"The Circle of Fire" - Don Miguel Ruiz

Ruiz calls this prayer "The Circle of Fire" because 'circle' represents earth and 'fire' represents spirit.  I decided to include it here because it expresses, for me, what Freedom in Christ is:  "free communion with God with no expectations" which comes through abandonment to God through "gratitude, love, loyalty, and justice". The 'justice' he speaks of must first be applied to ourselves--to not judge ourselves--otherwise our human tendency to punish ourselves gets in the way of everything else and is a denial of the cross of Christ.  He explains further in his chapter, "The Circle of Fire", what each line in this prayer means to him.  May this prayer speak personally to you and be the means by which God opens up your heart fully to Him.

     [Today is] the day of the Lord when the divinity returns to me when living my free will, and with all the power of my spirit I decide to live my life in free communion with God with no expectations
     [Today] I will live my life with gratitude, love, loyalty, and justice beginning with myself and continuing with my brothers and sisters
     [Today] I will respect all creation as the symbol of my love communion with the One who created me to the eternal happiness of humanity

"Prayers - A Communion with our Creator", Don Miguel Ruiz