Dear Netjer,

(I've dispensed with the formal ritual of greeting You for the sake of non-Kemetic Orthodox readers whose eyes might glaze over. I hope You don't mind; I'll make up for it in my spoken prayers, I promise.)

I've written about prayer and I'm sure I'll write about it again, so when I came up with the subject of prayer for this month's Wehem, I was stuck. Why write about something I've written about before? It didn't make sense. But prayer is what You wanted me to talk about....

So I decided to write a real letter, not just an essay. A letter like the ones I leave for You in the prayer-jar on my altar every evening, before I go to sleep. A prayer letter. The only unusual thing about it is that I'm writing in pixels instead of ink, and You won't be its only reader.

Netjer, it's been rough this month for a lot of people, both inside and outside Your family. It seems to be a repeat of last year, when You accepted one of our number into the West; a great deal of unexpected surprises and unfortunate happenings, of anger and disappointment, difficulty and annoyance. It's been a month where the Nameless One seems to have fed well.

Now, don't get me wrong. A lot of very wonderful things have happened, too, for which I give unending thanks and praise; both on my behalf and on behalf of the people I serve. We give You thanks for new jobs, for successful surgeries, for love. We give thanks for financial troubles offset, for relief from pain and stress. We give thanks just for Your being there to listen to us and lend us advice, and for letting us have a community where we can share our joys and concerns with each other as well as before You. We are blessed and we know it, and for this we are grateful.

Watch over Your children today and every day, Netjer, my Father and Mother of many colors and manifold attributes. Watch over the ones who are faithful and the ones who aren't. Watch over the wandering ones, the angry ones, the sad ones, the lost ones, as well as those who know who they are and where they want to go. We all need Your guidance and love. Watch over the ones who do Your work in the world and help them keep on. Watch over all Your children, known and unknown, as they go into the world to bring Ma'at to it through themselves, as Your ambassadors. Help them find their way, in Your Name of Wepwawet-Yinepu open that way, and in Your Name of Ma'at keep it open. In Your Name of Sekhmet-Hethert heal their ills and remind them of Your boundless love.

In Your Name of Aset-Serqet, remind them of the importance of words and keeping them in Ma'at. In Your Name of Bast, help them defend themselves and those who cannot defend themselves. In Your Name of Wesir enable them to talk to their Akhu; and in Your Name of Nebthet-Nit-Seshat accept those who go West with our prayers and tears of grief watering their ways. In Your Name of Djehuty grant us wisdom and in Your Name of Heru the authority to use Your wisdom wisely. In Your Name of Amun help us to persevere through difficulty; in Your Name of Set break down the barriers to our success, even those of our own making.

In Your Name of Ptah, help us create our destinies; in Your Name of Seshat-Nit-Nebthet remind us of what those destinies are, should we falter in our steps. Bless us under Ra and Nut and upon Geb; in the presence of the Eldest Ones, Tem and His Eyes; and in the presence of All Your Names, today and every day. May Ma'at be with us every day, and may You make it happen.

I kiss the ground before you in thanks and praise and ask that these words Become!