O God, You who formed every person with care and intention — help me to see in others what You see: worth that does not have to be earned, dignity that cannot be taken away, a life that matters.
Teach me to treat people as ends, never merely as means. Help me to listen without interrupting, to disagree without diminishing, to lead without dominating. May my presence make others feel more like themselves, not less.
Forgive me for the times I have been careless with someone's feelings, dismissive of someone's story, or blind to someone's pain. Restore in me the attentiveness that true respect requires — the kind that sees the whole person, not just what is useful or comfortable.
Let me begin with myself: grant me the courage to treat my own life with the same care I would offer another. For I cannot give what I do not first receive.
May respect flow through me like water — quietly, constantly, and giving life wherever it goes.
Amen.