I Seek Strength

Let me walk in beauty

And make my eyes ever behold

The red and purple sunset.

Make my hands respect the things you have made,

And my ears sharp to hear your voice.

Make me wise so that I may understand

The things you have taught my people.

Let me learn the lessons you have hidden

In every leaf and rock.

I seek strength,

Not to be greater than my brother,

But to fight my greatest enemy:

Myself.

Make me always ready to come to you

With clean hands and straight eyes.

So when life fades

As a fading sunset

My spirit may come to you without shame.

Origin:

This prayer is believed to have been written in the 1700s by a Native American.

Options:

• Consider this prayer as a prelude to an evening examination of conscience, or as an "emptying" ritual at day's end to reflect on how you have conducted yourself throughout the day.

• Use "I Seek Strength" as a walking prayer in a natural setting like a nature preserve, a trail, field, woods, or even a backyard. After you have recited the prayer, take it with you as you walk mindfully.

Frances Sheridan Goulart, Native American Prayer in God Has No Religion: Blending Traditions for Prayer by Frances Sheridan Goulart