My Morning Prayer
Excerpt
I have not been in the habit of sharing intimate details on any social media platform. Still, I have been directly conversing with trusted communities: family, friends, colleagues, loved ones, etc. Our overriding purpose is to share the ideas and concepts that could help someone in need. This article matches our principal tenets of always providing service to our clients and customers. One hopes that people will benefit from exposure to this sacred personal prayer. Feel free to share it with your communities, take what you like, and leave the rest. The intentionality of the prayer covers many areas of our lives. It is typically spoken in private and silently in your mind. It has been part of my consistent morning practice for over twenty years.
Sunrise with Prayer
Your sleep may have been fitful last night, yet this morning holds great possibility…
Background
I was raised in an Episcopal environment, attending our church in my hometown of Hamilton, Ohio. I took confirmation classes, participated as an altar boy, and later was involved in basketball as part of our youth group. I had my first pizza in our youth group. Things changed when our priest, whom we all loved, transferred to another church. I also began driving at 16 and slipped away from our youth group.
My brother was drafted into the army after he flunked out of Miami University of Ohio and ended up in Vietnam in 1966. He was wounded and lost an eye. During his recovery time, I became increasingly angry with God, and by the time I went away to college, I had become an agnostic and followed this path for the next twenty-plus years.
An Opening
I started in a twelve-step program in 1990 called OA and found a sponsor who required me to attend an AA meeting once a week while under his guidance. It took a little bit over a year until I reconnected with a higher power, and I refused to name that higher power until about two years into the program. I began praying inconsistently until I actually identified characteristics that I wanted my God to be for me.
My higher power also changed after marrying my wife, who introduced me to the catholic church, where she sponsored me in the RCIA classes (i.e., recently renamed OCIA). After the course, I began writing down a prayer that I wanted to read every day (i.e., I began using my higher power as God and Jesus). This started slowly, and I added to the prayer when things appeared either during my prayer time or learned from reading all kinds of materials (i.e., history, non-fiction, biographies, etc.).
My Morning Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you for allowing us to have a peaceful night’s sleep, waking us with a restored body, being, and soul. Please allow us all to remain in love, truth, understanding, and communication with you, ourselves, and each other. Grant us all the power to honor our faith, our marriage vows, our purpose, and our word, giving us integrity with all. Enlarge our territory, give us all a good measure of gratitude and humility. Allow possibility and opportunity to come present. Thank you for sending my wife to me. Help us all to be loving, forgiving, and grateful for all you have provided. Bless our family, friends, and loved ones, delivering health, prosperity, happiness, while letting us all feel complete with understanding and love. Send our guardian angels to watch over and protect us all today, and let this day unfold with all that you will provide. We love you, ourselves, and each other. Amen
