Tag Archives: Grace

A Prayer for ADHD Awareness Month

01 Saturday Nov 2025

Posted by in National Day Prayers, Pop, Pop Culture, Prayers

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Loving God, Ultimate Divine Manager of Time and Space,

It’s taken me until 11:05pm at the end of ADHD Awareness Month to write this prayer.
I’m sure you’re not surprised.

I’ve also put off writing more of my prayers as you see here on this blog.
Why? Because there are 100 tabs open in my brain,
And I’m wondering why I’m overthinking everything.

There’s so much to say in this prayer, Holy One.
So I’ll start here…

I’ve overanalyzed everything, my brain is tired.
I’ve delayed what is needed due to waves of the brain crashing.
I’ve been called many names, splashed in shame, and found myself spiraling.

But now it has a name. Or letters.
And I know this brain mirrors your holy design.

So may each of us – diagnosed by self or a provider
And each of us speculating that we have ADHD,
May all of us whether medicated or unmedicated,
Whether hyperactive externally or internally,
Know that you love us completely.

When the world criticizes or turns their backs,
We know whose child we are
And in whose image we are made.

May we experience joy as we meet fellow ADHDers on the journey
And share our stories with one another.
May this joy extend to naming our greatest strengths,
Our strongest supporters,
And our working therapies.

And because you are the designer of space and time,
May we grow in our relationship with each
And help our neurodiverse kin grow in awareness, grace, and love.

Amen.

(c) 2025 written by Michelle L. Torigian. Permission to use with attribution.

A Mean Girls Day Blessing

04 Saturday Oct 2025

Posted by in National Day Prayers, Pop, Pop Culture

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God of the Bright Colors, Hopeful Futures, and Messy School Days,

We know the Regina Georges live in our world,
Demanding full reign of whatever earthly empire we’re a part of.
We cringe at her (or his, or their) power filled with piercing words
And a dominance that we can’t name.

We fall to their needs.
We follow their ways because it’s easy,
And more importantly-
We stay in line so that we remain on their happy sides.

They won’t come after us.
They won’t embarrass us. Right?

But mean girls exist.
Telling us what words work or don’t.
Deciding what we should wear
And how to eat and style our hair.

Oh mean girls come in all shapes and ages.
So, Dear Holy One-
Who gives us wisdom like Ms. Norbury-
May we see your image in all the others in our schools,
And in our workplaces, our organizations, our neighborhoods and churches.
May we seek to understand their lives
And judge less as we cringe at criticism.

May we see the ways of Cady Heron,
The good and the ugly.
May we refuse to expose others weaknesses,
Stepping away from the ways of the crowds,
Embracing ourselves and shining our gifts.
Not sabotaging others – even the ones who have sabotaged us.

May we share our crown with our siblings out there
Because our souls are fabulous.
And maybe one of these days.
Mean Girls will be a piece of the past
And we can live in a harmonious siblinghood-
But still wear pink on Wednesdays.

Amen.

(c) 2025 Michelle L. Torigian. Permission to use with attribution.
Image from Netflix South Africa on Instagram
October 3 is considered Mean Girls Day.

A Prayer When Missing Our Loved Ones

17 Wednesday Jan 2024

Posted by in grief, Life

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Holy Vessel of Memories-

Our minds church with the memories of loved ones-
Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, Friends, and more.
In our holey hearts,
There is an emptiness remaining after their deaths.
Their last words frozen in our minds.
Their last embrace a memory in our muscles.

Maybe it’s been a week, or a year,
Or a few decades ago.
But their loss reverberates throughout our lives.
We feel a presence missed at big events.
And in the small moments, we feel a tear rolling down our cheeks.
With a song on the radio or hymn in the sanctuary,
We recall the sound of their voices belting out the melody.

Loving God, Holy Salve of Loneliness,
Heal the aches in our souls from grief,
Give us the grace to move past the regrets,
Help us to keep the memories of love
And release the pains which echoed from our times together.
Give us the discernment needed to part with their items no longer needed,
And may we honor them through the light we continue to shine.

Amen.

(c) 2023 Rev. Michelle L. Torigian. Permission to use with attribution.

