I've shared in previous posts about my morning prayer ritual and how it has served as a powerful and intentional way for me to begin my day. Part of this practice includes a centering morning prayer that I really love and want to also share with you. It's a morning prayer that I learned from author Shauna Niequist.
Here is Shauna's centering morning prayer. Start by envisioning a symbol that represents God. Picture a word or an image of God. It can be anything. It can be the word love. It can be a heart. Whatever for you is a symbol that represents or reminds you of God. Focus the full attention of your spirit, mind, heart and body on this symbol for several minutes. Shauna recommends at least 3 minutes.
As you are focusing on this symbol, recognize that there is nothing you need to do to get more of God's love because you can't get more love than you already have. There is also nothing that you can do to relinquish this love because it's always there no matter what. You are already worthy.
Have a sense of freedom to go off and journey through and experience your day with the knowingness that you always carry this love with you. Don't be afraid to take risks, to fail, to experience, to rest and relax because your worth is not on the line every day. You can't do anything that will take away this love.
Isn't that a relief? You don't have to be perfect, in fact you don't have to do anything to receive God's love. You can experiment and possibly even make mistakes and still be loved.
I wanted to share this prayer with you because it not only reminds us that we are unconditionally loved, but it helps to take that intellectual concept and allow it to settle into our bones, into our heart, our soul and our spirit. It reminds us that we are deeply loved and created on purpose. That we are all perfectly and beautifully imperfect. Every single one of us.
As Shauna states, "It's a reminder that there is nothing that you can do in the course of a day that will ruin, or squander, or break, or fracture his love for you. There's no mistake too great. And, there's nothing that you can do to get more of his love...to earn more, to prove more, to get more. It's already all there."
I also wanted to share it because with this prayer comes a sense of freedom. Freedom to not have to prove your worthiness. Freedom to not be perfect. Freedom to experience life and make mistakes. Freedom to afford yourself some slack to explore. Freedom to offer yourself compassion and forgiveness.
I invite you to give it a try. Start your day off with this centering morning prayer. And while you're at it, consider adding the rest of my morning prayer ritual to it as well :) Here it is:
Good morning Soul. Good morning God. Who am I? Where would you have me go? What would you have me do? What would you have me say and to whom?
Pausing after each question to listen for an answer and to intentionally answer the question...who am I? Each and every day affirming who I am. I am love, I am peace, I am a child of God, etc.
My morning prayer continues with expressions of gratitude and of a willingness to serve, and includes other personal items that I may have on my mind that day. I've mentioned in previous blog posts how very important I believe gratitude to be. I start and end my day with gratitude and spend time several moments throughout my day offering up expressions of gratitude.
Here is Shauna's centering morning prayer. Start by envisioning a symbol that represents God. Picture a word or an image of God. It can be anything. It can be the word love. It can be a heart. Whatever for you is a symbol that represents or reminds you of God. Focus the full attention of your spirit, mind, heart and body on this symbol for several minutes. Shauna recommends at least 3 minutes.
As you are focusing on this symbol, recognize that there is nothing you need to do to get more of God's love because you can't get more love than you already have. There is also nothing that you can do to relinquish this love because it's always there no matter what. You are already worthy.
Have a sense of freedom to go off and journey through and experience your day with the knowingness that you always carry this love with you. Don't be afraid to take risks, to fail, to experience, to rest and relax because your worth is not on the line every day. You can't do anything that will take away this love.
Isn't that a relief? You don't have to be perfect, in fact you don't have to do anything to receive God's love. You can experiment and possibly even make mistakes and still be loved.
I wanted to share this prayer with you because it not only reminds us that we are unconditionally loved, but it helps to take that intellectual concept and allow it to settle into our bones, into our heart, our soul and our spirit. It reminds us that we are deeply loved and created on purpose. That we are all perfectly and beautifully imperfect. Every single one of us.
As Shauna states, "It's a reminder that there is nothing that you can do in the course of a day that will ruin, or squander, or break, or fracture his love for you. There's no mistake too great. And, there's nothing that you can do to get more of his love...to earn more, to prove more, to get more. It's already all there."
I also wanted to share it because with this prayer comes a sense of freedom. Freedom to not have to prove your worthiness. Freedom to not be perfect. Freedom to experience life and make mistakes. Freedom to afford yourself some slack to explore. Freedom to offer yourself compassion and forgiveness.
I invite you to give it a try. Start your day off with this centering morning prayer. And while you're at it, consider adding the rest of my morning prayer ritual to it as well :) Here it is:
Good morning Soul. Good morning God. Who am I? Where would you have me go? What would you have me do? What would you have me say and to whom?
Pausing after each question to listen for an answer and to intentionally answer the question...who am I? Each and every day affirming who I am. I am love, I am peace, I am a child of God, etc.
My morning prayer continues with expressions of gratitude and of a willingness to serve, and includes other personal items that I may have on my mind that day. I've mentioned in previous blog posts how very important I believe gratitude to be. I start and end my day with gratitude and spend time several moments throughout my day offering up expressions of gratitude.
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