Christian prayer thread for winter

[Madhairday]

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 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. 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.

Hello, Borris, great to see you here :)

Oh, Becca, you poor thing. That sounds just horrible. It doesn't sound a safe place for you from what you describe. I can't imagine my church behaving that way at all though I suppose there are always individuals who can be difficult, but it sounds as if there is a bit of a culture going on there? What kind of church is it, if you don't mind me asking? So sad that the body of Christ can treat one another like this at times. Is there somewhere else you could go?

Hello Borris and I hope you are hanging in there Tuo. It sounds like a strange church that does not embrace those requiring support Becca - mental health can leave some people unsure of what to do/afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing but it would seem obvious just a listening ear might help.
Tomorrow is results day for us and I am feeling either confident that she will do well or in a blind stomach churning heart galloping panic that she will not get what she expects - no middle ground!
Prayers would be very much appreciated that she achieves all her predicted grades and feels the hard work was worth it.
Good luck Tuos DD2

Things haven't improved today. I had an appointment this morning - mental health stuff, urgently needed and got back to an email about not having attended in almost three months. I know a lot of people have died recently or left but honestly, behaving like this puts people off. For a long time church for me was more about the people/socialising/doing choir/coffee after service and less about God. I'd sit in judgement of others being late or ill, then found myself in the same situation (irony not lost!) and in need of support. But as I lost my ability to do all those things I found my relationship with God changing, when I went services were more him than other things, but I'd get pressure to do the other things as well and could no longer manage them.

I don't know. It's changed a lot and the current vicar has multiple churches and is trying to make them all the same so bible study is all his churches on the same day in vicarage in different rooms then coming together, one is purely Welsh, one is bilingual (and very divided as a result) and the other, mine, mostly English. They're all church in Wales but all were unique now he wants them to be copies to make his life easier and it's just not working.

The only other accessible church is very evangelical and I cannot cope with their noisy services. I certainly wouldn't feel like I was worshipping God there - I know some people find churches like that helpful and, honestly if it brings people to the Lord then I'm all for it, but it's not for me.

I have occaisonally watched live services on YouTube in America and I've found that to be useful. Takes some getting used to! I've my own service booklets and when the weather is ok I'll go for a walk and either do a service alone or have a chat.

I guess I'm missing the church the way it was, and sad that when I could go I fell into being so judgemental of others instead of being able to do those things and worship as well - silly really.

juggling I will pray for her.

I failed all my GCSEs, yet I was able to find another way to get to uni and hold a professional career. I always feel so sad for those who don't get the grades they're predicted and get left floundering, feeling dreadfully inadequate, especially when surrounded by people who get them or the bloody papers saying how easy they are. Even if she doesn't get her grades, all is certainly not lost and it doesn't make the hard work she put in worth any less - I'm sure you know that but hearing it can help!

And if she gets them then great!

juggling and tuo hope things go well exam wise today.

Praying this morning for juggling and tuos dds

Thank you everyone - your prayers must have worked as she did so so well. She even managed three of those new 9 grades. I am beyond delighted. All that hard work was rewarded.
Thank you all and I shall get busy praying for your causes now.

Im glad. Congratulations to her some much needed good news!

Just read my post back and it seems like I was assuming she wouldn't pass, that was not what I meant at all, so sorry about that!

Becca - I knew exactly what you meant - you meant they are not the be all and end all of life x

That's great news juggling made my day.

I'm glad you understood what I was trying to say! When I failed mine it was like the world ended As despite my hard work all I heard was how stupid must you be to fail. Got there in the end though!

Oh fantastic news juggling, well done to her!

Hello, Today is going to be very hard for me, I've a GP appointment to get some health results which I'm dreading and it's a very upsetting anniversary. I'd appreciate prayer to get through the day and days ahead. Thankyou!

Thank you everyone for your prayers and pleasure.
Becca - I will pray for you and the days ahead as soon as I stop typing.

Thankyou. It was a mix of good and bad news. I'm not coping well so I appreciate being kept in prayers!

Praying, Becca. Hope you're ok today and having a good weekend.

How is everyone - haven't seen @BlackEyedSusan or @DutchOma in a few days? Hope you're just enjoying the sunshine.

I've had a lovely holiday, though frustrating in many ways. I wanted to climb mountains and see spectacular views with dh and DD who love to climb. But I just can't do that anymore. It's hard sometimes accepting limitations. For some reason it bothered me more this time...

I had an amazing holiday MHD. Went to Holland to stay with one of my brothers, then went north to see King Lear n the open air theatre in the place where we were brought up. Not sure I liked the interpretation, making it into a bit of a show where King Lear appears as a somewhat ridiculous figure. It was a lovely show, but I wondered if we shortchanged Shakespeare a bit. We were very lucky with the weather: it had rained hard and solidly the last quarter of an hour in the previous evening’s performarce (‘didn’t matter as everyone was lying dead on the stage’, someone said) but we didn’t have a drop, even though it was cold.
We were lucky in the rest of the holiday too, it mainly rained when we were indoors.
I can imagine how frustrating it must be to want to do so much and not be able to, to a lesser extent this happens to me too, but with more justification.

difficult week this week. two meetings, one appointment, important letters, emails and stuff to do, back to school stuff. no respite at the weekend as the children need to be out on Saturday too. grrrrrr.

Prayers coming your way BES.

oma I've seen productions of Shakespeare where I've sat there wondering what on earth he'd make of them and one occaison if he'd even recognise it (yes it was that bad!). I'm glad you had a nice holiday.

BES I'll pray you can get through it all.

This was not really bad as ssuch, but, you know King Learis a drama and this production was a show that made quite light of it all, almosta comedy.My brother said: “Well, it is an amateur production, they need to present it as a show,” and I thnk he is right.

Settling back into school, work routines here. Had a sneaky look ahead to Advent reading. Getting a new Priest but really liked the old one.

Couple of anniversaries of loved friends coming up and All Souls day. Praying.

oma yes I know what you mean. I saw a tragedy done as a comedy once

Given my church issues I've ordered my reading already, I wanted to get it for last year but it had sold out and it's going to take about six weeks to arrive - this year I'm going to be doing "Christmas in Narnia". I've wanted to do it since it was published but every year I've left it too late and nowhere's had it. Last year I read "the women of Christmas" and it was fascinating.

difficult week this week. two meetings, one appointment, important letters, emails and stuff to do, back to school stuff. no respite at the weekend as the children need to be out on Saturday too. grrrrrr.