Etched in Pain
When the curtain of night falls around me, sometimes I can identify with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As the pain begins to ramp up in my various places of inflammation, I can almost feel the expression on my face begin to change. Any peace I may have felt earlier in the day has suddenly drifted away with the darkness. And then when I finally lie down in bed, my mind begins its own roaring:
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- “Where is that pain coming from?”
- “Why is that flame-thrower hitting my feet now?”
- “Oh no, here comes the throbbing again!”
And now the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde arguing begins:
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- “Stop worrying! You know these pains, they are nothing new.”
- “Just quit dwelling on it all. You are too tired to care anyway.”
- “Why can’t I think any good thoughts now? Where is my peace??”
Finally, I realize the true questions that need to be asked.
Invited to Pray
While I have been trying to strum up my own peace and fight off my own fears, Jesus has been waiting to hear my voice all along. HE is the one who will bring peace to me. And so I lie back on my pillow once again, but now the words have changed as I voice my prayers to the Lord:
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- “Jesus, will you meet me here?”
- “Jesus, I long to know your peace within my heart.”
- “Lord, I am placing all of my questions before you now, and I will cling to your Word tonight.”
Soothed with His Peace
Where my mind had been aching, only moments before, now it is aware of the flutters of peace. Jesus is the way to find the true peace of God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NIV
This month we have gathered four prayer prompts, one for each week of the month, with precious Scriptures to lead us into the Lord’s heart of peace. I am going to be pausing with them before I face my night’s darkness again. Will you join me in praying?
PRAYER # 1
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for speaking the truth about what we will face in this world. You have never minimized the trouble that this world brings to us. And yet you also never leave us alone during those troubles. You have overcome the world for us! Thank you for giving us yourself, for helping us to have peace in you. Will you stir our hearts to pray for those who have not yet found your peace? Touch our loved ones with the same peace you have given to us.
In your precious name we pray,
Amen.
PRAYER # 2
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
Dear Lord Jesus,
We come to you and admit that we do feel so troubled and afraid as we try to face our days here. The pain and the heartbreak shout so loudly at us, and we have felt such a lack of peace. Help us to look to you and listen to the words that you have already spoken to us. Show us that it is your peace that we need. Oh, we pray for your keeping as we ask for Your perfect peace to flow over our hearts now.
In your name, Jesus, we pray,
Amen.
PRAYER #3
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the promise of peace you have spoken over us. Will You help to steady our racing minds and doubtful hearts? We are so easily overcome by the weight and pain of our days. We want to trust you again, our true and steadfast Father. Restore our peace in YOU alone.
In the name of Your son, Jesus, we pray,
Amen.
PRAYER # 4
The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the gifts of your strength and peace. Left to ourselves, we know that we are weak and so filled with worry. But help us to remember that you are with us and our loved ones through every trial. Help us to pray for their strength and their peace, even as we pray for ourselves. We rejoice and praise your name, oh Lord.
In the name of Jesus we pray,
Amen.
More Prayer Prompts
The Lord’s Prayer
In The Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught his disciples that the essence of prayer is not a public style but a private communication with a kind and loving God.
Breathe in His Life • Sacrifice of Prayer
In the rain of prayer, I find God’s presence and the fullness of life begins to grow. Breathe in His life, knowing He is the source of life.
PRAYER PROMPT GUIDE
Sometimes we all need a little encouragement and a boost in our prayer lives. While talking with God should be easy, a guide can be a helpful resource to lean into, spurring us on to deeper, more intimate conversations with Him.
- Set aside a special time and place to meet with God.
- Quiet your heart and mind. Breathe deeply.
- Slowly read the prayer, perhaps several times.
- Write the verse in your journal, noting any words that catch your attention.
- Talk with God, taking time to listen, then journal your thoughts.
VISIT THE PRAYER POND
You’re invited to the Chronic Joy Prayer Pond. Toss your prayer requests, updates, and shouts of praise into the pond, then watch them ripple with radical hope and compassionate change throughout our community and beyond. Then be sure #PrayItForward by clicking the “I PRAYED FOR THIS” button to let the requester know you prayed for them.
We are all blessed to have a place to pray and people to pray with and for us. Who do you know needs to toss a prayer or praise into the pond, and who might link arms with us in prayer?
REQUEST PRAYER
Bettie Gilbert
Board Member and Prayer Coordinator
You can find Bettie blogging from her home in a small town in southeast Wisconsin - at bettiegsraseasons.com. She is walking forward with Jesus, in the middle of her own pain and weaknesses from multiple chronic illnesses. The beauty of nature is a joy that calls to Bettie, as do her family and nine young grandchildren. She and her husband have been married for over 40 years and take great joy in their weekend coffee breaks together.
If we have pain in one spot or all over our body, pain can affect us in many ways. Pain can cause fear, desperation, grouchiness, sadness and more. I am thankful when my body experiences pain, I can go to Him and receive His comfort. God will guide me through the pain. God will comfort me. God will remind me of His love. 🙂 Praying for you Bettie.
Amen, Dear Melissa! It is so true that pain affects us so much more deeply than we might realize. What a beautiful comfort we have in our Savior. Thank you so much for your prayers, sweet friend. May the Lord bring you His peace and blessings today.
Dear Bettie, this is so relatable and so comforting as well. Your thoughts and prayers meet me where I am in my own places of darkness, restlessness and pain. But more than that, they help bring me out by the marvellous vehicle of prayer. It transports us beyond ourselves and reaches deep into the heart of God Himself. There we gain the supernatural kind of rest and peace we can never drum up by ourselves. Thank you for your honest sharing and beautiful praying. Both touch my heart so much. And stir me to pray for you too.
Dear Joy,
I am so grateful for your encouragement and kinship here! It truly is a comfort to know that we are not alone in all of these things we endure on this pathway. And yet, the comfort goes even deeper as we see that God weaves our hearts and prayers together in His supernatural kind of rest and peace. What a wonder He is for us, His children. Thank you for your honest sharing and praying also, dear sister. I appreciate you so much. Blessings and love and prayers for you today.
Thank you so much for these prayers, dear Bettie. I’m so glad God cares and hears our prayers and that as Christians we can pray for each other and others in the prayer pond. Blessings!
Oh yes, Dear Gayl, I am so thankful for the ways God leads us to pray for each other too! I am still so amazed when we can join with so many at the Prayer Pond, across all the miles. He truly has blessed us with these ways to connect and care.