Take hope in the knowledge that you are cherished by the One who made you—you are sheltered in the shadow of His wing, close to His heart. It is my prayer that as we get to know one another you, too, will see beyond the veil and will learn to say, “Even so, I walk in the Presence of the Lord”
With joy,
Nan
Stuck in the Familiar and Afraid to Let Go
The child dangled from a large tree limb, legs flailing, tongue wailing. She was stuck and terrified of dangling so far above the ground — terrified even more of letting go to slip into her father’s arms flung outstretched beneath her. Her saga on the limb, though dangerous, was a sure thing, even if she didn’t like it — though she dangled, her grasp was strong and the limb sturdy.
But she was stuck and afraid.
A Prayer When My Insufficiency Needs an All-Sufficient God
Lord, what a mighty God You are! You are who You say You are. You do what You say You will do. Your promises are true. And the incredible wonder is that my insufficiency loses its power over me in the presence of Your glory.
You are El Shaddai — the All-Sufficient God.
My need is Your heart’s desire.
Now My Eyes See You, Now I Understand
I read these words, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see You” (Job 42:5).
The porch swing rocked in peaceful rhythm. My spirit stirred as I looked up from my Bible, raising it to my chest and grasping the wonder it held. I looked toward the ridge where the sun began its evening descent.
A Prayer When Worry Takes Your Breath away
Lord, I need Your peace — YOU are my peace. Please make Your presence known to me. In Your presence is unspeakable joy, resounding peace, and my worry melts away. In Your presence I am safe and secure — I am held by Your warm embrace and I can rest.
What a mighty God You are! You hung the stars in place. You tell the ocean how far it can come and on each new day, You make the sun burst through the darkness. What amazes me the most about You, though, is that when I am troubled and overcome by worry, You know and You respond.
When Your Mind and Heart Languish Numb and God Steps In
I sat quietly at my desk peering out the window, yet my eyes saw nothing, my mind languished numb against the onslaught of troubling thoughts — those worrisome, nagging doubts and fears. My mind was blank, therefore my eyes were looking, but not seeing.
I had prayed earlier, but even that was not in earnest. I was looking for God, but not seeing Him. Just sitting before Him with a blank stare.
A Prayer When Painful Places are Hard to Thank God for
Lord, I don’t enjoy my painful places, those thorns that cause my heart to bleed and my mind to grow restless. I yearn for some green pastures and quiet waters.
I yearn for You.
When Fear is Hammering Your Heart, Put Your Hope in God
Sirens began their eerie scream as the sky turned dark and the clouds began to undulate in the currents of the wind. Kids hurried home from the apartment playground while worried mommas called their names, fear hammering our hearts.
I grabbed our upstairs neighbor — another seminary student — and convinced her to stay with us until the tornado passed.
A Prayer When You Need a Silver Lining in the Storm Clouds
I’m learning, Lord, that You are the silver lining when the storm clouds billow and threaten destruction over my life. You are the light in the darkness. The glory of Your abiding presence creates the brilliant outline surrounding the charcoal gray of the storm.
Yes, Lord, it is because of Your presence in the storm that the silver lining appears.
Overcoming the Fear that Stirred Within Me
It was a brisk morning. The fire crackled beside me overcoming the chill in our home. The Word of God lay open on my lap overcoming the fear that stirred within me.
In our living room my husband blared the television with its insistent updates on the coronavirus pandemic — a necessary part of our lives these days, but a fear producer as well. With David’s dementia, the pandemic has created enormous amounts of paranoia in his mind which has caused a very decipherable decline in his mental condition over the past few weeks.