Food for Thought....

Whom you choose to love and how you demonstrate your commitment
says more about you than it does about the object of your affection.

A Prayer For Patience and Comfort

A PRAYER FOR
PATIENCE AND COMFORT

by HELEN STEINER RICE



SO, REALIZING MY HELPLESSNESS
I'M ASKING GOD IF HE WILL BLESS
THE THOUGHTS YOU THINK AND ALL YOU DO
SO THESE "DARK HOURS" YOU'RE PASSING THROUGH
WILL LOSE THEIR GRAVE ANXIETY
AND ONLY DEEP TRANQUILLITY
WILL FILL YOUR MIND AND HELP IMPART
NEW STRENGHTH AND COURAGE TO YOUR HEART
SO, TAKE THE SAVIOUR'S LOVING HAND
AND DO NOT TRY TO UNDERSTAND
JUST LET HIM LEAD YOU WHERE HE WILL
THROUGH "PASTURES GREEN" AND "WATERS STILL"...
AND THOUGH THE WAY AHEAD SEEMS STEEP
BE NOT AFRAID, FOR HE WILL KEEP
TENDER WATCH THROUGH NIGHT AND DAY
AND HE WILL HEAR EACH PRAYER YOU PRAY
SO, PLACE YOURSELF IN HIS LOVING CARE
AND HE WILL GLADLY HELP YOU BEAR
WHATEVER LIES AHEAD OF YOU
FOR THERE IS NOTHING GOD CAN'T DO...
FOR GOD IS YOUR FATHER AND YOU ARE HIS OWN!
SO, I COMMAND YOU INTO GOD'S CARE
AND EACH DAY I WILL SAY A PRAYER
THAT YOU WILL FEEL HIS PRESENCE NEAR
TO HELP DISSOLVE YOUR EVERY FEAR!





THROUGH EACH DAY THE LORD POURS HIS
UNFAILING LOVE UPON ME,
AND THROUGH EACH NIGHT I SING HIS SONGS,
PRAYING TO GOD WHO GIVES ME LIFE.



PSALM 42:8
NLT



BUT I TRUST IN YOUR UNFAILING LOVE;
MY HEART REJOICES IN YOUR SALVATION.



PSALM 13:5
NIV



I LOVE THE LORD BECAUSE HE HEARS
MY VOICE, MY PLEAS FOR MERCY.



PSALM 116:1
GOD'S WORD



GOOD PEOPLE, REJOICE AND BE HAPPY IN THE LORD.
SING ALL YOU WHOSE HEARTS ARE RIGHT.



PSALM 32:11
NCV



BUT I TRUSTED IN YOUR STEADFAST LOVE;
MY HEART SHALL REJOICE IN YOUR SALVATION.
I WILL SING TO THE LORD,
BECAUSE HE HAS DEALT BOUNTIFULLY WITH ME.



PSALM 13:5-6
NRSV



MY STRONG LOVE FOR YOUR TEMPLE
COMPLETELY CONTROLS ME.
WHEN PEOPLE INSULT YOU, IT HURTS ME.



PSALM 69:9
NCV



I WILL TALK TO OTHERS ALL DAY LONG
ABOUT YOUR JUSTICE AND YOUR GOODNESS
FOR ALL WHO TRIED TO HURT ME HAVE BEEN
DISGRACED AND DISHONORED.



PSALM 71:24
TLB



I HAVE BECOME AN EXAMPLE TO MANY PEOPLE,
BUT YOU ARE MY STRONG REFUGE.



PSALM 71:7
GOD'S WORD



FOR YOU HAVE BEEN A SHELTER FOR ME,
A STRONG TOWER FROM THE ENEMY.



PSALM 61:3
NKJV

A Prayer For Healing

A PRAYER FOR HEALING

by HELEN STEINER RICE



I JUST WISH I KNEW SOME MAGIC WORDS TO SAY
TO TAKE YOUR TROUBLES ALL AWAY,
BUT AT TIMES LIKE THESE WE REALIZE
THAT GOD WHO IS BOTH KIND AND WISE,
CAN DO WHAT NONE OF US CAN DO
AND THAT'S TO HEAL AND COMFORT YOU
SO I COMMEND YOU TO HIS CARE
AND MAY HE HEAR YOUR SMALLEST PRAYER
AND GRANT RETURNING HEALTH TO YOU
AS ONLY HE ALONE CAN DO.





LORD, I LOVE YOUR HOME,
THIS SHRINE WHERE THE BRILLIANT,
DAZZLING SPLENDOR OF YOUR PRESENCE LIVES.



