Lord Jesus, Messiah and King,
Great God! from thee there’s nought concealed,
Thou seest my inward frame;
To thee I always
stand revealed
Exactly as I am.
(“Access to God in Christ,” Newton, J., p.d. Sing to the tune of “Joy to the World!”)
You see my suffering, You see my mourning, but also my inward thoughts that fixate me…
on me.
Give me Your Word instead of my self-focused thoughts today.
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me (Lk. 3:21-22) to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound” (Is. 61:1 ESV).
When You said You fulfilled these words in Your first coming (Lk. 4:17-21), it must have comforted Your people to think of You instead of their suffering and self-glorying sin.
Replace my thoughts with thoughts of what You’ve done, instead of me, in this New Covenant time of redemption
But since my Saviour stands between,
In garments dyed in blood…
’Tis He, instead of me, is seen,
When I approach to God…
For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit (Eph. 2:18 BSB)…
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn (Is. 61:2 ESV)…
Thus, though a sinner, I am safe;
He pleads, before the throne,
His life and death in my behalf,
And calls my sins his own.
Therefore, brothers and sisters,
since
we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through
the blood of Jesus—
he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)—
and since
we have a great high priest over the house of God (Heb. 10:19-21 CSB)…
Replace my thoughts with expectant hope in my true home, instead of my suffering in this temporary world
I may not be a captive in Babylon as in Isaiah’s time, nor a first disciple under Roman rule. But as I suffer, an exile from my true home with You (1 Pet. 1:1), help me remember my hope that Your instead of promises are as sure for me as they were for them…
to grant to those who mourn
in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD,
that HE may be glorified (Is. 61:3 ESV, emphasis added).
Replace my thoughts with the gospel truth of Your love, the greatest exchange that You gave to me!
Your instead of words comfort me today, because I now live in Your New Covenant time of favor and grace!
It’s Your favor in…
removing the power of self-focused sin in me, so that YOU may be glorified, even in this suffering.
Help me to sing of my hope, Your instead of ongoing blessing and favor…as one united with Christ…
as I wait for the day when You will return and judge sin, removing its presence…forever (Mt. 13:36-43)!
Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Amen and amen.
Material adapted from Praying God’s Blessings in Christ as We Suffer: Scripture Prayers for the Hardest Days, Lauri A. Hogle, © 2026
A playlist gift of worship music to help us replace our thoughts with our gospel hope in Christ, the “instead of” truth!
I woke up so tired, hurting, fatigued with grief, hardly able to manage basic self-care. This playlist was His gift to sing of our gospel hope in Christ. To sing Christ’s hope and every blessing He’s giving to us in this New Covenant time of His favor, His blessing, His redeeming work until Christ returns and consummates His kingdom.
I was still tired, in pain, but had renewed hope through His instead of “truth replacement” in my thoughts. Hallelujah!
Sister in Christ, if you’re suffering in some way and this would help you endure, sign up below and I’ll share the playlists He’s giving to me with you also, through email. May He richly bless you in this time of suffering as we seek to bring Him glory.
To read more of Lauri’s writing, you can use her devotional Bible study lament prayer journals: Praying God’s Blessings in Christ as We Suffer: Scripture Prayers for the Hardest Days, Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering, Near to God: A Devotional Bible Study of God’s Character as We Suffer, or Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering. In the Valleys of God’s Love is written for children aged 3-8, a perfect read for grandparents, parents, and children to share together, preparing them for suffering to come.
For Scripture devotionals, calming hymns, lots of playlist gifts and encouragement from Lauri, click here for YouTube channel
For those with chronic illness and pain, here’s a special gift just for us
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