Context: Yesterday, during a very significant conversation with a friend, I faced and revealed my deepest unhealed childhood wound: my terrible fear of never being forgiven by someone I have accidentally angered or hurt.
This fear is the consequence of long years of experience with my mother, whose uncontrolled fury was truly terrifying. She neither forgave, nor forgot, retaining deep, permanent grudges towards all those she believed had offended her in any way, including me. Sharing the lifelong effect this has had on me with my friend triggered today’s prayer soon afterwards.
O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
(Psalm 139:1; NLT).
Lord,
You know my wound,
Unhealed.
You see my bruise, Although concealed.
You know the childhood fear
I shield,
But now my weakness
Is revealed.
Through trust, my secret
Is unsealed,
Then to your healing hands
I yield.
Though he wounds, he also bandages. He strikes, but his hands also heal.
(Job 5:18; NLT).
References
“I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the LORD (Jeremiah 30:17; NLT).
We know that God makes everything work together for the good of those who love God and have been called according to God’s purpose (Romans 8:28; TIB).
Context: The stresses and strains of yesterday inevitably triggered a migraine, so today I’m being as still and quiet as possible. Whilst praying without words just after 6am, today’s blog arrived very easily and gently, for which I was very grateful. Then, to my astonishment, it divided in two, one part for today, and one for tomorrow.
Believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God – there never has been, and there never will be.
(Isaiah 43:10; NLT).
1. I believe in you, Lord God,
Yes, I believe in you.
One with you before my birth,
One in exile, here on earth, One with you in heaven, at last:
Lord, I believe in you.
2. I put my trust in you, Lord God,
I put my trust in you.
One with you in joys and tears,
One in troubles, tests and fears,
One with you in all you send:
I put my trust in you.
3. I live with you in love, Lord God,
I live with you in love.
One with you in loss and gain, One in sickness, grief and pain,
One with you for evermore:
I live with you, in love.
We live in fellowship with the true God.
(1 John 5:20; NLT).
References
1. I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life (John 5:24; NLT).
2. In you, LORD my God, I put my trust (Psalm 25:1; NIV).
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me (John 14:1; NLT).
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? (Psalm 56:4; NLT).
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me (Psalm 138:7; NKJV).
3. I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people (2 Corinthians 6:16; NIV).
Context: This prayer started to arrive just before the appointment with my consultant, and (to my great surprise), continued to arrive after it! My doctor couldn’t give me any definite news, though some conditions have now been ruled out. It’s looking more and more likely that I have Autonomic Neuropathy, so the next step will be a trip to London for more detailed tests. These should lead to a conclusive diagnosis. Meanwhile, here is today’s prayer:
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. (John 16:33; NLT).
Lord,
1. I put my trust in you
To help me face each test.
Depression and anxiety?
Well, all you send is blest.
2. Sorrow, fear and suffering?
Your will is my command.
Darkness, panic, grief and tears?
I place them in your hand.
3. For these have now become my “pearls”,
My pearls beyond all price. Through them, Lord, I learn to grasp
Your perfect sacrifice.
4. My trials are now my offerings: I share them all with you,
While you, Lord, share them all with me,
And love to help me, too.
5. Thus, you show me how to live,
To learn, and grow, and care
For others, while you help me face
The burdens I must bear.
6. My faith, my pain, my love, my life:
I lay them at your feet.
My Lord, my God, my All-In-All,
Your healing is complete.
Those who suffer he delivers in their suffering;
he speaks to them in their affliction (Job 36:15; NIV).
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly
we are wasting away, yet inwardly
we are being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16; NIV).
References
1. I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life (Psalm 143:8; NIV).
The LORD your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul (Deuteronomy 13:3; NLT).
Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal (Job: 5:17-18; NIV).
2. He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39; NLT).
3. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant’s search for fine pearls. When one pearl of great value was found, the merchant went back and sold everything else and bought it (Matthew 13:45-6; TIV).
Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you (Isaiah 30:20; NLT).
4. When Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer” (Hebrews 10:5; NLT).
God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time (Hebrews 10:10; NLT).
Trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge (Psalm 62:8; NLT).
In all their suffering he also suffered (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most (Hebrews 4:15-16; 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).
5. Then he 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” (Luke 9:23; NLT).
His command is that you walk in love (2 John 1:6; NIV).
The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving (Psalm 28:7; NLT).
6. “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).
Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28; NKJV).
Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again (Psalm 71:20; NIV).
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever (Revelation 21:4; NLT).
Context: Today I’m writing an article I was given this morning to work on. I’m very tired, and have had a small eye surgery, so it’s not finished yet. Accordingly, I have brought out of my “storeroom” a blog I got ready a little while ago (see Matthew 13:52, for the allusion).
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.
(Luke 10:27; NLT).
I will forgive their sins and forget the evil things
they have done (Jeremiah 31:34; CEV).
I love you, Lord, with all my mind,
And honour you within,
Because you pardon me each day, Forgetting all my sin.
I love you, Lord, with all my heart,
And glory in your name,
Because you pardon me each day, Forgetting all my shame.
I love you, Lord, with all my soul,
And follow you, my Guide,
Because you pardon me each day, Forgetting all my pride.
I love you, Lord, with all my strength,
And put my trust in you –
Please help me, Lord, to show my love
In everything I do.
Do everything with love (1 Corinthians 16:14; NLT).
Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers
and sisters of mine, you did for me.
(Matthew 25:40; NIV).
They have closed their minds and hardened their hearts
(Ephesians 4:18; NLT).
