7 Prayers That Work

  Oh, Lord, our Comfort and our Hope-- I'm grieving a loss. I don't have anywhere to turn but you. I don't know what to say or how to feel. I can't navigate the breadth of my emotions and fears. Only your words and your truth can help me rest in the peace that you alone are my Rock and my Fortress. You are my Stronghold ( Psalm 18:2 ).  I don't need to be afraid. But I am. So help me steer through the fear and the pain to the hope that waits on the other side of grief. When I'm ready-- and every time I'm not ready-- you are present to comfort and re-orient me. Your words are truth, and I will eat them ( Jeremiah 15:16 ). Thank you. In Jesus' name, Amen. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of ...

Oh, Lord, I don't now what's going to happen next, but there are some scary options sitting in front of me, taunting my thoughts and terrifying my heart. I feel like I'm wilting on the inside: My spirit grows faint within me and my heart feels dismayed ( Psalm 143:4 ). I know that you are good and that you only do good to your people. I remember your faithfulness-- you do not bring judgment down on us like you should;  no one stands before you righteous ( Psalm 143:2 ). I trust you because you have always protected me. I remember all the times you have rescued me and comforted me. I reach out for you like a thirsty soul in the desert ( Psalm 143:5-6 ). Lord, come to me and satisfy my longing. Quench my fear. Renew my spirit. Do not hide your face from me. Every morning, remind me of your unfailing love ( Psalm 143:7-8 ). Show me the way I should go. I only trust you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Holy Spirit, level the ground before me and lead me into ...

Dear God, You understand heartbreak.  You know what it is to lose a child to senseless violence . Lord, fall on us and blanket our misery! Bring vengeance on the perpetrators of injustice. This latest act of violence against a child sickens and saddens me. No parent should lose a child because someone else's child is angry, confused, or traumatized. Or just a sinner, committing a sin. And now another child has died. Sometimes the killed child is an unborn baby. Sometimes it's a neglected child. Sometimes it's a teenager, caught up in drugs or theft  or just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Sometimes a child's death is caused by someone's trauma , someone's desperation, someone's mental illness someone's cruelty. It's shocking what we humans are capable of doing. It's all so horrible, and I know it grieves you. You desire hope, healing, peace, love, forgiveness, restitution, belonging. May my heart always break when your heart break...

Lord Jesus, We ask your Spirit to comfort us today. Whether we suffer with grief, anxiety , fear, hurt, anger, betrayal, guilt, or hopelessness- - Come meet us. Speak into our lives and invite us to sit in your presence. To feel you. To trust you. To hear you. We come and sit. We wait with expectation and wonder. We will tell of your wonders. We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will sing your praises because you always uphold your righteous causes. You will rebuke sin and arrogance. You will blot out the names of the wicked with your vengeance and uphold the testimony of the righteous. You will judge the world for its sin. You will govern us, your people, with justice . You are refuge for the the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble. Because of your power, righteousness will not be defeated. Those who seek you will know your name -- they will hear you call yourself by the name they most need to understand. And that will cause them to...