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A Christian prayer thread for Autumn/Winter

990 replies

Tuo · 30/10/2014 01:17

Welcome to our new prayer thread for autumn/winter. This is a safe and supportive place of prayer, where regulars, occasional visitors and lurkers, committed Christians and those just dipping a toe into the water are all equally welcome. Come and leave a prayer, tell us what's going on in your life, bring your worries, hopes, fears and joys to God, and know that you will be prayed for.

We pray, in particular, for...

... amberlight, for her work raising awareness of the ways in which we can work to make life easier for our autistic friends, and for her to know love and acceptance wherever she goes; also thanking God for her recent 'all-clear' at her annual cancer check-up;

... BlackEyedSusan, for all the many things which she has to juggle in her life as a single parent; in particular, for her DS to get adequate support so that he is less stressed at school; also for her DD and for her mum, and for BES to find the RL support that she needs;

... BlessedAssurance, for life with her two LOs, and for her family who are far away;

... DontstepontheMomeRaths, for her life as a single mum, for God to provide if her XH is successful in training for a new role, and for the wonderful work she does through her church supporting people going through separation and divorce;

... DutchOma, as she continues to miss Bob; thanking God for the wonderful support that she provides for so many on here; and praying for her relationship with her DD, in particular;

... Gingercurl, for her work situation; and for the relationship between her brother and sister to improve;

... howtoapproachthis for physical and emotional healing; and for a good bond between her and her DD;

... Kaykat, continuing to pray for her as she goes through the stressful and painful process of divorce; praying, in particular, that she is able to find good ways of supporting her DS, and for him to find renewed happiness in the coming weeks;

... MadHairDay, for her health; for peace of mind about the choice of secondary school for her DS; and for her DD to find friendship and acceptance;

... MrsPixieMoo, thanking God for her baby DD; and praying for a new home where the family can be really happy;

... Pipbin, for her IVF treatment - for her to find support and a positive way forward, whatever the outcome;

... PositiveAttitude, for her new studies and her work as a Deacon in her church; for her mum, who has dementia; and for her DD1 to find one or more special friends;

... PurplePidjin, for a more peaceful life;

... QuestionofFaith, for her and for her DH - for his depression to lift and for them to find ways to rebuild their lives;

... and for a poster we won't name but whose situation is known to God, praying that she is safe and supported.

We pray also for all regular and occasional visitors including: ALittleFaith, Badvoc, BlueTinkerbell, CharlotteCollins, cloutiedumpling, JugglingFromHereToThere, ktef, MaryBS, niminypiminy, PandaG, RoomForALittleOne, SEStheBrave, thegreenheartofmanyroundabouts, tunnocksteacake, weegiemum, and for anyone I've forgotten to name-check (don't take it personally, please!). And we pray for those who read and pray but don't post, for those who need our prayers but are afraid or too uncertain to post them, and for all those known to us in our own lives who need God's love.

Keep Your people, Lord,
in the arms of Your embrace.
Shelter them under Your wings.
Be their light in darkness.
Be their hope in distress.
Be their calm in anxiety.
Be strength in their weakness.
Be their comfort in pain.
Be their song in the night. Amen

[post edited by MNHQ]

OP posts:
Dutchoma · 08/12/2014 17:31

Kay is right: your prayers have been answered by a firm "no" from God. You can ask him for snakes and scorpions all you like but He will only give you boring fish. What good and merciful Father would not do the same?
You will have the strength to get over this, you need just to start small and keep practising.

innerstrength100 · 08/12/2014 20:04

Thank you Kay and Oma. I hear what you are both saying. Yes he did keep me in a horrible state of uncertainty for a considerable length of time whilst I was only showing love and support for the huge amount of horrible family related stuff he had going on.

I understand the implications of "moving on" to most probably mean someone else yes, although yes again, he has been too cowardly to tell me exactly the reason for this split, or give an explanationas to why he has treated me like this; I am stunned by how cold and cruel the text was, from someone who said I was the "best thing that ever happened to him". He did not even say sorry, or hope you are ok, or anything.

The idea of him being with someone else actually makes me close to vomiting; it really really makes me feel physically sick.

The praying for snakes and scorpions analogy is helpful, thank you. It feels like I have just discovered the world is not flat. My world is not what it seemed AT ALL and all theories related to my current understanding of where I thought I was in life have been ripped apart.

Please God give me strength to get through this and out the other side, and Please Please God let it happen quickly, and show me how.

