Category: prayers

Could all my pain… Prove gain for one and all?

When eating light and heaving weights, my
Waistline barely balks! Does the
Lord ignore my efforts? All my
Push-ups, squats and walks?
Did my sweat…
All mean squat? Might it
Spot some fellow struggler? God,

May all the love with which I lift raise weight from someone’s shoulders

Where love is lifted… regifted it will be!

Does God look over me heart-tugged, or
Shrug and overlook me? After
Painting prayerfully for months, my
Masterpiece went up in flames!
Was it not…
All for Naught? Or was it
Framed in heaven above? Lord,

Use every drop of love with which I brushed to brighten some grey souls

Where love is traced… erased it cannot be!

In my sickness, which those persons sporting
Lab coats sadly worsened, I am
Wond’ring if, in darkness drear, God
Hears my cries; my cursin’?
Could my reeling…
Spread some healing? Lord,

With love I trade this suff’ring for the grace You’ll bring to others

If laced with love… these aches won’t wasted be!

I farmed my darndest; scrimped and scrounged
But debts compounded all the more
I’m tempted to give up and cry that
Life’s a fruitless chore!
Is this living…
Or mere dying?

I recall that, “labor in the Lord is not in vain”; so on, I’ll go (1)

Where love is sown… it’s grown a hundredfold!

Lord, thresh new grains of hope from out the wheat of offered pain

To plant in those You hold and claim Your own

***

(1) “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” -1 Corinthians 15:58

“For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do” -Hebrews 6:10

“I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship” -Romans 12:1

To Share With You

Is

to Console You

When-I feel so rejected
I share in Your plight
“The Son of Man came to His own…
And even His own did not care to receive Him” (Jn. 1:11)
Receive my own care day and night

To Thirst With You

Is

to Console You

When-I feel tired and parched
With You may I ache
“I thirst” (Jn. 19:28) for you; “Give me to drink” (Jn. 4:7)
“They gave me dour gall; sour wine for my thirst” (Psalm 69:21)
Your thirst, with my love, may I slake

To Think of You

Is

to Console You

When-I feel so insulted
With You may I pray
“Reproaches have broken my heart…
I looked for just one to console me, but… found none” (Ps. 69:20)
Find me! I’ll console You today

To Cry With You and

To Die With You

Is

to Console You

When-I feel like I’m dying
With You may I cry
“God, why’ve You abandoned me now?” (Ps. 22; Mk. 15:34)
“Into Your hands, Father, I pour my spirit”
O Christ, pour Your SPIRIT…

Your LOVE…

Your LIFE from Your side!

*****

“…one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.” (Jn. 19:34)

“…that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11)