I’ve always liked the Breton’s Fisherman’s Prayer, and there have been a number of times in my life when I’ve felt the need to pray it. There are several versions and proposed sources for the prayer, but they contain the same core plea: “Dear God be good to me. The sea is so wide, and my boat is so small.”

Admiral Hyman Rickover served for many years as the head of the U. S. Navy’s nuclear submarine force. Whenever a new captain was appointed for a nuclear submarine, Rickover would give him a plaque engraved with the prayer. He also gave one to President Kennedy, who kept it on his Oval Office desk.

There are times when we feel battered by the huge waves of the sea of life. We think that we can’t survive the seemingly crushing problems we face. The Breton’s Fisherman’s Prayer seems perfect for these times. First, it is a humble plea that acknowledges that our own efforts are not enough. Second, by asking God’s help, it is a statement of faith. Praying it will give us comfort, but I would like to suggest that we extend it by the last line of the wonderful hymn “You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore” (ELW #817): “On the sand I have abandoned my small boat; now with you, I will seek other seas.”

When we face overwhelming problems, praying this little prayer can help us remember that God loves YOU and me unconditionally.

Jim

Originally posted April 2018