My Prayer for Traveling Mercies

This post is drawn from a message I sent to our staff at Sojourners, thanking them for their hard work and support as I begin the exhausting pace of The Great Awakening book tour. I'd like to share it with you as well. I really need your prayers, and wanted to share with you the prayer that I will be saying everyday-likely again and again! It is from Charles de Foucauld. He was a French aristocrat who joined the French army in Algeria, then left it, lived there identifying with the people, serving the poor, learning the language, etc., and sought to found a new religious order, which became The Little Brothers of Jesus. His is a compelling story about how "great awakenings" begin with faithful journeys of discipleship. Charles de Foucauld lived from 1858 to 1916, a Catholic contemplative at the time of the 19^th century revivals.

Here is his prayer that I will be using during the book tour. It's called The Prayer of Abandonment-something that I am not particularly good at. Maybe his prayer might also be helpful to you, and perhaps we could pray it together during these important days for this movement of faith justice. Thank you all. I hope and pray that it will further the mission that draws together all among you who consider yourselves Sojourners.

Father, I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only your will be done in me,
and in all your creatures -
I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul:
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.