Christian prayer and chat thread Open to all

[Dutchoma]

The old thread was nearly full, so here is a new one. Oldies and newbies, chat or prayer, all welcome.

Praying especially for MHD and JanFeb’s daughter.
Also praying for all who are preparing Holy Week/Easter services.

Could I make a prayer request please? For me and my family. Things are difficult and I can't put details but basically everyone is relying upon me and I'm overwhelmed.

In a few days it's the anniversary of my godmothers suicide and a friend of mine who is seriously ill with terminal cancer is talking about ending her life. I cannot help her, she's asked me to.

I've no access to my GP or social services. If one more person has a go at me I worry I'll snap and do something stupid; I can't wear a face mask and keep getting abuse. Just seen another FB post complaining about me and though it's been taken down it'll encourage others to have a go at me.

I hope this makes sense. I'm exhausted and trying to pray but it's hard to get beyond "please". I've listed my thanks, listed those im praying for, and then it's just "please". I struggle to believe I deserve peace or serenity or forgiveness or Jesus to be with me. I try.

I found this lovely thread some weeks ago and have been lurking a while.
Peachgreen I am so sorry to read about the loss of your lovely DH.
Keeping you all here in my thoughts and prayers. You are such warm and loving people.

Prayers for peachgreen and for Becca. I pray that you feel God’s love surrounding you and know that he is with you in your struggles.
Thank you Oma and Zen for your prayers for me.

Peachgreen I’m so glad you found your way to this thread. I hope you can see this as one way of God’s provision for you. It does not matter whether you come on here just once, or three times a day (as I have sometimes done) , the prayer will be there for you.
The loss is very raw, you will have gone through so many emotions. All I can say is what I said yesterday to Donhill: You will not be overwhelmed, in the deepest pit of grief God is still there. And once you cannot hold on any longer, let go and God will still be there. I hope you got some sleep in the night and that you have woken up to bright sunshine. Come back on here as often as you like and share if it helps, you are very welcome indeed.
Backforgood welcome. Graham Kendrick? I don’t know either, it was a previous poster who set the question, I think he rather divides opinion..
Becca if ‘please’ is all you’ve got, ‘please’ will do. God in His infinite mercy will hear and answer your prayer.

Oshikundu sorry, I missed you out, but you too are very welcome.

Thank you so much everyone. @BlackeyedSusan yes it has been very hard with so many losses in the public eye recently. Imagining the pain of those they've left behind in those hideous early days is awful. I pray for them, too.

@BackforGood We were semi-regular churchgoers but to a church about 2 hours away (where DH's family live). So I don't have a church community nearby. It didn't seem important before DH died because we were very happy with the church we went to. But I think I need a closer community now so will be joining a local church once they re-open. I'm finding that very hard - death raises big questions in faith and I would really benefit from some guidance I think.

Thank you all again. I stumbled across this thread quite by accident last night and I'm so glad I did.

Praying for you all here, also for the Queen and her family today. Good to hear the story of Lazarus’s resurrection again at the royal funeral today.

Where would we be without our Lord?

@peachgreen I'm so pleased you've found us here. You are very welcome and I am so sad to hear of all you have been through. Prayers for peace and for you to find a good supportive kind church community.

Lovely to see other newbies here too. The GK thing is a leftover from chats we had here years ago and is rather defunct now I feel!!

@Peachgreen I'm so sorry for your loss of your wonderful Mike, I remember you & will pray for you.
@Donhill and @MadHairDay, for you two, too - and for others who have posted who I've missed out (on my phone, can't type & check names too!)

An update on my friend's son, who some of you have been praying for over the last week or so, thank you so much for this, please carry on if you are able to. He's still an in-patient, is making progress & has regained some movement although speech is still a bit beyond him. There is no actual detailed diagnosis yet, but tests continue and of course a lot of causes have been excluded. It is heartbreaking for his family who are incredibly strong & are supported by our prayers.

Hi everybody , I've been a fairly long time lurker, and recent poster on MN, but only just stumbled upon this thread and am so pleased to see it exists! I love finding fellow Christians in the communities I'm part of, now including online ones!

I have read all this thread, and while it might take me a while to link the prayer requests to the right posters, I will be remembering the people I've read about on here in my prayers.

You are very welcome ProbablyLate. Always good to have someone else on board. Do you want to tell us a bit about yourself?

