Pray, Out of the Miry Clay

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Monday, January 25, 2016

 

Pray, Out of the Miry Clay

I get sad sometimes. Anxious. Depending on what has happened in my life, and how my emotional barometer is reading, I can get depressed. On occasion, to the point of despair. What am I to do? How on earth can I get out of this?

Psalm 40 gives me some positive steps, and words to match. Not only am I advised to wait for the Lord, but I know God will hear me. God will come to my aid. (Sooner or later. And, I know. Sometimes it really seems like “later!”)

Negative emotions can be the pits. (And, sometimes I can feel like I am in the depths of a horrible pit, too.) If I am not careful, negative and depressing feelings can run away with me, just like wild horses can gallop away, too. Horrible. I don’t even want to think about such things. Good thing I know where I can turn—I know God can help.

Let’s turn to God, now. Dear Lord, gracious God, I pray for me, and for my loved ones. Dear God, I pray against anxiety, anger, despair, depression, and hopelessness, in any of our lives. In all of our lives. Restore to me the joy of my salvation. Restore to my loved ones the ideas and thoughts of positivity. Give us the ability to take the sad or angry or fearful situations we are—sadly—so familiar with, and turn to You. Trust in You. Please, dear Lord, hear our prayers.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er

Praying, Praying, Praying. (Did I Mention Prayer?)

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Sunday, July 19, 2015

Praying, Praying, Praying. (Did I Mention Prayer?)

Tonight, the topic of the chapter for today was Prayer. I very much like the scripture references the authors of the book Praying the New Testament as Psalms chose for writing their modern psalm.

I enjoy prayer. I try to lead in prayer whenever I can. Communicating with God is not only a pleasure (usually), but also a privilege. In this psalm, I found myself gravitating towards a stanza where the authors riffed on several verses from James 5. In cheerfulness, I sing songs of praise,/ in sickness, I pray the prayer of anointing,/praying with faith and for one another./The prayer of the righteous is powerful.” [1]

This stanza shows different types of emotions, and shows how prayer runs throughout the emotional spectrum. James gives a clear word picture of concrete ways in which people not only can display a healthy range of emotions and feelings, but where others can check in, and see how to act by example.

What about cheerful? More than that, cheerfulness? What do I do with that? Sing songs of praise, of course. Now, the prayer of anointing? This is fascinating. I do not do that prayer very often at all. But, how giving. How compassionate. What an outreach.

How wonderful it is, that the prayers of a righteous person avail a great deal. Or, are powerful. Beyond that, we can’t even consider the fact that we can pray at any time, day or night. And God will hear. We can come down anywhere on the emotional spectrum. And God will hearken to us. In my mind, that is truly good news. Amen. And, amen.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

[1] Praying the New Testament as Psalms, Desmond O’Donnell, OMI, and Maureen Mohen, RSM, (United States of America: ACTA Publications, 2002.), 158.