Rev Lauren Martin
Prayer #1
Let us settle into this space of knowing that in all the vastness of existence, in all things little or
large, in all thoughts, feelings and ideas lies the ever present, existence of God. In each
moment, in each breath, we center into this knowing and confidence that God is all there is, all
there ever was, all there will ever be. In this knowing of God’s presence, we recognize that if
God is all there is then that God presence is within each and everyone of us, connecting us
through an unbreakable bond of Oneness. And because we know that God is all there is and
God is present in each of us, we have the confidence and power to trust our own voice. We
believe in that God presence in us that gives us powerful intuition and allows us to know that
those strong thoughts back with strong feelings are true. We trust in our voice, knowing that we
are each living our own path and know best what is true for us. We are empowered in the
strength of this conviction to speak our truth and trust our inner guidance, knowing at all times
we are supported, protected and grounded in the truth of the ever-present God. We know that
in each moment we do the best we can with what we have, lean into this knowledge with full
trust and faith that we are creating what we want and need in our life. Our voice is strong. Our
live is valuable. Our path is perfect. And so we breath into a profound sense of gratitude for our
voice, for our courage, for our strength of conviction and our beautifully guided intuition. Now,
we release these words into law, loudly, proudly with conviction knowing that as we say them,
they are so. And so it is.
Prayer #2
In this amazing universe made up of a seemingly endless number of things and beings, we
breath into the conviction that God is all there is. In each of these many things, different, unique
expression, there is that One God, that presence that connects all things to each other and to
the Divine. Everywhere we turn, all we see is God, in the smallest of ions to the biggest of
mountains. And that amazing God presence must then be part of each and every one of us.
Yet each of us are each individualized expressions of the Divine, having our own experience,
walking our own path, thinking our own thoughts, believing our own beliefs. This is absolutely
perfect just as it is. Each of us has a fire of truth in the core of our being. A part of us that
knows exactly who we are and who we are meant to be. We are brave as we tap into that truth
and boldly walk and talk that truth in each moment of everyday. We are meant to be unique,
rare, beautiful Divine beings having a human experience. We are grounded in the truth of who
we are and proudly show the world and ourselves what makes us our perfectly imperfect selves.
We accept and love ourselves right now, in this moment and all moments, just as we are,
knowing we are Divinely guided, supported and protected. We are 100% undeniably ourselves
in every way and that is AWESOME! We breathe in the gratitude and accept the gift of who we
are with open arms, so grateful to be our own beautiful, wonderful, divinely perfect selves. So
we release these words into the law knowing they are powerfully true and affirm their perfection,
and so it is.
Prayer #3
As we take a deep breath and center into our own private space, we breath in the knowledge
that we are part of a grand universe that is as diverse as it is big. Even with all this diversity, we
know without a shadow of a doubt that all that exists is God and God is within all that exists.
The fact that God exists within all things allows everything and everyone to be connected, to be
part of the Oneness that is always present. The most amazing thing about God being in
everything is the fact that everything is still unique. Yet we are connected in many ways. Each
of us identifies in different ways that connect us to each other and allow us to feel that beautiful
bond of Oneness. And each of us also sees ourselves as a unique individual, expressing
ourselves in whatever way works best for us. We get to experience both and get to rejoice in
the fact that what unites us and what makes us special is perfect exactly as it is. As we learn to
understand, love and respect who we are and what makes us unique we learn to understand,
love and respect who everyone else is because we realize we are all God. We are all One. We
are all connected through a loving, supportive divine presence that honors our individuality as
much as our sameness. Oneness is Divine connection. Oneness can not strip us of our
uniqueness or make us into something we are not. Oneness makes us more, part of something
bigger, connected to each other in a way that expands our worlds in beautiful ways. Knowing
that we are connected so strongly and appreciated for exactly how we show up, we are grateful.
Gratitude surrounds us and connects us to each other as we rejoice in the truth that we are all
One, here for each other and to create something bigger and better than we can imagine on our
own. We are so grateful for the chance to bring our unique gifts to the whole, knowing we learn
from each other and grow together. Knowing these words are true, we release them into the
law and allow them to manifest Oneness as Uniqueness, and so it is.
