Lord, please take away the sadness. We are hurting. We are weary. There are days we cannot remember what joy felt like. Our hearts have been broken. We sometimes wonder if you really care ... and if you are really there. We are not sure how much we can bear. So, in our sadness we pray, "Father, restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."  

Lord, please take away the fear. There's so much happening that we don't understand. We struggle with the uncertainty. We struggle to find confidence. We are looking for reasons for hope. So, in our times of fear we pray, "Father, walk with us and hold us in Your strong hands."  

Lord, please take away the disappointment. Too often we've put our trust in people; too often we watch them fail. We put our hope in things; and things never last. With each disappointment our hearts grow sicker as our hopes slowly seem to fade in the darkness. So, in our disappointment we pray, "Father, help us to be faithful to You, and never forget Your promise to be faithful in all things."  

Lord, please take away the doubt. Deep in our hearts we know you care. In the depths of our souls we know You are always near. At times our faith is weak and our confidence is depleted. So, in times of doubt we pray, "Father, open our eyes and open our ears."  

Father, thank you for filling us with your presence.

Lord, please take away the anger. We are not by nature angry people. But, there are times when the anger waits just beneath the surface to erupt at just the wrong moment. We don't want that anger to take root in our hearts. We want to let go of it and harbor no resentment. We want to forgive. So, in our anger we prayer, "Father, forgive us as we forgive those who have sinned against us."  

Lord, please take away the hurt. The hurts ... well, they hurt. The hurt seems to never end. Pain is all around us. Not just us, but people all around us are crying for relief. So in our times of hurting we pray for Your healing hand to rest upon us, and to feel Your comforting Spirit within us, and that someday we might understand.  

Lord, take away the loneliness. There are times when loneliness almost completely overwhelms us. We long for relationship. We long for friendship. We long for love. We know You are always with us. We know your love is real. But, sometimes, Lord, we need someone we can touch, someone we can see, and someone we can feel. So, in our loneliness we pray, "Fill us, Lord, with Your presence."  

Father, thank you for restoring joy to us, for calming our fears, for reassuring us of Your faithfulness, for opening our eyes and ears to the certainty of You, for forgiving us of our sins, for healing us of our hurts, and for filling us with Your presence. We love you.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7 TNIV).

The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry by Henri Nouwen The modern classic that interweaves the solitude, silence, and prayer of the fourth and fifth century Egyptian Desert Fathers and Mothers with our contemporary search for an authentic spirituality.

Tom Norvell is the author of "A Norvell Note." He ministers at the Hermitage Church of Christ in Hermitage, Tennessee.

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