December 29, 2023 - The Episcopal Church in Delaware

Prayer of Thomas Merton

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen.

Psalm 18

I love you, O Lord my strength, *

O Lord my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.

My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, *

my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge;
you are worthy of praise.

I will call upon the Lord, *

and so shall I be saved from my enemies.

The breakers of death rolled over me, *

and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.

The cords of hell entangled me, *

and the snares of death were set for me.

I called upon the Lord in my distress *

and cried out to my God for help.

He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling; *

my cry of anguish came to his ears.

The earth reeled and rocked; *

the roots of the mountains shook;
they reeled because of his anger.

Smoke rose from his nostrils
and a consuming fire out of his mouth; *

hot burning coals blazed forth from him.

He parted the heavens and came down *

with a storm cloud under his feet.

He mounted on cherubim and flew; *

he swooped on the wings of the wind.

He wrapped darkness about him; *

he made dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.

From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds, *

burst hailstones and coals of fire.

The Lord thundered out of heaven; *

the Most High uttered his voice.

He loosed his arrows and scattered them; *

he hurled thunderbolts and routed them.

The beds of the seas were uncovered,
and the foundations of the world laid bare, *

at your battle cry, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

He reached down from on high and grasped me; *

he drew me out of great waters.

He delivered me from my strong enemies
and from those who hated me; *

for they were too mighty for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster; *

but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into an open place; *

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Image: “Kindness is like snow, it beautifies everything it covers” by PokemonaDeChroma is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

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