What Is Best For My Life

Dear Friends in Christ,

The morning devotional I use each day starts with a prayer that rotates every few weeks as it changes from one spiritual topic to another. Currently, the prayer contains the line, “Help me discern what’s best for my life.” This line caused me to pause the other day. I don’t often pray for what’s best for my life. I pray for what’s best for others: my family, my friends, St. Anna’s, anyone who I know is going through a tough time, our nation, the world. I ask God to give me what I need to do and be what’s best for all those I pray for. I ask God to make me the best I can be. But I don’t often pray for “what’s best for my life,” except in the context of helping other people and being who the world needs me to be.

Now, I know that what’s best for my life isn’t the same as what I want, and I do pray for what I need, but this felt different. It felt like centering myself and my interests in my prayer, which I realized I don’t often do unless things are especially hard and I need God’s comfort and reassurance. It made me uneasy. It felt self-centered and selfish, especially right now, when the world is so chaotic and uncertain and so many people are suffering so much more than I am.

And maybe that is why this prayer is so important right now.

I have attended several clergy gatherings recently when we have talked about what the world needs from us, from the Episcopal Church, and what we need to be what the world needs us to be. And we have been reminded over and over again about the importance of self-care, and encouraged to take a sabbath day each week, a day when we don’t worry about anyone else’s needs and renew and replenish our own souls. And we can’t do that if we don’t know what it is that we need. Which is why this prayer to discern what’s best for my life is more important than ever. Because at the end of the day, if we are not our own best selves we cannot be there for all those who need us, and we cannot reflect the image of God’s love in our world.

Here is the prayer, which is inspired by Philippians 1:9-11, in its entirety if you would like to pray it with me each morning:

Holy Spirit, this is my prayer: fuel my love so that it abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. Help me to discern what’s best for my life. And equip me to live for the glory and praise of God alone. Amen

Yours in Christ,

Rev Jane+