"By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples": Christian Prayer Thread for April

[Tuo]

I thought it was about time we started a new thread, seeing as the previous one now has over 600 posts, making it difficult for some people to load it and navigate around it. I used the quote from John 13. 15 that I posted on the previous thread on Maundy Thursday, because I think it sums up what this thread - and this group of people - is all about.

We pray particularly at this time for RoomForALittleOne: that her baby hang on where s/he is for as long as possible and continue to grow in size and strength, and that Room stay well and as pain- and stress-free as possible. Prayers, too, for the medical team looking after them both at this worrying time.

We pray also for:
amberlight ? for her work raising awareness of ASDs, and for her friends who have cancer;
BabyBeatrice and her family ? for continued healing and with thanks for recent good news;
BlackEyedSusan ? for strength to cope with all the many things on her plate, for health for her mum, and for happier times at school for her DD and DS;
BlueTinkerbell ? for work possibilities and for her vocation;
charlottecollinsislost ? for a peaceful holiday, despite the circumstances, and for as pain- and recrimination-free a separation as possible for the sake of all concerned;
Dontsteponthemomeraths ? for her as she dips her toe back in the 'dating pond'; for her ?LM? as he tries to establish contact with his children; for her brother to regain full use of his thumb, following an accident;
DutchOma and Bob ? for health for Bob, and for Oma to feel supported as she cares for him day-to-day; also for Oma's planned trip to Holland;
GingerCurl ? for the successful and (relatively) stress-free completion of her thesis;
HavingALittleFaithBaby ? for as easy a time as is possible during these last days and weeks of her pregnancy;
jann2013 ? for strength for her following the break-up of her marriage, and for her dd who has badly broken her arm;
Kaykat ? for her and her DS to know peace and happiness as they emerge from an abusive relationship, and for the legal issues to be sorted out quickly so that they can get back into their own home;
MadHairDay - for strength as she lives with chronic illness and for the Spring to bring her better health;
MaryBS - for peace and happiness following a difficult situation at Scouts with her DS;
PositiveAttitude ? for her mission overseas and for her family both over there and back here, especially her DD1;
...and for all who post on this thread, for those who lurk, for occasional visitors, and for those known to us who are in need of prayer, whether mentioned here or not.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

Kay - Reading your post, I was wondering if you have had any counselling or similar to help you process the abuse you have suffered? I think it's entirely normal that you should be 'up and down' after all that has happened, not least because you are in a better, safer, stronger place now than before, but you have had to go through (and are still going through) so much suffering and uncertainty to get there - I just wondered if it would help to have a 'safe place' to let out some of the negative thoughts, so that you can articulate them but to someone who's not your ex, or a lawyer, or even a friend, but just someone whose role is simply to listen and help you process everything....

Oma - hope you have a lovely day today, that Bob has a nice day too with DS and 'Baby' Rose, and that DD will make it tomorrow...

I did have a lovely day today and all went well at home, even though Bob got a bit overtired.
Had a text from dd to say she had a raging fever and had to call on friends to have the children, so I don't think she will be able to come tomorrow.

I'm glad you had a lovely day DO and that Bob had a good time with DS. I'm hoping that one day of being over tired won't cause too much of a problem. Shame about DD.

Hello all. Have been around and praying as I read.

We have DH's cousin and his wife visiting. You know some visitors are just great - if I'm busy feeding they'll make us all a cup of tea for all of us, having the baby for me. She's even given her a bath! I feel like its been a break for me too :)

I saw the doctor. She's not overly concerned - thinks what I'm experiencing is within the norms of new motherhood and sleep deprivation but has got me to do a HADS score and made me book an appointment for two weeks' time with an agreement that I'll make an emergency appointment if I escalate. She also pushed me to rest more. I think now my expressing is much better (getting the hang of the pump now!) I'll ask my Dad to come round and have her while I sleep with a bottle in the fridge if he needs it!

DO glad you had a nice day :) praying your DD gets better soon.

Kay I think it's good that you can be honest here - we can give you feedback and are recognising your progression through this. I think Tuo is right though, counselling might help you process your thoughts and recognise any negative patterns you might be in....

On my phone so can't name check too much but blue I'm so pleased your work situation is changing. Praying for God's guidance and support moving forward.

Praying for PA in her work and relationships. Your contraception story made me laugh!

hi everyone

ive been thinking about you all and missed u and hope everyone is doing ok.... i caught up a little on the thread but have so much more to catch up! things had been so busy with me - dd got injured for a good few weeks and then i was so busy with my course and seemed exhausted all the time. i feel like im falling away from God. i feel like i can't get to Him, whenever i pray my thoughts go everywhere else and i give up. i am too distracted to read the bible. i don't know how this has happened, but its upsetting me, and obviously im much more unsettled as a result! i don't know how to fix it.
i hope to be on the thread again more often - dd is such a live wire now! much love to u all, back soon and will catch up on what everyone is up to when i can. xx

Hi Jan great to hear from you. Sounds like you have a busy mind, I suspect this happens to all of us sometimes. Has you course work eased off now? Maybe that was crowding your mind a bit.

Jan - good to hear from you and that DD is doing better. Prayers for you that you will feel God's love and closeness. I often get distracted when praying too but someone once told to start prayers by asking God to help you stop being distracted and that if you are to accept your distractions as prayer since that is what is on your mind.

Faith - prayers for you and Faithlet. Thanks for the support from your Dad and fantastic visitors

Blue - prayers for your Grandad

Kay - praying for you and DS too.

Remembering everyone on this lovely thread - DO, PA, MHD, Lost, BES, Momey, TUO, Amber, GingerCurl and anyone else in need or lurking.

Just wanted to say I'm at Studland Bay today. Right now x

I heart Studland! :)

Hi Jan, good to hear from you and it sounds like things have calmed down a bit finally. I often sit down with a Bible on my lap or a view of the garden out the window and say to God, "I'm just going to sit in your presence for a while." And then talk if I feel like it, or not if I don't. Sometimes words are too much of an effort and I often think a thought and say, "That, God." I guess this is similar to what SES just said.

Oh, and other times my thoughts seem to wander totally off-topic, but it's all processing and if I'm in God's presence, who knows what input he's having?

Hello Jan - it's lovely to see you again. I hope your dd's arm has fully healed now. I am also very easily distracted, and sometimes start to pray only to find that my thoughts have wandered: I like the way that SES and Charlotte have talked about it. I also find it useful to have lists (actual, like on here, or just mental lists, as in 'I've got three things I want to focus on today...') which help me not to go off at a complete tangent. But I agree with the others that sometimes the truth (or our needs or hopes or fears or whatever) is in the tangents, as it were!

Momey - praying for you on your holidays. Wish I had been at the seaside... my DDs are there now, with my parents (my parents live by the sea; I miss it so much), but I am working this week, so am at home.

Faith - glad you're getting good support; long may it continue.

I've been out for a lovely meal with DH tonight, and have had quite a relaxing weekend, walking the dog and chilling a bit more than I usually do. Thanking God for my wonderful parents, who have been amazing grandparents to my DDs, and also for my DDs who give me so much to be proud of.

Kay i hope you are doing ok, and i am so glad to see you and Charlotte and how you have moved on from difficult situations (even though things r still difficult in many ways) yes the coursework has eased up now but i still feel i am so distracted - everyones comments have really really helped so thank you - i am thinking of the distractions as prayers, although sometimes my distractions seem quite self centered which doesn't help.

thank you for all the prayers for dds arm it is much better now and she is so lively and nothing is stopping her!

Tuo im so glad you got some good relaxation time at the weekend that sounds lovely and that you feel so grateful.... i am also so grateful to my parents and dd - they are all fantastic and im so blessed to have them.

Can you please pray for our landlords not to be difficult about breaking up our contract early? :)

Hi all. Still reading through and praying. Difficult day today but many good things, all the same. Could do with a few prayers for tomorrow, where I have to drive to Bristol for a meeting. Finding it all a bit scary.

Praying for you all. Amber is it the driving, the meeting or both that are scary? And Blue how much longer is left in your rental contract? Rental contracts can be broken but I don't know what you are liable for financially.

Can I ask for prayers for DH? He has to get a lot done for college with a deadline date of Monday that is set in stone. I am not doing well with looking after the kids and he needs more time to get stuff done. I'm finding it really stressful as I would love to do it for him. Prayers that he can whip up two essays plus do the other stuff that he needs to without it being awful would be very much appreciated.

