"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed away." (Psalm 57:1)

Prayer: God, have mercy on me. At times I trust You, other times I struggle. I will continue to seek You and believe that You love me just as I am. Let Your mercy be my refuge as I heal from a painful past, and my hope in You set my feet firmly on the road to freedom. In Jesus' name, Amen.

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Romans 8: 25-26 NKJV)

Are you unclear on how to pray over a particular circumstance? This scripture reminds us all that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. God is always at work on our behalf. When the words don't come, read Romans 8:25-26 aloud. Thank God for this truth, and agree with his Holy Spirit, who intercedes on your behalf. 

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for speaking for me when I cannot speak for myself. Help me to see more and more that You want the very best for me. Strengthen me each day to persevere as I wait for transformation. My hope is in You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

When I was a single mother with two young boys and a baby who rarely slept through the night, I prayed every morning: Please God. Give me the strength to put my feet on the floor.

He always did. The days were long. My life was hard. But still, He gave me the grace to rise and walk. I was lonely for adult fellowship. I was tired. But today, I'm grateful for that season in my life. I learned how to depend on God, simply by asking for the strength to get out of bed each day and show up for my life.

If you wake each morning with an overwhelming desire to put the blankets over your head and go back to sleep, take a deep breath. Then ask God to direct your steps, beginning with the ones you must take to get out of bed. I understand how hard it is to move your feet when all you can see is a day filled with challenges. Step into your day expecting God to move on your behalf. And when you climb into bed at night, thank Him for the day, even if the good He's accomplished is not yet recognizable to you.

Remember, I pray for you! And I would never ask you to do something I haven't done myself. A grateful heart can move mountains. 

Prayer: Father in heaven, thank You for working on my behalf. You are my refuge. You are my strength. You are in every step I take. In Jesus' name, amen.

An excerpt from Brennan Manning's Ragamuffin Gospel:

"The gospel is not for the good guys with the white hats. It's for the poor, weak, sinful men and women with hereditary faults and limited talents--people like you, people like me. And on Judgement Day, our lives will be measured solely in terms of our personal relationship with the risen Jesus. The Lord is going to ask each of us a question that will encompass all other questions: "Did you believe I loved you? That I desired you? That I waited for you day after day?" [end excerpt]  (copyright 1990, 2000, 2005 by Brennan Manning)

May You alone enlighten me, You alone speak to me. May all that I know apart from You be nothing more than a chance traveling companion on the journey toward You.

--Karl Rahner

Do you believe He loves you? Why or why not? If you believe He loves you, thank Him, and ask Him to reveal more of Himself to you. If you struggle to believe He loves you, tell Him, then ask Him to reveal more of Himself to you.

My dental appointment now requires more appointments. (The tooth I had filled is protesting with incredible nerve pain.) I pray about what to do next, but mostly I sit in silence; a little stressed over the circumstances. (The nerve pain makes me edgy.) Do I have the tooth extracted to save money, since I don't have dental insurance? Do I have a root canal and then a crown?

This just in: I can't fly on an airplane within days of either, which leaves me in a jam. I'm flying to North Carolina for a writer's conference the 9th of May. Hmmm. No matter how I look at it, there are no easy answers. No painless answers.

In the midst of my tooth-drama, my youngest son, Zach, broke his thumb in two places while playing with friends. Tomorrow we see an Orthopedic surgeon and pray he won't need surgery. Hmmm. Another unfortunate and stressful scenario.

What's a girl to do? Truthfully, I pray and at times, cry. I've spent the last year preparing a book proposal and sample chapters for this writers conference. I'll be pitching literary agents on my non-fiction project: HOW TO FORGIVE WHAT YOU'LL NEVER FORGET. But how can I effectively do that in pain or on pain meds? Either way, it's a challenge. Sometimes life is messy. Sometimes it just is what it is. But God does not shrink back from our messy, it-is-what-it-is lives.

