A prayer to help me remain safe no matter the danger and to never waiver in my commitment to love, compassion and understanding. I feel we should all be prayed for, some of us really need it right now and I pray we can remember that togetherness is the only way for any of this to work.
O Great Spirit, help me keep my heart open to the needs of my family, friends and those I do not even know.
We have various Lakota prayers for protection (such as the one above), which (as the name indicates) are used to help protect us from bad things in the world…chiefly the many dangers and threats that we may face. The story of how these prayers came to be is a fascinating one and can be applied to everyone in this day and age. Discuss about; Lakota Prayer of Gratitude, Native American healing prayer.
Lakota Prayer for Protection
The Lakota Sioux offer a prayer to their creator, “My Father” the Wakan Tanka , which is said in unison at the Sun Dance ceremony which happens in June or July. As well as being cleansing of one’s heart, spirit and mind, it is done to honor the creator and provide healing for other people and themselves as well.
Every year I give you a Lakota prayer to use. In Lakota culture, the spiritual leaders taught their people how to pray so they could learn to live in harmony with the Earth and understand their place in the world.
A Prayer for Protection of Sacred Lands and Waters
Great Spirit, you have created a beautiful world for us to live in. You have sent rains and snow to fill our rivers. You have made the land rich in nutrients for our plants and animals. We want to show our gratitude by protecting these gifts. And so we are troubled by what is happening in North Dakota.
What Are the Key Elements of the Lakota Prayer for Protection?
Key Elements of the Lakota Prayer for Protection
The Lakota people have a rich and deeply spiritual culture, with prayers playing a central role in their daily lives. One of the most well-known prayers among the Lakota is the Prayer for Protection, which is recited to ask for safety, guidance, and blessings from the Creator. This powerful prayer is a reflection of the deep connection that the Lakota people have with the natural world and the spiritual realm. Below are the key elements of the Lakota Prayer for Protection:
1. Invocation
The prayer begins with an invocation to Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit and the Creator of all things. The Lakota people believe that Wakan Tanka is present in all aspects of the natural world, and they seek his guidance and protection through this prayer.
2. Honoring the Directions
In the Lakota tradition, the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west – hold special significance and symbolize different aspects of life. The Prayer for Protection often includes an acknowledgment and honoring of these directions, as a way of invoking their power and blessings.
3. Connection to Mother Earth
The Lakota people have a deep reverence for Mother Earth, whom they see as a living, breathing entity that provides sustenance and support to all living beings. The Prayer for Protection usually includes words of gratitude and respect for Mother Earth, acknowledging her as a source of life and nourishment.
4. Seeking Guidance and Strength
Central to the Prayer for Protection is the seeking of guidance, wisdom, and strength from Wakan Tanka. The Lakota people ask for clarity of mind, courage in the face of challenges, and the resolve to walk the path of righteousness and balance.
5. Protection from Harm
Another key element of the prayer is the plea for protection from harm, both physical and spiritual. The Lakota people believe that negative energies and malevolent forces can cause harm if left unchecked, so they ask for the Creator’s divine protection to shield them from harm and danger.
6. Blessings for All Beings
The Lakota Prayer for Protection often ends with a blessing for all living beings, human and non-human alike. The prayer seeks harmony, peace, and balance for the entire world, acknowledging the interconnectedness of all life forms and the need for mutual respect and understanding.
In conclusion, the Lakota Prayer for Protection is a beautiful and profound expression of the Lakota people’s spirituality and connection to the divine. By invoking the power of Wakan Tanka, honoring the four directions, and seeking guidance and protection, the prayer serves as a powerful tool for centering the mind, purifying the spirit, and fostering a sense of unity and harmony with all creation.
What is the Lakota prayer for strength?
The Lakota prayer for strength is a sacred prayer recited by the Lakota tribe to seek inner strength, resilience, and courage. It is a prayer that acknowledges the need for personal growth and empowerment in order to overcome challenges and live a meaningful and purposeful life.
Why is the Lakota prayer for strength important?
The Lakota prayer for strength holds deep significance in the spiritual and cultural traditions of the Lakota tribe. It is believed that by reciting this prayer, individuals can connect with their inner power and tap into the strength that resides within them. The prayer serves as a reminder to embrace personal growth, face one’s fears, and rise above life’s obstacles.
How is the Lakota prayer for strength performed?
The Lakota prayer for strength can be performed in various ways depending on personal preference and cultural traditions. It can be recited silently or spoken aloud, and may be accompanied by specific gestures or ritual actions. Individuals may choose to perform the prayer in solitude or as part of a community gathering, where it can be shared and amplified by collective intention.
