This prayer is often attributed to St Francis of Assisi, although its history suggests that it only appeared in 1912 in Paris. In 1920 a French Franciscan printed it on the back of a picture of St Francis, and it seems the attribution stuck. Whatever its origin, it is a beautiful prayer:
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.
I so love this prayer. I have no doubts that God won’t listen.
Hi Sova – and welcome! Yes, this is a beautiful and powerful prayer. I think God would love us praying this prayer because it will begin to work its changes in us, first of all. God bless you!