The welcoming prayer is designed to help us to pray when we feel overwhelmed, anxious, or agitated by something. It can be used when we are overjoyed with some new sucess or we might pick it up when we are confronting significant loss. In a word, it is a prayer that helps us to “welcome” all that we are experiencing and converse with God about it.
Whenever we have these experiences – especially when they are full of strong afflictive emotions – there is typically something in us that resists what we are experiencing. This posture of unwelcoming towards the things that are happening within make prayer difficult. The welcoming prayer is a very simple form of prayer that allows us to bring all that we are noticing internally into conversation with God.
Step 1: Settle In
Simply settle into your space. It may be helpful to practice breathing. Or you may want to notice the support you feel from the chair. Simply be present, and then ask for God’s help.
Step 2: Welcome what you are noticing
Say “welcome” to everything that you are noticing. This includes feelings, desires, fears, a sense of obligation, or maybe even concern that you may or may not do this right. Say welcome to everything. We are not celebrating or even evaluating what we are saying “welcome” to. We are just noticing that it is there, and we are choosing not to deny that it is there.
Step 3: Slowly recite this prayer
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me today, because I know it’s for my healing.
I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons, situations, and conditions.
I let go of my desire for power and control.
I let go of my desire for affection, esteem, approval, and pleasure.
I let go of my desire for survival and security.
I let go of my desire to change any situation, condition, person or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God and God’s action within. Amen