What are the key elements of the Lakota prayer for strength?
The Lakota prayer for strength typically includes the following key elements: 1. Acknowledgment of personal weaknesses: The prayer recognizes that true inner strength comes from acknowledging one’s weaknesses and areas for growth. It encourages individuals to be humble and to seek strength not to be superior to others, but to face their own challenges. 2. Request for empowerment: The prayer asks for the ability to fight one’s greatest enemy, which is often oneself.
Lakota Prayer of Gratitude
Great Spirit, you are holy.
You have created me in beauty.
You have made me a woman, and so I walk in beauty.
I come from the Four Winds, and I return to the Four Winds.
I walk where the sun rises, and I walk where the sun sets.
My eyes see what is hidden from the eyes of many people.
I hear the voices of nature in their songs and calls – the voices of birds, the voices of animals and insects, and even the voice of trees as they sway in the wind. My heart is open to all things that live on this Mother Earth because I am one with all creatures known or unknown here on this Mother Earth.
I am a Warrior,
I am a Woman.
I am a Human Being.
I am an Earth Child.
I walk in beauty, and my eyes are open.
I see the light of daybreak, and I see the darkness of night.
I see the four directions where the red meets the blue, where the clouds meet the earth, where Mother meets Father above me – all around me – within me. The Great Spirit has given us this day our daily bread; let us rejoice and be thankful for it! We thank you for all that we have been given from you – every breath we take today is a gift from you; every moment we share together is another gift from you; every tear that falls from our eyes washes away another gift from you; every smile upon our faces is another gift from you – thank you for all that you have given us this day!
The Great Spirit has made us all different for a purpose: so we may learn to know ourselves as well as each other through our differences; so that we can help each other understand ourselves better by understanding each other’s differences; so that we might learn how to live together as brothers and sisters, side by side in peace and harmony with all creatures known or unknown here on Mother Earth.
News: Dakota Access, a non-Native American company, plans to construct a 1,172 mile pipeline from oil fields in North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to Patoka, Illinois; it would transport up to 500,000 barrels of fracked crude oil per day. On July 25, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted authorization for the pipeline to cross the Missouri River and Lake Oahe. The pipeline would thus cross waters considered sacred by the Native tribes and pass through treaty lands a half-mile from the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. Since the Army Corps decision, tribal members and their allies from across the country have been staging a nonviolent protest to stop the pipeline. In Yes magazine, Mark Trahant discusses the significance of this Native American response.
Construction has been halted awaiting court action on a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice on behalf of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, which claims that the construction and operation of the pipeline threatens the Tribe’s environmental and economic well-being, and would damage and destroy sites of great historic, religious, and cultural significance to the tribe.
Meanwhile, thanks to an awareness campaign launched via Facebook, Twitter (#RezpectOurWater), and other social media, the protest has grown to several thousand people with representatives of other Native American nations arriving every day. They have set up a “Prayer Camp” to pray for protection of their sacred lands and waters.
Native American healing prayer
Spirit and Medicine
A Prayer for Healing
I stand in the center of my power.
I am a child of the great spirit, who lives in me and around me.
I am whole and strong, loving and healing.
I am safe from harm and pain.
The Great Spirit heals all my wounds, heals all my pain, heals all my sorrows, heals all my fears.
I call on the Great Spirit to heal me from within outwards, from head to toe, from toe to head; from inside out; from outside in; by any means necessary; with much love and gratitude I ask you to take away all negative energy out of my body and replace it with only good and positive energy so that I can feel better physically mentally emotionally spiritually financially
Our Native American ancestors have given us the gift of prayer. They understood the power of prayer and how to pray.
Prayer is to be used for all our needs, whether physical or spiritual. In the beginning there was no separation between the physical and spiritual. For example, if you were sick, it was believed that your spirit was also sick and needed healing. The Native Americans believed that everything in life was connected and so they turned to prayer for guidance on how to live their lives properly.
We have lost this connection but we can regain it by learning from our Native American ancestors who still carry this knowledge within them today.
And so we pray this news . . .
Grandfather, Great Spirit,
Thank you for this life.
As you have taught us to honor our Mother, the Earth,
now help us show others how to respect your creation.
Strengthen us as we stand up on your behalf to
protest what powerful interests in the fossil fuel
industry and government officials swayed by their
arguments are planning to do by building a pipeline
across four states and our sacred lands.
Help us educate people about the catastrophic
effects of an oil spill on the Missouri River and
the water supply for so many communities.
Help us communicate well so that we can live in
peace with all our brothers and sisters and
all our relatives in the natural world.
Protect us during our protests and
protect our water and our sacred lands.
Aho!