Do you ever struggle to pray?
Do you wonder if God is listening?
Do you worry that your faith is too weak or your doubt is too strong?
Do you wonder if you are even welcome to come before Him with your pleas for mercy, healing, comfort or strength?
If so, this is a prayer for you.
“Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul” is one of my favorite hymns. The words were written by Anne Steele centuries ago. She knew the pain of suffering. She endured loss, serious health issues, singleness, and hardship. (You can read more about her here.) In these words, we get a glimpse into her struggle to place her hope in Christ.
Dear refuge of my weary soul,
On Thee, when sorrows rise
On Thee, when waves of trouble roll,
My fainting hope relies . . .
Waves of trouble, a fainting hope–does that sound familiar to you? It does to me.
But oh! When gloomy doubts prevail,
I fear to call Thee mine
The springs of comfort seem to fail,
And all my hopes decline . . .
And then comes the internal struggle. Doubt and fear creep in. Finding hope and comfort in the Lord doesn’t seem to be working!
Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?
Thou art my only trust
And still my soul would cleave to Thee
Though prostrate in the dust
And yet, where else should we turn? Who else do we have besides the Lord? We know He is the only secure place for our hope and trust, and so even in our pain, we cling to Him.
Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face,
And shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of sovereign grace,
Be deaf when I complain?
This is my favorite line: Can the ear of sovereign grace be deaf when I complain? We take our sorrows to Him, and in His grace, He promises to hear our pleas for comfort. We know for certain that He cannot turn us away.
Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet.
I love this beautiful picture of a weary soul finding rest at the mercy seat of God. Often struggle, fear and doubt come before rest. But in the end, the place for our hurting soul is at the feet of Jesus.
Have a listen to this version by Indelible Grace. I hope it refreshes your soul as it does mine.
(If you don’t have Spotify, you can listen to the entire song here.)
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