Over the years, I’ve whispered a lot of words heavenward — in hospital rooms, at kitchen sinks, behind steering wheels, and in the quiet of sleepless nights.
But when I look back over the last thirty-five years, there are specific prayers that have carried me through more seasons than I can count. They’ve changed shape as I have, but their heartbeat has stayed the same. I still pray them today — sometimes in words, sometimes in sighs. Maybe you’ve prayed them too, in your own way.
A Prayer of Surrender
Third Step Prayer
God, I offer myself to Thee — to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt.
Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always.
Reflection:
This prayer taught me how to let go — not of responsibility, but of control. Every time I say it, I am reminded that strength doesn’t come from striving. It comes from surrender.
A Prayer of Willingness
Seventh Step Prayer
My Creator, I am now willing that You should have all of me, good and bad.
I pray that You now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to You and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do Your bidding. Amen.
Reflection:
There’s something freeing about admitting you can’t fix yourself alone. This prayer felt like an exhale — an invitation to walk forward lighter, trusting that God’s work in me is still unfolding. I still return to this one every so often because the defects of character are not totally gone. They leave step by step.
Bookend Prayers
From the Eleventh Step
These are the prayers that bookend my days. They remind me that faith isn’t something we visit— it’s where we live.
Morning Prayer
God, direct my thinking today so that it be empty of self-pity, dishonesty, self-will, self-seeking, and fear. God, inspire my thinking, decisions, and intuitions. Help me to relax and take it easy. Free me from doubt and indecision. Guide me through this day and show me my next step. God, show me what I need to do to take care of any problems.
I ask all these things that I may be of maximum service to You and my fellow man.
In the spirit of the Steps, I pray. Amen.
Nightly Prayer
God, forgive me where I have been resentful, selfish, dishonest, or afraid today.
Help me to not keep anything to myself but to discuss it all openly with another person. Show me where I owe an apology and help me make it. Help me to be kind and loving to all people. Use me in the mainstream of life, God. Free me of worry, remorse, or morbid reflections that I may be of usefulness to others. Amen.
A Prayer of Peace
The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me a channel of Thy peace —
where there is hatred, I may bring love;
where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness;
that where there is discord, I may bring harmony;
where there is error, I may bring truth;
that where there is doubt, I may bring faith;
where there is despair, I may bring hope;
where there are shadows, I may bring light;
where there is sadness, I may bring joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in the giving that we receive;
it is in the pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Reflection:
This prayer has always felt like the “Amen” to all the rest. It calls me back to what matters — to love, to serve, to listen. It’s not about perfection; it’s about presence. And in that presence, peace begins to take root.
These prayers have carried me across decades — through laughter, loss, and long stretches of learning to trust again. They’ve become less about the words themselves and more about the posture they call me to — open hands, willing heart.
Maybe you have a prayer, too, that’s carried you through. If you do, whisper it again today. You never know who else it might reach.
Thank you for stoppin’ by. The light’s always on – Gritty Granny – Living in the here and now . . .
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