A Christian prayer thread for Autumn/Winter

[Tuo]

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]

Prayer for Advent: Day 17 - Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!

Oh dear, BES - I hope you feel better soon.

Praying for all those on this thread who are struggling at the moment, and in particular for innerstrength, 'FaithLoveandGrace, MHD and Worriedbff* and, of course, her friend.

Giving thanks for a good outcome from Pipbin's scan today, and for an improvement in Worried's friend's condition.

And praying for all those parts of the world affected by war or terrorism or violence of any kind. Praying for those who work to bring peace to these regions, who provide aid, medical help or shelter for those affected, and who minister to them. I pray also for those who believe that acts of terror are the only way forward: I pray that their eyes may be opened to the pain that they have caused and are continuing to cause, and that they may be inspired to seek a better way. And I pray for prisoners of conscience and those who have been killed or injured attempting to resolve conflict and bring peace. Specifically praying tonight for all those affected by the terrible events in Pakistan today and in Australia yesterday.

A prayer for peace:

Make your ways known upon earth, Lord God,
your saving power among all peoples.
Renew your Church in holiness
and help us to serve you with joy.
Guide the leaders of all nations,
that justice may prevail throughout the world.
Let not the needy be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Make us instruments of your peace
and let your glory be over all the earth. Amen

been quite poorly overnight with the shivers and high temperature. but up and about and dosing up on ibuprofen this morning. just need enough umph to get the children to school.

Thank you tuo for your lovely prayers and for your continued loving kindness to all here. Even when I find it hard to post / pray it's so lovely being able to read what you post.

bes sorry to hear you're feeling unwell today :( hope you manage to get some rest after the school run.

I have a hospital appointment this afternoon for a long standing injury. Hoping we can make positive progress as I've continuously been back and forth the doctors for years and only now have they referred me to the consultant!

Really tough morning where I lost my cool with kids. Feel rotten. I want them to feel loved and happy even if they frustrate me at times. Bah

Doesn't hurt for them to see that their mummy also wants to feel loved and happy and that they have the power to make it so. Mummies aren't perfect, much as would want to be. Hopefully your morning will improve.

Amen, Tuo - and so glad things are ok with you and the dds are ok.

Bes poor you. Hope that you can get some rest and feel better today.

Faith I pray that todays appointment will be positive and proactive and that something can be done for you about this condition.

mome oh lovely, we all do it. Our dc know we love us anyway. In some ways it's OK for them to see us lose it a bit and realise their actions have consequences too. We can't always be perfect mums! I pray that you have a positive day and your time with them is more peaceful and lovely.

Hello to Oma :)

Good morning all.

Asking God to send strength and comfort to all on here who need help. And thank you for the support and help there is on here for all of us together.

I feel like a tiny fragile little wisp of a person at the moment. On an emotional knife edge day in day out.

Morning all, dontstep I wouldn't worry about losing you're cool. It's good for our kids to see we're only human and that our needs need taking care of just as much as theirs.

Thanks mhd. Any treatment will result in another long waiting list but I'm pleased to at least be making this step forward :) just hope they don't say there's nothing they can do!

inner praying you feel better soon. I pray God sends you at least some small happiness today :)

oma I pray you have a good day too. Thank you for always being here.

Praying for you today innerstrength

Just thinking about these verses for you:

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.

Waves back to MHD. Keeps praying for 'no hospital at Christmas'

Keeps praying for Inner and FLaG. Remember how loved you are by God and love Him back. Spend some time doing just that: worship the God Who loves you. Praise Him, thank Him for your difficulties that turn your mind toward Him.

A prayer of Julian of Norwich:
Oh God, of your goodness give us yourself for only in you do we have it all.

At Christmas we celebrate Immanuel: God with us and we have it all.

Needing some strength today. DH's job search is slowing down in the inevitable pre Christmas wind down, and its hard to keep the old pecker up. Some days seem optimistic, and others seem desperately bleak. Sighhhh.

Some problems you can 'fix' by thinking or working it out, but others you just can't. I haven't felt this helpless since my parents died.

ah well mome, at least you did not tell one of them that some days you are glad that they are going to school because they have been badly behaved all morning. I turned my back for a mo and turned back again to catch him pushing dd over. he gave me that look that said he hadnot expected to get caught. he knew what he was doing. dd has been sat on, pushed, hurt, had her stuff taken and generally annoyed by small boy. I think he is sickening for something.

Is there anything we can do to help chocolatecake?

he was horrible and whiney on the way home too. s ashort walk seems to have eased things a bit.

Hello again everyone.

Firstly, I want to apologise for not being as supportive as I could be to everyone on here. So many people on here are struggling, in so many ways; I am still thinking of you all, and praying, and I promise I will give more back to you all when I am able to.

I am really struggling. I really am doing everything I think I could be to help me heal (but please please tell me if I have missed anything.)

I am praying a lot, and studying the bible. I am having lots of quiet time with God, talking to him about what has happened, and asking for his help. I am keeping busy, getting out and about, and seeing nice friends. I am having counselling. I am trying to block the hurtful memories and thoughts when they arise, and replace them with positive thoughts that God has a new plan for me. I am focussing on the children, and christmas activities. I am noticing small moments of joy and being grateful for them. I am doing lots of relevant reading. I am helping other people where I can and not sitting at home wallowing.

Yet still the hurt is utterly unbearable. And even though I am not in denial; (This is very very final, and I know I have no choice but to accept that my relationship is over,) even now I STILL feel in a state of UTTER SHOCK and DISBELIEF that this has happened, and that the person I trusted the most in the world is GONE and I will NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN. I just cannot cannot cannot believe it.

I want to stop the pain. I want to stop crying but I can't.

This is God's will. Praise Him. But I want the pain to stop.

More tough Oma talk:

Is it possible for you to think of this pain as say, a broken leg? Ok, so you have fallen and you have broken your leg. It hurts a lot. But beyond having it put in plaster there is not a lot you can do about it. No amount of reading the Bible, or talking to God about how much it hurts will make it heal any quicker. It will take the six weeks of it being in plaster and then some. You might need some physio on it, that will help, but if it is a bad break (and yours is a bad emotional break) it will take time. And it will go on hurting.
And so I think you are doing the right thing in concentrating on the children and seeing nice friends, but there is not a lot of point in talking to God about why it happened, or how it possibly could have happened, no more than if this was a real virtual break. It will probably take longer than six weeks and all.
Of course it will help to stay close to God, to think positive thoughts and all that, but in the end it will need time. It's very, very tough.

Tough Oma talk over. Try to rest and enjoy the time with your children, in the end I think they will be your biggest help.

Yes Oma - thank you. It does help comparing it to a physical injury.

In fact I said to someone earlier this week (apologies if I have already said this on here - can't remember what I have posted here and what I've said in real life) - that I feel like an emotional soldier, just returned from a particularly brutal battle which involved a horrible loss. Still alive, but have sustained very serious injuries. It will take a lot of specialist care, gentle recuperation, and a long long time to slowly recover from.

If you are getting small moments of joy I think you are doing ok and gradually you will get more of those each day you might not notice day by day but if you think back over a week i think you will notice the progress.

Ex is trying to ruin our Christmas by trying to drag DS off somewhere he will hate to stop me spending any time with him. I do have other people who I love that I can be with but i will feel sad without DS. I'm feeling a bit confused about it. He's doing it to try to force me to spend time with him and doesn't care if he hurts DS. The answer if for DS to stand up to him but he finds that difficult, sometimes he does, other times he goes along with things his dad forces him to do for an easy life. Can't blame him for that I don't exactly manage to stand up to him myself too well even at my age.

Prayer for Advent: Day 18 - Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!

Continuing to pray for all on this thread...

