A “Slow Me Down” Prayer

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.”

Psalm 62:5

“Slow me down Lord. Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.

Steady my hurried pace with the vision of the eternal reach of time. Give me amidst the confusion of my days the calmness of the everlasting hills.

Break the tension of my nerves with the soothing music of the singing streams that live in my memory.

Help me to know the restoring power of sleep.

Teach me the art of taking minute vacations, of slowing down to look at a flower, pet a dog, chat with an old friend or make a new one.

To watch a spider spin a web or smile at a child or read a few lines from a good book.

Remind me each day the race is not always for the swift and there is more to life than increasing its speed.

Let me look upwards through the branches of a towering oak and know it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down Lord, so that I will experience the gift of the present. The gift of Grace.

The gift of YOU. Amen.”