Feeling lost? Here is Thomas Merton’s prayer

I recently discovered Thomas Merton, an American writer, theologian, poet, social activist, and scholar of comparative religion. Merton wrote over 50 books, exploring themes like prayer, meditation, spirituality, and social justice.

Merton’s journey was deeply influenced by the Catholic Church, but he also found inspiration in other traditions like Buddhism and Taoism. In 1941, he became a Trappist monk and spent the rest of his life in a monastery, dedicated to prayer, meditation, and writing.

He was born on January 31, 1915, and passed away on December 10, 1968, at the age of 53.

In his book, “Thoughts in Solitude,” a special prayer is tucked within its pages—a prayer for guidance, which has become a powerful tool for finding inner peace and life direction. Here is the prayer:

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”