This episode is uniquely for those who are grieving. It's for those who know they are carrying pain but don't have the words or the strength to vocalize it yet. It's for those who know their heart is broken and their mind is confused.
I get it. I'm there too. So in this episode I'm spending time praying for you...for us. I invite you to just receive. Prayer will then lead into some guided time for you to vocalize what you need to Christ. It's okay if you don't have words: often we don't know what we need. Even your silent groanings are enough before the Lord - that's a beautiful gift. He knows what you need and is attuning to you. He is with you. It it His strength that will sustain and guide you.
Scripture: Psalms 13
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
But I have 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.
Letter from the host:
Dear Beloveds,
Reflecting on and responding to the faithful and intelligent love of God has been therapeutic to my mind, heart, and body! I vulnerably share because I want you to experience the joy of authentic connection with Jesus, yourself, and others.
Growth happens at the point of connection. Thank you for trusting me with this connection! I'm glad to be with you!
With joy,
Gabrielle Michelle
New episodes onWednesdays! Bi-weekly!
Thanks for subscribing and leaving a review! Please feel free to share with your family and friends.
This episode is uniquely for those who are grieving. It's for those who know they are carrying pain but don't have the words or the strength to vocalize it yet. It's for those who know their heart is broken and their mind is confused.
I get it. I'm there too. So in this episode I'm spending time praying for you...for us. I invite you to just receive. Prayer will then lead into some guided time for you to vocalize what you need to Christ. It's okay if you don't have words: often we don't know what we need. Even your silent groanings are enough before the Lord - that's a beautiful gift. He knows what you need and is attuning to you. He is with you. It it His strength that will sustain and guide you.
Scripture: Psalms 13
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
But I have 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.
Letter from the host:
Dear Beloveds,
Reflecting on and responding to the faithful and intelligent love of God has been therapeutic to my mind, heart, and body! I vulnerably share because I want you to experience the joy of authentic connection with Jesus, yourself, and others.
Growth happens at the point of connection. Thank you for trusting me with this connection! I'm glad to be with you!
With joy,
Gabrielle Michelle
New episodes onWednesdays! Bi-weekly!
Thanks for subscribing and leaving a review! Please feel free to share with your family and friends.
Welcome to the return to joy podcast. I'm your host, Gabrielle Michel Leonard. Here we're leading people to cultivate joy through storytelling. We hope listening will reveal pathways to unlocking the healing power of connection, so that you can see your relationships and the world around you transformed from fractured into flourishing. This episode is for those who are grieving. It's for those who are in pain, who have heartbreak. I'm actually specifically aware of people who listen to this podcast that I know are experiencing grief right now, in this very moment. I'm aware of people in my own life that are going through pain. I know I personally am. So this episode is going to be a guided time of prayer. I'm going to read be reading through psalms 13. And there's about three sections to it. I'm going to be pausing after each section. It's a very short Psalm, it's only six verses. But I'm going to pause at the end of each section. And just add more language. As you know, I'm syncing to and then give you space, give some silent space for you to respond to the Lord, as well. So let's do it. First father, I just want to thank you for being Emmanuel, God with us, for sending your son Jesus, to die on a cross for our sins. But taking that specifically and looking at it as a witness to you, validating and responding to the pain of humanity. Father, I thank you that the sheer reality, the truth of Christ coming to earth and dwelling among us, means that you took it seriously the pain and grieving of your people of the of the earth use you, Lord are telling us and witnessing to us even now in this moment. That our pain, you listening, your pain is worthy of the presence of God. Your pain is worthy of the presence of God, God, thank you for telling us for demonstrating us through the work of Christ, demonstrating to us that our pain is worthy of your presence, Christ came the presence of God came and dwelt among us. Because you saw that as a needed space, it was worth it to you to dwell with us and be in the midst of our pain to be in the midst of our hurts. So Father, I just thank you for that right now, even in this very moment. Well, that may not even feel true to some people listening in this moment. And that's okay. Would I speak that word of truth over everyone listening right now that your pain is worthy of the presence of the Lord. Whatever you're grieving about or whatever, you're not allowing yourself to grieve about whatever pain you're carrying, whether it be the pain of a friend, or the pain of a loved one, or your own pain, it is worthy of the presence of the Lord. Do not withhold it from him. Father, before we even get into this time of praying through this passage of Scripture, I