IF:

…You count crawling out of bed each day as Victorious Christian Living

…Hope rocks back and forth in tandem with your feelings

…The valley floor you walk is mud-slushed with years of pacing

…Going round and round the same mountain is making you dizzy

…The ache is your heart feels like a lead balloon

…Smiling is a lost art which feels forced in the doing

…Your cross feels too heavy to carry one second longer

…You’re dead-tired and about to throw in the towel

…You see one more toothpaste-smiley Christian telling you how to secure your miracle and feel you might want to throw up over their perfectly pressed suit..
Then..this prayer is for you






“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out” ~ Isaiah 42:3

A Prayer for the Hurting

God bless the wounded warriors,
the ones who crawl and cry through,
those who press in and press on 
with leaking eyes and leaking wounds,
the battle-scarred and beaten down.

Bless the broken-hearted,bleeding and bruised
 reeds rubbed raw by those who have 
rubbished and rejected them,
those who can barely lift their face
weighed heavy with shame and disgrace.

Hold those who cannot hold on another minute,
whose lives are fear-filled,
whose faces are tear-filled,
who feel empty of worth and value
of no repute, cast aside, left behind.

Keep safe the ones who are drowning,
whose days and nights 
drip with disappointment,
dread, darkness and torment 
of body and soul.

Cradle the lonely;
let your love wash over them,
embrace their emptiness
and fill with the companionship
that only Your Presence provides.

Come alongside the misunderstood,
the marginalised,
the misfits,
the mayhem makers
and risk takers.

Bring strength to the weary,
grace for the weak,
hope for the hurting,
freedom for captives,
peace for the pain.

The path is long, the way is hard,
finishing line too far to see
as we drag there on our knees,
dry and thirsty for relief
desperate for some ease.

Walk with us as you did of old
on sand-encrusted shore,
dirt-trodden pathways,
seeking and saving 
those who are lost.

For we need you, Lord Jesus;
Your return seems far off,
We fight and we fail,
shout, cry and rail,
for a touch from above.
Amen.

©JoyLenton2013
Here, we admit: Our need to be real, avoid jargon and ill-timed Christianese, recognise struggle, acknowledge the hard path, the road less travelled that many of us tread with wearied steps. 

Here we seek: Not to wallow but to offer empathy, sharing and caring to all wounded souls.

Coming up in a future post: Thoughts, words and prayers to offer hope and healing.
For now: Listen to your heart’s cries. Admit your need. See that you are not alone. Take a crumb of comfort from others on the journey. Seek help if life stays painful.