Why “PRAY” Is My One Word Guide

Instead of listing lots of overly ambitious resolutions for the new year, I have adopted the annual exercise of discovering my “one word” to be the guide. Notice that I didn’t use the word “picking” my one word, because I don’t pick my word, it picks me.

Using the book, One Word, as a guide, I take the time and space to really think, answer the questions and prompts from the book and discern on what I most need in my life, and I am always surprised (and sometimes not ready for) the word that comes to me. But come to me it always does.

In 2016 my word was GROW. In 2017 my word was FAITH.

This year my one word is PRAY.

Gulp. That is not what I would have picked I can assure you. To be honest, it made me very uncomfortable. All that came to mind at first was prayer hands, rosary beads, churches, and kneeling in prayer. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a church going gal who whole-heartedly believes in God and the power of prayer, but this was a little more than I thought I could handle.

So to make it more accessible, I explored what PRAY means to me:

PRAY = not being alone

= asking for help

= not doing it all by myself

= reflecting

= pausing

= opening up

= going beyond

= having support

= being courageous

= connecting

= communicating

= celebrating

= thinking

= shifting from judgment

= listening

= being

= facing fear

= comfort at difficult times

= room to move when I’m stuck

= better self talk

= being OK

If that is what PRAY is, I’ll take it. I can certainly use more of all that in my life.

So when I’m stuck, frustrated, happy, confused or just about in any state, PRAY is my go-to for what my life most needs now. That definitely makes me feel quite a bit better now.

Do you have a word for this year? How do you find it? Or does it find you? How do you integrate it into your life?