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Original poster

Christian prayer thread for winter

984 replies

Madhairday · 12/11/2017 17:18

Hello all! I just posted a long post on the old thread and realised it's full up, so just going to copy this here to sunshine - will try and do a roundup of other prayers too later. Everyone welcome here!

Just want to reiterate what Oma and Cocoa have said so well, sunshine. It's no wonder church feels like a hostile place and you freeze up. I feel so sad for you that that man did this to you. But Christ isn't the church , the church is supposed to be his body, reaching out hands of love and help and compassion, and sometimes they mess that up. Hugely. Sometimes evil crawls in. But that doesn't mean God's abandoned you. I love that Oma referred to the prodigal son, I was looking at Rembrandt's study of that parable the other day and so struck afresh by the father's absolute joy in his son being home, his grace in embracing him whatever he'd done. Sadly you've had a poor excuse for a father so it must be so difficult to frame God in the language of father for you Flowers but God is the father who loves you beyond your imaginings, who reaches out arms of compassion and forgiveness, who gathers you in and just loves you. Loves you so much, so, so much, without end. You can never do anything that will make God abandon you. Jesus said that he is with us always, even to the end of the age.

I know church is threatening, lovely, but there are a lot of people who would love to help, here on the internet and in real life. It's just a case of reaching out, but I know that must seem impossible right now. I've learned that God is a God of restoration, a God who longs to mend the broken places and devastations in people's lives. I've seen people set free from so much and believe with everything I am that God longs to set you free, too.

I'd love you to find some medical support. I'm so sorry your GP is so rubbish. More and more the case, sadly. I pray you can get in to see someone. Would you also consider some counselling? Like cocoa says, that doesn't mean they would take your DC away, just that they would want to support and help you. Flowers you sound a lovely mum and have done so well to get to this point. I'm glad you are reaching out here. Please take care and know God's love pouring over you by the Holy Spirit. Flowers

OP posts:
Tuo · 17/02/2018 23:48

Thank you, Oma. And welcome WiggyPig

Today I want to pray for friends, as I have some much-loved friends staying this weekend.

Day 4: A prayer for friends

Lord, we thank you for our friends, whose love and support mirrors your love for us. We thank you for those whom we see on a regular basis, those with whom we work, those who share our little trials and triumphs day-to-day. We thank you too for those whom we see only rarely: those who live far away or overseas, but who care enough to stay in touch, to take the time to visit or call or email, and whom we know are always there for us. And we thank you for the online communities where we have friends of a different sort, perhaps those with whom we share things that are too difficult to share in 'real' life; those who always seem to know what to say in order to support or guide us; those who encourage us by their example.
Lord work through us, that we may be good friends to those around us, giving as we receive, loving as we are loved, listening are we are heard, supporting as we are supported.
Amen

EddSimcox · 17/02/2018 23:57

Amen

Tuo · 20/02/2018 03:58

Ah-ha! Bet you thought I'd forgotten you... but I haven't. Just a bit overwhelmed with 'stuff'. So here is...

Day 5: A prayer for those with too much to do

Lord, we are often so busy in our lives - with our families, with our work, even just having fun with friends - that we find it difficult to make space for you. Help those of us who are feeling overwhelmed at this time, that we might find the energy to deal with everything that we have on our plates. Be with those who have to deal with difficulties in their families or with others whom they love and support, and help them to hope for a resolution. Guide our thoughts to focus on you when we are distracted by the many things - good and bad - that invade our minds and keep us busy. Let us never be too busy to stop for a moment and feel your loving presence with us, to calm us and to set us, once again, on the right path. We ask this, with thanks in the knowledge that, while our thoughts may wander away from you, you will never abandon us. Amen.

Tuo · 20/02/2018 23:48

I'm aware of lots of job-related stuff going on this week (interviews, and such like) so today I thought we might have...

Day 6: A prayer for work

Lord, help us to dedicate our work to you, serving you in all we do.

Give us the love and patience to treat our colleagues, our bosses and those who work for us, our customers, our students, and our stakeholders of all sorts with respect and support, knowing that whatever we do for those around us we do for you.

Give hope to those who will, this week, apply for or be interviewed for a new job; inspire those involved in shortlisting, interviewing, and selecting with a spirit of fairness and openness; and grant peace of mind to anyone whose future feels uncertain at this time.

Give strength to all of us, as we shape our workplaces into places where your presence can be felt and your will done.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

EddSimcox · 21/02/2018 00:32

Well I interviewed and appointed someone to a new job today so that's apt not to mention the interview tomorrow

WiggyPig · 21/02/2018 08:27

I have some difficult decisions to make where I am going to upset one group or another or quite possibly both. I’m praying for the courage to do the right thing, the grace to make decisions with love, and the humility to listen properly to those with whom I disagree.

I’m particularly bad at the last one!

Dutchoma · 21/02/2018 08:48

Praying for you Wiggipig. Such a grace of God when you know were your weaknesses lie.

