Psalm 77 from Nan Merril’s Psalms for Praying

I cry aloud to You, O Friend,

To the Eternal Listener, that

I might be heard.

In the day of trouble, I seek the

Beloved;

in the night my hand is

stretched out in prayer;

my soul yearns to be comforted.

I think of the Beloved, and I moan;

I meditate, and my spirit

is weak.

You trouble me and I cannot

find peace;

I am so fearful,

I cannot sleep;

I am so filled with fantasies

I cannot speak out.

How well I remember years past,

when You were a companion

close by.

I commune with my heart all

through the night;

I meditate, my spirit seeking

its Friend:

“Will You abandon me forever, and

leave me comfortless in my

distress?

Where is your steadfast Love that

made my soul to sing?

Are your promises empty, that

I feel so alone?”

“Where is the Comforter to ease

this emptiness?

How have I offended You, O Friend,

that I am so alone?”

And I wonder, “Is it those walls of

fear and guilt,

that separate me from the very

Heart of my heart?”

I call to mind the closeness of

my Friend;

Yes, I remember the joy of

the Beloved’s presence.

I contemplate in the Silence,

recalling how You led me

along the Way;

For your Way, O Beloved, is holy.

There is no other like You!

You are the One who will bring

us to wholeness,

You manifest your Love to all

who call upon You;

With You the peoples are redeemed,

the nations brought to peace.

When our fears sense You, O Beloved,

when our doubts encounter

your Love,

they are afraid and attack.

Our eyes pour forth oceans of tears;

our countenance grows cloudy;

we hide behind walls of

resistance.

The power of your Love seems

too much for us;

Your Light unveils the secrets

hidden in our heart;

Can You wonder that we tremble?

Yet, you stand beside us as we walk

through our fears to

the path of wholeness and love,

though our footsteps are unsure.

You send the Counsellor as a guide

to lead us on the road to peace,

truth, and love.