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
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.
A Prayer When You Want to Approach God Boldly, But …
Lord, what an amazing God You are. How can I ever grasp how deep and how wide Your love for me is? How can I even think about approaching You, a holy God?
My sins are great.
My heart is cluttered with thoughts and attitudes not of You.
When God Met Me on Barren Branches Ripe for Spring
I slid the dish into the warm sudsy water, but my mind was a million miles away — certainly not on the breakfast dishes. Peering out the window over the kitchen sink, I noticed two sparrows perched on a long extended tendril of the grapevine that had stretched itself into the apple tree and wound itself through the barren branches ripe for spring.
The birds appeared to be so peaceful. Calm. Content.