PSALM 26:8
TLB



AS THE MOUNTAINS SURROUND JERUSALEM,
THE LORD SURROUNDS HIS PEOPLE
NOW AND FOREVER.



PSALM 125:2
NCV



EVERY PATH OF THE LORD IS ONE OF MERCY AND TRUTH FOR THOSE WHO CLING TO HIS PROMISE
AND WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS.



PSALM 25:10
GOD'S WORD



SURELY GOODNESS AND LOVINGKINDNESS WILL
FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE,
AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER.



PSALM 23:6
NAS



BECAUSE YOUR LOVINGKINDNESS IS BETTER THAN LIFE, MY LIPS SHALL PRAISE YOU.



PSALM 63:3
NKJV



HOW PRECIOUS IS YOUR
LOVINGKINDNESS, O GOD!
THEREFORE THE CHILDREN OF MEN
PUT THEIR TRUST UNDER THE
SHADOW OF YOUR WINGS.



PSALM 36:7
NKJV



HOW PRECIOUS ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT ME, O GOD! THEY ARE INNUMERABLE!



PSALM 139:17
NLT



THE LORD IS JUST IN ALL HIS WAYS,
AND KIND IN ALL HIS DOINGS.



PSALM 145:17
NRSV



HE WILL SAVE THEM FROM OPPRESSION
AND FROM VIOLENCE, FOR THEIR LIVES ARE PRECIOUS TO HIM.



PSALM 72:14
TLB



LET THE KINDNESS OF THE LORD OUR GOD BE WITH US. MAKE US SUCCESSFUL IN EVERYTHING WE DO.
YES, MAKE US SUCCESSFUL IN EVERYTHING WE DO.



PSALM 90:17
GOD'S WORD

A Seed Is Sown

A SEED IS SOWN

by HELEN STEINER RICE



SEEDS MUST BE SOWN TO
BRING FORTH THE GRAIN,
AND NOTHING IS BORN
WITHOUT SUFFERING AND PAIN
AND GOD NEVER PLOUGHS IN THE
SOUL OF MAN WITHOUT INTENTION AND
PURPOSE AND PLAN.





YOUR PROMISES HAVE BEEN THROUGHLY TESTED;
THAT IS WHY I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.



PSALM 119:140
NLT



THOU HAST TRIED MY HEART;
THOU HAST VISITED ME BY NIGHT;
THOU HAST TESTED ME AND DOST FIND NOTHING;
I HAVE PURPOSED THAT MY MOUTH WILL NOT TRANSGRESS.



PSALM 17:3
NAS



THE PROMISES OF THE LORD ARE
PROMISES THAT ARE PURE,
SILVER REFINED IN A FURNACE ON THE GROUND,
PURIFIED SEVEN TIMES.



PSALM 12:6
NRSV



FOR YOU, O GOD, HAVE TESTED US;
YOU HAVE REFINED US AS SILVER IS REFINED.



PSALM 66:10
NKJV



I AM TRUSTING GOD-OH, PRAISE HIS
PROMISES! I AM NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING
MERE MAN CAN DO TO ME! YES, PRAISE HIS PROMISES.



PSALM 56:10-11
TLB



YOUR KINGDOM IS AN EVERLASTING KINGDOM,
AND YOUR DOMINION ENDURES THROUGH ALL
GENERATIONS. THE LORD IS FAITHFUL TO ALL HIS
PROMISES AND LOVING TOWARD ALL HE HAS MADE.



PSALM 145:13
NIV



FOR I HAVE SAID, "LOVINGKINDNESS
WILL BE BUILT UP FOREVER;
IN THE HEAVENS THOU WILL
ESTABLISH THY FAITHFULNESS."



PSALM 89:2
NAS



YOUR KINGDOM IS AN EVERLASTING KINGDOM,
AND YOUR DOMINION ENDURES
THROUGH ALL GENERATIONS.
THE LORD IS FAITHFUL TO ALL HIS PROMISES
AND LOVING TOWARD ALL HE HAS MADE.



PSALM 145:13
NIV



BUT KNOW THAT THE LORD HAS SET
APART THE FAITHFUL FOR HIMSELF;
THE LORD HEARS WHEN I CALL TO HIM.



PSALM 4:3
NRSV



LET ME LIVE IN YOUR HOLY TENT FOREVER.
LET ME FIND SAFETY IN THE SHELTER OF YOUR WINGS.



PSALM 61:4
NCV