Refuge
Support, sustain, uphold, carry: what do these words all have in common?
Aren’t they words that speak about something that is weak, something that is small, something that needs to be held?
There are so many times in the journey with chronic illness when we are left feeling the depth of our smallness. Sometimes the temptation is to fight against that, to be the strong one who can overcome any obstacle.
But what can we do when the strength has given way and there is no fight left within us? Our Lord tells us in His Word that HE will hold us and He will sustain us. Even to our old age and grey hairs, He is longing to lift us up and bring the true refuge we so desperately need. He will hold every prayer that we lift to Him.
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NIV
A Scripture prayer for every week this month–that is what these Prayer Prompts are meant to express. On the days when I feel too restless to pause, it is such a help to read along with prompts and thoughts pointing my heart to still the rushing and to listen to what God would say. And so, I eagerly invite you to come with me over to the Chronic Joy Ministry Website, to read, to ponder, and to pray the Scriptures that point us to the true Refuge we have in Christ. Will you join me there?
Click here to continue reading.
I am linking this week with: #TellHisStory #LMMLinkup
BettieGsRAseasons 
So blessed by these Scripture prompts into prayer this morning, Bettie, and by your own beautiful incense leading us to the heart of the Father that beats inside of us. Love you and so thankful for you. xxx
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Dear Anna, I am so thankful for you also. The Lord has been so good to us to allow us to share His Word together with each other! His strength right in the weakest of my days has been such a miracle. And you have been such an encouragement through these times. Love you and so thankful for you too. xoxo
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Thank you Bettie! This is exactly what I needed today! ❤
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Oh, thank the Lord for His precious Words meeting you, Deborah! I am so grateful that He knows just what we need. Blessings to you this week!
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And to you also Bettie! ❤
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Thank you so much!
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I love these prayer prompts, Bettie. Thank you! It humbles my heart to think of how He desires that we bring our every need and others’ needs to Him. I heard on a message by Max Lucado yesterday of how Jesus is knocking on the doors of our hearts and when we pray, we are opening the door to to invite Him in. I was thinking this morning, “Lord Jesus, I want the door of my heart to be wide open to You always!” Your prayer prompts are encouraging us all to open the doors. How are you doing? Have you started the infusion yet? Love and blessings of strength and peace to you always!
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Dear Trudy,
Yes! Thank you for sharing those thoughts of such truth from Max Lucado. Oh, that I would keep my heart open to Him! It’s so easy to close the door, in just a second’s time. I am so grateful that He stands right there, just waiting to hear my cries again. Thank you so much for your prayers also, dear friend. I am still waiting to hear back from the hospital for scheduling. Jesus is so good to us, and so near to us in every weak place. Love and hugs and blessings to you!
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Bettie……..I spoke each beautiful prayer and thank you for bringing so much joy into my life through your encouraging prayers.
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Oh Dear Wendi, I am so thankful for the Lord’s encouragement to you thru these prayers He gifted as I paused with His Scriptures. I pray that He will bring you His comfort and strength this month! Thank you for sharing your thoughts here. Love and blessings to you! Xo
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You are a blessing Bettie, thank you!
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And thank you Sweet Friend!
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These are such encouraging prayer prompts, Bettie! Thank you for sharing your sweet intercessory heart. Though I love and have joined in with them all, I can especially relate to #3 and #4. God is so good to draw close to us in our weakness! He knows our human frame and how our anxious and fearful minds can lead us away from the Peace He alone can give us. And yet, He gently leads us back to His side, and to being refilled with His Peace, with cords of love and compassion instead of condemnation for having gone astray. What a Shepherd!
