The Enneagram Prayers
Below are prayers which I am creating, specific to each Enneagram Type (so far I only have the 1, 5, 7, and 9). Each of these prayers are meant to be especially resonant for those of the Type listed, or those who have a lot of energy of the Type, but each of these prayers may be helpful for anyone.
Enneagram Prayer for Type 1
“The Perfectionist” — Principled, Critical, Idealist.
This prayer focuses on engaging the body, noticing a need for rest, and avoiding the pitfalls of self-critique – common concerns of those who fixate at Type 1. This is a time to pause, move slowly, and converse with God through this prayer.
Note: It is recommended that while praying this prayer, one takes an intentional posture (eg: kneeling) and pays attention to one’s breath so as to bring one’s full body into the prayer with God.
Set-Apart, Holy One above and within all things,
In the awesomeness of your presence I bow down -- seen and loved.
May I see myself with your eyes of love and understanding.
Bring to my attention the extent to which anger is accumulating within me. Show me where I am indignant, critical, frustrated, and hurt. As I sit with these indicators, hold me in your love.
I cast away all guilt, resentment, and worries – abandoning myself to you – throwing myself into your warm embrace. Restore my peace. Empower my confidence.
I rebuke the voice of the Accuser. May I acknowledge my imperfection but not become trapped in self-critique.
I ask for sensitivity to your Spirit, to discern your will for the present moment – to live in the Now,
where time touches eternity,
in Love.
Not Fear.
For I entrust the future to your hands.
Show me what I should do in each moment – living a life pleasing to you now full of faith for the future.
I turn my attention to the body you gave me -- the tensed muscles, the sensations across my skin, my bearing in space. I invite my whole body to participate in this moment of prayer. With every breath your Spirit moves through me and energizes my soul for your glory.
From your perspective, everything is working together in completion and perfection. Gift me this zoomed-out perspective so I can rest in serenity.
I let you carry all my worry, anxiety, disturbance, and fear.
I rest with you so I can do good work, and I work with you so I can do good rest.
Yours is all power and glory,
Amen.
Enneagram Prayer for Type 5
“The Investigator” — Observant, Informed, Thinker.
This prayer is about faith beyond rational understanding. Those who fixate at Type 5 often crave certainty – a source of their anxiety over hypothetical scenarios and obsession to be knowledgeable. For those who desire the freedom that comes from not needing to know, this prayer is for you.
Note: This prayer uses "You" as a pronoun for God - invoking a personal, relational posture. It is recommended to also try praying this prayer using other words for God in place of "You" to try out new and old ways of relating to God, such as “Jesus" (eg: "All I need is Jesus") or "Father" (eg: "For my Father supplies my true needs in ways beyond my comprehension…").
All I need is You.
All I need is You.
All I need is You.
No amount of preparation or knowledge can give me true security,
So I surrender my desire to control,
For your plans have greater yields than mine.
What I think I want is warped by self-focus and what I think I know is incomplete,
So I will not cling and grasp at my desires,
For you supply my true needs in ways beyond my comprehension.
I release my craving for answers.
I no longer restrict myself to my own perspective.
For
I have faith that as I trust in you, you will guide me down the right road even if I know nothing about where I am going,
I have faith you have my best interests at heart,
I have faith that my life is not my own, but is best served by expanding beyond myself,
You are the Center of the story.
And Humanity is Your Love.
I trust You.
Amen.
Enneagram Prayer for Type 7
“The Enthusiast” — Optimistic, Enthusiastic, Uninhibited.
While those who fixate at Type 7 are equipped for positivity and adventure, they often struggle with slowing down and committing to regularity. They avoid pain by pursing new pleasures or by future-imagining. For those who encounter the compulsions of the 7, and seek to grow in self-control and purpose, this prayer is for you.
Eternal Community
and
Overflowing Love,
You know that I am week
and often trapped within the cage of my own desires.
But you love me enough to show me the way out:
commitment to a
fresh,
free,
salvation-life!
May I prove that I am not bound
by the capricious desires of the flesh,
but am empowered
to "say no"
to immediate pleasure,
and in so doing,
"say yes"
to the greater purpose you have for me.
Your rules guide me to living the most truly pleasurable life possible. Don't allow me to settle for lesser pleasures. I seek heavenly happiness and sustained satisfaction.
Change me
more into the person I
(and You)
truly desire me to be!
Enhance me!
Eradicate my flaws!
Teach me to see others as Jesus did. To focus on their needs above my own. To care for them beyond measure. To gain joy from giving joy and helping them in their life journey.
Whatever I fix my attention on, expands.
So I choose to focus upon You and Your purposes.
Every moment is an opportunity for me to choose life, and love, and purpose, or to backslide into compulsions and selfishness. So teach me to seize every moment and make every decision count for Good!
I surrender my plans.
And commit to love.
Amen.
Enneagram Prayer for Type 9
“The Peacemaker” — Accommodating, Agreeable, Self-Forgetting.
While those who fixate at Type 9 tend to be good at seeking comfort, they may need a push to engage with the tension of their world – addressing conflict, reflecting on their needs, and exercising their own will. This prayer is a challenge to that end.
Steadfast Provider,
I lay my spirit out before You.
Please give me clear sight.
And open up my heart.
May I notice the thoughts and feelings within me
--O God, You notice me.
May I see myself with Your eyes of compassion
--O God, You have mercy.
May I step out in boldness to affect our world.
--O God, You give me courage.
May I act with intention, aware and present to Your Spirit.
I trust in You. Your presence is
above and below,
ahead and behind,
within and without,
in the darkness and the light.
Whether in joy or suffering, Your love permeates all my life.
I surrender my expectations.
My compulsion for comfort.
My resistance to reflect.
Instead,
I embrace the reality You call me into:
The discomfort and tension of life,
And the suffering which leads to endurance and virtue.
May I be awake to the world and alive within it.
Amen.