the season of prayer

When I think of my favorite written prayers, Thomas Merton's "The Road Ahead" comes to mind first. It has been reprinted in many books. It is from Merton's Thoughts in Solitude.

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.

I have had people tell me that the prayer makes them uncomfortable because of its uncertainty. I choose to notice the certainty, stated in the last line, 'I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.'

I invite you to pray this prayer daiily during Lent and see what God does with it and you!