Praying into 2016: a Christian prayer thread for the New Year

[Tuo]

Happy New Year friends.

This thread is a safe space where anyone - regular, occasional visitor, lurker, committed Christian or waverer - is welcome to come and leave their prayers in the knowledge that they will be prayed for. No problem is too big or small to share here, and if you just want to come and say 'hi', that's fine too.

Looking back through our previous thread, we pray in particular for:

ALittleFaith - for good treatment for her anxiety; for better understanding from her boss; for the lovely Faithlet.

amberlight - for her work supporting people with autism, and for her and her family.

Anjelica27 - for her DS, who has mental health problems, and for Anjelica and her family.

BlackEyedSusan - for all that she has to juggle as a single mum, for her DC, and for her mum. Praying for a peaceful and happy 2016.

Dontbesilly - for her dad, who has been diagnosed with cancer, and for all who love and care for him; also for the medical team looking after him; for her DH's work situation; and for Don't's DDog who has a heart condition.

DutchOma - with gratitude for all she does to support people on this thread and elsewhere. Thinking of her especially as the anniversary of the loss of her beloved Bob approaches, in particular after the recent death of her brother as well. May she know God's closeness to her in her grief.

EdithSimcox - for her to be able to find ways to support and nurture her faith; and for understanding from her DP.

FaithLoveandHope - for clarity about what she wants (and what God wants) for her future.

HardyLeodicean - especially for her FIL.

IHopeYouStepOnALegoPiece - for her to find comfort and joy in exploring her faith; also for a good recovery from heart surgery for her best friend's dad.

JugglingFromHereToThere - for her search for rewarding work, for health, and for comfort and strength for her and the rest of her family following the tragic death of her nephew.

Kaykat - following her divorce from an abusive ex; for happiness for her and for her DS.

legohurtswhenyoustandonit - for her to feel more at home and accepted by her church.

LifeofBriony - for her relationship with her DH; also for her DS going back to university after Christmas.

LightnessofBeing - for her new church, and for energy to cope with her punishing work schedule.

MadHairDay - for her health, especially in the cold, wet winter months which are always so hard on her lungs.

Pandora97 - as she starts a new job in a new town for the new year following difficult and stressful times relating to a court case in recent months.

passportmess (formerly known as QuietIsland) - for a colleague whose husband is very ill, and for a university friend who has been diagnosed with cancer.

PatchworkTurtle - for healing in her relationship.

PositiveAttitude - for her DD1, who is depressed, to get the support she needs; for her DD3 and her DH to work through their relationship issues; for PA's DH to find work that makes him happier, for PA's DMum to continue to be happy in her (relatively) new care home and for PA's DDad to cope with her being there. Above all, we pray for PA herself, who is always there for others when they need her, to be happy and fulfilled in 2016.

QoF - for courage when she is feeling anxious.

ScouseQueen - for a full recovery from recent illness.

SESthebrave - for her DH, who has been working abroad, and for SES, juggling everything at home; for her DS to find ways of communicating, rather than lashing out, when he is frustrated; and for her to feel appreciated for the work she does at her church.

TheRealGracePoole - for her ministry to women in her area.

weegiemum - giving thanks for an improvement in her DD1's (borderline) anorexia; praying for weegiemum's own health and for the Master's course which she has undertaken.

And, as always, prayers for anyone I've forgotten (with apologies), for all who lurk but don't post, for 'old-timers' who haven't posted recently, and for newbies who may not have posted yet.

A prayer of St Teresa of Avila

Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing frighten you.
All things pass away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Those who have God
Find they lack nothing;
God alone suffices. Amen

Certainly praying for you. Share if you want to, it might help to get things off your chest.

Thank you so much for praying for me. I had an experience where I fell in love with someone and really messed it all up because I was suffering mentally. It was a massive rejection and confirmation of my complete worthlessness really x

Since then I have suffered with a deep pain that won't go away. I am learning to live with it and have become v spiritual in the process. I think about how Jesus suffered too.

Praying for happiness and peace of mind for you Teal. Welcome to the thread. Remember that, however you may feel about yourself from time to time, you are not - we none of us are - worthless. We are all loved and valued, and we all have something to contribute. Please stick around: we will be here for you.

Praying for you, too, BES.

I saw Punkrockergirl on another thread and remembered that her brother had been very ill when she visited a previous incarnation of the prayer thread earlier in 2015. I just had a quick look on here and saw that her brother died in January. I want to add prayers for her here, whether she looks in or not. Thinking of you Punkrocker and I'm so sorry for your loss.

Please pray for my niece, visiting us this weekend, whose close friend has died today on the other side of the world. May he rest in peace. Just waiting for DN to come home now. She will be devastated.

bes and teal you are both in my prayers tonight too.

