Welcoming Prayer

The Welcoming Prayer is a contemplative practice rooted in the wisdom of Christian spirituality and pioneered by the late spiritual teacher Mary Mrozowski. It was designed as a tandem practice with Centering Prayer to be a moment-to-moment practice that helps us to embody surrender and acceptance, to let go of attachments and to trust in divine presence. This practice encourages us to welcome whatever arises in our lives—emotions, thoughts, and experiences—as invitations to grow and heal.

While the original prayer is powerful in its simplicity, I've revised it to incorporate the principles of Internal Family Systems (IFS), a therapeutic model that views the mind as composed of different parts, each with its own voice and role. This approach resonates deeply with the compassionate nature of the Welcoming Prayer by acknowledging and embracing every part of ourselves with curiosity and love.

In this updated version, we not welcome our experiences but also the parts of us that show up in response to those experiences. By doing so, we create space for self-awareness, self-compassion, and the gentle guidance of our true Self, the core of who we are. The integration of IFS into this prayer adds a layer of depth, inviting us to hold each part of ourselves with the same warmth and acceptance we seek from God.

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