You know that moment when you’re the first one awake on a Saturday morning? Your phone isn’t buzzing every thirty seconds, and even the neighbors haven’t started their leaf blowers yet. You step outside with your coffee and suddenly realize: Holy cow, it’s actually quiet. Even your phone is still asleep. No Amazon delivery trucks rumbling by. Just birds doing their thing and wind in the trees – the same sounds people heard thousands of years ago before Spotify.
It hits me that this might be the only five minutes all day when I could actually hear God if He wanted to say something. Which makes me wonder: maybe the reason we struggle to hear from God isn’t because He’s not talking, but because we’ve gotten really good at noise.
One of my favorite writers, Bob Benson was asked in a radio interview, (long before podcasts were invented) “What are you trying to say? What’s the big message?” He had a seven word reply: God has something to say to you. The problem is that He most often speaks softly.
The story of young Samuel getting called by God in the middle of the night got me thinking about how we approach prayer today. Here are four ways we might be making it harder than it needs to be.
1. “God, I’ll do the talking. You just nod along.”
Samuel almost missed God’s voice entirely because he wasn’t expecting it. Sound familiar? We’ve turned prayer into this weird one-sided conversation where we dump our grocery list of requests on God and then say “Amen” like we’re hanging up the phone.
But what if God actually has opinions? What if He’s been trying to get a word in edgewise while we’re busy explaining our five-year plan? The Bible shows prayer as this back-and-forth thing – less like leaving a voicemail, more like texting with a friend who actually texts back.
2. “Here’s my wishlist, God. Thanks in advance.”
We’ve got real stuff going on – bills, relationships, health scares, that acrimonious supervisor. But sometimes I wonder if I’m so focused on getting God to sign off on my agenda that I never stop to ask what His might be.
What if God’s more interested in changing me than he is changing my circumstances? What if He’s got plans that are bigger than my immediate comfort zone? Wild thought, I know. But I have to realize that God isn’t focused on how to make me comfortable. It’s quite the opposite! As C.S. Lewis taught us: “I’m not sure God wants us to be happy. I think he wants us to love, and be loved. But we are like children, thinking our toys will make us happy and the whole world is our nursery. Something must drive us out of that nursery and into the lives of others, and that something is suffering.”
3. “God, please bless this thing I’ve already decided to do.”
This one’s sneaky. We make our plans, get emotionally invested, and then ask God to rubber-stamp them. “Dear God, I really want this opportunity/relationship/thing. Please make it work out!” Maybe the better question isn’t “Will you bless this?” but “What do you think I should do?” and then actually waiting for an answer.
4. “God, I’ve got seven minutes before my next Zoom call.”
We’ve gotten pretty good at compartmentalizing everything, including God. Twenty minutes of quiet time in the morning, check the spiritual box, now back to real life. It would be a shame for us to get to the end of our lives realizing that prayer and contemplation were actually the “real life” we were created for.
Maybe Try This Instead
Remember what Eli told Samuel? “Next time you hear that voice, just say: ‘Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.'” Not exactly rocket science, but harder than it sounds.
What if we started our prayer time with our mouths closed and our mental chatter on pause? What if we actually waited to see what God might want to talk about before launching into our presentation?
Try starting with something like:
“God, I’ve got seventeen things I want to talk to you about, but first – What do You want to say to me?”
“Lord, my brain is ping-ponging between my to-do list and that weird thing my boss said yesterday. Help me settle down here so I can actually focus. (Takes a breath) Okay, I’m listening.”
“God, I’m honestly pretty frustrated right now, but I’m here and I’m listening anyway.”
“Lord, take all the time you need with me. I’m not going anywhere. And when I do leave this spot, help me keep my ears open throughout the day – even in the noise, even in the silence. I want to hear what you’re really trying to tell me.”
The world’s only gotten noisier since Samuel’s time, but God’s voice hasn’t gotten any quieter. Maybe we just need to remember how to tune in.
“Prayer is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.” Teresa of Avila
“Speak, Lord. I’m listening.”
Praying With a Squirrel Mind: 5 Blockades and 20 Ways
I have a confession: I have the attention span of a caffeinated squirrel. And when it comes to prayer, my mind tends to hop from branch to branch faster than you can say “Hey Siri.” I’m guessing I’m not the only one? If your prayer life sometimes feels like trying to meditate in the middle of a carnival, you’re in good company.
Over years of spiritual trial and error (mostly error), I’ve experienced five major blockades that keep me from connecting with God and discovered some practical hacks that have helped me overcome my distracted mind.
The 5 Blockades to Prayer (Or: Why My Prayer Time Could Look Like a Three-Ring Circus if I’m Not Careful)
1. Distraction and Busyness
my phone vibrates.
my to-do list screams.
wife and my family need things
another email from a frustrated church member
a video editing project
an interim pastorate
a financial puzzle
an expense report
and just for good measure I get on twitter long enough for my head to ache.
Meanwhile, I’m trying to have a heart-to-heart with the Creator of the universe. Good luck with that, right? When my mind is racing through notifications, deadlines, and responsibilities, meaningful conversation with God feels nearly impossible.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Apparently, God knew about our distraction problems long before smartphones. Being still is practically a superpower these days.
2. Guilt and Unworthiness
The moment—and I mean the exact moment—I enter my prayer time, a highlight reel of my failures starts playing in my head. It’s like my brain says, “Oh, you want to talk to your all-seeing Savior? Let’s first review all the reasons you’re not worthy!” This sense of unworthiness muffles my voice faster than a thick blanket.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
The enemy wants me feeling too ashamed to pray because he knows that shame keeps me out of the throne room. As long as I feel unworthy, I’ll never boldly approach God.
3. Unanswered Prayers and Disappointment
I’ve been praying for some things for so long that I’m pretty sure my prayers have frequent flyer miles. When years pass without the answer I want, it’s tempting to think God isn’t listening, doesn’t exist, or (bringing us back to blockade #2) I’m just not worthy of an answer.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8)
It’s hard to remember that God isn’t a cosmic vending machine where I insert my quarters of faith and select which blessing I’d like dispensed. That’s just not how He operates.
4. Rigid Expectations About “Correct” Prayer
Sometimes I get so caught up in using the right words, praying at the right time, in the right position, with the right level of emotion that I forget God just wants me to talk to Him. When my ADD collides with my perfectionism, my prayer life is basically doomed.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (Romans 8:26)
Thank goodness the Holy Spirit can translate my jumbled thoughts because sometimes even I don’t know what I’m trying to say.
5. Spiritual Dryness and Doubt
There are seasons when my spiritual life feels like crossing the Sahara with a thimble of water. I lose my passion, feel unmoved by things that once broke my heart, and find myself more excited about the new season of my favorite show than about spending time with Jesus.
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:11)
Even David, a man after God’s own heart, experienced spiritual dryness. Those desert seasons can drive us further from the throne room if we let them.
20 Prayer Strategies for the Spiritually ADD
Now for the good part—what actually helps! Here are 20 different ideas and approaches that have strengthened my prayer life:
1. Create a Dedicated Prayer Space
I need a place where I can shut out the world and focus on God—a clean canvas for prayer. Nothing fancy, just a space that signals to my brain: “It’s God time now.”
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (Matthew 6:6)
2. Start a Spiritual Journal
For the past five years, I’ve been writing down my prayers. It keeps my squirrel mind focused when I’m physically involved in the process. Plus, I can search back through old prayers and see how God has been working (which is great for those doubtful seasons).
“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets.” (Habakkuk 2:2)
3. Practice Silence Before and After Prayer
Turns out, God wasn’t in the earthquake or fire for Elijah—He was in the “still small voice.” Finding silence takes effort in our noise-polluted world, but it’s worth it.
