A prayer for the occasion of severe heart failure.* Based on Psalm 73, Col. 1:17, 2 Cor. 12:2, and other Scriptures. To the theme: “Present tense, future perfect”.
Truly God, you are good to those who are pure in heart.
So hear our prayers for _____ in Christ,
who holds all things together
even this faltering heart.We thank you Lord for every heartbeat you have given ____.
That even with this physical frailty, this thorn in his flesh (and cardiac muscle),
You are still all-knowing and Most High.
You hold His right hand,
He is continually with you,
You guide Him with your counsel,
And afterwards You will receive him to glory.As doctors work their wisdom,
and nurses care for his needs,
may _____ not envy the young and healthy,
but rather give him compassion for them.
Help him to tell of Your mercy to him from his youth,
and give him opportunities to say:
“I have made the Lord God my refuge;”
and to say:
“But for me, it is good to be near God.”
As the arsenal** of medicine fills within him,
Fill him again with Your Spirit’s peace.
Assure Him of Your nearness.
Comfort his family and loved ones who weep and laugh by his bedside.
Convict those who are unfaithful to you.
Counsel and strengthen all who meet him by Your Holy Spirit.For: “Who have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.”You are sweeter than healing,
sweeter than length of days,
sweeter than anything on earth.So Lord, help _____ to remember and declare:
“My heart and flesh may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.”
(*Series Note: I’ve always found prayer hard. What has consistently helped me not to give up is to listen in and pray along with other brothers and sisters. Whether it’s the praises and laments of the psalmists, the Lord’s pattern and practice of Word-soaked prayer, the contemplative thoughts of the early catholic fathers, the lofty devotional thoughts of the Puritans distilled in works like Arthur Bennett’s “The Valley of Vision”, the time-tested Book of Common Prayer and other Reformation-era prayers, the prayer points from missions reports around the world, and the everyday life liturgies found in Douglas McKelvey’s “Every Moment Holy” prayers. In the same vein, I’m trying my best to write more of my prayers down. Even if we never pray them again, the process of writing slows us down to contemplate every moment as holy and worth turning back to God in worship. Names and some details might be changed at times. As with everything we write on here, feel free to borrow and adapt for your own personal use. Or even better, write and share your own momentary prayers and let us know!)
**____ is a fellow long-suffering fan of Arsenal FC. COYG!
