Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! (Psalm 130) - We find hope in the words of Scripture as our souls wait for God. And we wait as people who trust in the goodnesses of God, who will - will - redeem his people.

“Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” - So it is that the Christian looks at life full in the face, but never as a person with no hope. Trouble may be great, but our God is greater.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (James 4:8) - Here is a great truth of the Christian life: it as we seek God that he is revealed to us. As you reach out in prayer, or dive deep in the scriptures, God draws near to you

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24) - What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

“Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (Ephesians 5:14) - It is possible to fall into a spiritual slumber without realising it. We carry on with our prayers, but they simply become routine. We read our Bibles but don’t really apply the words to ourselves. We say we are Christian, but begin walking in the paths of darkness. Let this passage be a wake up call!

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; (Habakkuk 3:18) - When we grasp that nothing as big as Babylon, or as small as a virus, is outside God’s control we can begin to exercise faith. We may not understand why, but at least we can trust. It is from there that Habakkuk’s praise sprung. Even if everything fails, yet I shall praise God.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want (Psalm 32:1) - The Good Shepherd may lead us through perilous and difficult valleys, but if we follow him with one eye on heaven we will walk with more confidence.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6) - God our Father also meets us as we pray individually, as we pray with the door shut behind us. Private prayer and public services sit side by side, and both are needed.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)