The Welcoming Prayer

It can be hard to welcome anything right now. We feel trapped by social distancing and uncertainty drives our emotions. Our thoughts run wild like an untamed horse; leading to overwhelming anxiety. Accepting what is before us in challenging. To say the least! 

Yet, there is a solution. Something, you and I can do. Something we can take responsibility for. We can take every thought captive and bring it to God. We can bring our runaway thoughts and rising emotions to someone who cares. Deeply.

Two-part Solution

It’s a two-part answer that you and I can execute. It’s a simple, 4-line prayer that can make all the difference in the world. It’s called The Welcoming Prayer.

Step 1-Invite

The Welcoming Prayer invites Jesus, God, or Holy Spirit into the ordinary events of life with their crushing weight, ambiguity, headaches, and fatigue. It’s a way to pay attention to how God is in the right-nowness of life.

The Welcoming Prayers meets the needs hardwired into our psyches. The need for affection and love, security and safety and a sense of agency or power.

When we let God meet the above needs for affection, reassurance, and control, we have so much more freedom. Freedom to respond, not react. Freedom to be fully live in the moment and rely on something outside of ourselves to take care of us.

Step 2-Pray this prayer

The Welcoming Prayer

Jesus, I let go of my need to be safe and secure. Welcome.

Jesus, I let go of my need to be accepted and approved of. Welcome.

Jesus, I release my need to control this person or event. Welcome.

Jesus, I let go of my need to change reality and receive it as it is. Welcome.

Adele Calhoun, author of Spiritual Disciplines Handbook states, “The Welcoming Prayer lands us right in the middle of our hot mess with Jesus, so his kingdom comes and His will be done. The prayer releases and accepts. It is a small death expressed in four movements that give room to Jesus and not just our ego. Welcoming Jesus can bring our experience into focus.”

We become more attuned to God, his involvement, and care for us. It helps us to surrender, let go, and trust Him more. It doesn’t mean we like the current situation, but we can learn to consent to God’s presence and action. 

I encourage you to pray this simple, yet profound prayer. You can pray it in the morning as you anticipate your day. Welcome, Jesus into these events. You could also spontaneously pray this throughout your day if you are triggered by a person, circumstance, or experience.

Lastly, some days you may not be able to pray this prayer. Your heart or attitude may not be in a place to sincerely say the words. That’s OK. You can ask God to help you.

Jesus, give me the willingness to let go of my need to…..

May you find freedom, peace, and joy in your day. May His kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.