Selected Blessings from
Rabbi Naomi Levy’s Talking to God: Personal Prayers for Times of Joy, Sadness, Struggle, and Celebration (2003)
A Prayer for Those Days When Life Spins Out of Control
When I panic, God, teach me patience
When I fear, teach me faith
When I doubt myself, teach me confidence
When I despair, teach me hope
When I lose perspective, show me the way -
Back to love, back to life, back to You. Amen.
A Prayer for the Ability to Pray and for Daily Insight
Open my eyes, God.
Help me to perceive what I have ignored, to uncover what
I have forsaken, to find what I have been searching for.
Remind me that I don’t have to journey far to discover something new,
For miracles surround me, blessings and holiness abound.
And You are near.
Amen.
A Night Prayer
With the darkness comes Your light.
Earth and sky blend into one, the heavens seem closer now,
The day’s burdens farther somewhere.
Your presence is almost palpable.
Watch over me, God, body and soul.
Stay beside me through the night.
Protect me from harm.
Banish my fears.
Send me dreams that are sweet, fill my heart with Your peace,
Set my mind at ease.
And, at first light, please restore me to new life.
Amen.
A Divorce Prayer
Our marriage is over God.
It really does feel like a death.
The death of our dreams, our hopes, our home, our live, our life together.
Help us, God, save us both from vindictiveness and cruelty.
Let us not prolong this divorce.
Teach us a way to move forward with decency, integrity, and honesty.
Show us how to divide our assets fairly, to determine our children’s custody and future wisely.
Give us strength, God, to part with dignity and grace in honor of the life we once shared.
Amen.
A Prayer for Healing from the Pain of Divorce
I am holding it all together on the outside, God, but inside my heart is crushed.
I never imagined the future without them.
I never imagined myself without them.
Help me, God.
Give me the courage to face the past and to learn from it.
Remind me to take the time to grieve for all that is no more.
I feel so alone.
Be with me, God.
Teach me to believe that there is hope for me, that I will find love again.
Heal my heart, God.
Fill me with the strength to gather up all the broken pieces, and begin again.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Power to Return from the Depths of Sorrow
Teach me always to believe in my power to return to life, to hope, and to You, God, no matter what pains I have endured, no matter how far I have strayed from You.
Give me the strength to resurrect my weary spirit.
Revive me, God, so I can embrace life once more in joy, in passion, in peace.
Amen.
A Prayer Asking God to Put an End to One’s Suffering
I am tired of waiting, God.
I have suffered for too long and I am beginning to lose hope.
I turn to You now, God, to put an end to this agony of mine.
If relief is not near, give me patience and strength to continue to dwell in the darkness,
To face this time of suffering with courage and dignity and faith.
Be my light, God; illuminate my way.
Lead me to joy and healing and peace.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Strength to Forgive
Someone close to me hurt me.
I have good reason to be angry.
I want them to suffer for the pain they caused me.
But how long should I hold on to my anger?
I can see now that by hardening my heart I am punishing myself as much as them.
Soften my heart, God; teach me compassion.
Show me how to accept their apology, how to forgive them how to trust them once more.
Help us repair our relationship, God.
Heal our pain.
Help us to wipe away the resentments and the hurt.
Restore us, God, to the way we were before.
Lead us back to laughter, to kindness, and to love.
Amen.
A Prayer to Find Meaning in Suffering
I am hurting, God.
I feel lost, helpless, and alone.
My tragedy seems so senseless.
Help me, God, to embrace what I cannot understand, to find meaning in my suffering.
Remind me that though I am powerless to choose my fate,
I hold the power to choose a response to my fate.
May I never be defeated.
May I never grow bitter.
May my sorrow lead me to strength, to wisdom, to compassion, and to You.
Amen.
A Prayer to Find Love
Open my heart, God: teach me to remove all
Obstacles I place in the way of love.
Open my mind, God; prevent me from rejecting
Any person on the basis of supervicial flaws.
Open my mouth, God; let my words reflect the
Beauty and wisdom of my soul.
Open my ears, God; let me be still so that I can
Truly hear what others are trying to say.
Open my arm, God; give me the strength to be
Vulnerable, the courage to let down my defenses.
Open my eyes, God; help me find the one I have been praying for.
Please send me my soul mate, God.
Amen