex state: it is beyond mere pity, in that we are accepting another’s pain; it is more than empathy, as it gives us boundaries that protect us, and allow us to offer assistance.  It may or may not suppose forgiveness, which may be hoped for, but should not be asked for.  Forgiveness must be given freely, and unconditionally, and must be received with grace.  We pray to both deepen and broaden both our capacity for compassion, and our willingness to forgive.  That we indeed have these faculties, we give thanks.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

Breathe.  Feel your heart beat.  The ocean wave, the setting sun, the flight of geese, the clickety clack of a train: the rattle and hum of life.  The rhythm of being.  Lose yourself in the groove.  Dance, sway, snap and hum.  These all are prayers.  Pray for harmony, pray for music, pray for the dance to go on.  A conga of compassion.  A tango of tolerance.  A waltz of celestial ecstasy in celebration!  We celebrate the band leader, the dance floor, our fancy gowns, and partners to share the dance.  For our invitation to the prom of life, we are truly grateful.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

Praise and lift up our beloved community!  Daily we gather in many incarnations of our family of humanity.  We recognize our sisters and brothers in every encounter: the grocery store clerk; the elderly man in the hospital cafeteria; the elementary school nurse; the homeless couple; the soldier at the bus station, home on leave.  All vital, all worthy, all sharing in the great human experience of life.  The Golden Rule reminds us as we would have done unto us, so too should we do unto them.  May we be mindful and vigilant of this precious prescription, that we may minister to the ills of our times.  For all of our brothers and sisters, we give thanks.  Blessed Be, and Amen.