... for innerstrength to keep taking small steps forward, and for her to start to feel more positive about the future rather than dwelling on the past;

... for FaithLoveandGrace to remember her ADs and for them to start taking effect without too many nasty side-effects;

... for Kay's DS to be able to make wise decisions and for Kay to be able to support him in that without causing friction

... for Momey to be reassured that her DC do most definitely know how much she loves them, even if she does lose it occasionally - if never ever losing it is a criterion for being a good parent, then I am certainly not a good parent and I'm willing to bet that most of us on here aren't either!

... for MHD to feel better soon and to continue to stay out of hospital;

... for BES to cope with the many things life continues to throw at her;

... for ChocolateTeacake's DH to find a job, and for acceptance that this is not the best time of year to be looking so it should not be taken personally if a little more patience is required... In short, it's not him, it's the season!

... and for all UK academics today.

From tonight's Northumbria Compline:

Calm me, O Lord, as You stilled the storm.
Still me, O Lord, keep me from harm.
Let all the tumult within me cease.
Enfold me, Lord, in Your peace. Amen

For the new female Bishop. At last!

Hi all, hospital appointment went well yesterday. I've been referred for an MRI scan and then I'll have another appointment with the consultant after that to see how best to move forwards.

Struggling with motivation today. I'm just so tired but have so much to do! Sorry for being so rubbish and not very supportive lately. Still praying for you all.

No one is rubbish, certainly not one wo is praying.

grr. sis not get into town to get the photos I needed. but did go to sleep for quite a long while which I needed more as still poorly and had ds inbed all last night. it was nice to sleep the right way round, instead of fitting round a boy.

Dear innerstrength, I don't think there's a formula by which you can feel better. I think oma is right. Hurting can be an important process in healing - pain keeps you alert to what needs mending, iyswim, and pain helps you mend. Philip yanceys book 'where is God when it hurts' (can't do links on phone' goes into a lot of detail on that. It's ok to say that you hurt and to be hurt. It's good to do all the things that helo as well, to try to be positive, but also good not to try to cover it up too much. The psalmist often took time to hurt, always hoping in God but still reeling at times. I'm so sorry you're going through this time. I really feel your sadness and bewilderment reading your posts. I am going to be praying for you every day - that is a commitment to you dear one.

Keep hoping in the God who loves you so passionately, who holds you in his arms and weeps with you.

Just went to dds music concert - she's in the jazz band at school - she's the only flautist in a sea of clarinets and saxophones and did brilliantly. I cried though at a sixth former singing 'o holy night' in the most beautiful voice you can imagine. Our God is good - thankyou Jesus for coming among us and feeling our pain.

Prayer for Advent: Day 19 - Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!

Late/tired again tonight... Have been out doing musical/Christmassy stuff till late. Still lots to thank God for too: for friends and music and general cheerfulness, and for my parents being here.

Praying for FaithLoveandGrace - for motivation and energy. Remember that you are not rubbish, and that the lovely thing about this thread is that it is here for all of us, all the time. I undertook to post every day in Advent, but most of the time people come and go, they post regularly or irregularly, they post for a while and then disappear, and it doesn't matter, because the thread doesn't depend on any one individual but on this place being here as a collective place of prayer, which anyone can join, and where all are welcome. Your being here is a great thing, FLG. And maybe our prayers will help you now and your prayers will help one of us (or someone not on this thread at all) in the future. But no-one has to post... and no-one will be told off for just lurking. I am happy that we could be here at this tough time for you, and I hope you've found some comfort and inspiration here.

Innerstrength - continuing to pray for you. MHD knows a lot about pain, and what she says is very wise. But you can and will find ways to deal with this, and you can and will move on, be it ever so slowly. Praying for you on your journey.

BES - thanking God for restorative sleep and praying that you feel better soon.

Chocolateteacake - Amen to that!

And MHD a huge well done to your DD and remember that we are keeping prayers for your lungs going, and praying for a hospital-free Christmas.

Sharing this extract from tonight's Northumbria compline, because I love the image of God holding us as we sleep. May we all, and all those loved by us, know God's love in our lives tonight and always.

May the Father of heaven
have care of my soul,
His loving arm about my body,
through each slumber
and sleep of my life. Amen