It’s November 8. You’ve got to get out the door early so you can head to your polling place, you’re heading to work with an eye on your phone, and you know you won’t spend more than a few minutes today without scrolling through the news.
You’re putting your vote in and that’s important, but there’s one more thing you can do as we face a pivotal moment in the history of not just this nation, but the entire world: And that is pray.
Pray for a better world, for a world we can be proud to leave to our children and grandchildren. Pray for healing among those who cannot agree, and the great rifts that have come across our nation these last months. Pray for a government that operates with the highest, most elevated intentions at heart, that honors the divine within all of us and respects the people with love, compassion and empathy. Our prayer is not for a specific winner – it is for the illumination of beauty, healing, love and truth in a world that sorely needs it.
In our prayer, we don’t simply surrender and ask for Divine help. We know we have done all we can. We are now stating our intention for the future, of the world we would like to create. We are coming forward with an idea from each of us of what we can do to help heal our nation – with an active resolution to help build better communities and neighborhoods and cities. And we are asking for help from a higher power, whatever it is that you believe in. By coming together, we can shape our future on a spiritual level and not just a physical one.
Take a moment today to prepare your prayer. It can be a moment of silence, an hour of meditation, a few songs, or a traditional prayer from your own heritage. You may wish to prepare it the night before and review it on the morning of. But it’s time for all of us to pray, even for just five minutes.
Suggested framework for a written or spoken exercise as prayer:
1. Gratitude
We always begin with gratitude – from prayers to compliments to requests, and there’s no more important time than now. Rather than focusing on where the country has gone wrong or where the political system has failed, focus on the beauty and thank the land, its stewards and its people for bringing that to the world. By articulating it aloud, we bring those characteristics into the forefront and we thank America: for the natural beauty of the land, for the wisdom of the original caretakers of the land, for the bounty of its produce, for the diversity of its inhabitants, for the opportunities it gives all of us who choose to live here. I thank America for being my adopted home, for being the shelter and haven of my grandparents and great-grandparents who came as refugees, for being a place where I have learned, expanded and grown beyond my wildest dreams. For that, I am grateful.
2. Refocus and Realign
Focus on the original intentions of this land and those who made it great through their vision, wisdom, tenacity and willingness to create something better for their children. Connect with the wisdom of the Native American people as original stewards of this land and honor their traditions and respect for the earth, the winds, the creatures, and most importantly, the water. Review the intentions of the Founding Fathers and honor the vision they created with their words and declarations, and find others who inspire you with your vision of a brighter America. Take a moment to realign with those ideals and remember what we are working together to create – no matter who is President, because it’s something we can all do together.
3. Recognize and Forgive
Look in the mirror of the news cycle and think about what you see. The two opposing candidates represent the cross spectrum of the American people, and often the ugliest characteristics within ourselves. Money, power, judgement, criticism, blame, shame, hurt and exploitation – those are all traits that have come to the forefront this election, and for a reason. It’s time for us to view those on a microscope and vow to do better. What you see, is what you are, so find a way that you manifest these characteristics in your life, and begin to eradicate them. If it’s something you project on others, it’s time to forgive. Forgive your friends, neighbors and opposing political party members. We can only heal if we unite.
4. Take Ownership & Resolve to Do Better
We can only do so much with our vote, and even with our prayer. Action is the key, and when we ask for Divine help, we need to show where we are playing our part, too. Set an intention for our country and the community you live in. Think of the world you want to pass on to your children, and envision it fully. Now, it’s time to manifest it. Come up with one concrete activity you are going to do to create it: It could be volunteering an hour a week, taking on political or civic activism, or even simply smiling at your neighbors or shopping local. Keep it small and simple – it needs to be doable, not a pie-in-the-sky election promise. After all, we’re not politicians – we are the power of the people.
5. Pray
It’s time to pray. To ask for Divine help from the Source, the Infinite, Divine Spirit, Higher Self, Creator – whatever you choose to call a higher power that constantly co-creates this universe and influences the lives of us all. Feel free to use a tool or framework that you prefer from religion, meditation or other practices. Sit in a yoga pose, dance to music, play your guitar, burn some incense or inhale a cup of ceremonial tea – find a way to connect with the Divine Infinite and ask for help to manifest a better tomorrow.
Post your prayer, commit to participating and invite others by RSVPing the global Facebook event.
Rishe Groner is the founder of TheGene-Sis.com, a non-denominational approach to spirituality and self-transformation based on feminine and Jewish mysticism. She is from Australia and lives in Brooklyn.