“After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:12)
4. Use a Prayer Calendar
Strategic prayer helps when I feel spiritually lost. Having different people and concerns assigned to different days gives my prayer life structure and keeps me from forgetting important people and needs.
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.” (1 Timothy 2:1)
5. Incorporate Physical Movement
One of my favorite prayer times is walking through my neighborhood. Something about moving my body helps my mind stay engaged in prayer. I’m less likely to fall asleep praying when I’m vertical and in motion!
“I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” (Psalm 63:4)
6. Explore Ancient Prayer Traditions
Lectio Divina, Ignatian Examen, or praying the hours—these aren’t New Age practices; they’re ancient Christian traditions. They provide a roadmap for prayer when I can’t find my own way.
“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16)
7. Join a Prayer Group
Having at least one other person to pray with keeps me accountable. If you don’t have that person, your mission is to find them!
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
8. Pray Through Scripture
I find it nearly impossible to pray meaningfully without the Bible. Scripture provides guardrails for my prayers so I don’t end up in the ditch with selfish or misguided requests.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
9. Use Technology for Prayer Reminders
My phone might be a distraction, but it can also be a tool. I set prayer reminders throughout my day to pause and refocus on God.
“Pray continually.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
10. Try Fasting
Some of my most powerful spiritual moments have come during times of fasting—whether from food, media, or other comforts. There’s something about denying yourself that creates space for God to work.
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do.” (Matthew 6:16)
11. Use Guided Prayers
When I can’t find my own words, I borrow someone else’s! YouTube has countless guided prayer videos, and devotional books like “Prayers That Avail Much” provide excellent scriptural frameworks.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for…” (Romans 8:26)
12. Incorporate Music
Music prepares my heart for prayer like nothing else. Sometimes singing is my prayer when I can’t find the right words.
“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19)
13. Practice Gratitude Prayers
I try to start every prayer time by thanking God—even for small things. Like Brother Lawrence scrambling eggs “to the glory of God,” gratitude transforms mundane moments into sacred ones.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
14. Use Visual Aids
Great religious art, nature photographs, or even a simple cross can focus my wandering mind during prayer. I have a cross that my son, Isaac, gave me a few years ago. It sits on my prayer table and has different names of Jesus on it. Often as I begin I thank God for each of the names carved on it.
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)
15. Pray Out Loud
With my ADD and dyslexia, praying out loud is practically essential. It reminds my brain what I’m doing and keeps me from mentally wandering off to my grocery list. Corrie ten Boom, a Holocaust survivor and Christian missionary, often spoke about the importance of praying aloud.
When Darlene and I were first married, we lived in a broken-down fourplex with paper thin walls. Our apartment’s closet was located sharing a wall with another single seminary student. I can’t remember his name. It’s been a minute since 1985, but I remember his prayers! It inspired me to make my quiet times not so quiet. Speak those prayers! Send them out audibly. For me, praying aloud is a way to get my mind engaged. It reminds me that I am speaking to someOne rather just thinking about some thing.
“My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.” (Psalm 145:21)
16. Learn Prayers from Different Christian Traditions
Whether it’s Church of God, Lutheran, or Episcopal prayers, exploring how other Christians talk to Jesus expands my prayer vocabulary. We might differ on theological details, but we can learn from each other’s conversations with God.
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)
17. Keep Prayer Consistent
Building prayer into my daily routines—walking, eating, commuting, waking up, going to sleep—helps it become a habit rather than an occasional event.
“Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.” (Psalm 55:17)
18. Engage in Intercessory Prayer
Praying for others’ needs—my family, friends, church, ministers, missionaries, and the spiritually lost—takes the focus off my problems and reminds me I’m part of something bigger.
