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Prayer for guidance in times of indecision. | |
Father, merciful Father! O look down from Thy dwelling-place on high, and have compassion on a child of Israel who calls on Thee; Thou to whom all things are light, who knowest all things at their very beginning. Thou seest the doubt and indecision of Thy servant. O guide me in this matter; teach me what path is most acceptable to Thee, my God, and show me the clear line of duty to my parents. | |
Father, my whole trust is in Thee. I know whatever Thou ordainest is best, however it may interfere with my own wishes and inclinations. I commit myself to Thee, O God; my soul and body are in Thy hands, and all my affections, hopes, desires, pleasures, are also Thine. | |
O do Thou lead me in the right way; mine eyes are darkened, and I shall stumble without Thy supporting hand. I know not my own heart, O my God; it is deceitful above all things; its very wishes are hid from me. I know not what is for my happiness, and therefore am I hesitating and weak, varying and inconstant; each day a new emotion seems predominant within my heart. Were I called upon to decide, I know not in what way to do so. O my Father, lead me in Thy way, and teach me what is most pleasing unto Thee. | |
Wherever I am, let thy blessing hover round me as a shield. Be Thou with me, whether in the shelter of home, or by a stranger hearth. Let me feel Thy blessed spirit on my soul, guiding my every action, turning my secret thoughts to Thee. | |
Let not my own will gain ascendancy; let not my own wishes bid me forget to look to Thee; govern my thoughts, that they may not rest too much on any one desire. | |
Let not anticipation deck the future with colours whose brightness is tarnished as soon as the future becomes the present. | |
Whichever way I turn there seems an equal degree of pleasure and of pain. I know not which is most acceptable to Thee. | |
Father, Thou knowest that I trust in Thee, that my only hope is in Thy mercy. O let that mercy guide me now; and whichever way the darkness of indecision be removed, O let me feel that it is Thy will, that Thou hast ordained it thus, that however my own wishes may appear to rebel, however my sinful thoughts may start objections, O permit me still to trust in Thy wisdom, and lean on Thy unfailing mercy. I call upon Thee, O my God, with my whole heart. Answer me for thy name’s sake!— Amen. |
“Prayer for guidance in times of indecision” by Grace Aguilar was published posthumously by her mother Sarah Aguilar in Sabbath Thoughts and Sacred Communings (1853), pp. 126-128. In Essays and Miscellanies (1853) the prayer appears on pages 211-212.
Source(s)
“Prayer for Guidance in Times of Indecision, by Grace Aguilar (ca. 1830s)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.
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