The Grace Charity for ME, sharing our prayers

 https://www.thegracecharityforme.org/prayer/

We are delighted that the Grace Charity continue to use our prayers in their monthly prayer service. See the above link for this months prayer service. We are also so grateful for their ongoing prayers for healing and protection.

You are gone - a poem

You Are Gone

You are gone

Yet not gone

Not here

Yet present

Dust

Yet spirit

Dead

Yet light

I do not feel

You as gone

I sense your 

strength

I see your

Light

I am comforted

By your

Love

Therefore 

To me

You are more here 

Than not here.

Death of a friend

 It is always a massive loss when a long term friend dies. The days are filled with odd memories and flashes of images and conversations, long forgotten, suddenly important once more. Sadness can overwhelm you at unexpected moments.Though we believe that the person who dies is held lovingly in the Heart of the Trinity, it is still necessary to grieve the physical loss. It is here that we turn to God in moments of grief or despair, trusting in His unfailing Love to sustain us and carry us through, believing that His Light will remind us of all that is good still remaining in the world to bless our days.

What can I do

When all is taken from me,

Even hope?

I can wait.

I can trust.

I can remain open

To goodness

And a perfect way forward,

Within the darkness,

Set aside only for me,

That will ignite a tiny flicker of light

In my heart

And set me surely on a new path 

forward.

Amen

May every blessing ever made

Reach you in your distress 

May every blessing sent to you

Curl round you in a loving embrace

May every blessing ever spoken

Whisper words of love and strength

To carry you through the bleakest days

May every blessing bless you now!

Confidence in prayer in desperate moments

 

The one thing I hold on to, even though I may feel like despairing, like everything is hopeless and the way through a difficult moment or situation is hidden or feels completely out of reach, is prayer.

Prayer may be desperate. It may be spoken in agony. It even be uttered in doubt. It may be whispered or shouted, angry, hurt or hopeful. Whatever the circumstance and however dire things seem, it is my experience through 27 years of continuous, profound suffering, that prayer will bring comfort and a spark of light, no matter how tiny, can be ignited in your heart and mind once more. For Christ has said He will be with us till the end of time. He has said before Abraham ever was, I am. What a powerful, awesome affirmation of his constancy and His presence with us.

And so I cry out, deep in the night, in the pain of paralysis, in the  desolation fear can wreak upon me and I find His Light is there, ever gentle, ever strong, ever true.

When I pray for myself, I know, deep down that He hears me., that  something will shift, that hope will reignite, that comfort or consolation will somehow come, that I will get through the most desolate of moments.

When I pray for others, I feel the Power of the Holy Spirit flowing through me. The prayer is tangible, real, light-filled, strengthening. I know it is heard and that somehow that energy of caring has touched them. We can never know what will happen, how prayer will be answered, yet my sense of  His presence gives me confidence that His Light has entered the situation.

When I pray with my husband, I have confidence in the promise God spoke: when two or three are gathered together, He is with us. Together we reach out in love through prayer to touch the whole world, we listen for His Word, we hear Him speak in our hearts and are reassured of His Way, immersed in the Love of the Trinity.

A prayer from a friend lifted us up

 

When things are tough and everything seems to be extra stressful and nothing is going quite right, it is wonderful to receive kind words of comfort and support from someone sending you a sincere and deeply moving prayer.

Today our lives were brightened by the kindness and thoughtfulness of one man, a kind friend,  hearing our need and reaching out with a personal prayer. 

Father God, I pray that you will wrap your loving arms around Linda and all those who are suffering in the same way she is.

Jesus, shepherd of our souls, the one in whom is all healing power, reach out and touch each one and let them know your healing flowing through them.

Spirit of comfort, comfort Linda and those who are suffering like her.

Lord, I ask you to strengthen Greg and all those who care for their loved ones who are suffering. Give them your patience, kindness and wisdom. Strengthen them when they feel weak and don't know what to do. Be the Rock they can lean on. Comfort them and give them hope.

Amen.

And so perhaps we can all be inspired similarly to reach out with unexpected kindness . You never know the difference that you will make.

Broken in pieces

 Broken in pieces

This is a song based on a poem my wife wrote about how continual repeated paralysis affects her. Called, broken in pieces, it may be that others can better relate to the words, too, for life is broken and altered by the Pandemic and much feels lost. Sometimes it helps to express the loss and the impact of such things. Always we hope that God is watching and will lift us up and heal and guide us. Amen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAPPKN3Ngxw

When we struggle

 What do we do when we are struggling? It is so easy when things keep going wrong or nothing seems to change for the better  or circumstances worsen unbearably, to feel helpless, hopeless, despairing. This then is the time to turn to the Lord and ask for His help. Call His Holy name. Pray to the Spirit to come in Power, lift up your spiritual eyes to see Him more clearly. Banish all fear and hopelessness and place your heart in trust in God to bless you and come to your aid. 

Focusing on fear and negative imaginings only worsens your sense of disempowerment and abandonment. Focusing on goodness, light, love and the presence of God with you must surely touch your heart in a new way and give you strength. Amen.