A Morning Prayer

Kia ora my Friend God.

I give to you the voyage of this day,

that to be which is already yours,

adding to it my rejoicing,

a shout of praise. Amen. Amen.

You are the wind: fill up my sails.

You are the water: run fast beneath my keel. And I will sing in the wind

and dance over the water,

God my Friend, oh God my Friend.

You are the light: enfold me,

You are the darkness: embrace me.

You are pain: hollow me.

You are love: overflow me.

The storms of change are you,

and the peace of tranquil waters.

You are all these things Friend God,

and I thank you. Amen. Amen.

May I journey without fear

through all your seasons.

In emptiness let me find fullness.

In imprisonment let me find freedom. Render me passive in your will

and I shall be most active,

moving with you in everything, seeing you in everything

knowing you in everything. Amen.

Joy Cowley is a New Zealand based writer, known especially for her children's books. This prayer is from her collection Aotearoa Psalms. The phrase Kia Ora means "Good morning" in Maori.