I’ve been slowly savouring small excerpts from ‘A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23’ by W. Phillip Keller as I settle down for sleep, and it’s such a reassuring read. We can get a great deal of encouragement simply by prayerfully considering that Psalm or others that remind us of the goodness of God toward us. Not least in providing dear soul companions, like you, to walk beside us on our faith and chronic illness journeys, and pray for our needs, as we do for theirs. It’s such a gift! Blessings, love and hugs to you, dear friend! xoxo ❤
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Dear Joy,
Oh, I love it that the Lord is having you read Phillip Keller’s meditations on Psalm 23 before sleeping. About a year ago, He had me doing that same thing. It is such a stirring study from a Shepherd’s point of view. And, how I too join you in expressing these words: “He gently leads us back to His side, and to being refilled with His Peace, with cords of love and compassion instead of condemnation for having gone astray. What a Shepherd!” Thank you for your precious comments here today, my dear heart-friend. Once again, I am so amazed at the way that He has us walking such similar paths on this chronic illness journey. He is so full of grace and mercy, and He is bringing such beautiful confirmation of His Word to us. Much love and hugs and blessings to you too, dear friend! xoxo
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Dear Bettie, oh how I love the connections and heart thoughts we seem to have in common! I’m so thankful God is continually “bringing confirmation of His word to us.” Now when I read that book I will be thinking of you doing exactly the same thing last year. Maybe one day we’ll have to ask what we’re currently reading or which books are sitting on our nightstand. Although I was forced to move a whole stack when we had a leak in the roof, which we’re still waiting to be repaired. Much love and blessings to you, dear friend! xoxo ❤
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Oh yes, Joy, that would be great fun to check in on each other’s reading from time to time. I’m afraid my stack of books just keeps growing also. It is a good problem to have though, right? Although not underneath a leaky roof! I will continue to pray for that repair, dear friend. May the Lord bless our reading and our resting both. Thank you for your precious thoughts and prayers! xoxo
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I’m often tempted to just “be stronger.” But sometimes the best thing to do is surrender into his arms and “be weaker” (which really is being stronger!). Thanks, Bettie.
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Amen! In His arms, held up by Him, is really the best place to be, isn’t it? Thanks for your precious comments here. I’m so glad that we can lift each other to Him in our prayers! Blessings, Dear Friend!
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Amen! Hope you’re having a better day today Bettie.
Bless you,
Jennifer
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Thank you Dear Jennifer! Jesus is holding me up so sweetly, even in these rough patches. What a blessed joining with Him, as He asks me to pray, and allows me to be blessed by prayers also. He is so full of grace! Blessings to you also, Dear Friend!
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The prayer prompts are beautiful Bettie. Thank you for sharing your heart and God’s touch on you even on those hard days. Yes, He is our strength and refuge, always!
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Dear Lynn,
He is such a good, good Father for us, isn’t He? Even on the roughest of days, He finds ways to let us know that it is HIS grace that is holding us up. I know that you have felt that in these weeks of your recovery also. Thank you for the grace of understanding. May the Lord continue to be your strength too!
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Thank you for your prayer ministry. I constantly need the strength of God to sustain me and prayer is the vehicle to drawing close to Him.
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Amen, Mary. It is a constant need, isn’t it? I am so thankful that He calls us to find His strength and communion with Him through prayer. Thank you for your sweet encouragement! Blessings to you this week!
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This was such a blessing to me, dear friend. I honestly do not know what I would do without being able to go to the throne of grace MANY times throughout the day. God absolutely IS my refuge and strength, and yes, He is a VERY present help in every time of need. How I praise Him for you and your obedience to His call upon your life and your faithfulness to post here and encourage each one of us with what He lays upon your heart. Your suffering bears the sweetest fruit in your life, and we are so blessed to reap the benefits here. Much love and gratitude to you, Bettie!
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Dear Cheryl,
Oh, I truly echo your thoughts here: ” I honestly do not know what I would do without being able to go to the throne of grace MANY times throughout the day.” How blessed we are that He calls us to come! Thank you for the many, many ways that you are such an encouragement and comfort through your prayers and thoughts dear friend. I am so grateful that the Lord allowed our paths to cross, and to pray for each other on this journey. Much love and gratitude to you also, my sweet friend! xo
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Dear Bettie, what a profound concept. God’s own words used to describe Himself – refuge, tower of strength, fortress, all point to His greatness and implicit in this is our need for His strength. Thank you for these powerful prayer prompts. I find it helpful to anchor my prayers in scripture. Such a beautiful way to move us toward our God who is bigger and stronger and upholds us day by day. God bless you, dear sister!
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Dear Melissa,
Yes, we are so blessed to be able to anchor our prayers in Scripture. He has given us so many precious promises and comforts there. Truly He “is bigger and stronger and upholds us day by day.” Amen! May He bring you blessings this week as you share such comfort and truth in your own writings, dear friend!
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