Its roots are older. In the eighteenth century, the French Jesuit Jean-Pierre de Caussade wrote about the “sacrament of the present moment”: the idea that God meets us in whatever is happening right now, even when it’s unpleasant. The Welcoming Prayer puts that into practice.
Historical Context
How to Practice It
- Focus. Notice what you’re feeling right now, especially in your body: tight chest, clenched jaw, a knot in the stomach. Don’t analyse it. Just feel it.
- Welcome. Say “Welcome” to the feeling. You aren’t approving of what caused it. You’re accepting that this is where you are, and that God is here too.
- Let go. Release your need to control, to be approved of, or to feel safe, and hand the moment to God.
A Short Welcoming Prayer
Lord, I feel this anger, this fear, this hurt.
I welcome it, because you are here in it with me.
I let go of my need to control what happens next.
I let go of needing to be approved of.
I let go of needing to be safe on my own terms.
I open myself to your love and your action in me.
Amen.
A One-Line Version
Welcome, Lord, into this moment. I let go.
Best Times for This Prayer
- When you feel a sudden surge of anger, anxiety or hurt.
- Stuck in traffic, after a hard email, before a difficult conversation.
- At the end of a session of Centering Prayer.
Scripture Connection
“Not my will, but thine, be done.” — Luke 22:42
In Gethsemane Jesus didn’t pretend not to be afraid. He felt it fully, told the Father, and then let go into his will. The Welcoming Prayer follows the same path.
Related prayers
For letting go, see the Prayer of Release, Prayer of Surrender and Prayer of Abandonment. For contemplative practice, the Mindfulness Prayer.