Original poster
Madhairday · 21/02/2018 18:33

Prayers, wiggy.

Thank you for your wonderful daily prayers, Tuo.

OP posts:
Tuo · 21/02/2018 22:32

Prayers, Wiggypig. That's a difficult position to be in.

Tuo · 21/02/2018 22:46

Oops, didn't mean to hit 'post' then, but never mind. Here's a new post for today's prayer. It was a beautiful day today where I am (though I was in meetings all day, so didn't see much of it), so I thought I'd post...

Day 7: A prayer of thanksgiving for spring

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the turning of the seasons, for the warming of the earth, the blooming of the flowers, and the lengthening of the days. Grant that we may be uplifted by these signs of new life and reminded of the unfailing hope that we have in you. Make us bearers of your hope, bringing light, warmth, and love to those around us. Through your son, who lived and died and rose again. Amen

BlackeyedSusan · 22/02/2018 11:08

off to gp with dd for tummy pains. emergency appointment. ds not happy

CishAndFips · 22/02/2018 12:08

Hope all is well with dd blackeye and ds is feeling happier soon.

WiggyPig · 22/02/2018 13:46

Echo what Cish said.

BlackeyedSusan · 22/02/2018 17:11

DS is at my friend's. We are in observation bay at A and E nil by mouth. Waiting for a blood test and to see surgical team.

CishAndFips · 22/02/2018 17:14

blackeye praying you are seen quickly and have some answers soon.

Dutchoma · 22/02/2018 18:41

Oh BES that is a whole new ball game. Thank God for the friend who has ds.

Tuo · 22/02/2018 22:35

Praying for your DD, BES. I hope she's OK. And praying for calm for you and DS too.

I've just seen the start of the news, and am so saddened by what I saw happening in Syria. Hence today's prayer.

Day 8: A prayer for peace

Lord, we pray for peace in Syria and throughout the world. We hold the people of Eastern Ghouta in our prayers tonight, and pray for those who are working to bring resolution to an impossible situation, that they may have persistence, diplomacy, and hope. We pray for all those in authority, that they may be inspired to love justice and to work for peace, putting the good of the weakest in their societies at the top of their agenda, and we pray for international organisations who seek to bring together those who are seemingly implacably opposed and to negotiate for the sake of peace. We ask you to be with people in Syria and all over the world who are affected by war, and with those who have fled their homes in search of safety. We pray for the injured and the bereaved and for those who seek to care for them in desperate conditions. Lord, bless the peacemakers, wherever they may be, and, in your mercy, grant us peace. Amen.

Tuo · 23/02/2018 23:12

Day 9: A prayer for those we love

Lord, bless our families and all those whom we love and care for. We thank you for the love which our families show to us, asking for the grace to be mirrors of that love, shining it back onto the giver and onto those around us. We pray for those whose loved-ones have died, recognising that their hurt and loss never goes away, and asking you to be with them and to comfort them in their grief. We pray too for those who are estranged from those they once loved, and ask that, even where reconciliation is not possible or even desirable, they might be granted peace of mind regarding the past and hope for the future. We pray for our children, thinking especially of BES's DD and of any who are ill at this time, praying for those who have exams coming up, and for any who are sad, lonely, or anxious. Make us like little children in our ability to wonder, to see with fresh eyes, and to take joy in the tiniest things, and inspire us to be guided always by love in all we do. Amen.

CishAndFips · 24/02/2018 08:22

Beautiful as always Tuo thank you.

BlackeyedSusan · 24/02/2018 14:41

we are home. We got home last night and have slept properly last night, no-one banging about from 5am. dd is absolutely fine. ds is away and I am taking the oportunity to spring clean around the computer

CishAndFips · 24/02/2018 18:00

Excellent news BES glad to hear you are all well.

Tuo · 25/02/2018 00:17

So glad you're back home and DD is feeling better BES.

A short one from me tonight, as I've been out and can't face turning the computer on, and phone typing isn't my forte!

Day 10: A prayer for us

Lord, bless all who read this thread and these prayers; those who post here regularly; those who drop by occasionally; and those who read but don't post. Give confidence to those who read our prayers and would like to believe, but feel afraid or unsure. Be with each one of us, in the prayers that we share here, and in those known only to ourselves and to you. We thank you that this place of prayer exists and brings us together in your name. Amen.

BlackeyedSusan · 25/02/2018 17:07

FFS. Just thrown coffee all over the computer desk where it promptly flowed into the extension cable sockets and a lot of my paperwork. Using the phone while it all dries. Need to send some important emails later when it has all dries out. Just using the last of my data to load french vocab onto chrome do I can look later. Was good when couldn't get a signal at the hospital. Been doing the weekly clean and trying to spring clean too. Off to pull out the plugs and let it all dry further.

Dutchoma · 25/02/2018 17:39

Oh dear BES, not what you needed at all. Is that while ds is still away?

BlackeyedSusan · 25/02/2018 20:00

ds is on his way back now. I am hoping he is very tired after swimming and will go to bed without fuss.