QofF · 08/12/2014 20:21

Innerstrength sending you massive hugs and prayers for strength. It is so hard when prayers aren't answered the way we want them to be at the time. Oma you are so wise with what you have said and innerstrength Oma is so right. The only entity that should be at the centre of our lives is God and God never changes in his love for us so as long as God is there at the centre no one can break us fully. You will get through this and you will start feeling better but it will take time. Keep talking to God and lean on your friends, your church, your family and us. You will get there. Oh and eat some Cake Smile

BlackeyedSusan · 08/12/2014 20:24

today is the day for crying, grieving for what you have lost, even though it was only the hope of something and he was not what you hoped. I recommend chocolate, but not too much. Xmas Grin be kind to yourself.

tomorrow, you start on the way up. having a good cry today will help to release the tension and help you to move on a slowly, slowly, little by little. it may not seem you are making much progress but looking back you will see you are moving forward, it will hurt a little less each day, you will think about him less often and you will get better.

and yes. the answer was no, and something better is ahead. not that it feels like it right now...

innerstrength100 · 08/12/2014 20:42

Thank you. I so hope you are right, and that something better is ahead; whatever it is.

I have found these two quotes hugely helpful this evening:

"Embedded somewhere, in each act of betrayal, is the purpose of God waiting to be discovered"

And Psalm 118 "It is better to depend on God, than to depend on any man".

PurplePidjin · 08/12/2014 21:36

God is very much a Father in that He gives us what we need not what we want. i want chocolate but actually i need broccoli Sad bit of a bugger but better for me in the long run iyswim

innerstrength100 · 08/12/2014 22:49

Ok plan for tomorrow:

  1. Be a better mummy to my children.
  1. Clean house up.
  1. Pray for help.
  1. Stay at home and be safe as not thinking straight (also reversed car into someone this afternoon as was so upset and then had to go into a cafe and find the person that the car belonged to.)
  1. Attend children's christmas play and applaud and hug them close.

6..Cry

  1. Pray
  1. Cry
  1. Cry and Pray
  1. Start life as Day 1 officially single person although missing DP so so so so bad

GOD HELP TAKE THE PAIN AWAY PLEASE

KayKat · 08/12/2014 22:59

Well done innerstrength you really do have innerstrength. No 5 sounds great. Hope the person whose car got damaged wasn't too annoyed and at least gave you credit for being honest. Hope you can manage a few hours sleep.

Dutchoma · 08/12/2014 23:02
  1. Try and be a good mummy to your children, you don't have to be better.
  2. A bit of pottering around the house is a good plan. If it looks tidier afterwards, so much the better.
  3. Thank God for the help He is giving you.
  4. A bit of fresh air will do you good if you can go out without the car.
  5. The children will be delighted when you attend the Christmas play.

Think a bit more about Psalm 118. Try and smile. Have some chocolate or another treat. Don't cry.

You are doing well. Try and sleep now.

QofF · 08/12/2014 23:06

Sounds like a plan innerstrength and I hope the play and hugs go well

innerstrength100 · 08/12/2014 23:07

Going to bed now. Am a mess. An absolute mess. Want this to be better. Have no understanding AT ALL as to why this is happening. This is a horrible horrible horrible painful painful time and i don't deserve it; I really am a nice person. Very very very very very sad.

Thank you all for listening.

Tuo · 08/12/2014 23:32

Prayer for Advent: Day 9 - Maranatha: come Lord Jesus!

Lord Jesus, we ask you to come today to our friend, innerstrength. At this painful time, may she know love and kindness, support and strength. Innerstrength - BES is right: today is for grieving, but tomorrow represents your first tiny step forwards. You will not be healed overnight, and of course what has happened will continue to hurt you in the days ahead, but in time you will be able to look back on this day as a turning-point - in a good way - the first day of the rest of your life. I'm so sorry that you've been so badly hurt and let down. We will be praying for you, and with you every step of the way. Some of the people here have been through some tough times, when they felt as despairing as you do now... but they will tell you that, little by little, things have got better for them. I pray that you manage to sleep, and that you can make happy memories with your children at their play tomorrow as you start to move forward, knowing that God is with you, and that we are praying.

Lord Jesus, we ask you also to be with FaithLoveandGrace as she seeks help for her depression. FLG - I pray that you managed to talk to someone in RL today about how you are feeling and that you felt supported.

Lord Jesus, we ask you to come to blackberrystone, that she may be surrounded with love - with people who are kind, supportive, and gentle - so that her trust in others may grow and her sense of intimidation recede.

Lord Jesus, we ask you to be with Pipbin at her scan tomorrow, and we thank you that the BlueTinkerbell's pregnancy is proceeding well.

And Lord Jesus, we ask you to come to MHD and to keep her healthy this winter.

