Find a quiet time and place to pray... take a few deep breaths...
be still... and know that God is near...
A word to reflect on:
At dusk weeping comes for the night;
but at dawn there is rejoicing...
You changed my mourning into dancing;
you took off my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness.
- Psalm 30
I'm praying for a change of clothes, Lord:
a new wardrobe for my heart
and the grace and courage I need
for you to take off my garments of grief
and wrap me again in joy I feared I'd never find again...
My loss and grief are real, Lord
and my mourning clothes have been a comfort,
helping me to make my way through times
when sadness often seemed to double
in the face of others' gladness...
Garbed in grief, I spoke in silence
the pain I could not bring to speech,
the emptiness I could not reveal,
the ache too great for words to share...
But there comes the time, Lord,
tot put away my grieving and my mourning clothes
become my last connection, held so tightly in my heart,
to the one who's gone, to all I've lost...
To my grief and its garments I hold fast, Lord,
and need your help, your gentle hand,
to remove whatever covers up my wounds,
to expose them to your healing touch, the balm
your mercy seeks to soothe into my soul...
When the time comes, Lord,
take away the grief in which I hide,
afraid to face my life, the world, anew:
take away my grief and give me grace
to see your face and the promise that it brings...
When the time comes, Lord,
change my mourning into dancing
and my tears of grief to tears of joy
for knowing that in all I lost, I was not lost to you...
When the time comes, Lord,
help me change my mourning clothes for robes of joy,
trusting that the day will come when once again
I'll see and know and love the one I've lost...
And, Lord, help me know when that time comes!
If it has not yet arrived, walk with me along the path of mourning....
If that time has passed me by, help me face the time for moving on:
when comes the night when weeping is no more;
when comes the dawn that brings rejoicing;
when comes the day for you to clothe my soul again in peace...
Help me know, Lord, when comes the time
to take off my clothes of mourning...
In the quiet of my prayer today, Lord,
be patient with my grief and tears
and gently ready me for mourning's end...
In the shelter of my prayer, Lord,
help me begin to let go the grief I cling to
and open my arms for the peace you have in store...
In the stillness of my prayer, Lord,
let me know your consoling presence
and see the clothes of gladness you've made for me to wear...
With the night there comes my weeping, Lord,
while waiting for sweet joy to dawn;
change my mourning into dancing
and with gladness clothe me in your love...
(Before moving on to the reflection below,
spend some quiet time with the scripture verse above...)
I'm praying for a change of clothes, Lord:
a new wardrobe for my heart
and the grace and courage I need
for you to take off my garments of grief
and wrap me again in joy I feared I'd never find again...
My loss and grief are real, Lord
and my mourning clothes have been a comfort,
helping me to make my way through times
when sadness often seemed to double
in the face of others' gladness...
Garbed in grief, I spoke in silence
the pain I could not bring to speech,
the emptiness I could not reveal,
the ache too great for words to share...
But there comes the time, Lord,
tot put away my grieving and my mourning clothes
become my last connection, held so tightly in my heart,
to the one who's gone, to all I've lost...
To my grief and its garments I hold fast, Lord,
and need your help, your gentle hand,
to remove whatever covers up my wounds,
to expose them to your healing touch, the balm
your mercy seeks to soothe into my soul...
When the time comes, Lord,
take away the grief in which I hide,
afraid to face my life, the world, anew:
take away my grief and give me grace
to see your face and the promise that it brings...
When the time comes, Lord,
change my mourning into dancing
and my tears of grief to tears of joy
for knowing that in all I lost, I was not lost to you...
When the time comes, Lord,
help me change my mourning clothes for robes of joy,
trusting that the day will come when once again
I'll see and know and love the one I've lost...
And, Lord, help me know when that time comes!
If it has not yet arrived, walk with me along the path of mourning....
If that time has passed me by, help me face the time for moving on:
when comes the night when weeping is no more;
when comes the dawn that brings rejoicing;
when comes the day for you to clothe my soul again in peace...
Help me know, Lord, when comes the time
to take off my clothes of mourning...
In the quiet of my prayer today, Lord,
be patient with my grief and tears
and gently ready me for mourning's end...
In the shelter of my prayer, Lord,
help me begin to let go the grief I cling to
and open my arms for the peace you have in store...
In the stillness of my prayer, Lord,
let me know your consoling presence
and see the clothes of gladness you've made for me to wear...
With the night there comes my weeping, Lord,
while waiting for sweet joy to dawn;
change my mourning into dancing
and with gladness clothe me in your love...
To ponder and pray over...
What grief burdens my soul?the loss of someone I love? the loss of something I miss?
Has my grief become a way of life?
do I need to find the path to peace? to joy, again?
Grief has its purpose and its time
but there's a time for peace of soul to come again.
Has that time come for me? am I slow to accept it?
Will I pray for God to help me take off my robes of mourning
and put on the garments of gladness?
What will I ask of the Lord today?
From this prayer time, what word or phrase will I keep with me
to carry through the rest of my day?
From this prayer time, what word or phrase will I keep with me
to carry through the rest of my day?
(After you spend some time with these questions,
pray the reflection above one more time...)
Here are some tips
for praying 10 minutes a day. If you find these daily prayer
reminders helpful, please let me know - and share them with others.
You'll find an archive of these daily posts here.
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