There is Thomas Merton’s famous prayer, the beginning of which reads, ‘My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me.’ You can look up the rest.

There is a beautiful prayer a friend’s Jewish mother wrote and taught me, which I swear by: Help for the sick and hungry, home for the homeless folk, peace in the world forever. This is my prayer, O lord. Amen.

I wrote one that will do in a pinch:

Hi, God. I am just a mess.

It is all hopeless. What else is new?

I would be sick of me, if I were You,

but miraculously You are not.

I know I have no control over other people’s

lives, and I hate this. Yet I believe that if I

accept this and surrender, You will meet me

wherever I am. Wow. Can this be true? If so, how is this

afternoon – say, two-ish?

Thank You in advance for Your company and blessings.

You have never once let me down.

Amen.

Anne Lamott, Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers