Guided Meditation - Prayer for Others 

Begin by closing your eyes and taking a couple of deep breaths.  Breath in God’s Spirit, breath out. Breath in God’s Spirit. Breath out…

I invite you now to picture in your mind’s eye, someone you love. This could be someone you know who needs healing, or someone who is troubled, or someone who is carrying a lot on their plate… Get them in your mind’s eye, and ask: 

May God protect you… May God give you happiness fill you with joy… May God give you health… May God give you peace… Continue to hold them in your mind. (You might even call them by name.)  May you be protected… May you be happy… May you be healthy… May you live with ease… (Repeat these phrases as you feel led - for as long as you feel led).

Next, (this might be a little bit harder) I invite you to shift your focus for just a moment and offer these prayers, these blessings, not to others, but to yourself.  Say to yourself: 

May God protect you… May God give you joy… May God give you health…. May God give you peace… May I be protected… May I be joyful… May I be healthy…. May I live with ease…  (Repeat these phrases as you feel led - for as long as you feel led. This may be a little harder. But remember Jesus taught us to love our neighbor as ourself. It is hard to love your neighbor, if you can’t love yourself. )

Now let’s take this one step further. I invite you to imagine someone in your mind’s eye with whom you’ve had disagreements, or someone you dislike. Maybe it is a political or a leader who is contrary to everything you stand for… This could also be someone who may have hurt you. But just pick one person and get them in your mind’s eye. And offer this prayer, for them… 

May God protect you… May God give you happiness fill you with joy… May God give you health… May God give you peace… May you be protected… May you be happy… May you be healthy… May you live with ease… (Repeat these phrases as you feel led - for as long as you feel led).

And finally, get more than one person in your mind’s eye. Imagine people across the globe… people with no power, perhaps living in the streets, in refugee camps, those in prisons… (pause a few moments) And gather with them people with vast power… who may or may not care about anybody but themselves… And gather with them people that you love, your family and friends, and with them people no one loves…

And we pray for all God’s children. 

Gracious God, just as I wish to be protected, so do they wish to be protected. Just as I wish to be happy, so do they wish to be happy… Just as I wish to be healthy, so do they wish to be healthy… Just as I wish to have peace, so do they wish to have peace.

May all these, your children, O God, be safe… May they be happy… May they be healthy… May they be filled with peace… (speak to them directly) May you be safe… May you be happy… May you be healthy… May you be filled with peace…

(Repeat these phrases as you feel led - for as long as you feel led).

May it be so. Amen.

Practical Considerations

Time. Soul Feast suggests a minimum of 30 minutes. The long standing counsel of many of the saints, is this: Give God the best time of your day, not the dregs. It is hard to sit and listen when you are tired.

Place. Chose a place that allows you solitude and reasonable quiet. Close your door and turn off your phone. Give yourself permission to be unavailable to others in order to be available to God. Some people find lighting a Christ candle helpful.