just want to pray right now that any hindrances to allowing our pain to come before you and if anyone that's listening to that has a hard time allowing themselves to grieve before you allow in themselves to be in pain and be with and be with you. They feel that there has to be a separation, that it's not possible, or they don't know how to be with you in pain or don't they don't know how you're with them in pain. I pray right now, Lord, that in this time in this moment, you would wreck and reframe any perspectives, any trauma, any insecurity there that says I can't see God apart, coming to my pain. I can't I don't know how to experience it. I pray right now, Lord, that You would come into those spaces with your gentleness. Lord. I thank You, Lord, that you don't push us to any extent that we're not ready to Go, Lord, you know the very places within our hearts, the very places within our minds that we are ready to let our guards down to that week you are a master surgeon, you know exactly where to go. And you know exactly what we're ready for, in any given moment that I thank you that this is a journey. I thank you that you're not a tyrant king that's beating and whipping us forward. I thank You, Lord, that it is not your voice that says Get over it. It is not your voice that says move past this already. You should be done with this by now. You're so silly for being in pain about this. It's not your voice that says that. I think you are that that's the voice of the accuser, and it's not yours. I pray, Lord, that in this time, you would separate voices that are accusatory that are shaming that are judgmental, that are not actually yours. I pray Lord, that You would make clear, you would draw a line, a delineation that creates clarity for every person listening right now where they would be able to hear and give in in see and know, oh, this is actually the voice of the Lord. Father, thank you God for how many countless times in Scripture that you talk about yourself as being a good shepherd, as one that guides for that guides and leads. And so far that we know that if there is any voice in our head, that is actually creating chaos and confusion and tension within ourselves or within people within loved ones. We know if there's spaces where we feel like we can't actually move forward. But I think you are that you're exposing actually the accusatory voice, you're exposing actually the of the voice of another, that's not yours. Because Father, I think your that your voice feels like the leading of a shepherd. It doesn't mean necessarily that everything's clear and everything's precise. And we know the whole way, we know that we always and constantly have to depend upon you, for a heart for especially for our healing and our growth. But I thank You, Lord, that your voice does sound like forward movement. We actually don't feel stuck when you speak to us, but we actually feel like we can keep going. Even if it feels like a footstep more. There is some sense of oh, I'm actually not paralyzed here. He actually gave me a pat I actually can step forward. God I pray Lord, that right now in this moment, you would clarify you you would disrupt any false perspectives that we may have around clarity and security. Because Lord, when we're in pain, and when we're aching, and and heartbreak, or experiencing grief. Sometimes we think the need is that is to see clearly, we think what we need to have is clear sight. And then that can cause just as a depression and of itself because we're like, I can't see forward actually. But when but what we really need is security. What we really need is a sense of it's okay that I can't see all the things right now. But I'm held. It's okay that I don't know how to navigate forward just yet. But I'm safe. It's okay that I can't I don't know how to physically beat my son move myself forward and me know maybe there's those judgmental thoughts. It's like, you just gotta get over this. You just gotta, I can't muster up the courage to just keep going. It's okay. He's still speaking, he's still singing over me. And there's a there's an ability to navigate just one step. Or I pray, Lord, even just for a patience with ourselves, and a trust and security and you to know that even simply standing is victory. Even simply standing is victory. What I pray, Lord, that You would re orchestrate, change, transform any unhealthy relationship that we have with time. Because in seasons of pain, it can feel like Time is moving so slow or it can feel like Time is moving so fast and it's beyond our control. Or we're moving so slow and everyone else is carrying on and getting on with life and they're doing all the things and they're being so successful and they're they have have it all together and we're just gradually falling behind or we just want to speak your, for you to resurrect truth there. For anyone who is feeling that would you restore truth? Would you restore right alignment and right connection and relationship to time? Because Lord, I know that there are times when it feels like nothing is happening and yet I know in my heart of hearts that actually everything is happening, you are moving and carrying me forward, you are actually doing all the things all the things that I think I'm not doing so father in those spaces, or where the enemy would love her minds would love to like respond and create shame in there to us to fall into toxicity around what we're not doing. Or what ball we are dropping, Father, would you reorient us? Would you connect us back to you fix our gaze back to you. Even just in this moment, I just like get the mental picture of just when you spin a kid around you know, when you take a little kid and you hold their two arms and you're swinging them around or if you're on a Ferris wheel and you and you are at the Ferris wheel, Aleksey don't remember what the little thing is that you that you, you know you push in it. It goes around super fast or whatever on the playground like the old school playgrounds, but just when you you become disoriented, you get dizzy. And when you're dizzy, it's hard to fixate on a point it's hard to it's hard to get stable. And pain has a way of disorienting us pain has a way of making us dizzy. Heartbreak has a way of just making the whole thing just fill out of looping out of whack. Father, would you reorient right now would you place your hand upon our shoulders like little children. Cup our face in the palms of your hand right now Father Look us deeply into the eye and say I'm here. Look at me right now in this moment, pray that you would receive His gaze and that you would look back. Allow the father allow Jesus to connect with you and to give you his peace as you give him all that spell that you felt all that's been hard. And even just right now in this moment, I just want to give you space to do that. Want you to see that wants you to connect with that. Like what if your beloved Savior was right now in this moment? Cupping your face staring you in the eyes? What if he was that close? What if Jesus was that connected? He's closer, Chile. But for the visual sake when it's sometimes easier to connect with a visual idea, a representation of the gift of Christ with your life. See that? He's holding your face helping to reorient you. He's not standing distantly away idly by saying oh, you know you need to be looking at me. You need to be trusting me. In all your ways acknowledging me that's a that's a good, true verse. But sometimes we can even hear truth. From the voice, this added voice that we're adding to it. It's not his voice. That's just shaming. And it's actually not bringing us closer to him. It's actually pushing us away. We're afraid not the good kind of fear of God but the bad kind that leads you away leads you to go hide because of shame. I'm introducing you and I'm saying would you connect right now in this moment to Oh, God who's not shaming? That's actually say that's actually not pointing a finger from a distance and saying, Hi, haven't you connected? Why haven't you looked at me? But it's actually saying I see you're disoriented. I see. Things actually feel accusing, like chaotic and you do it can't even get your bearings right now you're dizzy. The pains got you dizzy the griefs got you dizzy. The heaviness has got you dizzy, some cupping your face. I'm looking you dead in the eyes. And I'm helping you focus. I'm guiding you to where to focus. Look at my face. Look at his face. And remind reminded of a mentor. Long ago at one time spoke to me a word of encouragement. She said Gabrielle. Sometimes people only look at the hands of Jesus. They only look at what he can give to them. But you said the Lord's inviting you to look at his face. If you look at his face, you can have whatever is in his hand. Look at his face. That's where the beauty is look at his face. Connect with him don't miss that. So father right now which is thank you that Your Beloved's are positioned to look at your face. They're delighted to look at your face. And they're with you right now. So no so now right? They're connected and looking into this face. I'm going to begin to read Psalms 13 This is very swan. through to how long? Oh Lord, will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long was I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Father, we are crying out to you and saying how long O Lord I want you to take a moment right there. Just pause. David says how long Oh Lord, will you forget me forever what would be your line to him? You're connected and you're staring at his face. He's not distant. He's right there next to you. What's the honest vocalization of your heart right now? Give him that line how long Lord will you forget your promises towards me? How long will this longing go unfulfilled? How long will I have to endure this pain? How long will it be before? I am whole again? Will this hurt forever? Do you see? Do you see me? Where are you? Oh questions are questions towards you Lord. Psalms 13 Verse three before consider and answer me O Lord my God. Light up my eyes. Least I sleep the sleep of death. Lease my enemy say I have prevailed over him. Please my foes rejoice because I am shaken. Father, it seems like we're weak in this moment. Vulnerable exposed. Like this is the moment in which anyone who's got something against us could win and prevail. Like this is the moment in which people who we've perceived to be our enemies or the enemy could win victory and be victorious over us. This is the moment when it seems like I'm not going to make it out of this one. This is this is going to be the end of me. And I'm saying me here, but like, I want you as I'm praying like to allow it to connect with you let this be your voice. If things I'm praying, don't sound like your voice Pray along with me and say what sounds like you. But we are asking Father, would you consider an answer me, O Lord, my God. I want to point out that the beauty of this these two verses here is there's actually hope for this person, there's actually hope here, for David probably didn't feel like it like in this moment, that moment. When writing that or saying that before the Lord singing it before him. Probably really felt like the end like this will be how I die. My enemies are going to prevail over me. But actually, the fact I just want to point out point out for you in this moment today, the fact that he was still crying out and saying, consider an answer me, O Lord, my God actually gives witness to that hope still lived within him. No one calls out to someone for rescue that they feel like is long gone. The fact that he was crying out at all meant that there actually was a place within within him that actually did still have hope. for things to be able to turn around, even though it also felt like nothing but darkness could not see like a shadow was cast. And so I want to speak to you if there's any bit of you. That is even halfway praying along with this prayer, you're hearing it you're syncing it you're you're craving you're saying yes god I just hire you. How about where where are you? What What the heck are you doing? Even that anger, in that raised voice towards the Lord is actually showing you a sign of hope that hope is actually still within you. The faith and that's the faithfulness of the Lord that it's there. Because if you were done crying out to Him, that's one thing but you're not done. You're still pressing and you're still you're still like maybe maybe you'll hear and I want to say that that right there is enough. To get us to this Navy's next two verses. This is Psalms 13, verses five and six. It says, But I have 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. I'm gonna read that one again. But I have 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 that well i that so resonates with me that man This hurts but I have trusted in the steadfast love of the Lord I have trusted in your steadfast love some of you right now in this moment need to yell that Allah Jesus you need to yell it out if God need to say but I have trusted in your steadfast love you just say that with some anger say that with some passion it's like a putting your foot down like this hurts I don't understand. I don't know how I'm gonna move through the the experiences that I'm feeling right now but I've trusted in your steadfast love. That's you making a resolve. God I thank you for the resolves that you've made within the hearts of your people. I thank you for the resolves you've made in the in their hearts right now. You did that you place that there. They may be wobbly, little unstable. A little shaky will uncertain. But if there is any bit any ounce of solid ground, there's any ounce of I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to wait on the Lord. I'm going to stay I'm going to remain here I'm going to I'm going to just I'm going to keep coming back and remembering who he is and who He said He would be. I'm going to keep reminding him of who he is. And I'm gonna weep and just allow him to be present to my pain. I'm not gonna ignore it, I'm not gonna lie about it. I'm not gonna say Praise the Lord. I'm all good. No, it's not lying. We're not lying. We're not faking, gonna be real. But then you're gonna allow the Lord to be there. And then you're going to, you're going to vocalize and conversation back and forth with them, and allow him to just attune with you back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And then somewhere along the way, there's this reminder a sense not because all better imperfect, but there's this sense of Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. But I have trusted in the steadfast love of the Lord. And my heart actually does rejoice in, in his salvation. I actually can say, praises, praises towards him can come from my lips. And I actually will sing to the Lord. Because actually, he has dealt bountifully with me even in the midst of my pain, even when I could not see and when I cannot see right now. I'm going to allow hope to grow trust to grow. Faith to grow. As my connection to the lover of my soul grows. I have my I will cause my heart actually to remember that he actually has been good for a long time. And he will guide us through so I want to thank you have you listened to that whole time in prayer than man I trusted that was this was just for you. And just for you was very much so worth it. I believe every episode is is for the one, no matter if hundreds Listen, like, you know, less than that, or all the things in between, like it's for the one every time and I'm thankful that I that I know the Lord was with you. If you walked along and received this time in prayer I didn't need I need to make an intentional note that the podcast episode comes out every other week. So this is bi weekly, and not every week. So I wanted to go on the record of saying that, because I've not said that before. But thank you so much for showing up. Showing up today. I'm glad I'm glad I showed up as well too. If you're hearing this message, you've listened to the entire episode. And for that I am deeply grateful. I hope this episode resonated with you and if it did help us out by sharing this episode and leaving a review on Apple podcasts, and Spotify. Most importantly, reach out to let me know how you're engaging with this episode, and what topics you'd like to see covered in the future. You can connect with us on social media, or get in touch with me directly at Gabrielle at return to joy.com to share your heart. I'll see you in two weeks for a new episode.