I am extremely fed up and have been feeling very cross with God for some time now. It is so hard having given up my life as I knew it to be here. I thought that I would have found my niche here, IYKWIM? Instead I've had a horrible pregnancy which has left me cut off from potential friends and we've been a part of so many churches now that I don't know whether I'm coming or going. Not being able to do anything either through the restrictions of being pregnant or just not being known within churches is really hard. I know that being here is not about me, it's about DH training. I can't help feeling totally useless and a bit rejected by God at the mo. Sorry. I know that's selfish. I'm not even convinced that it has helped writing it down.

Prayers aplenty for you and your DH, RFALO. I think being cross with God is understandable. Praying for Him to give you a boost.

What's scary about tomorrow? Going to a building I don't know (sensory hazards like flickering lighting can wipe me out in seconds)...to meet people I don't know well (so will have to be on maximum 'communicating in a non-autistic way so they cope') and then getting home again if I run out of brain-energy. I know this is what I do, to raise awareness and make it accessible for other autistic people...but it takes a lot out of me.

So understandable that you are fed up RFaLO. It is an extremely hard situation . And so hard not being able to settle into a church so there are no people who could lend a hand.
Praying for Amber as well. Bristol is such a lovely city but you probably won't see much of it. Is the car behaving itself again, SatNav and all or do we need to pray for her as well?

Car gets shouty about having no fuel..when it does. So that's needing fixing still, yup.

Praying....
Especially for Amber for tomorrow, RFALO and her DH and Blue with her landlords & contract discussions.

I'm feeling more positive than I was last week. You know how sometimes, it's only when you're through the other side that you realise that yes, that was a tough few weeks? Well that's how I'm feeling and, as a result, a bit delicate. However I am very thankful that I can say a tough few weeks rather than months/years. Prayers for continued gaining of strength and ability to juggle everything on my plate would still be appreciated.

Grandad not well, apparently he's got MRSA now :(
My poor uncle who still lives with my grandparents feels very upset about it all.

Praying for everyone.

Prayers for all, but especially tonight for...

amber - for the trip to Bristol tomorrow; may your car behave, may the building be welcoming, and the people too, may your meeting go well, and may God bless your work, and you in the doing of it.

SES - for strength and patience and the ability to stay calm while keeping all balls in the air.

Room - for your DH's work, and for you at this tough time - as others have said, I think it's entirely understandable with all you've got on your plate at the moment, and that's without the added hassle of being in a place where you don't have close friends or family and where even your church community keeps changing. Remember that this too shall pass...

Oma and Bob - praying that you had another good day today.

Jan just remembered another thing I do when I am finding it hard to concentrate on prayer (I am sure I didn't make it up - I probably read it either on here or somewhere else) which is to use the Lord's Prayer as a guide.

So it might go something like:

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed by thy name [and insert here something for which you want to praise God]
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven [and insert here some difficult decision you want to pray about]
Give us this day our daily bread [thank God for the food and comforts of your life]
and forgive us our trespasses [say sorry for anything you're feeling bad about]
as we forgive those who trespass against us [ask for the strength to forgive those who have upset you]
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil [ask God to keep you safe and pray for anything you're worried about]
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory [end by praising God again]
Amen

The beauty of it is you can add in all the extra bits, stopping at the end of each line to think about it, or you can just do the bits that seem relevant to you at that particular time. And since the Lord's Prayer is so ingrained, you don't lose your way... Sorry if this seems really obvious; it's just something that has worked for me.

Blue - sorry - missed your last post. Praying also for your grandad and uncle and the whole family at this time.

I'm off to a nursing home that is new to me today so prayers would be appreciated. I'm finding it hard since my FinL died which is odd as I'm fine taking funerals but the home which is similar to the one he was in brings it all back.

I think this is the first time I've posted here but I do hold you all in prayer.

Grandad deteriorating very quickly, they might be called into hospital tonight.
Prayers please...
Dear God, if it is his time to go, please let it be peacefully and painlessly!
Give comfort to everyone who surrounds him, that they may know Your presence.