Thoughts for the Day

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
or discipline me in your wrath.
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
My soul also is struck with terror,
while you, O Lord—how long?

Turn, O Lord, save my life;
deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.
For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who can give you praise?

I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
My eyes waste away because of grief;
they grow weak because of all my foes.

Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my supplication;
the Lord accepts my prayer.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

A few years ago I was working in a small village when I noticed that a number of men from church were confiding in me that they had been diagnosed with prostate troubles. After the recent news in Britain that King Charles is being treated for this, it has been in the news quite a lot, but in the past men tended to keep such things to themselves. It was only because I was considered a safe pair of ears that they mentioned it to me, and so I could add them to my daily prayer list for the sick. However, I noticed that none of the men were talking to each other about it. My solution was to suggest to a couple of the them that they might get together for a social event, and in doing so talk to one another about their health! I left it at that, but learnt afterwards that their first evening went so well that they were going to meet each month, and had decided to pray for one another. Each of them took away two names to pray for!, and over the months I noticed the way the spiritual health as well as the physical health of the congregation began to change.

Our reading from Psalm 6 is by King David. It is one of the seven penitential psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143), and you will remember that we had Psalm 51 on Ash Wednesday. We learn that David is sick and in despair, whether this is because of his illness or because of his conscience is difficult to tell.

Sometimes when we are sick we are so worried about our health that we cannot think straight. Our only help at this point is God, for He always wants the best for us. Sometimes we can only sigh and moan, but we shouldn't ignore the faithful prayers of other Christians at such a time. I am often only given a Christian name to pray for - after all God will know for whom I praying.

Lord Jesus Christ,
sometimes like King David,
we need to pray for our own health,
and sometimes we need to pray
for the health of others.
Today we pray for ........................... (add names).
Lord we ask You to comfort them,
ease their suffering and
in Your name we ask for healing.
Amen.