Sure!
I'm a recently married teacher living up north. I became a Christian at uni through the witness of some great friends and a lovely Baptist church, and chose to get baptised there. After that I went to a C of E church but since a recent move am back at a Baptist church. I think all the churches I have been at would describe themselves as conservative evangelical, and while I'm not sure I would totally identify with that "label", I haven't found a better fit, and have really benefited from the ministry of all three churches. I am a band and screen girl day to day, though I don't think you can beat an organ for a special occasion! I like my coffee and ideally some home baked good!

Thank you ProbablyLate

Keeping you all in my prayers today.

Today is the anniversary of my god mothers suicide.

Please, if you have a few minutes remember her, her family and me in your prayers today.

Thankyou.

This thread was trending on active and after some worrying news - mum's cancer diagnosis - it pulled me in. I've got a faith but it's very personal just now, not been an active member of a church for years. I know God is there though and am praying for a complete recovery for my mum.

Mention of Graham Kendrick takes me back I love shine jesus shine.

Oh, also I was brought up in the Church of Scotland. Mixture of hymns and Graham Kendrick :-) I "lost" my faith in my early 20s- so 20 years ago now, but don't think I ever lost it deep down - I pray often and believe in God. I'm intrigued by the mentions of "low" church so off to Google it. Post pandemic I'd like to see if I can find a non-judgemental, welcoming church.

LouScot welcome. I love to see all ‘newbies’ here. I hope that you will indeed be able to find a church community that will support you when this pandemic is over. In the meantime I hope that you will find support here and that you can share the ups and downs of your mother’s illness.
I think it is funny about GK and Shine Jesus shine. There are people who would run a mile from that. It took me years to understand the difference between high and low church and the (dis)advantages of each.

Becca you are in my prayers as always.

Welcome @LouScot and @ProbablyLate - it's so great to see you, and any other newbies.

Lou, I'm so sorry to hear about your mum's diagnosis. Such a difficult time for you amidst all the covid stuff too. praying today you will know the peace beyond understanding Jesus brings, all around you, strengthening you and calming you.

As for low church - I'd call myself low church with an appreciation for some high church stuff,(bells and smells, robes, lots of liturgy) but generally more comfortable with low church (bands and screens, relaxed vibe.) I do think both can be equally warm and welcoming though - it's just about finding the right one for you. My church is brilliant at looking after one another and welcoming without judgment - they're so very lovely. Not perfect, of course!

ProbablyLate, good to hear your story of coming to faith. You're very welcome here.

@Oshikundu good to see you. Thank you for your prayers. How can we pray for you?

@Becca19962014 what a hard time for you. Praying for peace and rest as you mourn.

I've been quiet this week as I had a reaction to my second vaccine and got laid flat. Had it on Saturday and today is the first day I feel a bit human again. My immune system is a bit pants so it must have gone into overdrive.

Newbies and everyone - please feel free to drop in any questions for discussion - we love that here. Nothing off the table.

@Becca19962014 thinking of you on such a difficult day.

Praying for all of you struggling

Thank you for your welcome ❤️

Thanks @Madhairday (I've always got a mad hair day!) for the info about low and high. It's not something I was previously aware of in the Church of Scotland, although I'm sure it exists.

@Becca19962014 thinking of you.

I've come across this high church/low church thing this week. I visited a church, only their private prayer session and I've watched an online service, lockdown is quite nice for incognito church visiting!

I was quite keen on visiting when services resumed in person but shared this with a friend this week who said it "sounded like high church" and "you'll not be happy at c of e" so now I'm really confused and not sure how to proceed.

I don't think high church exists quite as much in the CofS as we don't tend to go in for bells and smells and robes as much. The closest thing up here is possibly the Scottish Episcopal Church. I go to CofS now but have been to Episcopal services in the past and always found people very welcoming (although I was a bit lost in some of the prayers that had set responses as everyone else knew what to say and I didn't have a clue). I was in the Museum of Scotland before Christmas and there were incense holders in the medieval section, so the "smells" part must have been part of our tradition at some point pre-reformation.

I don’t think that High Church/ Low church equates with exclusive/inclusive. I have fallen into what is quite a high church (robes, incense, candles etc) and they could not have been more welcoming if they tried.
I would go and visit the church you have come found, when the pandemic is over and not rely on what a friend says. It may be a good fit, whatever their ‘height’.