Voice: Doreen
Today is Friday, 19th of September. The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.
We read Psalm 142
With my voice I cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
2 I pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit faints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see:
there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.
5 I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Attend to my cry,
for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me!
7 Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will deal bountifully with me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
No refuge remains to me
There are seasons in our Christian life when we feel spiritually dry and alone.
Like the psalmist in our reading today, “our spirit faints within us.” We sense hidden traps and temptations along the way. We feel as if no one notices, no one cares for our soul.
“No refuge remains to me.” There seems to be no safe place left for us.
Some Christians call this the desert experience. The desert is a barren place. No one is there. If you cry out, you may not even hear the echo of your own voice.
St. John of the Cross described it as “the dark night of the soul.”
These are seasons of deep struggle, spiritual dryness, and inner darkness—when God feels absent, prayers seem unanswered, and faith is tested.
The reasons can vary. Sometimes it is a change in our outward circumstances. At other times, it is something within us—mental, emotional, or spiritual weariness. Externally, nothing may have changed, yet our inner life feels unsettled. Modern living, tied to our devices and social media, can also affect us in ways we may not fully understand. For some, it may be a season of illness, or simply the slow process of aging.
Whatever the cause, many believers across the ages have walked through such valleys. And in those moments, like the psalmist, all we can do is pray and cry out to the Lord.
So if you find yourself in such a place, will you lift up your cry to Him? Or perhaps you know someone going through such a season. Then remember them in your prayers today.
We end with this Collect :
O God, my guide and comforter, in this overwhelming darkness,
I ask for your presence to be known to me.
Help me to find the strength to continue,
even when my soul feels empty and my spirit weary.
Grant me the wisdom to trust in your ultimate plan for me
and to know that I will emerge from this night,
transformed by your light and grace. Amen.
Be blessed by this song, Solid Ground by Megan Tidbits.
Broken pieces, I’m a mess
Have no fight left to defend myself
Trying to drink from an empty well
Will you come closer and pull me out
So won’t you take my hands
And look at me and say
Come on and rest here
Lay your burdens down and just say yes, dear
To giving it another go around
I’m not a guest here
You don’t have to make a sound
Pick up where we left here
Cuz we were built on solid ground
We were built on solid ground
We were built on solid ground
I thought I knew better, better than you
But my way isn’t working
I need you to break through
And you say
Come on and rest here
Lay your burdens down and just say yes, dear
To giving it another go around
I’m not a guest here
You don’t have to make a sound
Pick up where we left here
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg
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