Women and Their Prayers

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All photos in collage from Wikimedia



Today is International Women's Day, a day set aside to recognize, celebrate and empower women everywhere.

I believe, no observance would be complete without recognition of the prayers of women. Using Google, I thought I would be overwhelmed by the choices of prayers from around the world written by women.  To my surprise, however, I found it very difficult to find anything in the public domain.  There are some recent books written with prayers by women, but they are just that - recent.

Why is this, I pondered. In seconds, Spirit answered me. Prayer for women is private...we say our prayers while doing our daily tasks - caring for family, working at our careers, sharing time with friends. Our prayers are often the silent, unspoken words of our hearts. Words only heard by Creator.

Interestingly, there are many prayers for women, including  International Women's Day prayers written by many people from many spiritual paths. 

Prayer shared, I have been told, multiplies the intent. With that in mind, I share my prayer for women everywhere...

Most Loving Creator,
look down upon your daughters,
bless the work of their hands, hearts and minds.
Protect them from the violence of hate,
the violence of poverty,
the violence of privilege.
Hold them close as they struggle to find strength -
strength to raise their children in the a material world,
strength to keep their voice when others try to silence them,
strength to continue caring and loving when they are weary.
Give them peace of mind, so that they may have the restful sleep
that heals and strengthens them in body and mind.
Give them peace of home and community, so that they may do
the work they are called to without fear, without reprisal.
Give them peace of spirit, so that they can shine their Light into the dark, leading those that follow to the Love that blesses us all.
Gracious Parent, I ask this for all my mothers and sisters in every country around this tiny, blue planet we call home.
Amen, Blessed be, Aho.

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