Yahweh,
When my mind is closed,
Remind me how, when Jesus rose,
He came to Mary, and to those
Who trusted.
Yahweh,
When my heart is hard,
Please show me how my way is barred
By prejudice; your face, marred
By my judgements.
Yahweh, When I start to preach,
May I remember what you teach: Love everyone, and help me reach Your standard.
This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13; NLT).
References
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NIV).
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; NLT).
Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).
Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).
Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NLT).
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26; NIV).
Greetings to all who see this post. Yesterday I received some negative comments about my way of addressing God in the day’s blog (I seek you: https://wp.me/p45bCr-bku).
This put me in a difficult position, because I can only express and share what God gives me, even though what I write may be rejected by some readers.
However, today I was shown a way forward which will hopefully honour us all. So from now on each prayer will be purely personal, addressed directly from my heart to God within. When appropriate, I will also briefly outline the context for some prayers.
Context of today’s prayer
Tomorrow I hope to face my most challenging fear: using a lift. I’ve been severely claustrophobic since early childhood, and have avoided lifts whenever possible throughout my life. Now that I use a rollator, stairs have become impossible, so it’s time to tackle this fear head-on. Sadly, with a migraine tonight, though, I may not be well enough to face it…
I am nothing but dust and ashes (Genesis 18:27; NIV).
1. I’m nothing, God:
I’m small, and weak, and mortal –
Made of dust.
2. Without you
I can’t even pray,
But in your strength I trust.
3. I beg your Spirit, Deep within,
To help me face my fears,
4. To intercede, To sigh for me,
And, one day, dry my tears.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.
(Revelation 21:4; NLT).
References
1. He knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust (Psalm 103:14; NLT.
2. You cannot do anything without me (John 15:5; CEV).
We do not know how to pray as we ought (Romans 8:26; NRSV).
The Lord is my strength and shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me (Psalm 28:7; NIV).
3. You have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you (1 John 2:27; NLT).
The Spirit helps us in our weakness (Romans 8:26; NRSV).
In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall (2 Samuel 22:30; NLT).
Your strength will support me (Psalm 139:9; NLT).
I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13; NLT)..
4. That very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26; NRSV).
We do not know how to pray as we ought. (Romans 8:26; NRSV).
You desire honesty from the womb (Psalm 51:6; NLT).
Prayer is sharing every thought, Sensation, feeling, word and deed
With God.
Prayer is sharing all our weakness, Judgement, sin and selfishness
With God.
Prayer is sharing stillness, silence, Darkness, need and loneliness
With God.
Prayer is sharing all our joys and sorrows,
Pain, fear, life and death
With God.
Prayer is listening, trusting, loving – Facing all we undergo
With God.
Yea, though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4; KJV).
References
Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).
Pray about everything (Philippians 4:6; NLT).
Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge (Psalm 62:8; NLT).
Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him (Psalm 62:5; NLT).
Be silent before the Sovereign Lord
(Zephaniah 1:7; NIV).
1. Wait quietly with God,
Who hears your silent prayers.
Talk quietly with God,
Who feels your silent cares.
2. Walk quietly with God,
Who sees your silent fears.
Weep quietly with God,
Who soothes your silent tears.
3. Work quietly with God,
Who knows your silent aim.
Sit quietly with God,
Who shares your silent pain.
4. Plead quietly with God,
Who loves your silent trust.
Dwell quietly with God,
Who forms you out of dust.
5. Grow quietly with God:
Make this your only goal.
Rest quietly with God: His Spirit is your soul.
IwillputmySpirit in you,
and you will live (Ezekiel 37:14; CSB).
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).
References
1. When you pray, don’t babble on …for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him (Matthew 6:7-8; NLT).
Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely (Psalm 139:4; NIV).
2. Walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8; NLT).
You are the God who sees me (Genesis 16:13; NIV).
When the cares of my heart are many, thy consolations cheer my soul (Psalm 94:19; RSV).
3. The Lord knows all human plans (Psalm 94:11; NIV).
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him (Psalm 62:5; NLT).
In all their suffering he also suffered (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).
4. He is my God, and I trust him (Psalm 91:2; NLT).
I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (Psalm 23:6; KJV).
The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7; KJV).
5. Learn to know your Creator and become like him (Colossians 3:10; NLT).
Let love be your highest goal (1 Corinthians 14:1; NLT).
You have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you (1 John 2:27; NLT).
Don’t you realise that your body is the templeof the HolySpirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself for God bought you with a high price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; NLT).
He jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us (James 4:5; NIV).
The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1; NLT).
The Apostles said to the Lord, “Give us faith” (Luke 17:5; WNT).
Please give me, Lord, the faith I need
To talk with you both night and day,
To listen, learn, and grow like you,
By following your way.
Please give me, Lord, the faith I need
To pray for others day and night,
And serve you in all humankind,
By walking in your light.
Please give me, Lord, the faith I need
To worship you unceasingly,
To praise your name, and seek your face,
By trusting you implicitly.
It is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8; NIV).
Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory (1 Peter 1:21; NLT).
Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will leave this life.
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21; CSB).
Rejoice always, pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).
Lord,
You give me all I have,
And also take away:
May I welcome every loss
With praise and thanks, each day.
Lord,
You give me all I have,
And also take away:
May I learn from all you send,
Grow, serve you, and obey.
Lord,
You give me all I have,
And also take away:
May I trust you, cling, rejoice,
And never cease to pray.
Lord,
You give me all I have,
And also take away:
So, I beg you to bring good
From all things, come what may.
We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him,
those whom he has called according to his purpose
(Romans 8:28; GNT).
