My Grandmother’s Morning Prayer & Daily Consecration

In our previous post, Part 1: What are you building, and for whom?, we talked about the importance of consecrating the spaces within yourself to God:

“If you want to grow in the protection, life, and grace of the Kingdom of God, pray for the grace to give your full surrender to him. This radical act of surrender consecrates the space within your being, allowing all of you to be set apart for the Lord.”

With this in mind, we wanted to share an original prayer and morning offering that you can use to consecrate yourself to the Lord today (and everyday), written by my grandmother:

Just for Today

Just for today, Lord,
give me the grace to seek you above all,
give me the wisdom to know your will for me,
and the desire and discipline to conform my will to yours.

Just for today, Lord,
Let me not be consumed by what the past could
or should have been, and give me the faith
not to be anxious about what the future might bring.

Just for today, Lord,
help me to rejoice in the present,
knowing that you are with me,
knowing that you. love me,
knowing that you never fail me.
Help me to accept the peace that you offer
and let my day be filled with that peace.

Just for today, Lord,
give me the knowledge, the ability,
the strength and health, and the proper attitude
to do the work you set before me willingly, cheerfully,
and in the manner that is most pleasing to you.

Just for today, Lord,
help me to be not vain nor self-centered,
not materialistic nor selfish,
not critical nor impatient,
not comparing nor judgemental,
not jealous nor envious,
not controlling nor possessive,
truly forgiving and never resentful.

Just for today, Lord,
cleanse my heart and purify my being
so that your love may flow through me,
so that your goodness may be reflected in my actions.

Just for today, Lord,
help me to live these words
and draw me ever closer to you.

-Frances Ophelia Hardy

About Frances Ophelia Hardy

My grandmother, Frances Ophelia Gregory Hardy (July 15, 1927-July 16, 2017) was born in Mexico City and passed away in Torrance, California. She raised five children and was grandmother to 18. She was a part of the Christian Family Movement, a ministry that builds up Christ-centered marriages and families that still exists today. Her work and ministry life included leading her parish prayer ministries, teaching, speaking, and writing for schools, Catholic parishes, and conferences.

Over time, it is one of our goals at Our Spiritual Familyto publish the prayers and spiritual writings of Frances Ophelia Hardy so that the next generation of individuals and Spiritual Families can continue to be inspired by her faith and wisdom.

Free Downloadable Resources

If you want your own copy of Frances’ prayer, we’ve created a beautiful, downloadable, and printable version of Just for Today (in three different color schemes!), so you can place it in a visible space, frame it, or fold it into a journal for your prayer time. Check out the new page on our website for this and the current download of the Sunday Scripture study guide. Over time, we’ll continue to add more resources to help you consecrate and build the spiritual cultures of your communities!