Paul Zach with the Porter’s Gate sings, ‘Come, All Who Are Weary’. As you begin your time of prayer today, take some deep breaths and enter into knowledge of God’s love for you.

Come, all who are weary

I will give you rest

Come all who are striving

Lean upon my breast

For my yoke is easy

And my burden light

O come, all who are weary, come

Come, all who are wounded

Crying out how long

Come all who are waiting

For the break of dawn

Darkness will not hide me

Forever from your sight

O come, all who are wounded, come

Come, all who are weeping

All whose hope is gone

Come all who are silent

All who've lost their song

Your every tear is numbered

Your every sorrow known

O come, all who are weeping, come

O come, all who are weary

Wounded and weeping

All of God's children, come

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 13:10-17

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are set free from your ailment.’ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.’ But the Lord answered him and said, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?’ When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

The woman in our reading today, had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years, leaving her bent over and unable to stand up straight. Perhaps there are things in your life which cause you to feel bowed over in body, mind or spirit. Take a moment to acknowledge these things with the Lord.

This woman would have been constantly looking down towards the ground, so in your imagination, try walking beside her for a while. Look at the ground beneath your feet, the sight that she sees all the time. Imagine what this is like and how she feels as she walks.

As you listen again to the reading, notice the difference in the woman’s appearance and demeanour as Jesus lays his hands on her.

Luke 13:10-17

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are set free from your ailment.’ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.’ But the Lord answered him and said, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?’ When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

‘The woman immediately stood up straight and started to praise God.’

Now, return to the things that make you feel bowed over. Imagine that the Lord is gazing upon you with deep compassion as you feel or bear these things. How does it feel to know that Jesus sees you? You might like to ask for his healing touch. Perhaps you can end this time of prayer also praising God.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen