Micah Bucey is one of S&P's film reviewers. A United Church of Christ-ordained minister, he currently serves Judson Memorial Church of New York City, a congregation committed to curiously seeking the intersections between spirituality, justice, and creativity. He has been posting short prayers on his Facebook page that touch upon the concerns of populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He kindly agreed to let us share his posts, to bring you fresh energy and inspiration.

We are also following Micah's tiny prayers on global protests in the wake of George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police.

Here are the prayers for those affected by COVID-19:

March 24th Tiny Prayer (for those who are celebrating a tiny achievement):
May you be as quiet or as loud about it as you desire, may you deeply know that no moment of success is too small to shout about, may you remember that it is the abundant oxygen of little victory bubbles that sustains us through the times when larger victories feel far away, and may you find community who will remind you of the mammoth power of modest joys, especially when you dismiss your own as less mighty than they truly are.
Amen

March 22nd Tiny Prayer (for those who just want to do the right thing):
May you remember that there are both things within your control and things far outside your control, may you accept the fact that you are fallible and, following a misstep, may you choose to simply make the next best move, and may you find freedom in tethering yourself to your own integrity, the most valuably renewable resource available to you when you feel emptied and unmoored.
Amen

March 21st Tiny Prayer (for the second day of spring):
May you remember that, after the brash excitement of that first day, the radically quiet work of resurrection continues, not always named, but always accessible, in the anxiously tentative buds, the embarrassingly ecstatic blossoms, the enduring, silent circle of blooming that is your life.
Amen

March 20th Tiny Prayer (for those who need a reminder or two or three):
May you remember that you are doing the best you can with the wisdom you’ve acquired, the resources you have, and the connections you’ve made, and if you still don’t feel like you are, may you take a breath, be patient with yourself, and commit to learning something new today, to asking for something you need today, to reaching out to someone today in the way that you would like to be reached, and may you marvel at what comes back to you in return.
Amen

March 14th Tiny Prayer (for those who are moving more slowly than usual):
May you listen to your body, instead of rushing it, may you still your mind, instead of scolding it, and may you remember that both often show you the pace at which you should actually be moving, whether you like it or not.
Amen

March 11th Tiny Prayer (for the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic):
May we balance grief with gratitude, refusing to ignore the very real hardships suffered and lives lost and choosing to give thanks for the ways we that the gifts of interdependence have filled in the cracks of corruption and delay, and may we co-creatively sustain this authentic harmony, long after the media has moved on, long after our government wipes its hands and conscience, long after it would be convenient to forget what we have been called to do together, what we are actively doing together, and what we must forever continuing doing together.
Amen

March 10th Tiny Prayer (for those who need even more relief):
May you feel your cries supported by the many voices demanding that those in power melt down and reshape their hardened hearts, may you find the mutual aid connections that will nourish your body and spirit in the meantime, and may we all hold our social safety nets accountable to their moral imperative to catch and hold us all, especially those who so regularly fall through the cracks in our consciences.
Amen

March 9th Tiny Prayer (for those who see a glimmer of hope):
May you not horde it from nor force it upon anyone else, may you instead listen to how this feeling is changing you, how it gives you breath you thought you’d lost and energy you thought was spent, and may you treat it like the sacred resource that it is, renewable if respected, generative if tended, and always available, even when it becomes a bit less visible again.
Amen

March 7th Tiny Prayer (for those who feel like they’re wandering the wilderness):
May you pause your frantic tries to figure out how to get through this and instead center yourself by transforming your relationship with it, may feeling lost offer you more opportunities to ask for directions, to try new paths, to share tools and maps, and to move with more care, and may you focus less on how far away the other side seems and more on how awesomely deep your knowledge of the landscape is actually becoming.
Amen

March 6th Tiny Prayer (for those who feel like they’re wandering the wilderness):
May you pause your frantic tries to figure out how to get through this and instead center yourself by transforming your relationship with it, may feeling lost offer you more opportunities to ask for directions, to try new paths, to share tools and maps, and to move with more care, and may you focus less on how far away the other side seems and more on how awesomely deep your knowledge of the landscape is actually becoming.
Amen

March 5th Tiny Prayer (for those who need to take a breath and, for just a moment, simply be):
May you.
Amen

March 4th Tiny Prayer (for those who are coming to the end of something and the beginning of something else):
May you refuse to rush this moment, may you find a way to ritualize what is happening, a way to appreciate where you’ve been and where you’re going, may you take more time than feels comfortable, more time than you usually allow yourself to reflect, and may you find a brief but powerful peace in this liminal space, a peace that is, of course, informed by all you’ve done and looks forward to all you’ll do, but also a peace that can only flourish in these in-between times, a peace that is holy and wholly its own.
Amen

March 3rd Tiny Prayer (for those who are regularly disappointing themselves):
May you stop for a moment and remember that you are human, no more and no less, may you hold yourself accountable, but may you also simply hold yourself, may you open your heart and archive the information that will help you to change, may you offer yourself the forgiveness you need in order to keep going, and may you keep going.
Amen

March 2nd Tiny Prayer (for those who are just trying to hold it all together):
May you breathe into a practice of self-sustaining patience, acknowledging that, yes, there are always more tasks to be completed, always more relationships to be tended, always more plans to complete, but also accepting the truths that, sometimes, things do fall apart, connections do suffer hiccups, arrangements do go awry, may you step away from the unhelpful noise that is telling you that every thread must be picked up immediately, and may you quietly choose one of them right now, may you carry that one lovingly, for as long as it needs, and then may you move to the next, gathering gracefully as you go.
Amen

February 28th Tiny Prayer (for the Johson & Johnson vaccine):
May your convenience and benefits find their way to those who need them most, to those who have been held back by our inequitable systems and selfishness, and may your promises multiply, reaching every corner where safety and hope has yet to take hold, blazing trails toward wholeness and health, not only for the well-connected, but for all.
Amen

February 26th Tiny Prayer (for our collective stamina):
May we be honest with ourselves about the fatigue, the burnout, the fear and grief of nearly a year come and gone, and may we also feel authentically connected to the interdependent web of work happening around us, through us, and for us, each of us offering expertise, whether it be in the forms that explicitly address the ongoing threats of this pandemic or in the simpler forms that quietly and lovingly offer care, creativity, and comfort, all of it activating hope in ways that are often invisible, but always invigorating.
Amen

February 25th Tiny Prayer (for a country mourning over 500,000 COVID-related deaths):
May our grief and our anger inform us, but not overwhelm us, may our keening come in the form of commitment, and as we dig deep into the sadness of our hearts, may we also dig deep into the failings of our societal systems, interrogating inequity, holding ourselves accountable, and reshaping our rage into a fierce love that will fuel us to both never forget those we’ve lost and forge a future far brighter than the fires that currently engulf us.
Amen

February 23rd Tiny Prayer (for those who are learning to say, “No”):
May you realize that thoughtful denial is not only a form of self-care, but also a form of community care, may you remember that not all requests are urgent, not all demands are valid, not all panic and punishment is yours to take on, and as you live into your own life-giving dissent, may it remind others that a current “No” is also a loud “Yes” to the future.
Amen

February 22nd Tiny Prayer (for those who could use a little kindness):
May you reach out to those who have tenderly helped you to get back up in the past, may you offer them a bit of tenderness right now, and in doing so, may you become the image of kindness you wish to see in the world and marvel as it is mirrored right back to you.
Amen

February 21st Tiny Prayer (for those who can’t seem to stop):
May you be honest with yourself about what you are sacrificing when you refuse to rest, may you realize that burnout is not only something that happens to you, but something that happens because of you, may you remember the radically restorative feeling that comes when you admit to yourself that very few things actually depend on you being constantly wound up, and may you find freedom in the fact that your own survival actually depends on your willingness to wind down.
Amen

February 20th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling unsure of themselves):
May you stop to listen closely to your gut, even more carefully than you typically would, may you find the balance between the voice that tells you that you know everything and the voice that tells you that you know nothing, may you settle into the sweet spot in the center that keeps you humble enough to not be haughty, but gutsy enough to go for it, and then may you move.
Amen

February 19th Tiny Prayer (for those who are being too hard on themselves):
May you pause your stagnating self-criticism and bring your attention back to the honest, activating truth, that you are a miracle, really, someone who has weathered grief and disappointment, who has lifted others when they couldn’t get up, who woke up this morning, no matter how weary, to try it all again, and if there are apologies you should make today, may you not run from them, if there are recommitments you should make today, may you move toward them, but no matter what direction you follow, for goodness’ sake, may you never forget that you are a creation in process, unfinished, of course, but, even in the midst of your agonizing, messy progress, still never anything less than a work of art.
Amen

February 16th Tiny Prayer (for those who need some help):
May you ask for it, knowing that none of us can actually, or at least always, read minds, may you remember how much you have offered to others when you had it to give, and may you now humbly request a share of the well of communal care you so often and lovingly help to sustain.
Amen

February 15th Tiny Prayer (for those who need a holiday):
May you find the strength, sustenance, and support that will help you to not wait for the specific slots designated in our national calendar and instead take the time you need, when you need it, how you need to take it, assured that you don’t need to be observing something huge in order to simply observe your soul’s small calls for regular self-care and simply heed them.
Amen

February 13th Tiny Prayer (for those who need some space):
May you remember that, even in the midst of continuing physical distancing, overcommunication can be an oppressive and insidious force, may you pay attention to your exhaustion, to your weary eyes and ringing ears and aching fingers, may you realize that there is such a thing as too much meeting, too much talking, too much listening, may you find the strength to ask for the space you need, and may you marvel at the grace you receive from others who couldn’t yet bring themselves to ask for the same thing.
Amen

February 10th Tiny Prayer (for those who woke up already exhausted):
May you take a moment right now (don’t put it off, really, right now, before the day hurries you into rushed resignation), to check in with your body and your breath and your being, may you be honest with yourself about what you are capable of doing today, may you list the things that must be done today (not the things you’ve convinced yourself must be done, but the actual, factual things that must be done), may you look at the landscape of your day and find ways to get those things done while also lovingly, humbly pacing yourself, and then may you decide to be OK with not getting anything else done (really, just let the desire to overdo it go), may you forgive yourself for being human, and may you do something we humans should really be very good at, though we most often will ourselves to forget: Rest.
Amen

February 8th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling a bit broken):
May you remember that many of the optimistic clichés and metaphors you’ve heard that feel trite and saccharine in good times actually still contain grains of truth to which you can cling in these not-as-good times, may you reach out not only to those who have helped you to hold your own hurt before but also to those whom you have helped to hold their own, may you be reminded that you have not only been healed before, but that you have been the healer that others celebrate, and may you find ample ways to imagine what repair might look like, not forcing yourself to rebuild too quickly, but assured that the blueprint is still emblazoned on your heart.
Amen

February 7th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling unproductive):
May you remember that you are a human being, not a robot, may you remind those who are pressuring you to do more that we are all still struggling to even hold it together in the midst of continuing grief, illness, fear, and loss, may you reframe pausing, breathing, and saying, “No,” as resurrecting acts of resistance to a hustle-obsessed culture that was already extremely unhealthy, and may your simple act of stopping inspire a revolution of rest.
Amen

February 6th Tiny Prayer (for the AstraZeneca vaccine):
May your efficacy against viral variants renew our hope for collective protection, may you and all other medical miracles find their way to the most vulnerable among us, especially those most often left out of our society’s care and concern and oppressed by our myopic and cruel systems, and may you serve as not just one more spirited step forward, but as a sure sign of how creative we can be when we work together to get to the other side of this Hell and fight like Heaven to get everyone there.
Amen

February 4th Tiny Prayer (for the AstraZeneca vaccine):
May your efficacy against viral variants renew our hope for collective protection, may you and all other medical miracles find their way to the most vulnerable among us, especially those most often left out of our society’s care and concern and oppressed by our myopic and cruel systems, and may you serve as not just one more spirited step forward, but as a sure sign of how creative we can be when we work together to get to the other side of this Hell and fight like Heaven to get everyone there.
Amen

February 3rd Tiny Prayer (for those who messed up yesterday):
May you quiet the noise of your mind and take a moment to reflect on what happened, may you humbly apologize to those who may have been harmed, including yourself, may you be honest about the fact that you will probably still stumble today, even in ways you may never realize, may you learn what you can, not just the easy takeaways, but the lessons that dig deeper into your soul and transform you for good, and may you try again.
Amen

February 2nd Tiny Prayer (for those who are grateful for what they have, but also feel the weight of these past nearly eleven months in their bodies):
May you remember that we can and often must hold several things at the same time, that it is alright, and even necessary, to acknowledge the bitter with the sweet and the wearying with the wonderful, and may you pay attention to the tension, stretching your muscles and your mind, offering yourself ample grace, trusting that the light layers of patience that we offer ourselves and each other right now are strong enough to carry us through the heaviness.
Amen

January 26th Tiny Prayer (for our collective health):
May we listen to the experts, may we ask questions when we have them and let our egos and assumptions fall away, may we choose faithful collaboration over alienating fear, and may we double up on protection, for ourselves and for one another, until our humble commitment pays off and we can safely unmask again.
Amen

January 24th Tiny Prayer (for those who could use some grounding):
May you pause and check in with the core of your being, that steady, quiet sense inside you that reminds you of all the mess you have made it through, all the wisdom you have gained and now carry inside your own heart, all the strength you have acquired by simply continuing to live each day honestly, and if your core seems shaky, may you reach out to someone who knows your journey, even if only a bit, and may you ask them to offer you a bit of their own steadiness for a moment, remembering that groundedness is not an unshakeable state to horde when you’ve got it and lament when you’ve lost it, but rather a dynamic experience that can and should always be shared.
Amen

January 17th Tiny Prayer (for those who are daring to hope):
May you keep it up, sincerely, assured that your most radical superpower is that fragile spark you feel right now that is nudging you toward a horizon that might at times seem silly, but is still far more worthy of your energy than the despair that keeps trying to overshadow it.
Amen

January 16th Tiny Prayer (for those who could stand to do something nice for themselves):
May you stop putting it off and simply do it, may you make it small, especially if planning for something larger will keep you delaying, and may you make no apologies, to yourself, to others, to the world, for simply taking a moment to do a version of what all of us need, whether we’ve allowed ourselves to realize it yet or not.
Amen

January 14th Tiny Prayer (for those who are overwhelmed by their inboxes):
May you pause, may you breathe, may you acknowledge that you are attempting to work in the midst of constant global, national, and personal trauma, may you remember that every single bit of correspondence that is stressing you out right now was sent by someone who is also attempting to work in the midst of constant global, national, and personal trauma, may you choose to extend abundant grace to yourself and to them, and may you trust that this simple act is your most important job for the time being.
Amen

January 12th Tiny Prayer (for those who are fearful):
May you not force yourself to bear an ill-fitting brave face, but instead wear your anxiety honestly, inviting others to encounter their own, may you speak truthfully about the shadows, may you share authentically about your own questions, and may we together separate the real from the invented, learning how to hold one another through mystery, supporting the most vulnerable among us and connecting through our own shakiness, especially when we would all much rather appear solid and unshakeable.
Amen

January 11th Tiny Prayer (for those who are fearful):
May you not force yourself to bear an ill-fitting brave face, but instead wear your anxiety honestly, inviting others to encounter their own, may you speak truthfully about the shadows, may you share authentically about your own questions, and may we together separate the real from the invented, learning how to hold one another through mystery, supporting the most vulnerable among us and connecting through our own shakiness, especially when we would all much rather appear solid and unshakeable.
Amen

January 9th Tiny Prayer (for those who just can’t seem to focus):
May you be gentle with yourself, acknowledging that we are all currently experiencing countless individual and collective traumas, both the very obvious and the completely unseen, may you receive ample patience, both from yourself and from others, when you fumble, delay, rest, cancel, and reschedule, and may we together learn how to honestly name and heal harm, how to authentically restore and repair, and how to truly slow down in order to stay steady, especially when we unfairly wish we could just move ourselves right along.
Amen

January 2nd Tiny Prayer (for those who are missing a lost loved one):
May you feast on memories, giving yourself more space than your hurried timeline typically allows, may you remember that we are not only the attendants of our own experiences, but also the keepers of one another’s histories, that our own lives only become what they are because of the ways we interact and absorb our encounters with others, may you have patience for your own process, balancing celebration and sadness, and may you deeply know that this bittersweet feeling that is engulfing you right now is proof that you are not only human, but that you are a human who holds the offerings of others just as lovingly as you hope your own are held in return, and that this collaborative story-stewarding is the most lasting way that we keep ourselves and one another alive.
Amen

January 1st Tiny Prayer (for those who are embarking on a new beginning):
May you sit in this first moment for far longer than is comfortable, feeling the heaviness of all that has come before, but refusing to let it weigh you down, feeling the pull of all that is about to come, but refusing to let it drag you forward just yet, may you allow this present threshold to present itself to you slowly, inviting you to remember that calm is as important as clambering, that peace is as powerful as progress, and when you do decide to move on, may you not forget to take this openness with you, assured that fresh starts can be available to you wherever you go, if you will only continue to carry the sense of possibility you feel right now, pause often enough to let these portals pop open where you need them most, and allow them to simply hold you until you’re ready for the next step.
Amen

December 31st Tiny Prayer (for this outgoing year):
May your many lessons ring loudly in our hearts, and may the echoing not paralyze us in the past but galvanize us for the future, may your clear cries for interdependence and collective repentance continue to reshape our systems and our selves, reminding us that we are called to constantly care for one another, not only in the midst of emergency, but every single hour of every single day, and as we move onward into the unknown, may we transform grief into commitment, fear into connection, and anger into action, not content to simply see what comes next, but convinced and confident that we, together, are the stewards, the nurturers, and the co-creators of the new year we so desperately know we need.
Amen

December 29th Tiny Prayer (for those who wish they were stronger):
May you stop dreaming of being different and take a good, generous look at who you actually are, someone who is holding it together, no matter how tenuously, someone who is supporting others, even if they can’t see your panic behind the scenes, someone who is waking up each morning, taking each day as it comes, listening for what is needed, and responding as empathetically and thoughtfully as possible (which is the actual definition of “strength”), and once you have realized just how much you are actually doing, may you simply continue to do it, reminding yourself that “being strong” is not some far-off model of perfect power, but rather this thing, right here, right now, that you have been doing, and doing beautifully, all along.
Amen

December 28th Tiny Prayer (for those who just have nothing more to give right now):
May you acknowledge that you’ve been here before, that you have felt this empty and unable, and may you remember that the only thing that truly replenished your energy, the only thing that properly prepared you to offer yourself again, was making the humble decision to not take yourself too seriously and rest, may you listen to your body’s aches, may you listen to your deep fatigue, and may you remember that the world doesn’t need any more self-sacrificing martyrs, but rather more authentic examples of self-care who can teach us all how to be wholly human, especially when we so badly want to be superheroes.
Amen

December 27th Tiny Prayer (for those who are struggling to understand the heartlessness of some people):
May you stop occupying yourself with attempts to explain the inexplicable, may you stop trying to find logical reasons for illogical actions and inaction, may you realize that there are simply some for whom power, money, and self-deception are the only comforts, and may you not lose yourself in the hardness of these truths, but rather use this frightening moment to recommit yourself to connecting and organizing with those who see the collective potential in power-sharing, mutual aid, and reality-facing, and until the representation in our government reflects the best hearts we have to offer, may we fight to create a society that forces no one to struggle to understand indignity or to live in dignity.
Amen

December 26th Tiny Prayer (for those who just don’t know what to do with themselves):
May you breathe, may you be, may you settle, may you free yourself of made-up obligations and phantom nudges, may you doze, may you dream, may you rest much more than it seems you should, and if you really must do something that feels productive, may you make a simple list of the things you will do when it’s safe again to do most anything, trusting that you currently have no deeper calling than to do your part to make certain that, when the time is right, we all have the chance get out our wishlists, compare hopeful notes, and know exactly where to go and what to do from there.
Amen

December 25th Tiny Prayer (for December 2021):
May you be everything that we hope you will be, packed with physical family togetherness, stuffed with hugs and free of masks, as bright in real life as you are right now in our projected fantasies, and until you do come, may we continue to do everything in our collective and individual power to ensure that when you are unwrapped and revealed, as many of us as possible are there to greet you as the glorious gift you are, a possibility-filled future that we’ve not only been waiting for, but actively creating together.
Amen

December 24th Tiny Prayer (for those whoare trying to make this holiday nothing less than perfect):
May you stop and remember that the stories we constantly tell, the traditions we most cherish, the images that echo loudest in our hearts are often not the ones birthed in perfection, but in imperfect, authentic, well-let’s-just-get-through-this-together love, when dinner burned, when the soloist cracked on the high note, when that last hidden present just couldn’t be found, and may you lean in to the truth that true celebration is not about fleeting, purely picturesque moments, but rather the deep work of making joy from the muck, making peace from the mess, and finding hope in the undeniable fact that we are not just marking time until next year, but making memories right now, right here, mucky and messy stories to add to the favorites we will tell for years to come.
Amen

December 23rd Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling blue):
May you find some peace in knowing that you are not alone, that blue is the tint of this holiday season, no matter who or where you are, may you reach out to those around you, knowing that your authentic sharing of your own shades of color is also always an invitation for others to be more authentically in touch with their own, may you know that deep love undergirds these interactions, even when there is space between us, may you know that deep joy bubbles just beneath, even when happiness feels out of reach, and may you know that deep hope is on the horizon, especially when we’re being completely honest about how far we feel from it.
Amen

December 22nd Tiny Prayer (for those who are not feeling relieved):
May you raise your voice, connecting it to so many others who are done with denial and delay, who are sick and tired of being pawns for the powerful and offered offensive pittances, may our united voice grow until it roars in a new reality, one in which we care less about stimulus and more about survival, where it is not enough to simply be alive, unless all are helped to thrive, and until these visions of how things truly can be become obvious to all, may those with open hearts and minds be elected, may those most marginalized be more and more represented, and may those who have hardened their hearts and closed their minds be ousted from office with echoing urgency, leaving our systems to be recreated by those who consider their power to be nothing less than a sacred call to collective care.
Amen

December 21st Tiny Prayer (for the Winter Solstice):
May you invite us to connect ourselves again to the earth, to the cosmos, to both ancient history and continuing history, to the ways in which our interdependence used to guide our collective movements and how it might again, if we will only listen for its clear and obvious call, and as we sit in the shadows, alone and together, may we remind ourselves to not fear the darkness, but instead feel it igniting our inner lights, to not fear the cold, but instead feel it kindling our inner warmth, and to not fear this changing season, but instead know that its transition means that change is also always possible for every one of us.
Amen

December 20th Tiny Prayer (for those who are dreading this week):
May you not seek to bury this feeling, but rather sit with and even transform it, may you be honest about how horrible this year has been, how hollow the words, “Merry,” “Happy,” and “Holiday” ring right now, and until they ring true again, may you not merely muddle through, but rather dig in to those things that don’t depend on temporary festivity, but are rather so constant and steady that they often get lost in the partying, those things that continue, especially when the tinsel has been pulled out from under us and our usual traditions fail, and may you open yourself to these quiet gifts right now, trusting that they are there, buried beneath both the merry noise and the not-so-merry noise, holding everything together with hope, especially when we must be apart.
Amen

December 19th Tiny Prayer (for the Moderna vaccine):
May your travel be swift, guiding you to those most in need, to our essential and medical workers, to our elders, to the most vulnerable among us, to forgotten populations who cannot effectively distance, may your potent promises not convince us that we are yet safe, but remind us to stay ever-vigilant in our own protective practices, and as we offer gratitude to the multitudes who have funded, fought, and contributed their own time, talent, expertise, and bodies to your miraculous possibilities, may the hope carried inside you remind us all that we can create the miracles we wish to see in the world, if we will commit ourselves to caring for others as much as we hope to be cared for and loving our collective way out of the bleakness that tries to convince us that we are merely on our own.
Amen

December 18th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling rushed):
May you listen to the wintry call for slowness, for reflection, even for hibernation, may you feel how the chill in the air demands a steadier breath, how the ice on the ground demands a steadier step, how the call to stay home demands a steadier relationship with your own solitude, may you make an art of stopping, an art of waiting, an art of honing patience and pause, and while you clear the way for this steady creation, may you remember that motion comes in many forms, even and especially those that don’t look like movement at all.
Amen

December 16th Tiny Prayer (for those who are preparing for a nor’easter):
May your bellies be full, your homes secure, and your bodies and souls warm, may you find ways to offer sustenance, shelter, and warmth to those who are not as lucky as you might be, may you hunker down, but may you also reach out, acknowledging the fact that, with the continuing effects of these past nine months swirling around us, we are all more vulnerable to the chill of this oncoming storm, and as we seek the heat of connection and community, may our social support systems also have a fire lit beneath them, urging those with power to fight for sustainable sustenance, shelter, and warmth for all.
Amen

December 10th Tiny Prayer (for those who are trying to figure out what really matters to them):
May you listen as curiously to the things that bring you uncontainable joy as you do to the things that keep you unbelievably stressed, may you connect with conversation partners who remind you of your purpose, of your gifts, of the possibilities awaiting you at that sweet spot where the world’s deep need meets your heart’s deepest desires, and may you trust the moments when your soul or those who know your soul tell you to let something stressful go, knowing that there are many places where your energy, time, attention, and commitment will be put to much more powerfully joy-sustaining use.
Amen

December 8th Tiny Prayer (for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine):
May you find your way to those most in need, to our essential and medical workers, to our elders, to the most vulnerable among us, to forgotten populations who cannot effectively distance, may your potent promises not convince us that we are yet safe, but remind us to stay ever-vigilant in our own protective practices, and as we keep you cold enough to remain effective, may the hope carried inside you warm our hearts with the glow of an approaching light at the end of this long, but love-filled, tunnel.
Amen

December 6th Tiny Prayer (for those who need time to grieve):
May you respect your own process and refuse to hurry yourself, especially when the world tries to move you along, may you weep, knowing that weeping is action, not inaction, may your own cries give permission to those who have not yet given themselves permission to cry, and may your present shedding of tears offer you watershed moments that will lead you into the future, once you are ready to follow in their wake.
Amen

December 3rd Tiny Prayer (for those who feel like they’re teetering on the edge of a cliff):
May you embrace a combination of confidence and humility, remembering that even those who appear to be perfectly holding themselves together are just as uncertain as you are, especially in these uncertain times, may confidence remind you that you have deeply rooted resources and intelligence inside yourself on which to draw, may humility remind you that you have deeply rooted community outside yourself on which to lean, and when you feel like the constant push and pull is about to shove you over the edge, may this balance between drawing on your own gifts and leaning on the gifts of others help you to hover, until you feel grounded again.
Amen

December 2nd Tiny Prayer (for those who see a light at the end of the tunnel):
May you allow this glow to lead you forward, but may you also not immediately dismiss the dark, may you continue to feel what the shadows are doing to and for you, may you understand more and more deeply and celebrate how different you will be once you reach the other side, may you continue to move carefully, listening for the soft sounds of those around you, those who are traveling right by your side, even when you can’t quite see one another, and may we all remember the new ways of being that this collective journey has asked us to embody, especially when the gorgeous glare of a new day welcomes us to forget.
Amen

November 30th Tiny Prayer (for those who are having to make tough decisions):
May you remember that you have been here before, feeling nervous and inadequate, taking on something much like this, even if the details were slightly different, even if the painful present always feels far more searing than the vaguely-recalled past, may you remember that, back then, you reached within and beyond yourself, ultimately trusting both your own intuition and the collective wisdom surrounding you, may this learned strength flow to you now, assuring you that there will be a time when you look back on even this current predicament and marvel at how resourceful and resilient you’ve become, and may this bit of time-traveling remind you that, right this very moment, you are just as resourceful and resilient as you hope to remember you were.
Amen

November 29th Tiny Prayer (for those who could stand to slow down a bit):
May you pause, step our of your hurried timeline, and ask yourself why and to where you’re even rushing, may you stop looking forward for a moment and instead look inward, inviting a hush, instead of your usual haste, challenging yourself to reflect, instead of randomly running, and when others question it, as they probably will, since capitalism is designed to make us mistake intentional lulls for laziness, may you be open about exactly what you’re doing, steadily daring them to realize for themselves that the art of taking breaks isn’t the opposite of getting things done, but rather the only sustainable way that anything actually ends up getting done.
Amen

November 28th Tiny Prayer (for those who could use a boost of confidence):
May you never force manufactured bravery and instead remember that no one in the history of this world has ever achieved anything fully on their own, may this reminder quiet the needless noise telling you that you’re not enough, still the self-defeating vibrations in your body, heart, and mind, and comfort you with the simple truth that genuine courage is a combination of listening and learning, much more than it is brazenly acting out, may you realize how much listening and learning you already do every day, may you recommit to listening and learning even more today, and may this revelation and recalibration give your spirit the gentle jumpstart it needs to dare you to believe in your own humbly authentic power.
Amen

November 27th Tiny Prayer (for those who can’t stand waiting):
May you trust this nagging period as a time of foundation-building nourishment, sculpting you, through both disappointment and tentative hope, into the kind of being who will be equipped to handle what’s coming, when it does come, may you reshape antsy anticipation into present preparation, pouring your humming energy into reinforcing relationship with yourself and with others, co-creating a structure that can hold impatience, in all of its attention-seeking angst, but certainly doesn’t let it take up all the space, and may you dwell here, confident that the future will visit, but also content with all you’re doing to be able to simply settle where you are for now.
Amen

November 25th Tiny Prayer (for those who are debating whether or not they will travel for the holidays):
May you listen to the voice inside you that is calling you to cautious questioning, knowing that you are not inventing threats, appreciating that there are expert voices who are informing us on the compromises we need to make, may you weigh the pressures you feel and not avoid difficult conversations with those you love, those you wish to protect, those you so wish to hug, may you dig deep to discover what this season really means to you, and in that digging may you tap into the true kernel of your traditions, the beating heart of your holidays, and may you make your decision from that place, where celebration is not tied to a physical space or a moment in time, but is rather an abiding, available constant, no matter where you end up.
Amen

November 24th Tiny Prayer (for those who want to feel more grateful):
May you take a moment, right now, no need to wait, it’s just a moment, and think of just one person, no more than one for now, who has never given up on you, who has trusted you to never give up on them, who has kept you honest and been honest with you, who has seen you messy and been messy in front of you, may you focus your attention on how sacred a connection this is, one that rarely requires gratitude, but one for which you are thankful anyway and every day, and if you think of more people and have more moments to spare, go for it, but may you also be content with this single, simple swell of appreciation that’s stirring inside you right now.
Amen

November 23rd Tiny Prayer (for those who feel like they’re just spinning their wheels):
May you focus on only simple things today, nothing fancy or complicated, nothing inauthentic or saccharine, may you not force peace, may you not force calm, may you not force change, may you be honest with yourself and others about what is possible today, even if that is just getting through it to another day, may you take some solace in the knowledge that so many around you are also just making it through today and the truth that honesty about this fact is the first step toward collective and personal movement, and may you be OK with your moves being minuscule today, until their gathering momentum slowly propels you into forward motion, maybe tomorrow.
Amen

November 22nd Tiny Prayer (for those who wish they were preparing to see family in person this week):
May you acknowledge this disappointment for exactly what it is, a bitter bummer felt deeply in your bones, adding one more layer of letdown to nearly a year of compromise, loss, and isolation, may you not deny any of your sadness, but may you decide to not allow it to be the whole story, may you commit to doing at least one thing this holiday season that feels familiar, giving you a taste of times past, and one thing that is brand-new, launching you out of a comfort zone that has fizzled for now and rocketing you into unfamiliar territory that nudges you to create fresh and unexpected traditions, and may this balance between the out-of-reach old and the just-dawning different be the spot where you find some surprisingly sweet celebration for yourself.
Amen

November 20th Tiny Prayer (for students):
May you be gentle with yourself, acknowledging that school can already be a slog, even without a global pandemic keeping you glued to a screen and basically grounded, may you find fun in paying more attention to the subjects that ignite your imagination and may you have patience for yourself when your attention wanders away from the subjects that don’t, may you remember that you are learning, every day, even outside the formal classroom, and may you study this moment with curiosity and generosity, approaching the possibilities in front of you like a difficult math problem needing more time, an obtuse poem needing more focus, a piece of music needing more practice, a test for which you are actually far more prepared than you fear.
Amen

November 19th Tiny Prayer (for parents, guardians, and educators):
May you breathe through these continuing waves of uncertainty and stress, knowing deeply that you are not alone, even as your temper threatens to run away from you, even as your inner voices convince you that you are failing at every turn, may you internalize the simple wonder of what you are doing, teaching and raising our future while you continue to be taught and raised by all that life throws at you, may you step back when you fear that you might lash out at others or at yourself, and may you reground yourself in the assurance that, even while you are learning how to do this, you are also actually doing it.
Amen

November 18th Tiny Prayer (for those who don’t know where to start with this praying thing):
May you stop and gift yourself five minutes, may you bring your attention to your own body and give gratitude for the fact that it both tells you where it hurts and still keeps miraculously working as best it can with what it has and where you are, may you extend this gratitude to those familiar souls around you who are, just like you, most often, doing the best they can with what they have and where they are, may you then extend this gratitude to those you don’t know and may never meet, but who also are, most often, doing the best they can with what they have and where they are, may you recognize how this expansion of gratitude connects you to a steady stream of goodness and good-enough-ness, even in the midst of present pain, and may this simple truth be prayer enough for today.
Amen

November 16th Tiny Prayer (for those who are definitely not looking forward to another period of sheltering in place):
May you remember that, even though this feels interminable, this is not forever, may you give gratitude for all the alternate ways that we have to hold one another, even as their powers pale in comparison to in-person pleasures, may you reshape your fear of a current lack of freedom into a looking forward to future freedom, may you send hopes for strength and safety to those whose vocations afford them no option to stay inside, may you feel the potential of what we can do together if we will all cooperate, commiserate, and commit to protecting the most vulnerable among us, and may we all simply work from the place we are to get to the place we so desperately want to be.
Amen

November 15th Tiny Prayer (for those who just can’t seem to find their stride):
May you shower yourself with patience, acknowledging the time warp that is engulfing us all, one in which days slog by, feeling like weeks, and weeks flash by, feeling like days, may you remember that this combination of malaise and mania is presently our collective rhythm, may this knowledge make you feel less alone and alarmed and more forgiving of others’ curious quirkiness, may you stop for a moment to re-steady your breath and recalibrate your heartbeat, and may you realize that both are comforting constants that are keeping you alive, rhythm-keepers to which you can always return, no matter how uncommonly inconsistent we all currently commonly feel.
Amen

November 14th Tiny Prayer (for those who can’t stop looking at the news):
May you remember that there is a difference between being informed and being incapacitated, may you only absorb as much as ignites your recommitment and may you turn away from the screens and the stories when overwhelm seeps in, trusting that you can take a break without causing the world to break further, may you dig more deeply into the hearts of the humans around you, may you read the tales told by the the molting trees, the whispers in the winds, the resilience of an earth that has seen it all before, and may you then come back to the needs of this weary world restored and renewed, ready to offer yourself to living, breathing change, rather than losing yourself in breath-stealing noise.
Amen

November 12th Tiny Prayer (for those who are longing to be inspired):
May you pay closer, focused attention today, collecting the tiny miracles that surround you, those minuscule things you so often take as givens, the undeniable fact that your body woke up this morning and that, even with its aches and pains, it is still awake, the fact that there is collaboration happening around you at every moment, even in the quiet ways that eyes meet, language is shared, listening occurs, and understanding is sought, the fact that, whether or not there is a divine deistic pulse beneath it all, we are creating collective divinity through our mundane, quotidian connections, and may these radically simple reminders nudge you to find new ways to be the inspiration you wish to find in the world.
Amen

November 10th Tiny Prayer (for those who are exhausted):
May you pay attention to your body, to your heart, to your mind, to your soul, and realize how hard they have all been working, worrying over elections, wearying through a continuing global pandemic, wavering between all of the other things unique to your own individual life, may you offer patience to yourself, making a promise to rest, whether that can happen today or whether it needs to happen on a nearby day on your calendar, may you remember that rest is not simply a way to refuel your work, but actually an integral part of your work, and may you give gratitude for the fact that you are not a machine, but a complicated collection of soulful parts that know when it’s time to stop acting like a machine.
Amen

October 31st Tiny Prayer (for the thin veil between life and death):
May you open our hearts and minds to sacred memory today, reminding us of those who have come before us, those whose spirits hover around us still, those who will come after us and cherish the gifts we will leave behind, may this opening not be frightening, but inspiring, telling us stories of where we’ve been, who we are, and what we can become, and may we deeply know that this unfolding is always available to us, no matter the day or season, if we will simply stop, breathe, and pay hopeful attention to more than our fear.
Amen

October 25th Tiny Prayer (for those who are missing touch):
May you find creative ways to balance our current need for safety with our perennial need for connection, may you hold yourself as tightly as you wish to be held by others, may you love yourself as fiercely as you know you are loved by others, and may your spirit reach out across the distance to touch and be touched through kindness, through compassion, through empathy, all amazingly renewable resources that sustain the sacred, invisible threads that unite us, no matter what physical space might lie between us.
Amen

October 24th Tiny Prayer (for those who are not doing OK):
May you listen deeply to that buzzing alarm inside you, whether it is disturbingly loud or numbingly quiet, may you hear the solidarity buzzing around you, a society full of people also wondering if they have the strength and energy to keep looking for joy amongst the mess, may you reach out for help when your lows sink too low, may you reach out to offer help when you have extra to give, and may you allow yourself to be OK with not being OK, never forcing false happiness, instead seeking an active, daily balance supported by honesty and outreach, each of us gently teaching one another how to keep hoping for hope.
Amen

October 23rd Tiny Prayer (for those who cannot take any more lies):
May you not lose yourself in the noise, but rather be a vivacious seeker and sharer of veracity, connecting with those who are doing the work to make certain that untruths are uncovered and that facts are uplifted, may you speak up when you hear deadly nonsense, may you call out harmful myths, may you question yourself just enough to continually educate yourself, lest you be caught up in unfounded fabrications, and may you find continual hope in community-minded conversations that challenge you to actually embody the truths you so wish would be obvious to all.
Amen

October 20th Tiny Prayer (for those who just aren’t feeling up to it today):
May you radiate abundant patience for yourself, knowing that your body, heart, and mind are giving you signals that you need, reminders that they require attention and care, may you look at your day ahead and pinpoint pockets of time that you might claim for quiet rest and solitude, and, if it's possible, may you claim the entire day, but even if that’s not possible, may you be gentle with yourself, inviting everyone you encounter to not only be gentle with you, but also with themselves, a radical reminder that they might easily forget without your model guiding them.
Amen

October 19th Tiny Prayer (for those who are about to try something new):
May you be filled with a galvanizing balance of confidence and humility, trusting yourself enough to not take yourself too seriously, may you have the strength to silence your inner critical voice and the smarts to instead listen to the outer validating voices who believe in you even more than you believe in yourself, may you remember that everything you’ve ever tried has been brand new at some point, and may these memories float you through each inevitable moment of self-doubt, until your uncertainty reshapes itself into courage.
Amen

October 18th Tiny Prayer (for those who worry too much):
May you thank this anxiety for keeping you on your toes and then ask exactly what it needs from you, may you make the effort to climb out of its shadow and hold each individual piece of it in the light, may you find conversation partners who will gently nudge you to separate the things that can be reshaped into action from the things that unhelpfully paralyze you, and may you breathe through this separation, assured that there are things you can do, once you’ve cut through the meaningless mess and are focused on the moves waiting to be made.
Amen

October 17th Tiny Prayer (for those who wonder where God is in all of this):
May you consider that this name we have given to the unnameable, this concept we have attached to unknowable, ultimate mystery is actually at work in ways far larger and more real than some invented being in the sky, may you celebrate those who are striving to make certain that the oppressed find liberation, that the suppressed can vote, that the vulnerable find health, and that the powerful stick to their callings and empower us all to embody the common good, may you find your own ways to participate, and may this be the activity in which you put your faith, not lamenting the invisibility of a stationary noun, but lifting up an active verb you feel living and breathing in every spirited moment of justice-minded mutual aid.
Amen

October 16th Tiny Prayer (for those who can’t believe how long this has been going on):
May you feel the incredulousness of so many join your own, each of us navigating our own fears, griefs, and continuing malaise, may you reach out and unite your own fear, grief, and malaise to that of those around you, creating connection that doesn’t deny these feelings, but instead grounds them in supportive community, may you then move to gratitude for those who are using their energy and expertise to take us to the other side, then may you move to something like hope, not a saccharine or sentimental fantasy, but a small, undeniable tickle that forms when we combine community with gratitude and mix them into that mysterious stuff that keeps us moving.
Amen

October 15th Tiny Prayer (for those who could use some patience):
May you be honest with yourself, whether you are seeking more understanding for your own annoying habits, or whether you are seeking ways to breathe through encounters with others, may you not be afraid to admit that something is nagging at you, may you step back and assess where it hurts, where potential calm is getting overshadowed by present discord, and may you honor this authenticity by finding the difference between what can be undertaken right now and what could use some time and distance, then take on the former and let the latter simply be, until you've created enough space to address the rest.
Amen

October 14th Tiny Prayer (for those who are dealing with a disappointment):
May you feel what you need to feel, allowing yourself to grieve and rant, not denying the deafening sense of defeat, but may you also look far beyond this temporary setback, knowing that no blow forever defines your future, that no bummer completely characterizes who you are, may you do something today that reminds you of exactly who you are outside this momentary, uncontrollable hiccup and, when you feel up to it, may you do the only thing that you actually have control over: Try again.
Amen

October 13th Tiny Prayer (for those who have way too much going on):
May you call out this anxiety for what it is, a combination of both the real and the phony, made up of both very present needs that you must address and very needless noise that drowns them out, may you separate the immediate from the imaginary, finding freedom from the fantasies that convince you that you aren’t equipped to achieve, and may you decide to do just one thing today that reminds you just how capable of calm you truly are, making your way forward one manageable step at a time, instead of fearing that you’ve got to finish the entire overwhelming journey right now.
Amen

October 11th Tiny Prayer (for those who could stand to love themselves a bit more):
May you remember that your worth never depends on always being right or being greater than others or winning some imaginary success game, may you remember that the value of each human being transcends these momentary and made-up markers, may you fight the lies convincing us that we are constantly competing for scarce resources, and may you instead embody abundance, digging deep inside yourself, finding where you hurt the most, pouring so much love into that part that it spills over, spreading to all the hurting people around you, and perhaps even convincing them to do the same every once in a while.
Amen

October 10th Tiny Prayer (for those who are having technical difficulties):
May you breathe through this moment, deeply assured that, just because a technical connection is unstable doesn’t mean that your spiritual connections are unstable, may you reach out to those who can calmly lead you through solutions without judgment or snark, may you have patience for the seeming magic involved in getting our mysterious devices back to working order, and may you offer gratitude for how often such complex little inventions really do work, and for how the commitment and care beaming between you and your loved ones are built to survive even the most annoying interruptions.
Amen

October 9th Tiny Prayer (for those who are looking for a sign):
May this collection of simple words guide your focus toward all that you might be taking for granted, the miraculous fact that you woke up this morning, the awe-worthy reality that your body, even with aches, injuries, and illness, is still a complex system of cooperation keeping you alive, the inspiring truth that your breath is both a gift you receive from the world and a gift you pour back into it, and may the attention you give these oft-overlooked wonders keep you seeking, even when you don’t immediately see the everyday revelations unfolding right in front of you.
Amen

October 7th Tiny Prayer (for those who are holding their breath):
May you let it go, breathing into the present moment, creating a foundation to support the future, whether it’s the one for which you are desperately hoping, the one which you desperately fear, or something in between, and even as you work and worry, may you breathe into these next few weeks, offering more breath when you’ve got it to give, resting when you need to catch it again, giving others the support they need to do the same, trusting that this steady, cooperative, in-and-out rhythm is actively fueling the birth of a future in which we all can truly breathe freely.
Amen

October 6th Tiny Prayer (for those who are afraid):
May you never think of your fear as weakness, but rather as a message from your soul, calling you to take precautions and discern reality from fantasy, to welcome the wisdom and help of those who empathize, to reach out to the most vulnerable and offer your solidarity and protection, and to reshape this feeling into a recommitment to connection, to community, to taking the frightening things of this world and responding with fierce compassion, demanding accountability from those in power and building foundations and systems that never deny fear, but also refuse to let it have the final say.
Amen

October 4th Tiny Prayer (for those who are struggling to keep up with it all):
May you give yourself permission to do what you can, rest when you must, and practice saying, “No,” may you not think of your “No”s as failures, but rather as deep breaths, refueling and sustaining all that you do when you say “Yes,” may you remember that not every bit of drama needs your own noise, not every bit of urgency needs your own anxious offering, and may your breathing give you ample space to recognize where your precious moments of “Yes” will be most life-giving to all.
Amen

October 2nd Tiny Prayer (for our masks):
May you protect our noses, our mouths, our lungs, our lives, creating a supportive system in which we all work together, taking precautions and ensuring security, not only for ourselves but for all others, and may wearing you remind us that we can always practice these intentional acts of continual communal care and cooperation, even after the masks come off.
Amen

September 29th Tiny Prayer (for those who need to let go):
May you pause your fevered attempts to control, to please, to undertake and overdo, and whether it’s something or someone that is fueling that fever, may you ask yourself the hard questions, interrogating whether or not you have done what you can, offered what you’ve got, reached the end of the effectiveness of your energy, and if you have, may you give yourself permission to pause, to breathe, to turn toward the things and people that nourish your strength, instead of sap it, and may you find a new kind of courageous serenity in knowing when to stop trying to change what cannot be changed and change yourself instead.
Amen

September 25th Tiny Prayer
Today marks six months of writing daily Tiny Prayers and I'm so grateful that so many of you have been praying with me and with one another, meeting me where I am, sharing where you are, and reaching out when you have ideas for what and who could use some prayer. Please do keep sending your ideas.
To celebrate us all, here's a little prayer especially for those who still wonder what I think this prayer thing is all about:

A Tiny Prayer (for those who don’t think they can pray):
May you find a moment, perhaps right now, to stop where you are, to quiet yourself, to pause your hurried timeline, to settle into the present, to focus on your breath, and as you breathe in what the world has to offer you and breathe out what you have to offer the world, may you give gratitude for what you have, may you tend to the places where you ache, may you ask how you might commit to change, and may you then go back into your day knowing that you have prayed.
Amen

September 22nd Tiny Prayer (for those whose endurance is flagging):
May you remember that, even as these past six months have tried and trampled our bodies, hearts, and minds, this is not a test to beat, a race to win, or a contest to master, may you realize that the true takeaways of this time will be rooted in the memories of how we cared for one another, how we cared for ourselves, how we listened, comforted, helped, and raised our voices, all things you organically know how to do, and when you are weary, may you ask for what you need, and when you are heartened, may you share what’s getting you through, and may the circular breath of this communal balance continuously refuel our collective energy for the long, loving haul.
Amen

September 21st Tiny Prayer (for those who are already missing summer):
May you breathe in the chilly snap of the air and feel the crisp possibility of fall fill your body, may you allow your nagging fears of oncoming wintry hibernation, of shorter days, of darker nights, to simply be, not trying to push them aside, but naming them as necessary visitors who can’t be turned away and who just might have new visions to offer, may you wrap yourself in a blanket of community and solitude, two sides of the same warmth that will continue to sustain you, and may you allow this seasonal transition to rock you gently, giving yourself time to shed the old, rest for a bit, and prepare for the new, an essential rhythm that nature is beautifully modeling for you.
Amen

September 20th Tiny Prayer (for those who are getting lost in the hopelessness of it all):
May you honestly name your fear, and then may you pursue the company of those who are reframing their fear and reimagining it into action, may you remember that concretized hopelessness is a heavy luxury that does not deserve the added weight of our attention, and may you instead give your energy to the causes that reignite your creative fire, to the work that reshapes your worry into new ways forward, to the futures that make your heart flutter with possibility, and in seeking these justice-minded, just-out-of-reach visions, may you find your collaborators, your calling, and yourself again.
Amen

September 16th Tiny Prayer (for those who are just being born into this broken world):
May you feel the welcoming, nervous hum of this imperfect place surround you, may you be protected from pain and shielded from sickness, may you feel loved, even as so many of us so often don’t embody our most loving selves, may you feel connected, even as so many of us so often choose disconnect, may you forgive us for the messes we’ve made and lead us into more imaginative, justice-minded, spirit-fueled tomorrows, and as your heart gets broken, again and again, may its healing remind you that while this world can often be terrible, it is also always beautiful, especially with you in it.
Amen

September 15th Tiny Prayer (for those who are dizzy):
May you stop spinning for a second and hold on to something steadfast, a trusted confidant who listens without judgment, a practice that never fails to bring you joy, a memory of a moment when you were surprised to see hope actually pay off, may you feel solidarity with your fellow spinners as we reel from news of horrors and harm, of hate and unchecked power, and as you cling to the things that have never failed you, may you allow yourself to be refueled and refreshed, reminded of the reality that spinning is not the only movement available, that stillness is always findable, that you can hold on for as long as you need before letting go again.
Amen

September 14th Tiny Prayer (for those who fear the future):
May you not disappear into your own inner, uncontrollable angst and instead move your focus to the things you can control, to the deep well of joy that gurgles beneath even your most worrisome moments, to the people around you who are both offering and seeking conversation, solidarity, and tool-sharing, to the opportunities that arise when we open our hearts and minds to both naming and responding to the realities in front of us, and if you can make only one change today, for yourself or for all, may you count it as one victory bubble joining with all other victory bubbles, fragile, yes, but keeping us afloat and centered in the only moment to which we can actually knowingly respond: Now.
Amen

September 13th Tiny Prayer (for those who feel themselves disappearing into cynicism):
May you be honest about the struggle, the daily weight that threatens to drag us all down into shadowy depths of dismissive despair, but may you also reach out beyond the weight, to those who are turning struggle into practice, those who are spinning passion into action, those who are reshaping horror into opportunities to help, and while we all continue to hold the heaviness, may we recommit to shouldering it together, lifting and shifting as necessary, adaptive, persistent weightlifters learning new ways to sincerely strengthen our collective hope.
Amen

September 12th Tiny Prayer (for those who need a change):
May you step out of the shadow of self-doubt and seek the warmth of conversation with those who will listen to your desires, hear your fear, and reflect back to you the excitement you might not be able to conjure yourself, may you remember that no one in all of history has ever done anything, especially transform, on their own, and may you open your heart and mind to the voice within and to the voices who believe in you, until that chorus sings you into becoming the change you so desperately wish to make.
Amen

September 11th Tiny Prayer (for those we’ve lost):
Thank you for the gifts of your existence, for all you did while here and for all you’ve left behind for us to celebrate, and as we mourn your death and remember your spirit, may your memory be a blessing to our present and our future, may your example nudge us toward deeper knowledge of ourselves and one another, and may our fierce love for your life call us to a daily renewal of our communal commitment to actualizing abundant life for all.
Amen

September 10th Tiny Prayer (for those who feel like they’re drowning):
May you not be afraid to name it, this feeling of suffocation, this pressure on your lungs and heart, may you look around and see the sea of others, all of us treading water, navigating governmental lies, continuing disappointments, and growing grief, may you realize that, if we’re all drowning together, we can also rise together, float together, find shore together, and may this knowledge propel you to offer breath to those who need it, to accept breath from those who offer it, all of us sharing oxygen and accountability, until we make it to the other side.
Amen

September 9th Tiny Prayer (for those who fear too much solitude):
May you remember that this state is something far richer than simply being alone or loneliness, far deeper than simple quiet and far closer to actual quietude, may you challenge yourself to be still and know who you are, especially if that thought frightens you, may you seek new regions of your self, especially if the terrain terrifies you, and when this silence seems too scary, may you choose to dig even further, curiously loving yourself in ways you’ve never dared to attempt before, until the continuing journey feels absolutely irresistible.
Amen

September 8th Tiny Prayer (for those who are seeking a bit of hope):
May you not simply grasp for some slippery, saccharine, theoretical concept and instead listen to the deepest parts of you, the parts that remind you why you go on, the parts where you hold images of the people whose laughter brings you uncontrollable joy, where you hold memories of those who have worked and fought so that you can live and thrive, where you hold vibrant dreams of all you have yet to do and be, and may you hear yourself loud and clear, a being who is not quite there yet, but who is paying such close attention to the beauty of it all that you can’t help but look forward.
Amen

September 7th Tiny Prayer (for those who labor):
May you find deep meaning in your work, may you feel gratitude surround you, may you consider your offerings of time, energy, and talent large parts of an even larger whole, mysterious and miraculous, shaping the future, affected by every gift each of us gives, and may we all commit to creating a culture of appreciation, one in which none are exploited, and all are not simply employed, but also affirmed and celebrated as the essential contributors we are.
Amen

September 6th Tiny Prayer (for those who feel like they’ve aged ten years in the last six months):
May you be gentle with your creaky bones, your clouded head, your shortened fuse, allowing your own pains to fill your heart with compassion for the other aching souls around you, may you listen to your exhaustion as a reminder to rest, reshape your weariness as a gateway to tenderness, reframe your worry as an invitation to attention, and may you celebrate yourself as a sage-in-training, your body, mind, and spirit not only aging, but growing wiser with each new lesson of each new day, especially when each of those days feels like a week.
Amen

September 5th Tiny Prayer (for those who thought they had it all figured out):
May you breathe in uncertainty as the old, familiar, annoying companion it is, may you feel connected to the collective unease of everyone around you as we continue to stumble through each new day, and may you encounter empathetic conversation partners who will help you turn anxiety into action, disquiet into curiosity, mystery into wonder, as we bump up against one another, each and all of us steadily becoming who we are, even and especially when we fear we’ve forgotten who we want to be.
Amen

September 4th Tiny Prayer (for those who are facing eviction):
May you feel solidarity surround you as your life is interrupted by anxiety and uncertainty, may you hear the voices around you calling for those in power to never settle for half measures that delay the inevitable and avoid real action, and may you know that we will not stop or shut up until our government steps down from its privileged tower, admits that this is not a partisan, abstract issue, but an immediate need demanding concrete, imaginative response, and actually embodies its call to protect the safety, security, and shelter that should surround every human being.
Amen

September 3rd Tiny Prayer (for those who fear that they failed yesterday):
May you reawake today, not only in body, but in spirit, and feel new air fill your lungs, new ideas fill your mind, and new possibilities fill your heart, may you learn from and apologize for mistakes made, for opportunities missed, for connections severed, and may you remember that we are as good as the next self-reflective, transformative, reconciling step we take, no matter what steps lie behind us, that life is a continuous series of awakenings, schooling us each day in the practice of forgiving ourselves and giving it another go.
Amen

September 2nd Tiny Prayer (for those who are having restless nights):
May you make an art of routine, intentionally creating space for calm, keeping screens away from your resting place, sipping something warm as you wind down, reading poetry that lulls you into a peaceful state of gratitude, but may you also acknowledge the fact that these six months have completely confused our cycles, keeping our bodies both exhausted and alert at all the wrong times, and when you do wake in the middle of your sleep, may you choose to not chastise your body and mind for refusing to rest, instead thanking both for working, telling you that everything is not OK, and may this practice of listening to yourself without judgment move you just a little bit closer to being OK with not being OK.
Amen

September 1st Tiny Prayer (for those who just need to make it through today):
May you pull yourself back from looking too far ahead, may you nudge yourself away from the nagging regrets of the past, may you appreciate that, yes, life is a collection of days, but right now, you can only worry about this one, the one into which you have awoken, the one in which your only true imperative is to take care of yourself and, with what you have left over, take care of those around you, and may you remember that, yes, there is much urgent work to be done, but, if life is a collection of days, this one might just be one of those that you have to simply stomach until tomorrow dips in and you awaken anew.
Amen

August 31st Tiny Prayer (for those who need to catch their breath):
May you take a moment and appreciate this radical act that is keeping you alive, may you bring into your body the air that the world is offering, as varied and complicated as it is, and may you hold it in your lungs, cradling it gently, until your body tells you to push back out into the world the air you wish to offer, infused with your hope, your fear, your grief, your love, may you remember that this quiet revolution is always happening, even when you’re not paying attention, and may this knowledge urge you to check in with it a bit more often.
Amen

August 30th Tiny Prayer (for those who are wondering what they have to offer):
May you combine humility with confidence, acknowledging both that you don’t have all the answers and that you do have some of the answers, may you deeply feel how connected you are to a network of folks who are in the same situation, some with answers you need, some with needs you can answer, may you not shy away from asking for help or from offering your own gifts, and may this balance of mutual aid remind you that we can all be essential workers, if we are humble enough to listen for the ways we can best be of use and brave enough to never hide on the sidelines.
Amen

August 29th Tiny Prayer (for those whose empathy muscles are working overtime):
May you realize that these sharp pains in your gut and this dull ache in your body are the results of you paying attention, refusing to ignore the grief and need around you, may the exertion of these muscles build continuing strength, so that even if the hurt doesn’t go away, it becomes a deep reminder that you are keeping your humanity in shape, keeping your own heart from hardening, pumping care and commitment through your veins, and connecting your own liberation to that of everyone around you, an often arduous, but ultimately life-giving exercise.
Amen

August 27th Tiny Prayer (for those who are facing the effects of Hurricane Laura):
May you be surrounded by safety, even as your homes, security, spirits, and lives are damaged, may winds diminish, may waters ebb, and even as electric power goes out, may human power ignite the strength of mutual aid, linking those in need to those who can help, buoying all in solidarity, until recovery, rebuilding, and recreation can begin, and may this devastation erode the hardened hearts of those who deny our climate change emergency, pushing us all to confront the damage we’ve done and commit to truly listening to the demands of our natural world’s torrential sobs.
Amen

August 26th Tiny Prayer (for those who can’t find any time for self-care):
May you invite yourself into a new way of thinking about sustainability, one where taking intentional time to step away from the flow and nourish yourself is not considered an additional stressful nuisance, but rather the true foundation of your continuing wellness, may you make one promise to yourself today that has nothing to do with what you have to get done and everything to do with what your body and soul need, and may you make a habit of believing that you are worth treating like much more than a productivity machine.
Amen

August 23rd Tiny Prayer (for those who could use a moment of peace):
May you listen to that subtle yearning within you, the voice you often impatiently brush off, and realize that this voice is calling you to seek a slightly different course today, not anything major, not anything earth-shaking, but a simple shift in your timeline, and whether you are overscheduled and needing to postpone one stressful plan or underscheduled and needing to reach out to make one loving connection, may you do just one thing that brings you comfort and quiet, for no other reason than the truth that the still, small voice within you is asking for it.
Amen

August 22nd Tiny Prayer (for California):
May solidarity and support surround you, even as you are engulfed in flames, smoke, and fear, may your first responders be cloaked in safety and strength, may your growing networks of mutual aid offer life-saving resources in the wake of chaos, and as you suffer unfathomable layers of loss, may you work lovingly together to heal the wounds inflicted on your residents, nature, creatures, and systems, to transform this devastation into re-creation, and to ensure that all can rise again from these ashes.
Amen

August 21st Tiny Prayer (for those who keep getting in their own way):
May you take time to intentionally interrogate that critical voice, may you separate what is generative self-reflection from what is self-sabotaging noise, may you secure creative collaborators who will help with that separating, especially when your own ability is drowned out by your own chatter, and may you make a lively art of daily proving your snarkiest inner critic dead wrong.
Amen

August 20th Tiny Prayer (for those who woke up exhausted):
May you do what you can today, accepting the not-perfect, the not-inspired, the not-quite-up-to-your-usual-standard, may you find a certain beauty in your body’s uncanny ability to know when you must move a bit more slowly than you’d like, when you must take breaks that fly in the face of your obsessive productivity, may you offer gratitude for the fact that you are alive, no matter how tiring that aliveness currently feels, and may you find rest where you can, especially tonight, as you prepare to try again tomorrow.
Amen

August 19th Tiny Prayer (for those who have a shorter fuse than usual):
May you listen to the jagged spikes of your own annoyance, acknowledging that you must be patient with yourself if you’re going to be patient with anyone else, may you separate the real from the imagined, remembering that we are all waking up in a world that was already maddening, even without our current added layers of grief and fear, may you seek ways to choose kindness, may you step away when kindness just isn’t possible, and may you find ways to be kind to your own ornery self until you can offer that kindness to others again.
Amen

August 18th Tiny Prayer (for those who are struggling to discuss politics with loved ones):
May you remember that true love does not equal silence or avoidance or even acquiescence, may you ask questions that call hardened hearts into self-reflection, may you converse with a confidence that allows you to listen to fear without legitimizing it, to hear hate without validating it, and may your love for those most oppressed by our society’s systems model possibility for those you love who have yet to step outside their own privileges and assumptions, but who still might learn by witnessing your own continuing journey.
Amen

August 17th Tiny Prayer (for those who are being forced to grieve in unfamiliar ways):
May you be gently rocked by compassion as we all continue to discover how best to hold one another, may you find meaningful ways to spiritually connect to the loved ones you can’t physically touch, may you have generous conversation partners to help you plan ways to mourn and celebrate lives lived and lost, may you meet open hearts who will listen to your honest pain, and may we all nurture undying patience for one another as we feel every individual grief within this collective grief and seek new healing together.
Amen

August 16th Tiny Prayer (for those who are experiencing more solitude than usual):
May you fall in love with yourself again, not forcing happiness, but digging for the deep joy that can only come during moments spent alone, may you acknowledge spikes of lonely fear, but may you also set intentions for how you might choose to plan, instead of panicking, how you might choose to create connection with yourself, instead of coming apart at the seams, and may you remember that you are the one who knows yourself best, and that you’re well worth getting to know even better.
Amen

August 15th Tiny Prayer (for freelancers):
May you find confidence in the fact that you know how to survive in a place of uncertainty, that even in a time of crisis, you have honed tools, skills, expertise, and passion that still thrive, and if opportunities temporarily become scarily scarce, may your creativity know no bounds, may you unearth unexpected connections to nurture, may you discover rejuvenation in slowing down, and may aid, understanding, and solidarity sustain you, until your ample gifts are back in ample demand.
Amen

August 14th Tiny Prayer (for the United States Postal Service):
May you be honored as the essential public institution that you are, even as you are abused by the powerful as a politicized pawn, may your workers be surrounded by gratitude and safety, may your services be supported and celebrated, and as you continue to commit to delivering through snow, rain, heat, and gloom of night, may we all commit to protecting you from greed, dismissal, manipulation, and lack of insight.
Amen

August 13th Tiny Prayer (for those who are experiencing growing pains):
May you marvel at the continuing education that life can be, may you remember that muscles atrophy unless they are exercised, that minds shrink unless they are challenged, and may you surround yourself not only with wise teachers, but with fellow students who are willing to join you in stretching, expanding, sweating, commiserating, and facing the satisfying burn of never-ending learning.
Amen

August 12th Tiny Prayer (for those who are seeking balance):
May you remember that balancing acts are dynamic experiences, not tricks that can ever be perfected, may you choose today to think of balance as a verb, instead of a noun, not a stagnant place you need to end up, but a vital becoming in which you are constantly engaged, may you find a certain peace within this motion, an activating calm that only comes from intentional, authentic movement, and may you realize that you’ve been balancing all along.
Amen

August 11th Tiny Prayer (for caretakers):
May you gain strength from the gratefulness surrounding you, not only from those whom you immediately nurture, but from all of us who make up this society, a collection of hurting souls who are in even deeper need of patient protection than ever, may you have patience for your own waves of neediness and impatience, and when those waves do come, may the consistent heart you have modeled for so many prepare us to offer patient care for you, until you regain the patience and strength you so readily and regularly offer.
Amen

August 10th Tiny Prayer (for those who are heading back to school):
May you listen to your gut as you make difficult decisions, may you not be afraid to demand safety and seek solidarity, may you speak up and step out as uncertainty abounds, may you hold institutions accountable to their promises of security, and may you remember that your life is more important than political posturing, that our future is more important than rushed solutions, and that a passion for education calls us to integrity, honesty, and collective health above all else.
Amen

August 9th Tiny Prayer (for those who feel like they’ve tried everything):
May you pause your panicked grasping for answers and resolve for now to simply ask good questions, realizing that the absence of quick fixes actually draws us into deeper creativity and that none of our old tricks are working anymore, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, may you recognize how awkwardly everyone is discerning new methods, and may you settle right now for committing to this collective research and development phase, as we all modestly rediscover who we can be.
Amen

August 8th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling lost):
May you realize that you’ve been here before, that you know this place, that you have felt hopelessly adrift in this very spot and still regularly found a way back out, may these familiar memories prompt you to rediscover paths that have freed you, regain survival skills that have saved you, and retrieve traveling partners who have journeyed with you, and by seeking these trusted trails, tools, and companions, may you also start to find yourself again.
Amen

August 7th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling anxious):
May you hear the hum of your worry and appreciate it for what it is, your body and mind keeping you engaged with both your own needs and with the needs of those around you, may you separate the helpful sounds from the useless noise, and may you find a certain freedom in thanking all of the racket, listening to the voices that keep you motivated for what can be addressed today, and sending the voices that drown out that motivation on their way.
Amen

August 6th Tiny Prayer (for Lebanon):
May you feel the focused energy of the world holding you in solidarity and love, and as you enter this period of national mourning, may you sustain your collective strength to comfort the grieving, remember the lost, heal the injured, recreate what has been ripped apart, and demand continued accountability and change from the government, especially as the media moves on, making it easier and easier for the powerful and for rest of the world to lose this necessary focus.
Amen

August 4th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling stuck):
May you stop trying to force a huge change and settle right now for a small one, may you seek one connection who can help you to soundboard just one complicated task, may you offer the same help for your connection, and may this mutual exercise open up your tunnel vision a bit, expanding the prophetic simplicity of the landscape before you, showing far clearer paths around the roadblocks than you’d dared to imagine on your own.
Amen

August 3rd Tiny Prayer (for those who need a miracle):
May you marvel at the facts that the sun rose this morning and that you woke up, remembering that these everyday things were once thought of as mysterious wonders to celebrate, and may you reframe the mundanity of your day to call you to awe, not in a saccharine dismissal of the very real disappointment and suffering of the world, but in an activating move to remind yourself and everyone that, if miracles like sunrises and awakenings continue to occur, we just might be able to conjure even more possibilities just by paying attention.
Amen

August 2nd Tiny Prayer (for those who are having trouble keeping up):
May you step back and look at all you do, and may you have patience with yourself, remembering that these past five months have forced us into new ways of working, new ways of organizing, entirely new ways of simply being, and may your leniency for your own slowness allow you to model a bit more patience for everyone around you, assured that an honest, intentional pace is far more sustainable and effective than an unnecessarily rushed urgency.
Amen

August 1st Tiny Prayer (for those who need to unplug):
May you remember that the art of unplugging does not merely urge you to turn off your screens, but also invites you to intentionally interrupt your typical habits, silencing the noise for a while, pursuing practices of quiet, in your head and in your heart, trusting that the world will keep spinning, even without you keeping it balanced, while you take a moment to recover from dizziness and regain some equilibrium for yourself.
Amen

July 31st Tiny Prayer (for those who are fearing the loss of unemployment benefits):
May you see how many of us are sitting in the same boat, hoping that this stress and debt don’t engulf us, may you gain some small comfort in knowing that the collective cry of a people cannot be ignored forever, and may our demands for dignity dig into the hearts of the powerful, reminding them that this need is never simply about economic stabilization, but always about human stabilization, that this fight is never simply about saving money, but always about saving lives.
Amen

July 30th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling particularly sensitive):
May you handle yourself with care, accepting that you are the only one who knows your tenderest places, that you are the only one who knows your deepest triggers, that you are the only one who knows best how to hold yourself, may you feel comfortable telling those who need to hear it that today is one of those days, and may your honesty be the invitation that moves them to adjust their approach, to listen to their own fragility, or to simply let you be.
Amen

July 29th Tiny Prayer (for those who are struggling to pull it together):
May you look around and see how unraveled we all are, how the perfect stitches and seams of normalcy are merely mirages, how reality is mostly comprised of awkward burps and hiccups, of clumsy starts and stops, and may you stop striving for an immediately perfect tapestry and instead patiently wade through the clutter, letting go of the threads that no longer matter and lovingly regathering the threads that do.
Amen

July 28th Tiny Prayer (for those who got up on the wrong side of the bed):
May you be honest with yourself and not try to explain away this cloudy mood, may you avoid the encounters that can wait until tomorrow, may you do at least one thing that you want to do, even if it doesn’t lift this heaviness, may you remind yourself that this is temporary, that there are other sides to the bed, other chances, and other mornings, and may these bright, lasting truths on the horizon get you through the transitory gray of today.
Amen

July 27th Tiny Prayer (for those who fear they’ve lost their creative spark):
May you look around and witness the collective weariness that is weighing all of us down, artistic expression dampened by insecurity and unease, may you take just a moment to allow yourself to wildly imagine, beyond what’s immediately in front of you, beyond a murky future, beyond the practical things you must do to simply get through the day, and may you feel the embers of inspiration still there, beneath the ashy mess, patiently waiting to be ignited the moment you’re ready to light them again.
Amen

July 26th Tiny Prayer (for those who could use a nudge):
May these words be the first of many affirming nudges you notice today, whether the message that resonates most with you is, “Keep going,” “Please pause,” “You’re amazing,” “You’re doing OK,” or something else, and may you marvel at how, if you pay attention, affirming nudges often come in truly unexpected places, some words on social media, a call, a text, an email, a postcard, the random kindness of a stranger, and while you’re waiting for the next nudge to come your way, may you be the gentle nudger you wish to see in the world.
Amen

July 25th Tiny Prayer (for those who don’t know their next step):
May you accept this uncertainty and even celebrate it, acknowledging how clearly a lack of surety calls you into the present moment, where you cannot predict the future and must be honest about that fact, where you are instead called to listen deeply to your heart in ways that you often skip, where possibilities abound, and may you check in with yourself, may you pay attention to your instincts, may you question your assumptions, and then may you make a boldly humble move.
Amen

July 24th Tiny Prayer (for those who don’t know their next step):
May you accept this uncertainty and even celebrate it, acknowledging how clearly a lack of surety calls you into the present moment, where you cannot predict the future and must be honest about that fact, where you are instead called to listen deeply to your heart in ways that you often skip, where possibilities abound, and may you check in with yourself, may you pay attention to your instincts, may you question your assumptions, and then may you make a boldly humble move.
Amen

July 22nd Tiny Prayer (for those who need to cry):
May you give yourself generous permission to simply let your tears fall, in private, in public, trusting that every single person around you also has tears closer to brimming over than they might care to admit, and may your act of allowance extend to others, inviting all to think of their need to weep not as a weakness, but as proof of the honest ocean that is constantly connecting us, even when we try to dam its flow.
Amen

July 20th Tiny Prayer (for those whose hearts are hurting):
May you pinpoint that painful place where it feels like a vice is squeezing away your life and joy, then may you feel for the persistent pulse beneath that pain, may you marvel at how your heart, even under duress, is still beating out a rhythm for the rest of your body to follow, and may you follow that rhythm, knowing that the pain will eventually transform into something else, and that this steady beat is always available, especially when you need to find your groove again.
Amen

July 17th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling messy):
May you open your heart to yourself, realizing that we rarely have enough patience for our own messiness, may you look around and see how we are all basically messy children pretending to be grown up, may you think of the person in your life who has shown you the most patient love, and may you patiently love yourself and your messiness as deeply as they have.
Amen

July 15th Tiny Prayer (for those who can’t find the right words):
May you allow yourself time to process your thoughts, to tend your feelings, to sit with yourself and with others, knowing that many things, if not most, are beyond language and can only be explored in the silence between words, where deep listening replaces our own desire to be right or articulate and draws us instead into humble co-creation that we could never achieve by ourselves.
Amen

July 14th Tiny Prayer (for those who feel the weight of the world on their shoulders):
May you remember that the idea of pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps has always been a myth, that no one in the history of this planet has ever done anything completely on their own, and that this continuing heavy lifting is something you should not, and actually cannot, do by yourself, and may this knowledge fill you with strange comfort and a desire to reach out to those who exercise right by your side, balancing this interdependent carrying with you, even when you fear you’re on your own.
Amen

July 13th Tiny Prayer (for those who don’t think they can pray):
May you find a moment, perhaps right now, to stop where you are, to quiet yourself, to pause your hurried timeline, to settle into the present, to focus on your breath, and as you breathe in what the world has to offer you and breathe out what you have to offer the world, may you give gratitude for what you have, may you tend to the places where you ache, may you ask how you might commit to change, and may you then go back into your day knowing that you have prayed.
Amen

July 12th Tiny Prayer (for those who are finding it difficult to face the day):
May you offer yourself ample patience, appreciating the fact that you know your body and mind better than anyone else does, and may you resolve to take three steps: get up, make your bed, and get dressed, knowing that, once these things are done, you will be three steps into the day, and may you then reach out to someone who will not nudge you to immediately go further, but will simply wait with you until you know what next step you’d like to take.
Amen

July 8th Tiny Prayer (for those who see big transitions on the horizon):
May you lean into this oncoming change with the eager excitement you reserve for real possibilities, may you trust that you have the smarts and the heart to create an art of adjustment, and when the steps get a bit trickier, may you stop trying to control every move, welcome fumbles and falls, and have a rousing good time becoming who, in your deepest parts, you already are.
Amen

July 7th Tiny Prayer (for those who just want a hug):
May you reach out to someone today, through a screen or maybe just a shift of your eyes over the brim of your mask, and invent a new sign of affection, and for just a moment, instead of focusing on the current scarcity of our most common modes of physical contact, may you focus on the abundance of creativity this time requires, have fun with the challenge, and become an inventor of new language, new customs, and newly deepened connection.
Amen

July 6th Tiny Prayer (for those who were doing fine, then weren’t, then were, and now maybe aren’t again):
May you continue to listen curiously to the irregular rhythms of your moods, not in an attempt to master the highs or avoid the lows, but rather to become a more agile improvisor of your own melody, and may you allow the harmony and dissonance of those around you to give your own tune depth and assurance, because we’re all making strange new noises and learning uncomfortable new songs lately, so we might as well make weird, fun, honest music together, and stop trying to do it all alone.
Amen

July 1st Tiny Prayer (for those who just don’t know how they’re feeling):
May you pause and stop trying to name it, appreciating that some moods completely defy categorization, remembering that this is not the first time that the emotional mix inside you has been utterly unclassifiable and that you’re still here to tell those stories, may you listen to yourself a bit more deeply today, hearing all of the twisty nuances that make you complicatedly, gloriously human, and may you simply love everything you are.
Amen

June 30th Tiny Prayer (for those whose days are blurring together):
May you have patience with yourself as you remember that, no matter what phases and surges and moods and fears continue to ebb and flow, this world is still in the midst of a global pandemic, may you allow yourself more leeway to be discombobulated, knowing that discombobulation is currently the literal state of the world, and may you breathe, calmly look at a calendar, remind yourself where you are and what you have to do, and move slowly into whatever day it is.
Amen

June 24th Tiny Prayer (for those who are still following the public safety rules):
May the simple gift of your thoughtful wisdom tendril out and model unselfish humanity for all, and may everyone you encounter internalize how easy and necessary it is to de-center one’s own immediate comfort, re-center one’s own public promise to their neighbors, and re-enter a daily practice of visible, replicable, communal recommitment to sustaining the bare minimum: life and health for all.
Amen

June 22nd Tiny Prayer (for a city entering a new phase):
May you stay alert to the threat of an oncoming wave of new illness, but may you also remember that this wave is simply a new part of an ongoing threat, one that you have been and remain fully equipped to weather by covering your face, washing your hands, keeping your distance, and protecting your spirit, and may you not allow yourself to be daunted by fear of drowning, knowing that, no matter how large a wave it is, you have the knowledge, tools, and skills required to stay afloat.
Amen

May 28th Tiny Prayer (for playwright and AIDS activist Larry Kramer):
Thank you for your loudness, for your relentlessness, for your crankiness, for your overwhelmingly committed, imperfect, undying love for all of us, and for your comfort-zone-demolishing refusal to allow our own complacency to ever silence our duty to act up in the face of the truly unacceptable.
Amen

May 27th Tiny Prayer (for those who just can’t bear with this country anymore):
May your raging heartache meet the raging heartache of so many of us, diverse in degrees of privilege, but united in the shared horror that true honesty, justice, and equity still eludes this society, racism infecting our shared body just as deeply as any virus, and may this aching rage grow, through loud education and self-interrogation, until we actively acknowledge that this body will not truly be well until all can breathe, live, and thrive freely.
Amen

May 26th Tiny Prayer (for those who can’t remember what day it is):
May you find solace in the fact that so many of us are in this same time-smearing boat, weeks and weekends blending together, some hours flying by and others seemingly endless, and may we all realize that these structures we’ve imposed on our lives are built for a reality we are not currently experiencing, grant grace to ourselves and to one another, look at the calendar, and calmly carry on.
Amen

May 25th Tiny Prayer (for those who don’t feel brave):
May you appreciate the fact that bravery comes most often in the form of a steady sustaining of integrity and character, and may you trust that today basically calls you to be willing to find simple and attainable ways to sustain your own life while sustaining the lives of others, tasks for which you are more than ready and able.
Amen

May 24th Tiny Prayer (for those we’ve lost):
May your lives be remembered for the unique gifts they were and remain to this world, may those who mourn your deaths find some comfort in those memories, and may all of us view these memories as clear and continuing calls to recommit to saving as many lives and memories as possible.
Amen

May 23rd Tiny Prayer (for congregations of faith):
May you trust that the most essential spiritual imperative you hold is to nurture health, may you remember that you need not be inside your buildings for you to pray, connect, sing, dance, rejoice, and do basically everything you need to do, and may you keep your physical spaces closed so you may continue to keep your spiritual lives open and thriving.
Amen

May 22nd Tiny Prayer (for our future):
May you invite us to be creators, seekers, and listeners, not merely clumsy predictors, and may you remind us that humbly and thoughtfully transforming into who we need to be, for ourselves and for one another, is far less daunting and far more achievable than magically thinking that we can foresee some predestined, perfect other side to all of this.
Amen

May 21st Tiny Prayer (for those who want to scream):
May you let it out, really, at full volume, for as long as you need and as often as you need, trusting that anyone who hears will know exactly why you’re doing it and perhaps even give themselves allowance to do the same, simply because they witnessed the sound of your full-throated authenticity.
Amen

May 20th Tiny Prayer (for those in states that are opening more slowly):
May you appreciate this cautious approach, even with its continued inconveniences, even with its economic uncertainty, even with its frustrations and fears, and may you spend a moment today offering gratitude for this kind of slowness we are getting to know, this kind of slowness that protects and calms and pays attention, which is quite different from the power hoarding hang-ups that truly delay justice, the kind of slowness this country often knows too well.
Amen

May 19th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling down and don’t know why):
May you take a long pause and a deep breath, may you stop thinking that you need to explain this inexplicable feeling to anyone, even yourself, may you remember that this place is not a permanent residence, that you have been here before and will leave again, return again, and leave again, and may the reminder that you know this daily balancing act well bring you a bit of inexplicable balance today.
Amen

May 18th Tiny Prayer (for those who are keeping watch on the data):
May you absorb the voices of experts warning that what we know now only reflects what was happening weeks ago, making this information frustratingly out of date by the time it arrives, and may you continue to accept this truth humbly, no matter how bored you are, realizing that, although this reality remains very complicated, the individual response required remains very simple: Stay home, or if you cannot, cover your face and keep your distance.
Amen

May 17th Tiny Prayer (for those who refuse to wear a mask):
May you be engulfed in wisdom and empathy, surprising yourself with how freeing it feels to connect your own life to the lives of those around you, and may you admit to yourself that a little individual discomfort, a little extra individual effort is really nothing compared to the enormity of both continued danger and potential safety for all.
Amen

May 16th Tiny Prayer (for those who are graduating remotely):
May you feel the same rush you would were you traveling triumphantly across a stage, diploma in hand, an effervescent mix of accomplishment, fear, and dreamy vision beating loudly in your heart, and may you be honest about the fact that the absence of pomp and tradition is a true bummer, but may you still know that you have achieved something remarkable today, that you have overcome remarkable obstacles to get here, and that, even via the virtual, we all await, in vibrantly real life, the remarkable ways that your vision will change a world sorely in need of you.
Amen

May 15th Tiny Prayer (for the CDC):
May you hold firm to your mission to offer life-saving, expert, and detailed guidelines, despite the greed of those who cannot bring themselves to honor people over profit, and may you be lifted by the abundant gratitude and solidarity beaming at you from so many of us, shedding stark light on the rampant spread of shadowy, money-obsessed misinformation.
Amen

May 14th Tiny Prayer (for the Navajo Nation):
May your cries for investment in infrastructure that values your relationship with the natural world be heard, absorbed, and heeded, acknowledging the colonizing trail of broken promises, stolen land, and brutal violence that has blazed for centuries, long before this pandemic shed new light on the buildup of intentional failings that now allows this virus to ravage your land and bodies, and may all of us with privilege gain enough insight to fight for and with you, not only to heal this immediate pain, but to listen to the open, ages-old wounds that will remain.
Amen

May 13th Tiny Prayer (for those who are tired of looking at screens):
May you remember that, just as with life outside your home, when your body, brain, and eyes are weary, you can take a break from the glare, the stress, the relentless push to be connected, you can say, “No, thank you,” to invitations, you can limit a typically hour-long meeting to thirty minutes, you can be honest with yourself and with one another about the fact that having tools to communicate can simultaneously be mightily amazing and mightily tiresome, and you can power down, reschedule, and pick it all back up another day.
Amen

May 12th Tiny Prayer (for Dr. Anthony Fauci):
May you feel gratitude surround you today as you hold firm to your own expert opinion, certain that you have done the work, knowing that you have already grieved the fact that you will be further maligned by many and balanced that sorrow with the assurance that you will also continue to be the voice of radical reason for many more, and may your message of ultimately hopeful caution spread more quickly than this virus, changing hearts, minds, and the current course of human history.
Amen

May 11th Tiny Prayer (for those who are losing patience):
May you seek ways to trade in that growing feeling of irritability for a deeper sense of humor, not because any of this is funny, but because the gift of not taking oneself too seriously might just clear away the debilitating dread of unnecessarily critical self-focus and nurture the space, time, energy, and lightness we need to take our commitments to the rest of the world a bit more seriously.
Amen

May 10th Tiny Prayer (for those who mother in myriad ways):
May you feel the love and nurture you pour into the world come flooding back to you in waves of gratitude, of patience, of commitment to interdependence, and may we all remember that the power of mothering is most profoundly felt in subtle, simple nudges, like reminders to take care of one another, to listen, to ask for what we need, to admit to our mistakes, to try again, and to wash our hands.
Amen

May 9th Tiny Prayer (for New York City):
May we continue to hum with the energy of who we really are beneath all of this, a city of friendly strangers, unabashedly bumping against one another, rushed and filled with the rush of possibility, loud with laughter and protest, packed with creativity and diversity, even as our streets lie in quiet wait, and may we use this time to examine ourselves, our systems, our failures and fantasies, so that when we wake up in this city that so rarely sleeps, we will stay awake to the call of who we really can be.
Amen

May 8th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling lonely):
May you give yourself ample time to discover new ways to hold yourself, new ways to appreciate what good company you are for yourself, new ways to reshape monotony into moments of quiet, affectionate self-reflection, and when those ways do fail (and they do sometimes), may you have the self-assurance to reach out to another, someone who will probably say, “Oh, thanks for reaching out! I was getting a little lonely.”
Amen

May 7th Tiny Prayer (for those in states that are reopening):
May you be enveloped in safety, and when you know in your heart that your leaders and fellow citizens aren’t aiding in that, may you have the strength and means to envelop yourself in safety, finding ways to steer clear of crowds, to model mask-wearing, and to spread wisdom in a country that can’t seem to wrap its collective brain around the simple facts that lives are always more important than money and that boredom should never be the basis of any decision.
Amen

May 6th Tiny Prayer (for transit workers):
May you continue to loudly shed light on the hurried, unhealthy conditions that our society so often allows to stay buried underground or bottled up in buses, until we can move ourselves to more carefully celebrate and protect the human beings who regularly risk their own lives to keep city life bright and bustling.
Amen

May 5th Tiny Prayer (for those who don’t want things to return to “normal”):
May you continue to connect to the growing number of people who are responding to this tragic moment by reimagining organizing, activism, and mutual aid, refusing to allow the status quo to sweep back in too quickly and dangerously, as we find new ways to care for communal need, hear the call of a picture bigger than individual wants, and learn to be something far more thoughtfully dynamic than “normal.”
Amen

May 4th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling more tired than usual):
May you remember that your body is completely confused, with your limbs far less active during waking hours and your brain working overtime, with all parts anxiously keeping a score of your fears, your disappointments, your stress, even when unconscious, and may you be gentle with yourself and with one another, as right now, we’re also all parts of one big confused tired collective body.
Amen

May 3rd Tiny Prayer (for the youngest among us):
May you observe this time with deep curiosity, recognizing the suffering of a society that has not grown up, even as its consumption and production have grown, and as you yourself mature, may you continually choose to contribute to a collective growing up, paying close, careful attention, especially after we’re told we can return to blissfully bankrupt ignorance.
Amen

May 2nd Prayer (for the Black community):
May you hold this country accountable, not only to history, but to the continued ways that our current moment exposes this country’s rampant, unchecked systemic racism, be that in the form of armed white people encouraged by our administration to threaten us all, or in the form of this virus affecting Black bodies in far larger ways, spotlighting the blatantly intentional failings of our infrastructure, and may all of us with privilege admit that we must change this, if we truly wish to transform.
Amen

May 1st Tiny Prayer (for those who are finding it difficult to focus):
May you take a moment to make a list of your current tasks (“current” meaning immediate, not days or weeks from now) in order of priority, not so you get all of them done today, and not even so you get any of them done today, but simply because making a map of the landscape in front of you not only might make the terrain a tad less treacherous, but might even make the trail a tad more inviting.
Amen

April 30th Tiny Prayer (for sanctuary cities):
May you hold fast to your spiritual imperative to protect and empower, may you continue to be models for cities everywhere, and as racist, fascist, nationalistic Empire threatens our states with bogus, illegal, unnecessary deals and falsely claims that we must choose between heart and health, may you continue to loudly declare that we can and must always have both.
Amen

April 29th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling “meh”):
May you settle into this gray, liminal space, this place somewhere between panic and ease, between despair and faith, between down and up, and may you feel the strange sense of balance that comes from being honest about the just-okay, the just-enough, the just-getting-by, and may you trust that this is a perfectly-imperfectly valid spot for you to exist for a while.
Amen

April 28th Tiny Prayer (for Dr. Lorna M. Breen, medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital):
Thank you for your tireless service, for your compassionate leadership, for your open heart, for embodying the role of “Hero” without ever seeking the title of “Hero,” for your remarkable life, which will continue to be a remembered blessing coursing through every breath of every life you have touched, healed, and saved.
Amen

April 27th Tiny Prayer (for journalists):
May you continue to ignore the attacks and uncover the truth, always serving the good of the people over the egos of the powerful, and may you be assured that your integrity is always quietly appreciated, even as the loudest, most vitriolic voices continue to blather in your direction.
Amen

April 26th Tiny Prayer (for those who are losing hope):
May you find solace in the simple fact that uncertainty is not the opposite of hope, but rather a natural and necessary aspect of hope that keeps us on our toes and off our high horses, and unshakable surety is never required in order for us to wake up, get out of bed, get ready, and seek wonder, even in a world that often feels far from wonderful.
Amen

April 25th Tiny Prayer (for those who currently have no shelter in which to shelter in place):
May you encounter kindnesses on every corner, may you not only be offered funds, but guidance toward sustenance both edible and spiritual, may you be safe when you do find a place to rest, and may you be assured that many of us are fighting to end this housing crisis, even in the midst of this health crisis.
Amen

April 24th Tiny Prayer (for our elders):
May you feel enveloped in love, care, and respect, even if you cannot visit with your friends and family, even if the technology connecting so many of us feels alien and annoying, even if you fear that your winter years will be spent in deepening isolation, may you deeply know how much we miss hugging you.
Amen

April 23rd Tiny Prayer (for parents and teachers):‬
‪May you be filled with patience for yourself, appreciating the fact that what you are doing (engaging and educating our youngest in a time when they and you are frightened, distracted, and frustrated) is a monumental task with so few immediate rewards and so much immediate stress. ‬
‪Amen‬

April 22nd Tiny Prayer (for the Earth):
May you rest and breathe while so many of us abide indoors, may your plants grow freely, may your non-human animals sing and stretch wildly, may your clouded air clear, may your wounded lands heal, may your waters churn happily, and may we be so wowed by your beauty upon our reentrance that we finally get our act together and heed your warnings.
Amen

April 21st Tiny Prayer (for immigrants):
May you rage against the continuing racist, xenophobic, fascist overreaches by our Federal government, and may you also feel the fiery fight continuing to spread in this country, growing numbers of eager neighbors ready to not only welcome you, but celebrate you.
Amen

April 20th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling just fine):
May you enjoy this moment as a time when you can pour energy into this gift economy we sustain together, holding others through their lows, not forcing them to feel more fine than they are, trusting that there will be energy in the pool for you when you are feeling far less than fine.
Amen

April 19th Tiny Prayer (for those outside the epicenter):
May you hear the pleas of those of us who are in the thick of it, and may you understand our urging you to stay home not as an attack on your perceived current freedoms, but as a deep recommitment to a more just, more safe, more interconnected future freedom for all.
Amen

April 18th Tiny Prayer (for our masks):
May you protect our noses, our mouths, our lungs, our lives, creating a system where we all work together, precautions not only for ourselves but for others, and may wearing you remind us that we can still practice this communal care and cooperation even after the masks come off.
Amen

April 17th Tiny Prayer (for farm workers):
May you feel gratitude spreading and surrounding you as more and more of us become aware of how essential you are, not because you put food on our table, but because you are human beings, both strong and vulnerable, who deserve and demand ample government protections and ample respect.
Amen

April 16th Tiny Prayer (for those who are facing unemployment):
May you feel surrounded by empathy, knowing that so many of us have been and are in the place where you are now, frightened, angry, seeking new paths, and may you find support who will both root for your bright future and simply hold you through this terrible present moment.
Amen

April 15th Tiny Prayer (for those who are feeling stagnant):
May you remember that your body and life are not mere tools for productivity (no matter what capitalism tells you), but rather dynamic, breathing realities that need rest, quiet, time, and space, and will organically tell you when they are ready to do and not just be again.

April 14th Tiny Prayer (for postal workers):
May you be assured to your core that, no matter what shallow messages you are receiving from our Federal government, your lives, your employment, and the daily risks you are taking to keep our country connected, matter deeply to us.
Amen

April 13th Tiny Prayer (for David Driskell, African-American artist and art historian, who died from coronavirus):
Thank you for making an art of showcasing the overlooked, for using your own reality to draw attention to ignored realities, for gifting us with images both beautiful and troubling, inviting us to reflect on how our systems and lives are always both at the same time, and how only through creative interrogation can we own up to who we are and become who we say we want to be.
Amen

April 12th Tiny Prayer (for those who are far from those they love):
May you have ample bandwidth, both for your technological devices and for your heart, and may you offer gratitude for the ways we have to connect, even when apart, but may you also be unafraid to call this distance what it is: absolutely painful.
Amen

April 11th Tiny Prayer (for those who are navigating their mental health):
May you be kind to yourself, acknowledging the weight that this current fear adds to your plate, trusting the power of your past resilience, even when it's currently out of sight, and reaching out to those who will simply accompany you while not trying to fix anything.
Amen

April 10th Tiny Prayer (for Essential Workers):
May you feel our deep gratitude, though our smiles are hidden beneath our masks, though our greetings come from several feet away, and though, when we‘ve been told that we’re safest inside, each day beckons you back outside.
Amen

April 9th Tiny Prayer (for those who are ill):
May you reach out to those who will not only comfort you but also help you to secure the expert care you need, and may you not be embarrassed to weep, rage, fear, be human, even as you trust this care to both hold and heal you.
Amen

April 8th Tiny Prayer (for John Prine, singer-songwriter, who died from coronavirus complications):
Thank you for telling us honest stories of ourselves, set to sweet melodies that allow them to sneak into our hearts, comforting us with universality, teasing our follies just enough to invite us to take ourselves a tad less seriously.
Amen

April 7th Tiny Prayer (for those who are detained):
May you feel solidarity seeping through cracks in your prison walls, even as those of us outside taste only a small bit of your fear, your isolation, your vulnerability, and know that we are fighting for all to be free.
Amen

April 6th Tiny Prayer (for those experiencing cabin fever):
May you find solace in the fact that so many of us are also seeking surprises in too-familiar spaces, flashes of wonder in corners we know too well, moments of delight in too-similar days, and may this uncomfortable comfort connect us all.
Amen

April 5th Tiny Prayer (for those who are angry):‬
‪May you remember that rage can be a step toward collective recommitment, inviting us to sustain steady flames together as we fight for change, instead of burning out in a moment of individual combustion.‬
‪Amen‬

April 4th Tiny Prayer (for those who are grieving):
May you seek solidarity and solitude as each is needed, may you feel empathy surround you, even when alone, and may you reject any calls to move through this more quickly, especially when they come from your own heart.
Amen

April 3rd Tiny Prayer (for Ellis Marsalis, Jr., jazz pianist and educator, who died from coronavirus complications):
Thank you for teaching us that we can break rules and still be disciplined in our collaborative generosity, and that we can listen for the unique logic in even the music that doesn't immediately satisfy our own expectations.
Amen

April 2nd Tiny Prayer (for our breath):
May you stay steady, but may you also offer gasps of wonder at how renewable a resource you are, the only free gift we continually pour into and take from the world, each exhale announcing our recommitment to every other living thing.
Amen

March 31st Tiny Prayer (for Lorena Borjas, activist for the rights of the transgender community, who died from coronavirus complications):
Thank you for embodying true motherhood as a daily mix of transforming pain into passion, reorganizing in the face of organized oppression, demanding community-building over wall-building, teaching the powerful to use it well, and empowering those who fear they have none.
Amen

March 30th Tiny Prayer (for Elected Officials):
May you care more about humans than attention, more about lives than markets, may you admit what you don’t know and own up to what you do, and may you remember that current reality must be faced in order to truly shape a future.
Amen

March 29th Tiny Prayer (for our bodies):
‪May you do exactly what you are meant to do, giving us information, telling us where the pain is, moving to rhythms of heart and lung, calling our attention not only to parts in need but also to all parts working beautifully together.
Amen

March 28th Tiny Prayer (for Artists):
May the spark of inspiration that so thrilled you last night, then seemed completely trite this morning, let you rest for a bit, then bubble back up through your imagination, messy with new energy, begging to be explored as only you can.
Amen

March 27th Tiny Prayer (for those who are afraid):
May you use the fears that keep you alert to caring for yourself and others, reshape the fears that nudge you toward new ways of knowing yourself and others, and dismiss the fears that lie and tell you neither is possible.
Amen

March 26th Tiny Prayer (for Faith Leaders):
May you remember that many of us don’t so much need to be brought back to a rock-solid, fail-safe faith, but rather invited into an authentic conversation about fear, mystery, and death, in order to find new ways to live.
Amen

March 25th Tiny Prayer (for Healthcare Workers):
May you have enough moments of breath, enough moments of rest, enough voices saying, “You’ve got this,” enough moments of simple calm in the midst of this storm, as you fight so lovingly to make sure we all have the same.
Amen

March 24th Tiny Prayer (for Terrence McNally, Tony-winning playwright, who died of complications of coronavirus):
Thank you for giving unapologetically vibrant voice to queer love that will live forever, outlasting viruses that might kill bodies, but never Truth.
Amen


Next Post: The Blessing of the Masks