This morning, I opened my Bible and saw something I'd highlighted years ago: . . . When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. (Isaiah 59:19)

Prayer: Lord, I ask in the name of Jesus, lift up a standard against the flood of challenges I now face and also against the challenges my readers face. Regardless of our circumstances, You are faithful. Open our eyes to gain a new perspective. Open our ears to hear Your gentle instruction. Be our guide, our refuge, our strength. "This too shall pass." 

"Forgiveness is the overflow of the Savior's touch to a wounded heart."

--Okay, I'm quoting myself!

This is no platitude. I won't leave you to wonder what this looks like in the physical realm. Show up. Spend time alone with God and make a point to tell Him who or what broke your heart. From there, tell Him how you feel about it. Tell Him how you feel about Him allowing it. If you're mad, say you're mad. It's okay to be mad at God. He's big and He can take it.

For how long? For as long as it takes. Confess your pain. Confess your thoughts. Confess your fears. Confess your heart's desires. Confess. Over and over.

And one day when you least expect it, the ability to forgive will manifest as non other than the miraculous sign and wonder that it is. Headaches and heartaches have a way of leaving us quietly, just as a gentle Healer would have it.

Prayer: Jesus, you are my great and only hope of healing and forgiveness. Gather up the fragments of my life. Unite my heart to seek refuge in You, and Lord, be gentle with me.

"When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet."
(Proverbs 3:24 NKJV)

My prayer: May the angels who held you and brought you home, continue to hold your precious family and friends as we grieve the loss of beautiful you. There is no word in the Cherokee language for goodbye. I'll see you again someday. Amen.

"Answer me speedily, O Lord;
My spirit fails!
Do not hide Your face from me,
Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.
Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You."

(Psalm 143: 7-8 NKJV)

I love the Psalms, especially the ones written by King David. I love that he was completely honest with how hopeless he felt at times, but always ended his prayers with a declaration of his faith. That is transparency that pleases God: an honest confession of how we really feel, followed by some sort of resolve that we will trust in Him.

I've met many women who wouldn't dare tell God that they felt hopeless, angry, or invisible before Him. I encourage you to pray this Psalm out loud if it's something you can relate to. If your not feeling discouraged, thank Him for the progress you've made.

No matter what you're feeling, God is big, and He can take it!

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

Note: King David prayed this after getting involved with another man's wife. It was a choice he made from what I believe to be an on going battle with lust. We all battle something at one time or another. I've experienced both sides of infidelity. I've been unfaithful, and I've been betrayed. Both left me afraid that my heart would be permanently stained. Regardless of why you have pain in your heart, you can ask God to cleanse it. And He will. He is not a condemning God. When He washes away our sin (or the careless sin of another), He also absolves sin's guilt and lovingly guides us as we walk out the consequences.

Prayer: God, create in me a clean heart, and grant me the determination to hold Your hand and trust You to transform me.

"Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me." (Psalm 31:2)

Prayer: God, hear my cries for help. Defend me in Your strength, and guide me through this day. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Note: When I was a single mother, the days were overwhelming. I literally asked God each morning for the strength to get out of bed. I was tired (the baby didn't sleep at night). My two school-aged sons were tired. But each day God provided us with the ability to show up for life and participate. By the grace of God and with more coffee than I care to admit!

"When the wicked spring up like grass, And when the workers of iniquity flourish, It is that they may be destroyed forever." (Psalm 92:7)

Prayer: God, I have many painful memories. They spring up like grass and cause me to feel defeated. I submit each memory to you and thank you for cleansing my heart of them. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Note: The memories of betrayal and abuse can be overwhelming. But know that when a painful memory arises, you can say, "God, You are sovereign over that circumstance. Cleanse my heart  and my mind of that day so that it no longer has power over me."

"When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him." (Isaiah 59:19)

Prayer: Father, I'm overwhelmed. Help me to hear your voice today. Direct my steps as I do the best I can. Your word says You will lift a standard against the enemy. Help me to believe that You are always working on my behalf. In Jesus' name, Amen.