Christian Prayer Thread 2

[Lissette]

Starting new thread so that the other thread doesn't run out before Bes can start a new one with her introduction.

Thank you oma and lissette~ prayers appreciated. Have tiredness headache now but pleased jobs done.
Thank you dancingunicorn. Are you new or have you name changed? Lovely to have you whatever! Xx

I'm new/lurker! Hope it's ok to gatecrash!

Everyone is welcome. Great user name

Please pray for the crew of the search and rescue helicopter that went down off the Irish coast. They recovered the Pilot but she died later in hospital.

Welcome dancingunicorn this is not a thread you gatecrash - everyone is welcomed, so welcome - whether you lurk or post. I think I noticed your username already, so it is nice that you feel comfortable enough to post here.

Orchid well done. Rest if you are tired- it is your body's way of telling you to be gentle on yourself.

I am going to post this and then go back to the previous page to continue ...

Cocoa is right Unicorn: you cannot gatecrash here because everyone is most welcome.

Lissette I cross-posted with you. That sounds dreadful and yes, I am adding prayers.

saa I have been thinking of you. I wanted to write to you about a meditation by Sharon Salzburg, which is called The interconnectedness of things. You mentioned finding trees calming. The meditation is about a tree, and widens to think about everyone who has tended to the tree over time, and then the networks of people who look after the needs of the people who tend to the tree, and so on. It is beautiful- there is a line about even the people who push you to the edge resulting in growth, of course because being pushed to the edge can make us reconnect with the meaningful things in life - often we find or re-discover God only in adversity, but He is there all along.

Edd thank you. I pray for your DD1, and although you don't ask, for all your family, as things were difficult.

I have been thinking about PA and her little grandson, they too are in my prayers.

I pray for all those in need on this thread and beyond.

I pray to be able to continue to manage. I thank God for each day of peace I have. I was going to say that I pray I have made the right decisions, but I know I have. I pray to be able to navigate through, and I thank God for the clarity. People cannot understand why, given everything, it took me so long to be clear about what to do. I pray God does not judge me for that. I am sorry that only makes sense to me, I think. I am tired.

And some for Oma and prayers for happy singing tonight.

New thread hey!! Bad day today because my son is being poorly treated by so called friends. He's sad and upset, so so am I. Went to the doctors the other day to admit defeat and request help for my anxiety. So pills it is, which I feel a failure about. I might need a prayer or two.

Welcome to all new posters/lurkers on the latest thread.

Father,

As I lay down to sleep, I hold your hand.
Your hand is my comfort and my strength.
Strength to put down my concerns and fears,
Fears that steal peace, are not from you.
You are a loving Father with whom I feel safe.
Safe to rest, to let go and be at peace.
Peace is a gift, from you, and a promise.
Promises are my daily bread, so I will lay down to sleep,
Sleep within you care.

Amen.

Orchid that prayer made me tear up - in a good way. It's beautiful.

Lovely prayer Orchid.

Maybe only through the support on the thread Cocoa was it possible to come to that decision. Don't forget it was your decision to let God in and to seek prayer for your difficulties. Even God waits until we come to Him and then the clarity comes with it.
saa pills are not a defeat. You would not hesitate to seek pills for a chest infection, so if your anxiety gets the better of you, it is no defeat to seek some help.

I had a lovely time of singing. We didn't have our regular conductor but I like the one who comes to stand in better. And we had a pianist as well as a conductor. Quite hard work and I'm tired, but very satisfied.

I will lay me down in peace and take my rest; for it is Thou, Lord, only that makest me dwell in safety.

And prayer will see it through Cocoa.

Thank you Oma
I have asked for the post to be withdrawn though because of the detail, even though it is minimal. I am too tired to write properly, I am just going to do some praying and meditating. Prayers to all for a peaceful day

Sorry, I do not feel I am very good at keeping up to date with this thread, or very much at all at the moment.

I feel very sad this morning. I was awful to my DP this morning before work. I didn't even realise that today is a very bad day for him and that it was the day affecting him, not necessarily me. But, I didn't realise until after we'd had an argument about something that shouldn't have even mattered. I apologised and he kept telling me to stop apologising but I feel so sad that I upset him and i feel that he's fantastic at supporting me through my difficulties but I am awful at supporting him He has also become very distant and doubting of God. I understand why, he always struggles with how can God have allowed such a terrible thing to happen (sorry to be cryptic, it's not my story to tell) and in his mind he cannot resolve it or think about it in a different way when he's in the fog of depression and grief. I pray that he can find his way back to God, that he can learn to reach out for support and see there are people around him he can lean on if he just allows them to be there.