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:18)
19. Experiment with Different Times of Day
If you’re not a morning person, try praying at 5am. If you’re not a night owl, set your alarm for midnight and pray for those on the other side of the world. You might discover when your spirit is most attuned to God’s voice. I have a friend who says God speaks to him by waking him up at 3 AM. Usually, if I am awakened at 3 AM, it’s my bladder, but I’ve started listening during my pilgrimage to the bathroom and Oh My! I, too sensed a message from God about aspects of my life.
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
20. Practice Breath Prayers
When all else fails, I fall back on the ancient Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy.” Aligning simple phrases with my breathing rhythm helps me pray when I’m spiritually dry.
“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18)
The Bottom Line
None of these practices are about perfection. Like any relationship, our connection with God deepens when we give it regular attention, honesty, and a willingness to both speak and listen. Prayer is the most important thing we’ll ever do. It’s how we access God’s power for God-sized things. Every time I’ve tried to navigate life without prayer, I’ve face-planted spectacularly (trust me, I’ve collected quite a few spiritual bruises along the way). So my constant prayer is simply for more prayer. I want to find new ways to connect with God because He’s waiting for me to stop scrolling, stop worrying, and stop listening to the noise of the world long enough to enter into divine conversation. It truly is the road less traveled, but it’s the only road where the real adventure begins.
I’m still working on my prayer life, and I hope you are too. I’m curious. What prayer hacks have worked for you? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!
The 38 Year Wait
It was just another day around the pool of Bethesda. The usual crowd of weary hopefuls, lingering by the pool with worn faces, stared daily in anticipation of divine intervention. The word on the street was that if you were the first person to get in the pool when the angels stirred the waters, you’d be healed. It doesn’t seem fair, does it? The strong one wins every time. Among this collection of sufferers was a man who had been on a 38-year losing streak. He prayed, sought, hoped, and dreamed of health, but for 38 years, there was no miracle. Have you prayed for a breakthrough that long? I have. It’s not fun. It can be a test of faith to spend years on the same prayer request. But when we do, we are in the company of Abraham, Simeon, Anna, Sarah, and Noah, to name a few. We ask our friends to pray with us for the first few months, but then we’re ashamed to even bring it up after a year or two, and we’re left alone to stew in our own misery.
I have to confess, I’ve got shelves of journals filled with unanswered prayers—page after page, full of whispered longings and steadfast hopes. These prayers are so familiar that I blush when I think of how many times God has heard them. These are liturgies with a limp as I walk with God—waiting, hoping, praying, and trusting one more time. I remind myself that prayer is a warfare of our own attention and persistence. We ask and keep on asking. We understand that it is a dance, not a destination. We follow His lead even in the moments when our steps seem clumsy and the rhythm seems wrong. There aren’t scorecards. This isn’t a competition. It’s an invitation to a relationship. In Graham Greene’s play, The Potting Shed, Father Callifer says, “Faith is not something that one loses; we merely cease to shape our lives by it.” For me, faith is a lifelong journey. I have moments of doubt. I, too, am prone to wander, but the faithfulness of Jesus exceeds my doubts. I can’t lose it, but I am always in danger of ceasing to live my life by it. And I, too, often wait for angels when I am in the presence of the Son of God. I’m with C.S. Lewis, who famously confessed, “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.” We all come into the throne room broken. That’s precisely why we come!
Then, in the middle of Bethesda, Jesus shows up. Suddenly, all those years of waiting vanish. He asks the paralyzed man a strange question, “Do you want to be well?” His question cuts through years of excuses and resignation. It’s surprising, until I remember that there are lots of folks who don’t want to be well. They’re stuck in misery, but at least it’s familiar. For this struggler, it’s a no-brainer. “Yes! But I don’t have any help.” Evidently, his friends had given up as well. I’m reminded that I, too, waste time trying to explain to Jesus why I’m a lost cause. That’s a waste of breath when you’re addressing the One who gave Saturn its rings and carved mountains with His fingers. Jesus doesn’t get philosophical with the old man on the mat. He just says, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And the transformation was as swift and certain as sunrise. Instantly, he was whole. It really doesn’t matter whether you wait 38 years or 38 seconds from the moment you prayed; when Jesus steps on the scene, He makes it worth the wait.
