The Merton Prayer

I had been thinking about my old church and my time as a youth pastor. I drove by the old church last month, and it was now someones house. Well, I was looking in an old folder that I haven’t used for at least 12 years. It’s a nice leather organizer that I got from my old job. And I found some old letters. I don’t know how these old letters got into this folder. I don’t know how they survived for over 30 years, through multiple moves and several states. One was the minutes from the church board meeting, which offered me the position in 1994. And one was from my mom, who handwrote this prayer on January 24, 1995. I love this prayer, and reflecting on my life, it touches me.

“The Merton Prayer”
By Thomas Merton

My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,

and the fact that I think I am following your will

does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.

And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,

though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always though

I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. 

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,

and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

“The Merton Prayer” from Thoughts in Solitude by Thomas Merton. Copyright © 1956, 1958 by The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani. Used by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux.