Sunday, April 07, 2013
Sunday Reflection: The Power of Prayer(?)
So.... a Razorite and one of my real heroes is sick.
He/she had surgery for cancer, a serious one, this week. The doctors didn't get it all; it may have spread, the cancer is stage three, and chemotherapy is next. I know this friend well enough to know how hard it will be-- the invasion of bodily integrity by the knife, the transformation of being identified as sick, and the uncertainty of the future.
It is an overwhelming fear and sadness that I feel for this relatively young friend and mentor.
There is a helplessness that comes with it, too-- my approach so often is to go in and try to fix things, to try to correct them through force of will, but that doesn't work with cancer (and a lot of other things). My talents are quite limited.
What is left to do, then? I pray, but I will admit that it is one of the times that I am uncomfortable with God, awkward in my conversation with him. I don't know what to say. I'm not sure what to ask for. There are a lot of painful silences in that discussion.
Is it right to pray for healing? That might not be what is going to happen after all, much as I hope for it; so often God's will (or at least what God allows) is very different than what I want, and I have to have the humility to accept that.
I have never been comfortable praying for an outcome, even when it is one (like now) that I so desire. It feels too much like telling God what to do, which is a reversal of our roles. There is a God, a creator, and it is not me. But, so much, I want the God that Is to do what it is that I want.
Friends, help me with this... and, perhaps, pray better prayers than I seem capable of.
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An Irish blessing for the sick:
Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you
Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you
# posted by 
: 8:10 AM
: 8:10 AM
Yes, what Anonymous wrote.
For me, "heal" is a four-letter word. I pray more and more, but do I know what I'm doing? Less and less.
Love and peace to your friend.
For me, "heal" is a four-letter word. I pray more and more, but do I know what I'm doing? Less and less.
Love and peace to your friend.
Sometimes I pray for acceptance of His will, because my human mind doesn't necessarily understand the BIG PLAN.
Sometimes those who are sick are in a better place about it than we are.
Sometimes those who are sick are in a better place about it than we are.
# posted by : 9:55 AM
: 9:55 AM
Gratefulness. I know that has been my response to God in such situations in recent years. These lives of ours in this form are so fleeting by any measure. I am so grateful for the blessing of my life intersecting with theirs and the benefit I have received through their wisdom and kindness and faithfulness. It makes the coming days a bit more precious and the slightest bit less painful.
I, for one, will pray for your heart and spirit as you walk alongside this loved one.
"And may the angel of His presence keep your heart
And when your prayers give flight to your dreams
May the only scars you see on their wings
Be the wounds of love "
-Rich Mullins, Wounds of Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KEhyalMpADY
I, for one, will pray for your heart and spirit as you walk alongside this loved one.
"And may the angel of His presence keep your heart
And when your prayers give flight to your dreams
May the only scars you see on their wings
Be the wounds of love "
-Rich Mullins, Wounds of Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KEhyalMpADY
When I imagine myself in such circumstances, I fear more than anything that I will not be strong enough to go forward or to help those who love me. If it happened to me, that is what I would want people to pray for -- that I am brave and strong and at peace.
"I am so grateful for the blessing of my life intersecting with theirs and the benefit I have received through their wisdom and kindness and faithfulness. It makes the coming days a bit more precious and the slightest bit less painful." - so well said, diadelkendall!!!
The willingness to celebrate the grateful blessing of God's presence in our lives, is His invitation to acknowledge lifes 'intersections' mentioned above and the courage to share the moment - moments that are ever treasured - treasures ours, we are asked to share. . .
The best prayer is often from the heart that struggles most for words, from the most humble heart. Your prayers . . .
May our prayers be added to yours for your friend. . .
The willingness to celebrate the grateful blessing of God's presence in our lives, is His invitation to acknowledge lifes 'intersections' mentioned above and the courage to share the moment - moments that are ever treasured - treasures ours, we are asked to share. . .
The best prayer is often from the heart that struggles most for words, from the most humble heart. Your prayers . . .
May our prayers be added to yours for your friend. . .
We do a lot of work these days to expand the concept of prayer beyond the check-list. And truly, prayer is not a honey-do list. But sometimes, prayer really is just confessing to God what you want and confessing to yourself that he is powerful enough and loving enough to take care of us, whether or not "what you want" is what happens.
Tell God the whole truth. There's no point telling or with-holding anything else.
Meantime, I'm so sorry.
Tell God the whole truth. There's no point telling or with-holding anything else.
Meantime, I'm so sorry.
So let me first say this...
nothing
: /
There is nothing to say, no panacea.
Images maybe, the cross, a God who weeps, and dies, one familiar with suffering...
Maybe after sitting in that place with you, I might offer a passage, that does not necessarily have answers, but one I have found both intriguing and confounding. In the 18th chapter of Luke Jesus tells a number of stories, several of them about prayer. They are not all together clear. At first glance they are not related, but Luke placed them together for a reason. Maybe there will be something there for you? Maybe not.
Thanks for sharing so openly, it is an encouragement for the rest of us. A reminder that we are not alone in our struggles.
nothing
: /
There is nothing to say, no panacea.
Images maybe, the cross, a God who weeps, and dies, one familiar with suffering...
Maybe after sitting in that place with you, I might offer a passage, that does not necessarily have answers, but one I have found both intriguing and confounding. In the 18th chapter of Luke Jesus tells a number of stories, several of them about prayer. They are not all together clear. At first glance they are not related, but Luke placed them together for a reason. Maybe there will be something there for you? Maybe not.
Thanks for sharing so openly, it is an encouragement for the rest of us. A reminder that we are not alone in our struggles.
Mark, I suggest that you pray that God grant your friend strength for coping with it, for His comfort and companionship, for the resilience to ride each wave that comes. There is nothing wrong with asking for a miracle but it may not be the miracle you expect and you may not recognize it as such right away. And pray that God grant you the strength to be the friend and support your friend needs. Godspeed.
When someone I love is in trouble and I feel helpless, I think of this man, the one in Mark 9 whose son was tormented with an illness that threatened his life. The father brings his boy to Jesus in hopes that he will be healed.
Jesus says, "All things are possible to him who believes." The anguished father cries out, "I do believe; help me in my unbelief."
All my wishes, my hopefulness, doubt, faith, love and heartbreak: I lay them at the feet of God.
Jesus says, "All things are possible to him who believes." The anguished father cries out, "I do believe; help me in my unbelief."
All my wishes, my hopefulness, doubt, faith, love and heartbreak: I lay them at the feet of God.
# posted by : 8:04 PM
: 8:04 PM
Aquamariel said what I was thinking best. I might add the importance of you as a friend being there for them for 'normal' conversation. Many times a cancer patient wishes people would not focus on the illness. Talk about what is important and distract them from the burden.
I have been waiting a few days to weigh in,to assemble my thoughts. I think what we most fear is damaging the reputation of God,and thereby our faith. What if we pray for something and the very worst comes true? Will we still be able to depend on God? Two quotations mean the most to me. One comes from Graham Fenton who was our associate rector before Nancy. He had grown up in South Africa with a father who was clergy and had seen miracles and known intense fear as well. Graham liked to pray: "God,magnify Your Presence in this situation." In my imagination I see light,and power and goodness all together descending upon the person. I also like what the former wife of our last rector used to say: "Pray relinquishing. Wait expectantly." And I love what it says in Romans8:26. I will quote here from The Message translation by Eugene Peterson,who is a pastor and a poet: "Meanwhile,the moment we get tired in the waiting,God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray,it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us,making prayer out of our wordless sighs,our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves...and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." Meanwhile,I know you will listen to your friend with your heart mind and soul,will give that gift,as well as the gift of touch and everything else that makes you you. We will all be praying as well.
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