Prayers For Tough Times

Lord God,
I'd rather be in a state of ecstatic praise,
Uttering a joyful noise,
But today it's not so, for my heart feels heavy,
Burdened weighed down with exhausting concerns.

I earnestly seek a sense of sensibility,
A wisp of peace,
And assurance of Your loving kindness.
Like the Psalmist, Lord, I ask
"Why are you so downcast, my soul?"
I find strange security in hearing those ancient words,
Those cries of lament,
Knowing that my faith journey
Is intensely related to honest conversations with You.
You welcome such cries as
emblematic of trusting You with my brokenness,
Like a hungry body yearning to discover
Succor in Your refreshing table of bounty.

Refresh now my spirit, Lord, as I claim -
Not my own faithfulness -
But Yours.
I am grateful for those with whom I can confide,
Those steading sojourners who stand before me,
Whose listening ears and warm hands
Offer rays of light, illuminating my darkness,
Without, trying to take away my pain
Or to minimize the turmoil.

Accept this prayer, O God.
Hear my plea,
For solace beyond survival, for broadened understanding
For heightened confidence in Your presence.
I thank You, God of Creation, Source of all Being,
For calling me to You,
In times of plenty, times of sorrow, and times of simply being down.
Amen

~ Virgil Fry