Christian Prayer Thread - Joy to the world, the Lord is coming

[DutchOma]

I thought it was time to set up a new thread for Christmas.

Will just leave it short and give you all the opportunity to add your own prayers.

Nickelbabe Prayers of thanks for the delivery of her little girl, continuing prayers for her and the baby. We look forward to you to be able to update us.

MHD prayers that the medical team will get their act together, but also that you will be able to be at home and stay at home over Christmas.

Soozi we know how hard things have been for you for such a long time. Prayers that you will find the strength to cope, especially at this Christmas time.

CaptainDippy Prayers for comfort and joy.

Prayers for all of us that we will proclaim the birth of the Saviour to a world in need.

h has been invited to a party at church. he thinks they have not invited me because of the children. this is probably the reason, but... I am a little sensitive when it comes to church.

e mail I am not sending (this time)

" just a qquick email to let you know that we are still alive, although you wouldn't have noticed if we weren't. I have not attended church for a while as the children were ill for the most of last term, I can no longer face the appalling lack of care and carrying one anothers burdens I have encountered in your church and I now find it too traumatic to attend church in january in case ther is any mention of jesus flleing to egypt as this is the anniversaryr of the week that I took the children and fled in fear of my own life and that of the children, having escaped yet again from a life threatening assault.... "

agggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh just aaaaaaaaggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!

Oh BES, that is really bad, but would you really want to attend a party at a church like that?
You need to be out of it, away from the gloating presence of your violent husband.
And you need to tell somebody what happened and then be off. There have to be better churches around where you live.

How are the children at the moment?

We are more or less ok at the moment, antibiotics are working and we are quite hopeful that we will make it to the Brompton on Monday.

Oh BES... That's so sad. Yes, I was going to say what Oma said... Can you try to find a new, welcoming, caring, child-friendly, ex-h-less church? Praying that you do find the support you need out there in RL too (we're always here of course...!).

Oma prayers for Bob.

And continuing prayers for your DD, PA.

And for MHD, MHD's DD, Mousie, Dorothy, gingercurl and everyone...

I hate to ask this, as it's so trivial compared to what most of you are going through, but I could do with some 'coping' prayers. I am not on top of things at work at all. I am working ridiculous hours, but not feeling as if I'm getting anywhere; and, worse, I feel I am letting people down, which I hate. I know that there are practical things I need to to do to rectify this, but I am struggling to put them in place. Thanks.

he is not gloating, but I do wonder whether the church leadership have assumed I have chucked him out (which I have) but for not a lot of reason. I do know he has not told them he was violent.

one child is weeing regularly in all the wrong places and being transported sitting on a carrier bag. (3 accidents in 2 days)

one child got a sticker for good behaviour. (1 out of 5 isn't bad)

I have flicked 2 metophorical fingers at school re the maths homework and sent it back with extension activities completed on it In a place that they can not glue it down to hide them it is bothering me more than it should.

Oh BES - I feel so much for you and it must be so hard :( You should send the email!! They need a kick up the backside, they really do, quite aside from whether they know about your h being such a piece of work they should have been looking out for you in any case. Praying that you are able to find some peace amidst it all. I agree re finding a lovely new church....

TUO, of course it isn't trivial and of course I will pray. It sounds like things are just too much atm.

I'm sorry to ask for yet more prayer. Just feels like everything is against us atm. this time it's the car, dh took it to get fixed yesterday but it's worse and the problem will be costing an astronomical amount, not sure even if we'll get back the money we already paid (long story, but trying to cut the amount of money) and we just feel completely flummoxed about the amount, we can't afford to trade in for a newer one, it's just a nightmare, I feel really anxious about it and as I feel ill in any case the anxiety seems to be adding to it all. Can I scream? Please can you pray that somehow it will all be sorted and for as little as possible??

Ooh, I really need to get our car sorted too mhd - it's been making the most awful grinding noise gradually getting worse over last couple of weeks (while DH away) Now he's back I almost feel I have the energy to contact the garage and get it looked at - bit of a nightmare isn't it ? - getting cars fixed !

So, could you make that prayers for two cars folks ! Thanks !

Tricky to know bes how much to engage with old church, and how much to move on with life and hopefully find lovely, new, supportive church for you and the DCs. Prayers for wisdom and guidance on that.

Sorry to hear about all you've been through. Always thought your NN was like "the black eyed peas" (pop group) etc. but I guess it may tell another story. If so I'm truly sorry that you've been through so much x

BES - I second, third and fourth what the others have said - I think it sounds like time to look for another church. Personally, I'd look for one that had an enthusiastic Sunday School and something for teenagers. A fresh start may be just what you and the DCs need.

MHD - praying the problems withe car resolve. We've just had a massive repair bill for roof repairs that were carried out after the storms we had last month. I still gulp when I see it.

Weegie - praying for wisdom for the doctors and that they get to the bottom of things soon. It is so frustrating waiting for test results.

