Friday Prayer: From Cynicism to Discernment

God, I've become cynical - expecting the worst, trusting nothing, suspecting everyone's motives. I thought this was wisdom, but it's actually wounded hope afraid to hope again. My cynicism protects me from disappointment but also isolates me from joy, connection, and your surprises.

Heal my cynical heart. Replace suspicion with discernment - the ability to evaluate wisely without dismissing automatically, to protect myself appropriately without closing myself completely. Teach me to test everything while remaining open to truth, to be wise as a serpent but innocent as a dove. I don't want to be naive, but I also don't want to be so jaded that I miss your work because I've stopped believing you still work. Open my heart to hope again.