Teallove, when God mad you He made you beautiful. You are still beautiful in His eyes, because He looks at you with Jesus' eyes. However much you feel you have messed up, you can never lose that worth in God's eyes. Jesus suffered for you because 'you're worth it'.
Praying also for Punkrockergirl and her loss and for Edith's niece. To be so far away when someone dies is devastating. I hope you can be a comfort to her this weekend.

Morning everyone. I have had a very busy and stressful few weeks.

Dad's deteriorating fast. Been in hospital and discharged two days ago and needs to be readmitted.

I have just had words with my family about doing more to help me. Apparently they already are/were.

Dh yesterday walked the dogs for the one of their walks (I did the second one) he took dd3 into town and that's all in his defence.

Apparently allowing me (by looking after themselves) to visit dad eighty miles away in hospital and allowing my mum to sleep over is helping me.

I must be selfish. Yesterday I visited dad took mum food shopping and did my own food shopping. Took mum home calmed her when she cried, saw to dad and came home, unpacked at least eight bags of food shopping, dancing and manoeuvring my way around dh, fil, Mil and the children as I did this on my own. I emptied the dishwasher and tidied the kitchen area their mugs and cake plates etc and fed both dogs. Oh and bought dh a computer game thingy too.

Am I really, really expecting too much? Do other women really have it much worse? Am I selfish and self centred? I am of the opinion that the help and support they are offering me at a time of crisis is what other women receive daily on an ordinary day. Apparently not and I am daft.

I fear that this will stay with me and I will respond to their crisises (sp) in a similar way only to be told that they did actually do more and helped me but I was too wrapped up in myself to notice.

I fell full face down in the hospital on Friday night, rushing to carry dad's cases and meds and get him home. The wheels on the case caught the doorstrip on the corridor floor and pulled me over. I narrowly missed the doorframe and hurt my chin, ankle and wrist. I generally ache and dh bandaged my ankle and on I go.

Am I going mad. Am I selfish to expect more? I am locked in the loo typing this and dh nipped upstairs, heard the typing and asked me who I was texting now to moan about him to? I lied and said noone, well it's not a text is it, it's a post lol.

I feel like I am being let down. Am I right in that I am feeling very put upon. I don't bother to even tell them how I feel and carry on the same as I have done, working, cooking, shopping, laundry, vacuuming and so on. Without any help. Infact last weeks focus of attention was on the fact dh was on a second week of nights and wasn't sleeping well and was tired. That took up my energy. Making him coffee, rushing to the shop to buy the nice buns and nice ham to fill them and peanuts and things ge liked to make his shift run better. Such a fuss. Plus he almost caught man flu from my dh who had a slight cold. The implications of this and nightshift would have been a complete disaster.

Please can you advise me on my feelings and if I sound selfish or not. I don't have anyone in RL to speak to about this properly who isn't neutral, on his side of the family or someone on my side who would ring him up and tell straight, which would be unpleasant.

He's currently cleaning up the kitchen now and organising the children but it's after a few crossed words and the kids are reluctantly obeying him, chuntering and moaning along the way.

Please can you help me with your words of wisdom?

xx

Gosh, that was a loooong, indulgent post but I do feel slightly better for it x

Ps my mum had the cold and was staying with us. Damn autocorrect.

Don't - sorry... running out of the door, so excuse brevity.

YANBU! Definitely not! You need to sit your family down and tell them how you feel. Work out a rota for chores like emptying the dishwasher, walking the dogs, and so on, and then leave them to get on with it (i.e. don't do it for them if they don't do it). Ignore a bit of mess if you need to. Nothing bad will happen if the hoovering isn't done as regularly as you'd like. But protect yourself. Stay over near to your dad occasionally instead of dashing home, and leave them to get on with it. They will not starve or die of neglect if you're not there for a day or two, and it will be a good lesson in how much you do on a regular basis.

Be strict about this. You need support, not sniping.

You need a break. The stress is getting to you and you are not seeing clearly because you are at breaking point. Locking yourself in the loo is probably the best thing you could do. If there is anywhere you can go for a break this afternoon, do so. Say what you are going to do and then do it. Not to get 'your own back' but simply to get some relief from the unending grind your family are putting you under. They need to see what they are doing to you and there is no other way to do so than to calmly walk out for a bit. For your sake but also for theirs'. Nothing gained by you completely breaking down.

Where is your dad now?

pathetic, don't. him of course! stop doing stuff for him. let him get his own bloody peanuts.

oo ds had a humdinger of a melt down while i was in a cupboard* came out and ex's washing and many other items scattered to the four winds. Seems he can not cope with ds's exuberance. evil

*hide and seek

ps. not selfish no.

you will need a lot more support soon too. he better get used to pulling his finger out and getting on with it.

Lovely dont so sorry to hear things are so hard. You are certainly not selfish. I think you are a fixer and a nurturer of people by nature but now you don't have enough hours in the day to be all things to all people so be frank those who's need isn't as pressing or urgent need to lump it!

I took your advice and went out to see dad. We waited for the out of hours doctor to arrive as dad was unwell again. There doesn't seem to be an infection which is good.

Dh made Sunday lunch and did the cleaning up. He started to hoover but I took over as he doesn't move stuff to hoover behind them. I mopped the floors too. The kids helped me fold and put away laundry. It's safe to say they were tired and unfortunately the war medal they are expecting for bravery or long service or indeed anything else will be a long time coming......

I have been made a cup of tea and after I will walk the dogs giving me the opportunity to clear my head, pray for you all and then curl up to watch call the midwife.

Glad Tuo your dd got her new school place and things are looking better. Edith thanks for your lovely uplifting compliments. Teal I am praying for you. Oma praying for you and the situation with the churchs minister
Hopefully things will improve. Passport so so sorry that your friends dh passed away. Glad they were together right until the end. Praying for her in the coming days, weeks and beyond. It's a blessing that she has you as her friend. Thanks to everyone for your really good advice and words. I do appreciate it and the fact that you all are always there ready to offer prayer and support.

Thinking of you all and praying for you too. I am hoping that we get a touch of snow tonight as forecast just because I like it and it cheers me up and crunching through it with the dogs is invigorating. Obviously it's not good for everyone so I hope that it doesn't last too long. Anyway I will say night night and thank you all

Well done Dont. I love the midwife, especially sisster Monica Joan about her comment on the male organ. I hope you have a restful night and if there has to be snow may it look pretty for a few hours and then disappear.

Can you pray for my relationship (again). You may remember when I first joined you all it was in desperation when my dh was in the depths of depression and had left me. Since then we have been through treating the depression and gradually rebuilding our relationship which I want 100% to happen but I guess fear is holding me back from putting it all behind me and fully reconciling. This evening I ended up in floods of tears - I don't dwell on what happened and how I felt if I can help it but now he wants things to be like they were between us it all came flooding back- the heartbreak, the hopelessness, the rejection and the crushing, all encompassing sadness for both me and ds and I felt it all again. I don't know how to get past this - all I know is I want to but I need God to do it. Can you pray for me?

Thank you for praying for me
My pain lifted a little today and I'm not as hopeless
Thank you so much

Glad we were able to be here for you, Teal. Ongoing prayers for you.

QoF - praying for your relationship. It must be very difficult. Would some counselling help (together or separately)? Can you explain to your DH how you feel - that it's fear, not a desire not to be reconciled that makes this difficult for you? Would it help if you could tell your DH what you'd like from him in order to help you through this? (It seems to me that he may be 'making like nothing happened' because he wants to 'make things right', and the only way he knows how to do that is by going back to how things were before he had his breakdown. But, of course, you're no longer starting from the same starting-point, so the path back to how you were before cannot be the same one, even if the end goal is the same... Does that make sense? I am thinking of you.

Don't - good to hear you've had a bit more support tonight. Praying for you, your dad, and all your family.

Edith - I'm sorry that I missed your post earlier about your niece. Praying for her and for you tonight.

Posting an old favourite tonight for Edith's niece, for Don't, for Punkrockergirl, and for everyone who is stressed, sick, lonely, afraid or grieving tonight.

Watch, dear Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and let your angels protect those who sleep. Tend the sick. Refresh the weary. Sustain the dying. Calm the suffering. Pity the distressed. We ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.

Struggling to focus today.
dont thinking of you, and seconding everything everyone else has said; praying that DH has turned over a new leaf!
QofF this relationship stuff is hard, praying for you and your DH.

My DN flies home tomorrow, please keep her in your prayers.

need a kick up the rear and some prayers to keep me going on the big tidy.

so far it is a piddling little tidy. I have sorted out a large arrier bag of children's clothes for the charity shop. a bit sad as it is admitting there will be no more.

Prayers for Edith's DN today.

pottering about trying to get stuff done and feel more relaxed.

Thank you Tuo.

A prayer for us all, and those we love, tonight:

In the name of the restful Father,
In the name of the calming Son,
In the name of the peaceful Spirit,
May we and God be one.

I place my soul and body
Under your guarding this night, O God,
O Father of help to frail pilgrims,
Protector of heaven and earth.

I need to go to mothers. the children are desperate to go. I hate it. she is ill at the moment and that makes her really difficult to be around. nothing is right, nothing is good enough. there is always a negative comment. and she does not know when to be quiet when I have had enough. I was nearly suicidal when I got back from her house at christmas.