A Prayer for Unborn Things

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black background with colorful glitter and words written in white letters, "Have you ever thrown glitter in the air? Have you ever looked at fear and said, ''I don't care?'"

While I was at the church passing out lunches to our neighbors without homes, a woman said to me, “I need you to pray for all the unborn things.” She then clutched her sack lunch to her chest with one hand, and swirled her free hand high in the air, sliding her thumb over her fingers, as if to sprinkle invisible glitter on everyone.  She clarified: “I don’t just mean the unborn babies. I mean all the unborn ideas that the world needs people to act on so beautiful, good things can be created.”

After I promised I would pray for the unborn things, she smiled, blessed me, and walked away.

This brief encounter lingered in my thoughts. Her request made me wonder how many inventions, scientific discoveries, novels, sculptures, paintings or just thank you notes are never born because we don’t take action. How many relationships fail to thrive because we refuse to cross the racial, socio-economic and gender lines that hold our rigid, soul-sucking norms in place.  No matter how old or young we are, there are divine gifts within us waiting to be born, and they deserve our most fervent prayers. 

The following is my response to our neighbor’s prayer request.  


God, we pray for the “unborn things” that await our initiative.  


We ask for the faith needed to pursue Your dreams. Help us step past our fears.  We need more than Your vision.  We need the willingness to work towards it.  


Inspire us to build a world where everyone has a safe place to sleep and enough to eat.


Give us patience to tend to the dull, monotonous tasks required for transformation.  


When we are paralyzed because we have too many options, help us focus and prioritize so we can take action. 


When critics and haters mock our efforts, speak louder than their negativity.  Remind us that change comes with conflict. Encourage us. Strengthen us. Inspire us.  


When mistakes and misfortunes trap us in misery, pull us out of the quicksand of apathy, doubt and anger. Let our experiences —  the good and the bad —- become resources of wisdom and compassion.  


When we feel stuck, show us the way forward with acceptance, gratitude, and forgiveness.   


When we are engulfed by grief and all hope has sunk to the bottom of despair's dark sea, carry us. We cannot fight the relentless waves of sorrow on our own.  


When we are weary, remind us that we don’t have to quit. We can just take a nap, get a snack or ask for help. 


God, there are so many beautiful things waiting to be born for the healing of the world.  Thank You for the gift of each day, a chance to sprinkle divine glitter upon everyone we meet. In the name of the one who came to reveal Your love, we pray. Amen.  


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