Every. Single. Time.
Always pray, and never give up…” — Luke 18:1b
Never forget, the answer to every prayer is love. It’s always love, and when we pray for that, when we live for that, when we abide in that royal pursuit, we are never left unanswered. Love is always enough, and it is the greatest prayer. Make me a lover. Teach me how to love. Let me love in the language of Jesus. When we pray this prayer, the answer is certain, because love is the language of heaven.
“To love or have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life. To love is a consummation.” —Victor Hugo
A New Day’s Resolution
Two life altering truths:
God is speaking.
You have one day fewer to listen than you had yesterday.
I rarely ever had those kinds of thoughts in my twenties and thirties, but now truths recur often. Have I listened to God? Have I really lived my life to the fullest? Have I heard God’s voice?
Jesus came to bring us rest if we will only stop long enough to listen and to let Him speak. This is the kind of life Jesus lived out in front of us. He connected with the Father intimately and dynamically. We, on the other hand, are often too busy doing things for God that we miss entirely the presence of God.
God really does have something to say to each one of us. I know it like the back of my Bible. I preach it, teach it, encourage others to listen, but if I’m not careful I’ll get so focused my schedule that I don’t slow down enough to hear the Whispers. When I shut down all the white noise and ambiance, God speaks. It’s not always an audible voice, but a Voice just the same.
Every now and then I’ll experience a feeling of being very small. You’ve probably don’t know what I’m talking about. All around me there are bigger ministries, larger budgets, more talented communicators, and more successful pastors. (I know you probably never feel that way but may I confess that I do from time to time.) It’s at that moment that I have to refocus on a simple four-word sentence. “Jesus is with me.” I know. It’s a Children’s Sunday School sentence but it’s still such a gigantic sentence. “Jesus is with me.”
Jesus is with me and He has something He wants to say to me—not just through me. It’s not enough for us to believe that He exists and has something to say to me personally. . It would be a shame for us to finally arrive in Heaven and not recognize the voice of God. In order to hear Him, I must remember to adjust my spiritual sensors. It took me a while to grow out of the belief that He’s not a manipulator of people and I don’t have to be one either. We can’t control our people. That’s the way God made them: UNCONTROLABLE. Sometimes in the past I’ve wanted to but I’ve gotten over it. These sheep can’t be controlled, but they can be led. The basics of listening must overcome the relentless pressures that we as worship leaders and pastors face. Let me encourage you to try the following things that will lead to a heightened sensitivity to hear God’s voice
Today– I’ll live a life of urgency and celebration. The brooding life is not holy. To many it might look holy but a grave-digger and party pooper do not a Kingdom make!
Today– I’ll simplify to remove distractions. Our inability to hear God is directly linked to the static of modern life. It’s perhaps the greatest plague of the church. We are uncomfortable with silence. The things we place before our eyes, the multitude of messages we receive on a daily basis, even the food that we eat potentially blocks our reception of God’s voice. We often expel the voice of God through texts, emails, Facebook walls, radio, TV, and music.
Today– I’ll meditate on Holy Scripture. Don’t just read it. Become preoccupied with it! Stuff your self full of holy words and you’ll see it bring a blessing of peace over your life because your eyes and ears are open to His Word.
Stop all self-promotion campaigns. We all involved in a throne battle. Who will you place on the throne of your life. To which king will you bow down?
Today I’ll follow God’s heart and not my own. Keep in mind what God thinks of your heart: It is deceitful. Songs, movies and pop culture have urged us to follow our heart. Please don’t. It’s a dead end proposition. Discover the heart of God and follow His.
Today I’ll clarify boundaries in my personal world. The ability to hear God is directly related to our ability to say no to lots of things in your life- even a few good things. We understand that we are not capable of doing everything for everybody. Your closest friends will not understand it. Some will be disappointed in you and others will think you are a prude, but celebrate your boundaries. If you understand the purpose you have been created to achieve, saying NO (sometimes in bold and all caps) is not just recommended, it is required.
Today I’ll seek discernment regarding your day. Every morning, ask for wisdom and courage. You need them both in order to discern the voice of Holy God and to do whatever He tells you to do.
Today I won’t tolerate negativity. If you find yourself surrounded by negative, whiney, sarcastic people, consider the architecture of you life and think about doing a little renovation.
Today I’ll have faith in the process. St. John of the Cross, an early church father coined the term: the dark midnight of the soul. “The journey in Faith–the midnight of the soul when the light has all faded away and darkness has completely descended.” He concludes that many Christ followers don’t wish to endure the power of pain and tragedy that is necessary to pass through before the light shines again. I would argue that an overriding theme of the Bible is that suffering is not simply to be experienced but celebrated. It produces a deeper intimacy with God.
I hope that today is enough to lead you into a conversation with the Divine. He speaks softly and He speaks in present tense.
The Empowered Life Workshop Notes
Todd Proctor, John Harrison and Kathleen Doyle
How do we order our lives? It has to be an inner journey. It’s all about adoption. We are not earning a relationship. This is how evangelicals often mis the point.
This relationship with the Spirit is not something done to us, but with us.
When you grow, you will find me bigger.
Aslan, Aslan. Dear Aslan,” sobbed Lucy. “At last.” The great beast rolled over on his side so that Lucy fell, half sitting and half lying between his front paws. He bent forward and just touched her nose with his tongue. His warm breath came all round her. She gazed up into the large wise face. “‘Welcome, child,” he said. “AsIan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.” “That is because you are older, little one,” answered he. “Not because you are?” “I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
“In order to receive more of the Holy Spirit we need to have empty space to fill. This space we must create; it will not simply appear. “
We have to give ground over a period of time. How do we become who we really are?
It’s contemplative practices.
Life in the Spirit informs our spiritual practices. The Bible supports Nuerplasticity. When we talk about contemplative life we are talking about something most of evangelicalism has abandoned. Part of this journey is the con template life.
Knowledge of self and God
When we only attempt to know God without knowing self, there is a lack of intimacy.
Who I am speaks into how I see God. Our view of God is a composite of our mother or father (bad news) We often look for passages that we already believe.
By not knowing myself I go back to scripture that reinforce rather than inform my knowledge of God. How many people have deconstructed their faith because their background had an imbalance;anced view of God.
We have to get to the place of radical honesty.
“I know you know the right answer but what is the real answer.”
God is saying, “Take me by the hand and let me show you who I am.”
Contemplation and Action
If I hate solitude and silence, when we do we begin to ask why.
It was performance and pressure. When I entered into silence I began to ask why.
Taking time out of business and getting to see what’s honestly going on in my soul.
Whatever it is will come out.
When we are not contemplative, we start to compare ourselves with other. It becomes the fuel, rather than God, himself.
If I am deeply connected with God we are no longer stuck in numbers and performance.
You think that slowing down will cost you, but in truth it will make you more productive. It will open you up to the capacity of God. It increases our ministry effectiveness.
You don’t have time, not to do this.
Sometimes the unpleasant stuff that bubbles up is the stuff that ultimately brings a breakthrough.
Animal Prayer
Lord, I ask that Thou giveth me:
the strength of the elephant and the lightness of a butterfly
the patience of a snail and the speed of a jaguar
the playfulness of a monkey and the stubborn faithful plodding of an ass
the eyes of an eagle and the discernment of a bat
the roar of a lion and the song of a lark
the reach of a giraffe and the tenacity of a badger
the toughness of a turtle and the tenderness of a lamb
the stillness of a possum and ingenuity of the beaver
the loyalty of a retriever and the humility of the worm.