Prayers for all who need it today. Cocoa I don't know much about your situation, but God does and Oma is right, prayer will see things through. I am glad you feel able to reach out here. The meditation you mentioned sounds lovely, I will have to look it up. Thank you. I particularly like the part about people who push you to the edge.

Welcome DancingUnicorn

You are awfully hard on yourself saa. How about finding a little time and place to sit in the sunshine of God's love and realise that, whatever mistakes you make, God loves you. You do not need to be 'perfect' for God to love you, let Him fold you into His arms and hear Him say: "It's alright, just stay here with Me and rest awhile."
I'm sorry somethng bad happened to your DP. The question 'why do bad things happen to good people?' cannot be answered. Bad things happen and it does not mean that God does not care or exist, it just means that we do not know everything. I hope that your DP can work through his grief and that you feel able to support him. Be blessed.

Dear saa there is no obligation to keep up with this thread in any particular way. Oma is right, you don't need to be so hard on yourself.

I spent some time praying and meditating today and I got once again what I call my big stick message. Put the stick down and stop beating my back with it, keep loving my DC and keep doing just what I am doing. Tara Brach calls it the second arrowing - the first arrow is the pain and hurt which causes you to act out in some way (by being hostile, or abusing drink or drugs or anything else). That is part of the human condition- but the second arrowing is the arrow you add yourself because you feel bad and hate yourself for the way you act to the first arrow.

Whereas you need to look underneath the pain of the first arrowing and think what does this part of me need? It will be comfort, love, support, any of these positive things, not anger or hate. So, when I imagine what that part of me needs, it is to be held in God's love and I visualise that. God always looks the same in my vision, but maybe it is one of His Angels, I don't know. But it is that point, to not keep fighting or pushing away the bad feelings, but think what they need. Love and acceptance could help.

As regards your DP, I think this is his struggle to get through and I am sorry he is in such internal pain; you cannot answer his questions, just be there and be present with him, not apologising. Little things - a hug, a walk, day to day little things which won't undo the hurt, but which are putting him in touch with God's world. Because whatever has happened, there is still absolute beauty in the world if we open our eyes to see it but he needs to work through the fog bit by bit. And Oma is right, God's love is beyond our understanding and capacity to know, and therefore some questions we cannot answer, only come to terms with. I am praying for you both.

Oh, and I wanted to say I spelt Salzberg wrong, for Sharon Salzberg's meditation- I will try and find a link for you later, I need to get on with dinner.

Thank you Oma and Cocoa

Thank you everyone for the kind welcome! I sometimes feel like I'm gatecrashing the entire Christian religion; it seems unbelievable that God's love could possibly be for someone like me. But I'm getting better at knowing I think.

Praying for a day of calm and respite from anxiety for people today.

Oh Dancingunicorn, that made me want to cry, I feel the same, I was so much part of the Church and then for complicated reasons I grew away, and somehow found my way to God back last year. Not yet back properly to a Church community but that too will come. We are blessed.

Adding to your prayers for peace and calm today

dancingunicorn I don't know much about theology and my understanding of Christianity comes from what I've prayed, read about, watched on tv or learnt at church as a child. It may not be a huge amount but I believe that God loves ALL of us even if we feel we don't deserve his love. I cling onto this thought so much. For various reasons I'm not attending a church at the moment but I believe prayer at my kitchen sink is heard and answered just as much as a prayer said from a pew. Be kind to yourself. I had to tell myself off for being cross with myself this morning( iyswim) ! I hadn't got ds football kit ready and was getting upset and panicky but I prayed and remembered I had got dd school bag and pe kit ready, ironed school blouse for dd and found replacement lunch box for one left at school yesterday. I pray for continued calm in my day and all those who need it.

There is a Tolstoy story about a Bishop who visits three hermit monks living on an island. He is horrified about their lack of theological knowledge so sets about teaching them. When he leaves the island, they chase after him. It appears that they had already forgotten the complex prayers and theology and they were worried. One said ''When we pray, all we say is: God there are three of us and three of you. Have mercy on us!" The Bishop, impressed by their humble simplicity, bade them farewell.

(I've paraphrased a bit you get the gist: no need for complex theology)

Prayers for all.

I am very tired of dealing with unreasonableness. I would cope better if the unreasonableness did not trigger panic attacks. I would not have the panic were it not for the unreasonableness. I am praying to be able to restore some order here, for calm and for healing. I am very sad, panic attacks wear me out and leave me crying. I am praying for comfort and to be able to cope.