A Prayer of Grace for Failed Goals

04 Thursday Jan 2024

Posted by in Epiphany Liturgy/Prayers, Holidays, Hygge, Life

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Divine Journal of Visions and Dreams,

Before I close the last year’s calendar,
I scan each page for the moments of joy-
For the blessings and the tasks done well,
For the moments which will shine in my memories for eternity.
Holy God, I share much gratitude for those moments of bliss etched into my soul.

And then…

For the many ways my plans never came to fruition,
For the goals that stagnated and the dreams that fell asleep,
For the visions that danced only in my mind and never in front of me,
And for the ways I let my anxiety overwhelm the path ahead,
I lament.
I ask for forgiveness in the ways I could have stretched myself just a little more-
And then I ask for forgiveness as I didn’t embrace grace for myself.
I may believe I only gave 25%,
But the 25% was really 100% of what I was able to contribute.
I gave my whole self when my body could give no more.
I used my mind the best I could.
And now, as the calendar closes, it’s time to clothe myself in mercy
And see myself as your child, a beloved piece of the puzzle.

For all the failures and incomplete dreams, I give gratitude as well.

In this new year,
May I continue to work to be my most optimal self,
To care for my neighbor as you have asked,
To grow in the ways you are calling,
And to forgive myself for falling short of perfection.

Amen.

(c) 2023 Rev. Michelle L. Torigian. Permission to use with attribution.

A Prayer for the Day of Forgiveness

28 Thursday Sep 2023

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Holy Fountain of Grace-

Our realm has become arid because of rifts, conflicts, arrogance, and shame. As the blazing winds of blame scorch our world, our souls have become dehydrated.

Like flowers, our hearts are wilting. They have held on to the grudges of the past. Each day, upon waking, they grasp at anything for energy. Yet nothing will quench our thirst of animosity.

Through you, God, we find the relief that comes with mercy. With you we search into our spirits to find ways to forgive. We know that sometimes we must hold a distance between us and the one who you call us to forgive – for the safety of our spirits, and minds, and bodies. Even so, the process of forgiveness is to release something from our souls.

Free us, God, from the grudges of the past, from the ones who wounded us. May the releasing of our resentment create space in our hearts for hope. If we can join together with those whom have hurt us, may peace bind us together and understanding become our companion.

Amen.

(c) 2023 Michelle L. Torigian. Permission to use with attribution.

A Prayer at the End of a Quarantined Day

10 Sunday May 2020

Posted by in Current Events, Pop, Prayers, Quarantine Liturgy and Prayers

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God of the Night Sky,
whose stars brighten our transition into tomorrow
bless the holiness that is the end of this day.

For the deeds left undone and the words unsaid,
may your grace bring me peace.

For any disappointments I’ve created and love unshared,
pour your mercy on me.

Thank you for understanding me-
my fatigued body
my exhausted mind
my heart full of grief.

Oh how I miss this world before this.

I miss my Sunday mornings full of energy
and my Thursday night meetings.
I miss running into a store when I need one item,
and I miss eating in restaurants with friends.

So there is sadness this day,
and you know this God.

So bless my tears.
Bless my humanity.
Bless my friends separated by space but not hearts

With a body that hurts and a heart that aches,
know that I’ve given this day my all.

“Now I lay me down to sleep…”
I pray to you, God, a soul of peace.

Amen.

A Prayer Before Daybreak

05 Thursday Sep 2019

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God of Mystery-

As the night peels away from the far reaches of the sky
And the dew visits the tips of grass’ blades,
May your calmness wrap around our souls
Like a blanket.

May the sounds of morning’s friends
Welcome us back from dreamland.

Rescue us from the grasps of anxiety
And the claims of hopelessness.

Sing to us the songs of mercy,
And grant us the grace to embrace this fresh start that we see with each sunrise.

Amen.

National Take a Chance Day Prayer

23 Tuesday Apr 2019

Posted by in Life, National Day Prayers, Pop, Prayers

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Chaotic, Creative God-

The winds of change hover over your creation, nudging us towards a new heaven here on earth.

As the dry winds from the south pick up, causing us to remain inside our comfort zones, your Spirit is throwing open doors and windows, begging us to move back into the world.

In a vulnerable state, we slowly emerge into ferocious terrain- an atmosphere which wants to remain at rest and at unrest.

But here you are, God, asking us to take chances, asking us to speak boldly, love courageously, and care fiercely.

