What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation.
(Hebrews 1:13; GNT).
Saint Raphael,
Please pray for us:
The sick in body,
Mind, heart, soul,
And beg the Lord
To send you
With his healing touch,
To make us whole.
God sent me…to cure you
(Tobit 12:13-14; GNTA).
Note
Saint Raphael the Archangel is the Patron Saint of healing, who serves God by restoring people in body, mind, heart and soul.
I posted today’s prayer at midnight last night, when it only had seven verses. However, this morning, when I was praying without words, I suddenly received the final couplet, which makes it complete. So that email followers don’t miss this, I’m now posting the final version for their sake.
A thoroughfare will be there – it will be called the Way of Holiness (Isaiah 35:8; NET).
Follow Christ on the way of love:
Worship Him who reigns above.
Learn from Christ on the way of faith:
Worship Him and seek His face.
Talk with Christ on the way of prayer:
Worship Him, our thoroughfare.
Serve with Christ on the way of light:
Worship Him both day and night.
Weep with Christ on the way of pain:
Worship Him who rose again.
Walk with Christ on the way of death:
Worship Him; one final breath
Then rest with Christ when life is past,
And worship Him with joy, at last.
Lord, though I’m on the way of dust,
I’ll worship you with steadfast trust.
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3; NIV).
References
The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV).
You were made from dust, and to dust you will return (Genesis 3:19; NLT).
The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:1; NLT).
Those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die (Isaiah 57:2; NLT).
This prayer overtook me yesterday whilst I was praying very sleepily, straight after waking up. It virtually wrote itself, which was an amazing experience.
Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.
(Luke 22:42; NLT).
Father,
I love you –
May your will be done.
Then, may I accept it
Like your Son.
Thank you for all you send,
Both “good” and “bad”.
In sickness, grief and pain
May I be glad,
And keep on serving.
Lord, may I grow like Christ,
Making my life
A willing sacrifice –
For this is my heart’s desire;
My only plea.
Father, I love you –
Thank you for loving me.
He loves us with unfailing love; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the LORD!
(Psalm 117:2; NLT).
We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16; NIV).
Lord,
Please help me, every day,
In all I feel, think, do and say,
To live in love, rejoice, and pray
For others.
Lord,
Please help me, through the years,
To walk with you, and face my fears,
Accepting sickness, loss and tears
With courage.
Lord,
Please help me: hear my plea
To live in you, and you in me,
Then all my sinfulness will flee
Your presence.
Lord,
Please help me: give me grace
To serve you till I’ve run my race,
Then I will see you face to face
Forever.
Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; NRSV).
This prayer rose gently from a beautiful time of bright, wordless prayer. Writing it made me smile, because it arrived backwards, which rarely happens to me.
He knows how weak we are.
(Psalm 103:13; NLT).
1. Lord,
You know
How weak and sick I am:
I cling to you so tight
That we are one;
2. Help me to serve you well
Each day;
Forgive my every failing, lapse,
And wrong.
3. Lord,
Though I’m nothing,
I rejoice,
Because to you, forever,
I belong;
4. You are my Maker
And my end:
So, though I’m weak and sick, Lord,
I am strong.
He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10; NKJV).
References
Verse 1: I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely (Psalm 63:8; NLT).
Verse 2: Serve him and hold fast to him (Deuteronomy 13:4; NIV).
He forgives all my sins (Psalm 103:3; NLT).
Verse 3: I am nothing (Job 40:4; NLT).
Rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16; NIV).
You and I both belong to God (Job 33:6; NLT).
Verse 4: You are our maker; and we are all the work of your hand (Isaiah 64:8; BBE).
“I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One” (Revelation 1:8; NLT).
The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).
I feel so concerned about the dreadful news from all around the world that today I have taken refuge in a personal song of praise for God:
I will praise the LORD,
and may everyone on earth bless his holy name
forever and ever.
(Psalm 145:21; NLT).
I praise and bless your holy name,
And follow you, my Lord, who came
To set my hard, cold heart aflame
Through love.
Although I’m weary, sick and lame,
Your kingdom is my only aim:
Lord, please replace my sin and shame
With love.
Support my wretched, failing frame,
And neither judge me, Lord, nor blame,
But help my spirit to proclaim
Your love.
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love.
(Psalm 92:2; NLT).
Very gently, towards the end of a time of prayer yesterday morning, these verses arose. They grew directly from the first line, which appeared very clearly in my mind. This was followed by seeing the outline of the prayer’s completed shape. Within half an hour today’s blog was finished, apart from checking out the references.
Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
(Matthew 6:9-10; RSV).
Let’s pray for heaven on earth:
For all who starve and thirst;
For all those who exploit the poor,
And put their own needs first.
Let’s pray for heaven on earth:
For all who are ill-used;
For those who scorn and injure them,
Yet think themselves excused.
Let’s pray for heaven on earth:
For all who must face war;
For those destroying lives and homes,
Who break your sacred law.
Let’s pray for heaven on earth:
The homeless, sick, and lame;
For God, our Lord, loves everyone –
So we should do the same.
He loves us with unfailing love (Psalm 117:2; NLT).
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NIV).
References
You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:43-5; NLT).
Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 12:31; NLT).
Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).
Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).
Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NLT).
“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same” (Luke 10:36-7; NLT).
A reading from Matthew 5:17-19; NLT.
I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
My husband has been in hospital for the last few days, after suddenly becoming ill last Wednesday evening. He is safely home now, but we are both exhausted, so for today I’ve chosen a prayer I wrote some time ago. Meanwhile, we are taking life as easily as possible until we both start to feel rather more like our usual selves.
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf (1 Timothy 2:1; NLT).
I pray for those who live with sickness:
Father, help us all;
And for those who dwell in sorrow:
Abba, hear our call.
I pray for those who fret and panic:
Father, ease our fears;
And for those who are mistreated:
Abba, share our tears.
I pray for those who suffer hardship:
Father, mark our sighs;
And for those who are in danger:
Abba, heed our cries.
I pray for those who walk in darkness:
Father, guide us through;
And for those who cannot find you:
Abba, lead us, too.
I pray for those who bow in anguish:
Father, save each soul;
And for those who die in torment:
Abba, make us whole.
His hands make whole (Job 5:18; NKJV).
References
If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God (Isaiah 50:10; NLT).
My loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in travail; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear, I am dismayed so that I cannot see (Isaiah 21:3; RSV).
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4; NLT).
This prayer came to me yesterday morning, when I was saying grace before breakfast. It began with just the first two lines, which I noted down, expecting nothing further. However, over the following hour the rest slowly arrived, line by line, until it was complete. Then, to my surprise, tomorrow’s prayer came, too, forming a linked pair.
I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me (Psalm 131:2; NLT).
Nothing to ask for,
Nothing to say,
Nothing I need, Lord:
You are my way.
You are my water,
You are my food,
You are my Teacher:
You are my truth.
Father, in sickness,
Jesus, in strife,
Spirit, in sorrow:
You are my life.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6; NLT).
This prayer came to me yesterday morning:
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion (Ephesians 6:18; NLT).
Pray, without speaking,
Sing, without sound;
Dance, without moving:
Jesus is near.
Thank him, in trouble,
Praise him, in grief;
Love him, in sickness,
Trust him, in fear.
Strength, in our weakness,
Peace, in our pain;
Light in our darkness:
Jesus is here.
Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” (Matthew 14:27; NLT).
Behold, I am with you every day, even unto the end of time (Matthew 28:20; ABPE).