A Prayer to be a Garden

Cultivate joy, Holy Spirit, make my heart into your garden. Dig deeply, dig boldly, and dig freely. I resolve to put nothing in the way of Your cultivation. Weed and prune my heart as You desire. Water and cultivate my soul as You desire. Tend my heart as You please.

Cultivate love,

Cultivate peace,

Cultivate patience,

Cultivate kindness,

Cultivate goodness,

Cultivate faithfulness,

Cultivate gentleness,

Cultivate self-control,

Cultivate poverty of life,

Cultivate chastity of heart,

Cultivate obedience of mind.

Root out what does not belong in the garden of my heart, and use whatever tools You desire.

Root out the weeds of selfishness, that tempt me to keep my fruit for myself.

Root out the weeds that hide deep below the surface, the weeds I am afraid to expose to Your Sunlight.

Root out the weeds of vanity, that desperately seek the light of the world, only to wither.

Root out the weeds of fear, that keep me from even planting myself in Your soil.

Root out the weeds of worldly cares, which choke Your fruitfulness in me.

Prune the branches of my heart, of the genuine loves that must be separated from worldly and selfish clingings.

Prune my commitments and give clarity of where You desire for me to serve.

Prune my words, that my mouth may be used only to build up Your Kingdom.

Prune my desires, that I may seek to be cultivated by You always.

Prune my whole life, that by abiding in You and bearing fruit, I may prove to be Your disciple.

Amen.