Praying all is going well for Springydaffs - she came into my mind yesterday.

Prayers for PA's DD, Mousie, TUO and everyone else.

Oh PA - praying :( How is she? xx

more car trouble. a dying battery. I need to sort though a mountain of paper work to find a receipt. some of you may remember the post avalanche and realise that I am not good at sorting post.

the nick name is due to the fact that a blackeyed susie is a daisy with bright orange petals surounding the middle. ask do.. she will confirm this is appropriate. i also have black bags frorm mning too late into the night. there has been just one (?!?) of the other sorts of blackeyes so not really to do with that. I have loved the name since we saw some of the flowerrs in canada. could not think of a witty name and several I tried had already gone.

More prayers aplenty for everyone as I'm reading.

Am very glad to hear your NN is more to do with flowers and late night MNing than any other reason bes - the flower sounds beautiful !

Thank you for all your prayers. DD2 is doing ok. She was put on IV antibiotics as soon as she arrived at hospital yesterday. The Drs treated it as if it was bacterial meningitis, but the results came back this morning that it was not bacterial, which is good. Her health deteriorated overnight, but has picked up a bit since more antibiotics today.

Thank you again. I have just about stopped shaking now and am verging on being very angry that DD2 has had to suffer because we do still feel very much under spiritual attack and why should she have to suffer for us?

PA, heck. More prayers...

Here, my blood pressure is up. Could be another side effect of the medication I'm on, it seems. Still no more clues from my specialist as to whether I stay on it and risk all sorts, or come off it and risk breast cancer returning. Continued prayers would still be appreciated.

Prayers for all, especially perhaps for DD2 x

Certainly praying Amber, for wisdom and for peace about it all, such a difficult decision.

PA - I know love. It's so horrible. Praying that dd2 will continue to recover and quickly. Sending more prayers

We had some very good teaching from Jeff Lucas today, in Lucas on Life Every Day:
I quote" We tend to think that when the enemy uses temptation the aim is to draw us into sinful behaviour or addiction. But I think that is wrong. The main target is not our integrity, but our faith in Christ. Paul's thinking went like this: trials may have surprised and unsettled the Christian family at Thessalonika and so Paul was worried about their faith. [...]
Peter was warned at the Last Supper that satan was after him, and the focus of Jesus' praying for Peter was that his faith might not fail. Just as the tempter whispered in Eden "Did God really say...?", the enemy wants to undermine our confidence in God's existence and goodness.
Let's realise that our faith in God is what the enemy really wants to erode - that's why he goes after our integrity. If he wins, our shame taunts us, hopelessness begins to take over and, before we know it, we wonder if we're really followers of Christ at all. [...]. If Jesus is so active, how come so much pettiness and stupidity (and my addition, grief and sickness) continues in our liFe? Our faith comes under threat.
If you're battling crippling doubt at the moment, you need to realise that this is not only normal but is part of our spiritual warfare. Christians who never experience crises of faith make me wonder - are they actually living on the battlefield at all?"

Now I realise that you may all be very much more mature than I am and are not struggling with 'crippling doubt', but I must admit that this hits home very hard for me.

PA - prayers for continued recovery for your DD and for wisdom for the medics treating her.

Prayers also for Amber and everyone else needing strength...

Cor, that was good praying! I've spoken with my breast care nurse and come to a decision. I'm going to stay on the stuff for a while longer. Hurrah. I think.

That sounds good Amber

What you said about "integrity" is speaking to me DO

"it's not fair" on behalf of pa. (had plenty of practice)

please could you pray that the battery woks long enough to find the receipt/bank statement.

I am strruggling typing as I am cold, even with the heating on. just been to take the car to halfords to check whethter the statement I found was the correct one (not) and to know what we are looking for. also took the car on a loop of the motorway to charge the battery and wwent to asda which I needed to do anyway to use half the motorway trip on something I had to do anyway. now frozen and hungry as I wait fro my tea to heat in the microwwave. |i have yet to find the carrier bag of receipts under the stairs and sort through them.

cold fingers=typos

ps also had a quick word with the teaacher asking for harder homework bnext time, mentioning thata dd did the work in 1 min 20 seconds! (i timed it as I knew it was so easy)

praise God, the car started first time.

hoping it will still go on monday.

If you're after harder homework bes maybe your dd and my ds could swap ?

How is she on the finer points of Ancient Egyptian mythology ? ( for DS (10) )

• I wish I could show you all some examples from his homework, but unfortunately it's all with him at school in his book-bag. Perhaps I could post some examples this evening ? Anyway it was making my head hurt trying to work out the answers so I'm wondering if I might be right (as a qualified teacher with a degree yada, yada) that maybe it's a teensy bit difficult for him and all his friends ?!

Hi everyone, thank you for your prayers. DD2 is still unwell, but things are looking up! She is still on IV antibiotics and has not managed to take any fluids or foods since Tuesday, so they are putting nutrients and fluid into her.