Today, we ask for prayers of strength to advocate for our neighbors on the margins. We pray for bravery as we allow mercy to emerge from our traumatized, closed-up souls.

We are willing to heed your call and take chances that build a more-caring world and share love which unites us and magnifies your image in one another.

Amen.

1 Corinthians 13 for Me

21 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Life, Pop, Single in the Sanctuary

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In an effort to promote an authentic and healthy love of self as many of us fail to do, I’ve taken 1 Corinthians 13 and made it into a statement that a person can speak to themselves.

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I could speak or write brilliantly in the language of humans and heavenly beings, but let’s be honest – if I do not have love for myself, all my words are just a bunch of noise.

And if I seek justice and peace for the world, and understand all and know all, and if I have an amazing faith on paper, which may look like I could move mountains,
ALL OF THIS…
But
do NOT love myself – you know, the unconditional way that God loves me –
my work is empty… even hypocritical.

If I give away all I own to appear as a fabulous philanthropist,
and if I dress up my body so that I may boast that I look young or hot,
but do not have genuine self-love of my essence and soul, I gain nothing.

Loving myself through all my errors takes patience.
Loving myself means that I am required to be kind to myself.

Healthy love of self doesn’t mean that I’m envious of others (which I am quite often).
It does not allow me to brag over and over of my accomplishments or become arrogant and rude to prove that I am better than others.

Love of self absolutely can not be shadowed in shallowness,
and it requires me to reflect when I’m irritable or resentful of someone else’s accomplishments or celebrations.

This unconditional love does not allow me to rejoice when someone else errs, and it leaves no space for me to berate myself when I make a mistake.

It rejoices in what is best for everyone.

In order for my soul to thrive, true love of self will seek help when life is harsh.
It believes that anything is possible.
It continues to hope for all things
It endures when love seems present no where else.

Authentic love for myself is meant to be permanent and eternal.

But as for the work I do, it will eventually come to an end as my body ages or my mind falls away.
As for the brilliant language that I write or speak- it’s all going to cease.
As for knowledge that I possess here on this side of heaven, it will come to an end.

Let’s face it, now I see myself and God and others only in part. All I do will always fall short because of that partial view I have.
But when the complete comes somewhere on that side of heaven, the partial will come to an end.
The complete view of me and God and others and the universe will be all I can see.

I remember when I was a teen. I spoke like a teen, and I thought like a teen.
I reasoned like a teen.
I was disgusted by myself the way a teen would be.
Since becoming an adult,
I’ve been working on not to look at myself the same way I did at 14.

For I must remember that I see myself in a dim, cloudy, foggy mirror.
But someday, somewhere I will see the true view of my face and heart and soul.
For I must remember that right now I only myself in part-
But at some point I will know fully, even as God knows and loves me fully.

When nothing goes right and the world seems hopeless and I’m thinking so little of myself, I must remember that these three pieces are my foundation:
faith, hope, and love.

And even when faith in myself weakens and hope for the future wanes, God’s authentic, unconditional love for me will guide me back to where I need to be.

A Prayer for a Hot Mess

29 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by in Life, Pop, Pop Culture

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God, who often works best in chaos, here I am – your child – a blessed hot mess.

I carry too many items in my hands, resulting in me dropping things as I walk along my path. Or I stumble into chairs or couches or tables or doors as I carry on my day. I say the wrong things as my mouth becomes a waterfall for wrong terms and awkward jokes. My stole often leans too long on one side or my hair is tucked into my robe. Or my hair falls into my face, and as I fix it, my glasses drop to the ground. And, don’t forget, my desk is swimming in too many papers.

While I would like be the model for grace and move about the earth with every kind of smoothness there is, I have failed spectacularly.

I’m imperfect and incomplete.

But maybe this isn’t failure. Maybe being made in your image means that “hot messes” are ones who shift the world’s trajectory in meaningful ways. Maybe it means that we carry the Holy Spirit’s fires and winds in our passion, and in doing so, our form is a little unconventional.

And so, Creator of Living Art, if possible, make my life smooth. Yet if it isn’t your intentions for my life, let me use my messiness to set the world on a more-loving path. May the fire within me shine a justice-filled light into your world. And may your grace splatter upon all of your creation – including those of us in a sacred state of hot messiness.

Amen.

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