Morning Prayer: "Take my shame away from me!"
Many morning prayers ask God for protection, guidance, or strength. The prayer “Take my shame away from me” touches something deeper. Shame can be one of the heaviest burdens we carry because it affects not only what we think we have done, but who we believe we are. What Is Shame? Shame is the painful feeling that something is wrong with us. Unlike guilt, which says, “I did something bad,” shame says, “I am bad.” Guilt focuses on an action. Shame attacks identity. A person may feel guilt after speaking harshly to a friend. A person feels shame when they conclude that because they spoke harshly, they are unworthy of friendship, forgiveness, or love. This distinction matters because guilt can motivate change. Shame often paralyzes it. Is There More Than One Kind of Shame? Not all shame is the same. Healthy Shame Some traditions speak of a healthy form of shame. This is really a form of moral awareness. It is the inner discomfort that tells us we have strayed from our values and n...