Weekly Devotional Passage from the School Chaplain: Prayer for Discernment

Today's wise words come from Thomas Merton. Merton was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist, and scholar of comparative religion. Here is a prayer that he wrote:

 

Prayer for Discernment

O 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 that fact that I think
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 to please You.
And I know that if I do this
You will lead me by the right road,
Though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore, I will 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 make my journey alone. Amen.

- Thomas Merton