Paulo Coelho
The Forgotten Prayer
The last time I walked the streets of Sao Paulo, I received a pamphlet from a friend, Edinho,with the title, “A Moment of Holiness.” A four-color print, nice quality paper, but the only thing that kept me reading further was a prayer.
Much to my amazement, I saw that I was the one who wrote it. The text had been published in the early 8os in a collection of poetry. I never thought that the words would stand the test of time or that they would ever show up in such a mysterious manner back in my hands. As I reread it, I was not ashamed of what I had written so many years ago. Because the prayer was in the pamphlet, I now take it as an omen and feel it is only proper to present it again here.
I hope, dear readers, to inspire you to write down your own prayer, in which you ask for things that you find important. In this way, we create a positive vibration in our heart that is contagious and affects everything around us.
Here is the prayer:
Lord, protect our doubts, for doubt is a form of prayer.It makes us grow by forcing us fearlessly to the many answers we seek that are there for one and the same question.
Lord, protect our decisions, for decision is a form of prayer. Give us courage, after the necessary doubt, to choose between the one way or the other. That our YES be a YES and our NO always a NO. That when we have made a choice that we never again look back nor allow our hearts to churn with remorse.
Lord, protect our dreams,for our dreams are a form of prayer. Make us, independent of our age or our circumstances, able to keep the holy flame, which burns with hope and perseverance, in our hearts.
Lord, give us enthusiasm, for enthusiasm is a form of prayer. This is what binds us to heaven and earth and to people old and young and that shows that our desire is important and worth the effort. It is that which confirms that all things are possible.
Lord, protect us for life is the only form we have to display your miracles. May the earth continue to change seeds into corn and may we continue to change corn into bread. This is only possible through love, therefore, let us never live in loneliness. Grant us your continuous fellowship and the fellowship of others so that doubts, discourse, dreams and enthusiasm can exist and that we live with the attitude that everyday is devoted to your glory. Amen
Translated from Dutch. Number of new vocabulary words: 27
