A Prayer to Be the Hands and Feet of Christ - Your Daily Prayer - May 20

A Prayer to be the Hands and Feet of Christ
By Brian Kolodiejchuk

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" – Matthew 25:40

Dear Jesus,

Help me to spread Your fragrance wherever I go.
Flood my soul with Your Spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly,
that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.

Shine through me, and be so in me
that every soul I come in contact with
may feel Your presence in my soul.

Let them look up, and see no longer me, but only Jesus!
Stay with me and then I will begin to shine as You shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.

The light, O Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be mine.
It will be You, shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise You in the way which You love best,
by shining on those around me.

Let me preach You without preaching, not by words but by my example,
by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You.
Amen.

—Inspired by John Henry Cardinal Newman’s own prayer, prayed by Mother Teresa daily after holy communion.

Heavenly Father, in this time of prayer, we reach out in the assurance that you will embrace your children and lead us home. Thank you for your grace, without it we are lost. Teach us to be your hands and feet. Send us where we are needed, and help us to look upon other with eyes unclouded by hate.

*Editor’s Note: The following was taken from What You Can Learn from Mother Teresa by Brian Kolodiejchuk. To read the full article, follow this link.

Related Resource: How to Choose Your One Word for 2026

This month on the How to Study the Bible Podcast, we’re starting a new series called One Word 2026, and it’s meant to be a gentle but intentional way to reflect, respond, and reconnect with God as we begin the year. In this episode, I’m walking you through why I love taking the whole month of January to pause and listen — rather than rushing into resolutions or putting pressure on yourself to “get it all together” by January 1. We’re going to start with Philippians 1:3–11, where Paul reminds us that we can have real confidence because God is still working in us, and He’s not finished.

Then I’m going to share six words I’ve been praying over for our community — six spiritual intentions that I believe reflect the kind of growth God may be inviting us into this year. You don’t have to choose one right away, and you definitely don’t have to force it — but I hope that one of these words will resonate in your spirit and give you a steady anchor for 2026.

 This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to subscribe to the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!