A few years after my mother died, I remembered more vividly the times in childhood when she had made gloomy days seem cheerful. When something special to do inside, such as new paper dolls or a coloring book. Later, when I was in school, I always knew that on a rainy day I would come home to the smell of cookies baking in the oven . . .
I remembered, too, that in my childhood my mother had always balanced grief with comfort, pain with joy . . . To compensate for my childhood illnesses, for example, she used to read me stories which made the afternoon fly, or she would show me how to knit doll clothes out of the scraps of yarn which she had saved in a worn, brocade knitting bag . . .
Whatever the specific method used, my mother had learned, long before I knew her, how to balance pain with pleasure.
Elizabeth Skoglund
Today’s Prayer:
Lord somewhere in the world there are people in mental anguish over life’s trials and tribulations. Often such pain is psychologically unbearable. During these moments sometimes people don’t have the ability to hold their heads high with the assurance of knowing God’s powers to set things right. Because of their inability to see your spiritual support most times every breath taken produce questions of their existence. Lord to be honest it is during these times when emotional pain makes a person feel every so often they do not have much use for others. And everything accomplished is tarnished with the shadow of sorrow; as it seems to their misfortune they were not given loved ones to uplift them during moments of afflictions. Hum . . . Lord, it is within our moments of tribulations that we see the hand prints of God on our lives. Therefore, I’m asking for your Holy presence among those who have yet to learn how to balance pain with pleasure. Lord I’m asking that you teach them that sorrow only last for a moment. Lord, I’m also praying they learn how to allow thoughts of joy to diminish their temporary gloomy day(s). So, again, Lord, I’m asking that you turn on your spiritual lights for these people that they might see how to truly balance pain with pleasure; and in turn they will enjoy living once again. Amen.
Sometimes in life we are overcome with stresses. Some situations are good stresses but stresses nonetheless. Other times we have negative stresses, and it is usually those situations that make us feel helpless and hopeless. It is then when I am gently reminded of the ” Serenity Prayer.” Therefore, I am sharing the prayer with hope that it will find a way into stressful lives to make a difference.
“Just ask the Savior to help you, to comfort, strengthen and keep you. He is willing to aid you, and He will carry you through.”
Are you having a hard time with life these days? Do you feel like you are traveling your journey alone? If you answered “Yes” to both questions then the response is ‘Just ask the Savior to help you.’
Every life has ups and downs. Realize you are just having a down moment. And understand downtime is base upon a person’s ability or inability to find solutions to change the course of their lives. But one thing is for sure and note worthy: When a person has lost hope they are easily tempted, and normally the temptation in hopeless moments takes a person further from the life desired.
Prayer for today: Lord help those that are having a hard time with life. Show them your grace is more than enough during this moment of hopelessness. Lord, prayer is being offered for those that don’t have the spirit to continue on. Life has beaten them. So they think and feel. But, Lord, please make note that a request in being made on their behalf that you give them peace that surpasses all humankind understanding. Fill in the gaps of their self-proclaimed empty lives with love, peace and most of all understanding. Help them to see Lord that everyone is tempted in believing they are not the “Bell of the ball.” Show them Lord how to roll on their backs so they can see the beauty of the blue sky, and show them Lord if they can look up they can get up. And if they can get up they can enter into the party of life once again and realize they only had a bad dance partner. Teach them Lord that sometimes in life we must learn how to first dance alone even on a crowed dance floor with couples.
Thank you for allowing affording women of color one more day to worship and honor you. And in doing so we are proclaiming to the world, it is another wonderful Sunday to give you perfect praise.
Thank you for last week’s trials and tribulations that strengthen our characters. Thank you for giving us the ability to withstand the storms as our characters was being built. Thank you for answering our spoken and unspoken prayer request because of your promises to humankind. Thank you for giving us a spirit to continue despite circumstances that are only known to humanity.
Isaiah 40:29-31 proclaims the below:
He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Special Prayer Request:
Prayer for Tamika:
We bring Tamika to you in prayer this morning. She is 33 years old. She has suffered a massive stroke. Because she was not discovered within hours of her stroke the doctors are saying they cannot reverse the effects medically. She does not have insurance or income. And, worse, yet, Lord, it seems she will have to go to a care-facility for the poor. When all seems bleak for her about her health, sadly, her relative’s severely dysfunctional habits are adding to her battle to stay in the game of life.
Lord, please give Tamika’s medical team insight about how they can reverse the medical effects from a massive stroke. Please allow her local and our national government to help with her medical bills. Please allow her to return home with little to no complications (what is being asked here Lord is for nothing short of a miracle). Please help her family to see they are making things worse and not better by arguing over minor things. Please help them to see that she is only 33 years old and have a medical challenge normally given to older people. Please allow them to see that they have another chance at loving Tamika. Amen.
Prayer for Wendy:
Lord, we are praying for Wendy that lives in Iowa. She has stage 4 ovarian cancer. The doctors are saying she has a 40% chance to live. Her spirit is high despite medical prognosis. We are asking you Lord to heal Wendy because she believes you can heal her. Amen.
It is me again. I come boldly with a humble spirit before you. I’m asking for your help to pray for those that are in need of prayer. Lord it has been a long time since I have prayed in a public setting. So, once again, I’m asking for help in praying for the needs of others.
Lord, I ask for peace to penetrate the hearts of humanity. I ask for love to transcend the walls of racial issues, marital issues, relationship issues, sibling issues, self-hatred issues, low self-esteem issues and etc. I’m asking for the Holy Trinity to aid all leaders from different nation’s in serving the needs of their people and the needs of the world.
But, Lord, I come to you with a special request on the behalf of American Black girls.
Someone once told me Lord that you love when your children repeat your Holy Words back to you during petitioning you for favor. Well . . . Lord here I am. I am reminding you of your promises. Your word says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you (Joel 2:25).”
Lord, my life is almost over. I am 51 and will soon turn 52; and, if you are kind I might successfully live another 30 to 40 years. I realize I can do a lot within 30 to 40 years but my heart laments over the wasted years of my youth.
Lord, because I feel my caregivers dropped the ball when it came to guiding me successfully in my youth I am praying for Black American girls this morning.
Lord, I am asking that you give them each a protective angel; an angel that will sweetly speak words of affirmation and encouragement in their ears to help them throughout life. I’m praying they understands they have a purpose in life. I’m praying each understands without question that they are not personal dumping ground for other’s. I am praying that you convey to them early the plans you have for them and their lives. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Awe the words ‘future’ and ‘hope.’
Lord it is standard pattern and practice for other’s to feel their purpose is to rob American Black girls of their futures and hope. Therefore, Lord, I’m praying American Black girls will understand self-respect, self-love, and self-affirmation. For in doing so they will know their futures will be brighter with the knowledge of knowing they have hope.
Also, Lord, I am asking for you to set in motion a plan to restore order to American Black girls inherit fragile souls and give them your prosperity promises. Lord, I’m praying that each American Black girl is given the mindset to accept your gifts and learn to appreciate them.
So often others will make American Black girls feel guilty for having when they have not. But, Lord, I release your protective spirit in the lives of Black American girls that they will have life according to your riches and glory in Heaven and on Earth, and in doing so they will not allow others to steal their blessings. I’m praying Lord that you will allow American Black girls to see themselves as you see them: Psalm 139:14 states, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Black Women Have It Going On 