A Prayer...

I find myself returning repeatedly to Celtic Daily Prayer a prayerbook and devotional rich with the words and wisdom of ancient saints. Today I share a prayer from that book attributed to William Barclay.

We hold before God:
  those for whom life is very difficult;
  those who have difficult decisions to make, and
  who honestly do not know 
  what is the right thing to do.


We hold before God:
  those who have difficult tasks to do and to face, 
  and who fear they may fail in them;
  those who have difficult temptations to face, 
  and who know only too well that
  they may fall to them, 
  if they try to meet them alone.

We hold before God: 
   those who know that they can be their own worst enemies.


We hold before God:
  those who have difficult people to work with;
  those who have to suffer unjust treatment, 
  unfair criticism, unappreciated work.


We hold before God:
  those who are sad because someone they love has 
  died;
  and any who are disappointed in something for 
  which they hoped very much.

If you find yourself in any of these difficult places today, friend, I hold you before God.