My "May I" Prayer

This is my centering prayer.

Lines borrowed, written, and modified.

Filled with "May I..." statements to anchor and prepare me for my day.

This works for me.

I encourage you to find and develop a daily "may I" prayer that works for you.

Please feel free to borrow these borrowed words of mine.

Grace and peace to you today.

And "may you..."

Pause, breathe, and smile.

Remember that this day, and every day, is a precious gift.

And that my only appropriate response to this gift is gratefulness.

May I live this day as if it were my last - with love, joy, and peace.

And may I live this day as if it were my first - with faith, hope, and love.

Today, may I participate, celebrate, and appreciate.

Lord,

make me an instrument of Your peace.

May I greet hatred, injury, doubt, despair, darkness, and sadness

with love, pardon, faith, hope, light, and joy.

Today, may I live with

patience and presence,

silence and stillness

serenity, courage, and wisdom.

Today, may I practice

faith and trust, hope and openness, and reckless love, belonging, and connection

centered - mind, body, and soul

in action (doing-ness, participating) and contemplation (being-ness, appreciating).

Today, may I recognize opportunities for

unconditional grace, mercy, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, and acceptance for self and others

finding Christ’s rest and strength, God’s peace and stillness, the Spirit’s freedom and courage.

Today, may I trust that I am granted

permission to ask, seek, knock, question, wrestle, wait, and listen

permission to participate in the great adventure of Life: letting go and departing,

saying yes to Your great mystery, and returning transformed and renewed.

Today, may I pause,

grateful for Life and for my opportunity to participate on and in this very good, beautiful day

with love and reverence, loving what God loves - all creation, my neighbors, and my neighborhood - with love that never fails.

Today, may I be present and aware,

rediscovering childlike wonder and awe and surprise and delight

finding joy and beauty and laughter and appreciation of life.

Today, may I be

a good steward and curator of this life, this day, and this moment;

the only life, day, and moment I have.

And may I live it with serenity, courage, and wisdom.

Every day, starting today.

Background photo by César Couto on Unsplash