For innerstrength and the others mentioned today, I am posting Psalm 13. I heard this read several years ago at a time when something very tragic had happened - not to me directly, but affecting me indirectly (if that makes sense - sorry to be cryptic) and since then it reminds me that, however bad things seem, if I just trust in God's unfailing love the ability to rejoice will return. I like it because it doesn't promise that there will never be dark days - only that ultimately God's love will not fail us...

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.

May we all trust in God's unfailing love. And may we live that love in our own lives. Amen.

OP posts:
FaithLoveandGrace · 09/12/2014 09:00

Oh inner I'm so so sorry to hear what's happened. I hope and pray you feel a little better today. I agree that God has answered your prayers, albeit not in the way you wanted. You deserve so much more than this sorry excuse of a man and God knows that. Oma's words are so wise. I know they're hard to hear when you feel so low but she is absolutely right. It sounds like you've got a good plan for today though you don't need to be a better mum to your children, just continue to be a good mum.

Our morning prayer reading has comments at the end. Yesterday's was this:

"Too often we fear the emptiness, the darkness, the silence, within us. Yet it is there that the Spirit lives and works, even when our prayer seems most arid. God help us to go daily into the quiet of our own hearts, to meet you there in love and adoration."

Sending lots of thoughts hugs and prayers Flowers

BlackeyedSusan · 09/12/2014 10:12

It's a miracle!!!! the children are in school with homework (dd) and lunches and nativity costume (ds) even though i got up at two minutes to eight!

Dutchoma · 09/12/2014 10:34

A miracle indeed BES.

How are you this morning Innerstrength? Hope you got some sleep.

Pipbin · 09/12/2014 11:19

So, there is a viable pregnacy and we saw the heartbeat but it is measuring small. It should be 7+4 but it measured at 7. The clinic aren't completely happy with it and want me back in a week to see a weeks growth.

Dutchoma · 09/12/2014 11:31

It's good that they are keeping an eye on it Pipbin.

innerstrength100 · 09/12/2014 13:30

Congratulations Pipbin. So lovely to hear good news on here.

Thank you all for your lovely posts and prayers. It was hugely helpful last night. Day 1 of being officially single. Didn't sleep. Staying at home quietly today and concentrating on these 3 things:

  1. Trying to focus on God's Plan, rather than my own pain.
  1. Every time he comes into my head (about every 20 seconds at the moment, with either a lovely memory which makes me miss him, OR a horrible sickmaking imagining of him with another woman;) I flick my wrist and say "NO. God has a better plan for me." To try and stop the obsessive and destructive thoughts.
  1. Until the last couple of months, it was a lovely lovely very very special relationship; the best I have ever had by far. I was truly happy and fulfilled. BUT NOW - I have to let him go with thanks and love.
FaithLoveandGrace · 09/12/2014 14:27

Congratulations pipbin. I'm glad they're keeping an eye on you. Will keep you in my prayers over the next few weeks that your baby grows as normal.

inner praying for you too that God will help you through this. The first few weeks will be the hardest but I pray that you find some joy over the Christmas period. Sendings lots and lots of hugs.

BlackeyedSusan · 09/12/2014 15:06

here we go. pick up, rush about to get back for nativity performance. un freeze fingers etc.

FaithLoveandGrace · 09/12/2014 15:18

Sorry bes heads not with it today. I meant to agree about it being a miracle this morning. May God bless you with another miracle this afternoon. Hope you manage to rapidly unfreeze fingers, it's so cold out there!

Aretepetite · 09/12/2014 15:25

Psalm 13 is excellent.

Just want to add my prayers and thanks to our father for all the wonderful things he does for us.
Today my prayers are that my path is straight in my journey to reconciliation with our Lord.
That I can imitate the life's lead by the Lord and the saints.

I hope you don't mind me joining in. I have only found this thread and think it's important and great. You all sound supportive and lovely.
I will remember yous all in my prayers.

MrsPixieMoo · 09/12/2014 15:39

Just a quickie, popping by and catching up. Holding you all up in prayer. May God bless you all xxx

Dutchoma · 09/12/2014 16:16

Oh well done Inner, way to go. It will be hard. Line up a few things in your mind that are safe to think about and think about them instead of dwelling on ex. Praying that you will sleep better tonight.

MrsPixieMoo, lovely to hear from you. Is everything going well?

AretePetite, lovely to have you with us. There is great support to be found.

PurplePidjin · 09/12/2014 17:34

I think the prayers have worked thank you Thanks

DP has been offered a job!

Now just to pray and pray and pray that it's not yet another dodgy-dealing company who hire and fire within days Sad