The Healing of the Blind Man and the Raising of Lazarus Date: first half 12th century (possibly 1129–34), metmuseum.com.
This prayer arrived when I was praying without words very sleepily last Saturday morning. Having just learned how to make videos here after 10 years of using WordPress every day, here is a recording of it, in case that’s better for you than print: IMG_3546
We praise you, Lord (Psalm 21:13; GNT).
We praise you, Lord,
And worship you;
We learn from you,
And follow you;
Believe in you,
And long for you: Our Teacher.
We love you, Lord,
And serve with you;
We trust in you,
Rejoice in you;
Depend on you,
And pray to you: Our Master.
We grieve with you,
And yield with you;
Accept with you,
Endure with you;
We suffer and unite
With you, Our Saviour.
He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:6; NLT).
References
You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am (John 13:13; NLT).
Jesus, Master, have mercy on us! (Luke 17:13; NLT).
Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:11; NLT).
Something extra
Here is a link to a gallery of photos which tell the story of a beautiful, short walk we enjoyed last Saturday. I apologise for having messed up my sharing of this yesterday, and hope it will work properly. I can’t claim to be a mistress of technology! Just click on the live link if you would like to view it: https://wp.me/P45bCr-eaC.
The emotions surfacing in last night’s dream were loss, anger, distress and powerlessness. Once again, I woke up shouting, then began to pray.
It’s very rare for me to pray for myself, but facing the Breast Clinic tomorrow with a lump on my sternum, this is how I prayed today, writing it down immediately afterwards:
Lord, whatever this lump turns out to be, please help me through the whole experience.
Please help everyone who is suffering in any way to go through whatever they must face.
Even while I’m saying this, Lord, I know you’re always with every one of us, sharing our suffering, and longing to help us through it. Yet even you, our Creator, have to wait until we turn to you and ask.
Please help everyone who is suffering to come to you, so you can show us your love and compassion, while you help us to go through whatever we must experience.
I ask this in your dear Son’s name. Amen.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4, NLT).
References
Jesus told him, “Iamtheway, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6; NLT).
You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13; NLT).
He became anguished and distressed (Matthew 26:37; NLT).
He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Mark 14: 35-6; NLT).
My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done (Matthew 26:42; NLT, my emphasis).
In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).
The LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion (Isaiah 30:18; NLT).
Yesterday was a bit of a struggle in terms of fatigue and pain, so this prayer, written earlier in the week, seemed like a good and cheering choice for today:
Pray in the Holy Spirit (Jude 1:20; RSV).
Spirit of the Living God,
Please fill my mind,
And heart,
And soul.
Then pray
On my behalf,
Till all who suffer
Are made whole.
References
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion (Ephesians 6:18; NLT).
We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).
The Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26; AMP).
The Rosary Hospital
On the plus side, I finished the beadwork of a fiat rosary which was ordered as a gift. Tomorrow I hope to complete it, ready for posting.
Context: Just before getting into bed, I always stand before my picture of Christ of Saint John of the Cross. I hold the frame, resting my cheek against it, whilst thanking Jesus for all that has happened during the day, both good and bad. I also ask for his help with difficult situations, and for guidance about things I don’t understand.
To my surprise, whilst I was doing this last Thursday night, today’s prayer arrived unbidden. I quickly realised it was Christ’s response to the personal disappointment and puzzlement I had just been sharing with him.
Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:8; NLT).
As for me, I am in your hands – do with me as you think best (Jeremiah 26:14; NLT).
Whether I live or die
I’m in your hands,
Subject to all your tests
And your commands;
Ready to fail, to suffer Yet believe;
Ready to do your will,
To serve, and grieve;
Ready to pray; give thanks –
I’ve made my choice:
Ready to lose my life, Lord,
And rejoice.
Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it (Mark 8:35; NIV).
Rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16; NIV).
References
Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? (Job 2:10; NLT).
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).
The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 13:3; NIV).
Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found (Psalm 11i:35; NLT).
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).
I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).
Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).
Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living (Romans 6:16; NLT).
Rosary News
Yesterday I launched The Rosary Hospital on Facebook, asking for broken rosaries, which I recycle into new ones. Here is a very simple five-decade rosary I made this evening. The only new parts are the cord and the olive-wood cross:
Context: This blog came to me in a split second, when I waswashing my face after getting up late. It was a few days after my hospital trip to London, and I was feeling drained, lonely and rather sorry for myself. God spoke to me so personally that I was nearly knocked off my feet:
The whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Loveyourneighboras yourself’ (Galatians 5:14; NLT).
Keep on offering your love to others, but don’t expect their love in return.
Keep on listening to others, but don’t expect them to listen to you in return.
Keep on taking an interest in other people’s news, but don’t expect them to show any interest in yours.
Keep on showing your sympathy to those who suffer, but don’t expect their sympathy in return.
Never try to elicit a caring response from those you think might ‘owe’ you some love in return. It won’t work, and the effort will only increase your sadness and loneliness.
When you’re too drained to support others, stop trying. Wait until you have some energy to spare. Say nothing; do nothing; rest.
Just keep on practicing Mother Theresa’s teaching on humility: “Accept being slighted, forgotten and disregarded” (reference below).
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love (Ephesians 4:2; NLT).
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:30-32; NIV).
1. Lord, may you be born again
Within my heart today,
Then I’ll always walk with you – My life, my truth, my way.
2. May you dwell there, full of grace, And teach me to do good,
Then I’ll grow much more like you – In faith, and hope, and love.
3. May I share your grief and pain
Within my heart each day,
Then I’ll suffer at your side – And watch, and wait, and pray.
4. Buried in my willing heart,
Then resurrected there, May we always live as one – In joy, and thanks, and prayer.
Not for deeds that we had done, but by his steadfast love alone, he saved us through a second birth, renewed us by the Spirit’s work, and poured him out upon us, too (Titus 3:5-6; ISV).
References
1. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:4; KJV).
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6; NLT).
2. The child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him (Luke 2:40; NIV).
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).
All of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).
Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13; NLT).
3. Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons,James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:36-8; NLT).
If we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering (Romans 8:17; NLT).
4. The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there (John 19:41-2; NLT).
Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed – for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead (John 20:8; NLT)
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying” (John 11:25; NLT).
I am with you every day, even unto the end of time (Matthew 28:20; ABPE).
For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).
Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; NIV).
You are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28; NLT).
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NLT).
All the days of the oppressed are wretched.
(Proverbs 15:15; NIV).
Father,
We are wretched,
Pitiful and weak,
For we have been invaded,
And the strong oppress the meek.
Father,
We are anxious, Hungry, thirsty, poor,
For we are now blockaded,
And the strong despise your law.
Father,
We are homeless,
Distressed in heart and mind,
Yet everyone is fragile,
And all lives are intertwined.
Father,
We are battered
By hardship, bomb and gun,
But weak and strong are suffering –
For all of us are one.
🖤
References
You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked (Revelation 3:17; NIV).
We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other (Romans 12:5; NLT).
If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it (1 Corinthians 12:26; CSB).
There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28; NLT).
Then Jesus said, “Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30; NLT).
Come to me,
All you who suffer:
I will give you rest.
Take my yoke,
And let me teach you
As you face each test.
Accept your cross,
And trust in me:
The load I give is light.
Then follow me,
For you and I
Are precious in God’s sight.
🖤
Then he [Jesus] said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it” (Luke 9:23-4; NLT).
You are precious in my sight (Isaiah 43:4; NASB20).