Prayer #4
As many stars that are in the sky, and beings there are on earth, there are that many
representations of God, as God is part of all of them. No matter if we look to the sky or the
ground, where ever we look, God is present. Each, individual, item has that Divine spark, that
God presence, even if it doesn’t appear like anything else in the universe. That God presence,
that Divine spark is part of each and every one of us, connecting us, making us part of that
amazing Oneness. Yet each of us shines our own light. Oh and how beautiful and bright that
light is! Short, tall, curvaceous, thin, dark skinned, or light skinned, we are all perfect in our
purpose and our being. We are exactly who and what we are supposed to be. We are on the
path we most need to be on to allow our light to shine the brightest and we are so confident in
our path and choices that when we see a fork in the path we know the right way to go. Oh and
we dance into that new path with joy because we know that we are a necessary star in the vast
constellation we make up. We are here at this time, in this space, because we are meant to
help complete the constellation by being who we are meant to be. We rejoice in our role, in our
light, in our path, in our choices knowing that we are incredibly needed exactly how we are now
and exactly as who we are becoming. We each have a vital role to play and accept with joy the
gift that we all are. It is with profound gratitude that we accept the fact that we are part of
something bigger and are so needed, wanted and loved for the light we shine and purpose we
fulfill. Knowing these words are perfect and true, we release these words into the law and allow
the beautiful constellation of bright lights to shine, and so it is.
Prayer #5
Even in the darkest of darkest spaces and times, the one thing we can know without a shadow
of a doubt is that God is all there is. In the darkness, in the light, in the stars, in the fireflies, in
the clouds, in the thoughts that haunt us, God is still all there is. We can sink and feel lost
though the truth is that God is always with us, always part of us, always present, connecting us
and reminding us we aren’t alone. On those dark days, the journeys through our personal dark
forest, or the struggles that make us feel alone that seem to test us and make us question
everything, we remember to breath into our faith and hope. We know that faith and hope are
our north stars leading us through the darkness, keeping us on the right path to finding our true
selves again. We know that in the times where we feel that our light may not shine so brightly
that God brings us people and pets that can hold that light and remember our truth for us until
we can see it again. We know that God is always present and we remember to tap into that
truth within us and allow God to shine through us no matter the situation. We breath in hope.
We breath out fear. We breath in faith. We breath out doubt. We know that with our support
groups, our God, our faith, and ourselves we can see through any darkness and eventually
appreciate the lesson and the journey. Darkness may come, but it also must go, it is not
permanent. Just as the sun always rises in the morning replacing the deepest darkness of the
night, so will we come through our darkest times and remember how bright our light is. Even
though it can be hard during a time of darkness to be grateful, we lean into this gratitude
allowing it to make space for our light to shine through. We are grateful for the experience and
even more grateful for our hope, our faith, our God, our family, our friends and our fur buddies
that become our lights when we need them most. Knowing that the light is here, always within
us, and we are strong and brave enough to face anything, we release these words into the law
with courage, hope, and faith, and so it is.
Seeing in the Dark
By: Lauren Martin
Part of the joy of being human are the gifts and lessons we get to experience along the way. Yet for many of us, these gifts and lessons become disguised in darkness and struggle, so we lose sight of the good that is coming. There isn’t a single person alive who does not have difficult times, struggles through loss, or has to deal with the various monsters that lurk in the dark forests of our minds. We all have times when it seems hopeless as if there is no way out. We feel swallowed by darkness, fear, and doubt. Yet, we are also gifted with the amazing ability to have hope and faith. Hope and faith are like two beacons of light in the midst of the darkest, deepest of forests that help us see the path and remember our way. Now in no way am I suggesting when we are lost in the labyrinth of swamps, monstrous voices, memories from our past, and tall trees built to hide the path, that we should just force ourselves to be happy and pretend everything is okay. You 100% have full permission to feel everything, you need to feel in each moment of your journey. Cynthia James, a wise woman, once told me that if God is all there is, then God is in your anger too, so it is valid. God is in each emotion, each hard moment, each stumbling block, each “wrong” turn. So, feel that pain, that loss, that anger, that fear. Release the tears, scream out your hurt, speak out your pain. Just don’t stay there. It is easy to miss the lessons and gifts that come from going through the dark forest, experiencing all the feels, fears, doubts, and insecurities and following the light to the other side. But where does this light come from? This light comes from so many sources. There is the light, the soul that emanates from within you that knows the truth of who you are and guides your way. If you aren’t quite ready to trust your own light, turn to a friend or family member who sees you as you are and loves your perfect imperfections. Turn to a pet who looks at you with unconditional love and is always there for you no matter what. Turn to a practitioner or minister who knows how to see the God in you and hold the space for you to go through whatever you need to go through. Remember, hope and faith are always tools you can use to light the path you are on. If you are not feeling strong in your faith or hope because the path is just too dark, let those in your life you trust have the faith and hope for you. The most important thing to remember is you are never alone, be it people, pets, or remembering the God in you. Share your story. Talk to someone about the path and just keep moving forward. You are the light, even if you can’t see it right now.