Shepherd me, O God,
through
all my ups and downs,
through my sorrows and my joys
and through the graces and temptations
that
come my way each day…
From here to there,
from where I am
to
where I’m meant to be;
from my past into my future,
through
this night until the dawn,
from
one moment to the next,
Shepherd me, O God…
From yesterday’s dilemmas
through
the problems of this day
to
the peace your Spirit offers…
Shepherd me, O God…
From memories that hold me back.
from
dreams that haunt my sleep,
and
from fear that holds me captive,
Shepherd me, O God…
From my failings and my sins,
from
my careless, selfish ways
to the grace of new beginnings…
Shepherd me, O God…
From fantasies and daydreams
and
from lies I tell myself
to
a life that’s real and certain,
Shepherd me, O God…
From my hair-trigger temper
and
my quick, impatient ways
to serenity and calm…
Shepherd me, O God…
From my risky, foolish ways,
from
my careless, harmful habits
to the path where Wisdom beckons…
Shepherd me, O God…
From my gluttony and greed,
and
my hoarding and my spending
to
a generous, giving spirit…
Shepherd me, O God…
From my arrogance and pride
to a humble self-surrender…
Shepherd me, O God…
From lies I’ve told and retold
to
the truth that sets me free…
Shepherd me, O God…
From all that’s less than pure
to what’s clear and clean and chaste…
Shepherd me, O God…
From my anger and resentments,
to
mercy and forgiveness…
Shepherd me, O God…
From my lazy waste of time
to
work that satisfies and serves…
Shepherd me, O God…
From my mindless, aimless wandering
to paths that lead to you…
Shepherd me, O God…
From my flirting with temptation
to doing what you ask of me,
Shepherd me, O God…
From prejudice and bias
to affirmation and acceptance,
Shepherd me, O God…
From wasting what I have
to sharing generously all that’s
mine…
Shepherd me, O God…
From hopelessness and fear
to trust and confidence in you…
Shepherd me, O God…
From feeling sorry for myself
to gratitude for all my blessings,
Shepherd me, O God…
From doubts that cloud my thoughts
to deeper faith that clears my soul…
Shepherd me, O God…
From beyond my wants,
from
beyond my fears,
from
death into life with you,
Shepherd me, O God…
Protect
me, Lord, while I’m awake
and watch over me while I sleep
that
awake, I might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace…
Amen.
