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" A PRAYER Oh God, We confess our longing to be the smartest person in the room. Reveal to us the true fear hiding beneath the surface. We are afraid of not having the answer. We are afraid of looking like a fool. We are afraid of being a beginner. As we fall from the crumbling wall of our own reputation, status, and ability, we trust you are the solid ground beneath our tired feet. As we face those who have doubted us the most, remind us how you stand in front of us, behind us, beside us, and within us. When we look for courage elsewhere, remind us to turn to you instead. You have all the gumption and moxie we could possibly need. We accept our smallness in your presence. Replace our shame with laughter and our doubt with love. Teach us to begin again with joy. "
― Emily P. Freeman , The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions
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" A PRAYER Father, you hear everything, even the things we are afraid to say. For all the ways we’ve experienced healing, we know there is still much within us that remains unseen and unnamed. Give us the courage to face what we have so long tried to ignore. Shine the warm light of grace into the shadows and be the courage we need to respond. Hold shame, fear, and anger back with your powerful hand and extend to us your Father-kindness, we pray. As we turn our face to you, may we see our true self reflected in your gaze, not as people who have a spirit of fear but one of power, love, and a sound mind. Be our peace as we take one step forward and do our next right thing in love. Remind us that, in Christ, we live a narrative of joy. "
― Emily P. Freeman , The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions
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" Whatever your plot points are, name them for what they are—disappointment, grief, fear, excitement, envy, desire, exhaustion, or hope. Be willing to listen, even if you’re afraid you won’t like what you hear. Be assured you will never be listening alone. Remember not to force definitions but to carry these names into the presence of Jesus, in whose Name we find our hope. "
― Emily P. Freeman , The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions