Heart & Hope

I waited so long for Spring.

Anna Tran — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:29:47 GMT

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I waited so long for Spring.
Winter has felt like an eternity.

So drawn out that I almost forgot what Spring felt like.

The long suffering wait for the cherry blossoms was an ache within me that became a part of me.
It became my breathing and my being.

So when Spring came, I lost my bearings.
It caught me up and spun me around.

So long I had been waiting,
holding on,
looking far into the horizon.

But suddenly, my eyes were blinded as the Sun shone directly on me.
The fresh Spring breeze took my breath away.

All of a sudden every bare branch was blooming and the bleak cold no longer biting at my skin.

The shiver was gone but my shield were still up.
Winter had got into my soul.

I had been weathering the cold for so long that I had become a part of it.

My heart, my body, my soul not ready or able to embrace the beautiful ease of spring, the enticing welcome of a new season.

My eye could not believe,
My body too scared to relax.

But this is God,
His way of working…
Slowly slowly, then suddenly.
Inch by inch and then 100 miles per hour.

He only knows why, but often this is His way.
Perhaps it is because the way you can embrace this cadence is by surrender.

Surrender in the slow ache of a seemingly unending winter.
Surrender in the bright whirlwind of a cherry blossom new season.

Surrendering all my understanding,
all my expectations,
all my well practiced ways of being.

Not defeat.
Surrender.

Surrender into the loving arms of a perfect Father who keeps perfect timing.

So winter, it’s time.
Time to leave my body, my soul, my heart and mind.

A new season has come, can you not behold it?

It is filled with singing and joy, dancing and beauty.

Take off the sackcloth and lift up your gaze.

The incense bowls have tipped.

There is rejoicing in the heavens.

The Lord, your God has moved.

Look and see His goodness in the land of the living

‘See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.’ Is 43:19

Hi friends,

It has been so long since I have posted on Monday, I have missed being here.

It would be near impossible for me to summarise these last months, especially as an outro a post, but I’ll just say this ‘death & resurrection’.

It has been both beautiful and glorious as well as one of the most testing seasons of faith for us. But as always He has been good. Not in the airy fairy way, but on the gritty, bold stained redemptive sort of way.

I have missed writing weekly, but as most of you know, the priority of my year has been shifted to prayer first and writing later. As I live out the year,I can see why God had such a clear direction for this. Even so, I do miss it and the community I built here.

Anyways, I will be back, and PTS will be posted on Thursdays so stay tuned.

Until next time,

Love, Anna x

The voice of the Lord is powerful - Praying through Psalm 29

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:45:43 GMT

‘Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.’ - C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer

All you have to do is press play - Let’s pray together.

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

wow, this was a powerful session. I pray it blesses you as it blessed me. There is no one like our God!

(sorry I missed Psalm 28, that will come soon!)

Psalm 29

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,^[^a^]
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
²Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.^[^b^]
³The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters.
⁴The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
⁵The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
⁸The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
⁹The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth^[^c^]
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
¹⁰The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
¹¹May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless^[^d^] his people with peace!

photo credit: Becca Booth

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Prayer against fear - Praying through Psalm 27

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 05:45:53 GMT

“Prayer is not learned in a classroom but in the closet.” — E.M. Bounds

The Pray Together Sessions were created for anyone who longs for a prayer partner.

All you have to do is press play - Let’s pray together.

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

I feel like I keep saying the same thing over and over! But this is another one of my favourite Psalms. I am so thankful for all these beautiful words we get to pray from.

Psalm 27

¹The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
²When the wicked advance against me
to devour^[^a^] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
³Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
⁴One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
⁵For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
⁶Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
⁷Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
⁹Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
¹⁰Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
¹¹Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
¹²Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
¹³I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
¹⁴Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.

photo credit: Becca Booth

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God, I want to trust you fully - Praying through Psalm 26

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:44:27 GMT

“To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.”
― Timothy Keller,

The Pray Together Sessions were created for anyone who longs for a prayer partner,

All you have to do is press play - Let’s pray together.

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

Hi Friends, join me in the prayer room 🧡

Psalm 26

¹Vindicate me, Lord,
for I have led a blameless life;
I have trusted in the Lord
and have not faltered.
²Test me, Lord, and try me,
examine my heart and my mind;
³for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love
and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.
⁴I do not sit with the deceitful,
nor do I associate with hypocrites.
⁵I abhor the assembly of evildoers
and refuse to sit with the wicked.
⁶I wash my hands in innocence,
and go about your altar, Lord,
⁷proclaiming aloud your praise
and telling of all your wonderful deeds.
⁸Lord, I love the house where you live,
the place where your glory dwells.
⁹Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
my life with those who are bloodthirsty,
¹⁰in whose hands are wicked schemes,
whose right hands are full of bribes.
¹¹I lead a blameless life;
deliver me and be merciful to me.
¹²My feet stand on level ground;
in the great congregation I will praise the Lord.

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A prayer for help- Praying through Psalm 25

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:13:43 GMT

For anyone who longs for a prayer partner, who needs encouragement or who desires to grow in prayer. The Pray Together Sessions were created for you.

We have been praying through the Psalms, and today we are in Psalm 25. All you have to do is press play.

Let’s pray together.

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

Hi Friends,

Sorry, this is late and also published on an unexpected day!

This year has been so different in terms of focus and rhythm, and I feel like I am catching up with the shift God has already done in my life. It’s a great problem to have but yeah, old commitments (i.e. publishing schedules) have all gone out of the window in submission to the King of kings.

Anywayssss… I can’t wait to pray with you 🧡

Psalm 25

1 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in You I trust,
Do not let me be ashamed;
Do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.
4 Make me know Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they have been from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
According to Your lovingkindness remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.
8 Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in justice,
And He teaches the humble His way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth
To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.
11 For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
He will instruct him in the way he should choose.
13 His soul will abide in prosperity,
And his descendants will inherit the land.
14 The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him,
And He will make them know His covenant.
15 My eyes are continually toward the Lord,
For He will pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses.
18 Look upon my affliction and my trouble,
And forgive all my sins.
19 Look upon my enemies, for they are many,
And they hate me with violent hatred.
20 Guard my soul and deliver me;
Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all his troubles.

photo credit: Becca Booth

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A prayer of praise to strengthen you today - Praying through Psalm 24

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 07:39:13 GMT

For anyone who longs for a prayer partner, who needs encouragement or who desires to grow in prayer. The Pray Together Sessions were created for you.

We have been praying through the Psalms, and today we are in Psalm 23. All you have to do is press play.

Let’s pray together.

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

Hello friends,

Be strengthened today,

Psalm 24

1 The Lord owns the earth and all it contains,
the world and all who live in it.
2 For he set its foundation upon the seas,
and established it upon the ocean currents.
3 Who is allowed to ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?
4 The one whose deeds are blameless
and whose motives are pure,
who does not lie,
or make promises with no intention of keeping them.
5 Such godly people are rewarded by the Lord,
and vindicated by the God who delivers them.
6 Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor,
Jacob’s descendants, who pray to him. (Selah)
7 Look up, you gates.
Rise up, you eternal doors.
Then the majestic king will enter.
8 Who is this majestic king?
The Lord who is strong and mighty.
The Lord who is mighty in battle.
9 Look up, you gates.
Rise up, you eternal doors.
Then the majestic king will enter.
10 Who is this majestic king?
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
He is the majestic king. (Selah)

photo credit: Becca Booth

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Pause and be refreshed - Praying through Psalm 23

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 06:15:19 GMT

For anyone who longs for a prayer partner, who needs encouragement or who desires to grow in prayer. The Pray Together Sessions were created for you.

We have been praying through the Psalms, and today we are in Psalm 23. All you have to do is press play.

Let’s pray together.

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

Hello Friends,

We are praying through Psalm 23 today. May there be fresh revelation of His closeness to you today.

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
2 He takes me to lush pastures,
he leads me to refreshing water.
3 He restores my strength.
He leads me down the right paths
for the sake of his reputation.
4 Even when I must walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff reassure me.
5 You prepare a feast before me
in plain sight of my enemies.
You refresh my head with oil;
my cup is completely full.
6 Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days,
and I will live in the Lord’s house for the rest of my life.

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May this Psalm wash over you today - Praying through Psalm 22

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 06:15:22 GMT

For anyone who longs for a prayer partner, who needs encouragement or who desires to grow in prayer. The Pray Together Sessions were created for you.

We have been praying through the Psalms, and today we are in Psalm 22. All you have to do is press play.

Let’s pray together.

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

Hello friends,

We are praying through Psalm 22 today. What a beautiful Psalm! May our hearts be moved and changed by the word of God.

Psalm 22

1 For the music director, according to the tune “Morning Doe”; a psalm of David.
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away.
2 My God, I cry out during the day,
but you do not answer,
and during the night my prayers do not let up.
3 You are holy;
you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel.
4 In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted in you and you rescued them.
5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed.
6 But I am a worm, not a man;
people insult me and despise me.
7 All who see me taunt me;
they mock me and shake their heads.
8 They say,
“Commit yourself to the Lord!
Let the Lord rescue him!
Let the Lord deliver him, for he delights in him.”
9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out from the womb
and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
10 I have been dependent on you since birth;
from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me.
12 Many bulls surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan hem me in.
13 They open their mouths to devour me
like a roaring lion that rips its prey.
14 My strength drains away like water;
all my bones are dislocated.
My heart is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
15 The roof of my mouth is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums.
You set me in the dust of death.
16 Yes, wild dogs surround me—
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet.
17 I can count all my bones;
my enemies are gloating over me in triumph.
18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice for my garments.
19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away.
You are my source of strength. Hurry and help me!
20 Deliver me from the sword.
Save my life from the claws of the wild dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion
and from the horns of the wild oxen.
You have answered me.
22 I will declare your name to my countrymen.
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you.
23 You loyal followers of the Lord, praise him.
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him.
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him.
24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering of the oppressed.
He did not ignore him;
when he cried out to him, he responded.
25 You are the reason I offer praise in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers.
26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled.
Let those who seek his help praise the Lord.
May you live forever!
27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him.
Let all the nations worship you.
28 For the Lord is king
and rules over the nations.
29 All the thriving people of the earth will join the celebration and worship;
all those who are descending into the grave will bow before him,
including those who cannot preserve their lives.
30 A whole generation will serve him;
they will tell the next generation about the Lord.
31 They will come and tell about his saving deeds;
they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished.

photo credit: Becca Booth

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Who can be against us? - Praying through Psalm 21

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 06:03:16 GMT

For anyone who longs for a prayer partner, who needs encouragement or who desires to grow in prayer. The Pray Together Sessions were created for you.

We have been praying through the Psalms, and today we are in Psalm 21. All you have to do is press play.

Let’s pray together.

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

Hello prayer partners,

We are praying through Psalm 21 today, may God reveal Himself to you afresh today.

Psalm 21

21 For the music director, a psalm of David.
O Lord, the king rejoices in the strength you give;
he takes great delight in the deliverance you provide.
2 You grant him his heart’s desire;
you do not refuse his request. (Selah)
3 For you bring him rich blessings;
you place a golden crown on his head.
4 He asked you to sustain his life,
and you have granted him long life and an enduring dynasty.
5 Your deliverance brings him great honor;
you give him majestic splendor.
6 For you grant him lasting blessings;
you give him great joy by allowing him into your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord,
and because of the Most High’s faithfulness he is not shaken.
8 You prevail over all your enemies;
your power is too great for those who hate you.
9 You burn them up like a fiery furnace when you appear.
The Lord angrily devours them;
the fire consumes them.
10 You destroy their offspring from the earth,
their descendants from among the human race.
11 Yes, they intend to do you harm;
they dream up a scheme, but they do not succeed.
12 For you make them retreat
when you aim your arrows at them.
13 Rise up, O Lord, in strength!
We will sing and praise your power.

photo credit: Becca Booth

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A blessing over you today - Praying through Psalm 20

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 06:01:25 GMT

For anyone who longs for a prayer partner, who needs encouragement or who desires to grow in prayer. The Pray Together Sessions were created for you.

We have been praying through the Psalms, and today we are in Psalm 20. All you have to do is press play.

Let’s pray together.

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

Hallo friends,

We are praying through Psalm 20 today. May the Lord bless you and may you know His deep love for you.

Psalm 20 [NET]

1 May the Lord answer you when you are in trouble;
may the God of Jacob make you secure.
2 May he send you help from his temple;
from Zion may he give you support.
3 May he take notice of all your offerings;
may he accept your burnt sacrifice. (Selah)
4 May he grant your heart’s desire;
may he bring all your plans to pass.
5 Then we will shout for joy over your victory;
we will rejoice in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
6 Now I am sure that the Lord will deliver his chosen king;
he will intervene for him from his holy, heavenly temple,
and display his mighty ability to deliver.
7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses,
but we depend on the Lord our God.
8 They will fall down,
but we will stand firm.
9 The Lord will deliver the king;
he will answer us when we call to him for help!

photo credit: Becca Booth

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In light of God's glory - Praying through Psalm 19

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 06:30:42 GMT

For anyone who longs for a prayer partner, who needs encouragement or who desires to grow in prayer. The Pray Together Sessions were created for you.

We have been praying through the Psalms, and today we are in Psalm 19. All you have to do is press play.

Let’s pray together.

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

Hallo beloved,

I am so glad you are here, . We are praying through Psalm 19 today, oh it is such a beautiful Psalm. I am so excited to pray with you.

Psalm 19 [NET]

1 For the music director, a psalm of David.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the sky displays his handiwork.
2 Day after day it speaks out;
night after night it reveals his greatness.
3 There is no actual speech or word,
nor is its voice literally heard.
4 Yet its voice echoes throughout the earth;
its words carry to the distant horizon.
In the sky he has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 Like a bridegroom it emerges from its chamber;
like a strong man it enjoys running its course.
6 It emerges from the distant horizon,
and goes from one end of the sky to the other;
nothing can escape its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and preserves one’s life.
The rules set down by the Lord are reliable
and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.
8 The Lord’s precepts are fair
and make one joyful.
The Lord’s commands are pure
and give insight for life.
9 The commands to fear the Lord are right
and endure forever.
The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy
and absolutely just.
10 They are of greater value than gold,
than even a great amount of pure gold;
they bring greater delight than honey,
than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.
11 Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there;
those who obey them receive a rich reward.
12 Who can know all his errors?
Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of.
13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant sins;
do not allow such sins to control me.
Then I will be blameless
and innocent of blatant rebellion.
14 May my words and my thoughts
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my sheltering rock and my redeemer.

photo credit: JO

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come kicking and screaming, God can take it.

Anna Tran — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 14:03:05 GMT

‘Where are you?! Do you care about me?!’

I screamed. It wasn’t out loud, but I know that the spirit realms heard.

Tears streamed down my cheeks.

‘Lord, are you there? Can you see me?’

My heart was broken for the 1000th time, my marriage was on the rocks, and I sat in the noisy silence of a thousand painful questions.

There was a season when I found myself in this position frequently. Desperate and on the edge of despair, pleading with God to show himself as we faced yet another obstacle that threatened to ruin us.

So many times, I have wondered out loud whether God could even see the brokenness of my heart.

Some may call this ‘offence’ against God.

But I call it prayer.

‘How long, O LORD?
Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long must I wrestle in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart each day?
How long will my enemy dominate me?’
Psalm of David- 13:1-2

We overcomplicate prayer.

We overcomplicate it so much that we end up not praying at all.

We think we need the ‘right’ headspace, a certain amount of time, routines and big words. We believe that God is looking for theologically correct prayers and devotion that deserve His attention.

But He isn’t.

He is looking for your presence.

Basically, He is waiting for you to show up.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. - James 4:8

To show up when you are sad, when you are tired, when you are happy, when you are grumpy.

When you have hope that could lift an entire room or none at all.

He isn’t looking for you to complete the formula before He shows up.

He is just waiting for you to show up.

Showing up

This week I used some of my child-free time to find and buy pretty notebooks that I will use as my next prayer journals. I have prayed using a prayer journal for 18 years. Everything that has happened in my life can be traced to one of those journals.

Notebooks - one of the few items where I don’t really look at the price tag. The feel of the paper and the way the book makes me feel when I hold it is far more important. These books will travel with me, physically and emotionally, through many things. I need to like them, they have to be right.

Really, I should lock them in a vault underground because things don’t get more vulnerable or honest than what you would find in there.

I have a long history of speaking to God.

I also have a history of long pauses.

Times when the pen touches the page and then lifts again without a single word being written.

You may think that those moments were failed quiet times. I used to think that too.

God doesn’t need your quiet time.

I was chatting with some friends over some pho (Vietnamese soup noodles) recently, and our conversation touched upon the subject of ‘quiet times’ and how we have unconscious criteria for them. Criteria for what is ‘good enough’, things that God has not put on us, but things we use to disqualify ourselves from receiving from Him.

Things like:

The amount of time spent in prayer.
The frequency of that time in prayer.
How much of that time was in scripture, and whether that was enough.

We discussed how motherhood, burnout, and exhaustion have highlighted our faulty beliefs about prayer and God’s response to us. But most starkly, our idol of self.

We really believe that we somehow dictate God’s response to us.

Yes, maybe for other gods in other religions, but not YWH God.

No, this God loves and responds to those who have absolutely no business calling on Him.

The weak, the marginalised, the foolish, the wayward, the prodigals, the failures, the sick, the broken, the barren and the cursed. The ones who cry out ‘whhhyyyyyy?’ not with fists shaking but with hearts breaking.

This God, our God, responds not because of how you have come to Him, but because you have come to Him. His heart is moved, soft and tender, His being large enough to take any amount of screaming, kicking and questioning that you could throw at Him, and His stance toward you is always love.

How? Why?

Well, because He doesn’t need you.

He doesn’t need your ‘right’ emotions or your ‘proper’ approach to conjure up love.

He is love.

Sustained within the Godhead is the perfect love communion of the Father, Son and Spirit. Perfectly loving one another and united as One.

So perfect, so united that you, beloved child, can really do nothing to throw that off.

Whether you come as I did, screaming, ‘Where are you?!’

Or you come with deep praise and adoration.

Nothing can make Him love you more, and nothing can make Him love you less.

You just don’t have that type of power.

yup, let it sink in cosy, like this doggo into his mustard armchair. [photo credit: Becca Booth]

So come, kicking and screaming if you have to. I have learnt that He much prefers honest screaming to hypocritical politeness.

Think of it this way, He already sees and knows the unsearchable parts of your heart. So there is no need to hide.

But this is the mind-blowing part, He sees and He knows, AND He still wants you to come. Because, unlike what we may think, knowledge is not God priority, i.e. reporting to him your life and thoughts, the confession and victories, nope…

His priority is intimacy.

Relationship.

Connection.

He wants you and Him to be together, to talk it out, to wrestle it out. He wants to impress His embrace upon your being and to be given the chance to answer your deepest, scariest questions.

And He will, because He always does.

Maybe not in the way you expect, and maybe in a way you will need to learn to understand.

But I have never heard God silent.

As I sat at the edge of the daybed, my prayer journal in hand, empty page staring up at me, I let my breathing slow, I let the tears fall as they may, I let my words hang in the air.

Not ashamed that I questioned Him.

But thankful that even now, He loves me.

photo credit: Becca Booth.

"And even if *our* faith fails, He remains true--He cannot prove false to Himself." - 2 Tim 2:13

Some of you may have noticed a change in the cadence of my publishing. At the end of 2025 God asked me to give to prayer the time I would usually give to writing. It was a hard ‘yes’ but a ‘yes’ nonetheless. I have not regretted it.

The child-free hours I used to dedicate to writing was now spent in the prayer closet. Lots of writing is happening but they are two way letters between me and God. I am so enjoying the luxury of undisturbed hours with Him.

So for now posts will come as and when, but they will come as I believe God wants me to share what I am learning in the Secret Place with you.

My prayer for us all this year is that we will wade past the shallow waters and plunge into the deep waters of intimacy with Him.

Thank you all for being here,

Until next time,

Love, Anna x

p.s. I love writing this blog and keeping posts free is something I believe in. Continue supporting by upgrading your subscription or buying me a coffee. Thanks 🧡

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Don't delay, enter the prayer closet: 'God, be glorified in my life' - Praying through Psalm 18.

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 06:30:22 GMT

For anyone who longs for a prayer partner, who needs encouragement or who desires to grow in prayer. The Pray Together Sessions were created for you.

We have been praying through the Psalms, and today we are in Psalm 18. All you have to do is press play.

Let’s pray together.

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

Hallo Prayer partners. Today, we are praying through the rest of Psalm 18. It’s a long one so I have split it into 2 parts. This is part two verse 36-50.

Psalm 18b [NET]

36 You widen my path;
my feet do not slip.
37 I chase my enemies and catch them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
38 I beat them to death;
they fall at my feet.
39 You give me strength for battle;
you make my foes kneel before me.
40 You make my enemies retreat;
I destroy those who hate me.
41 They cry out, but there is no one to help them;
they cry out to the Lord, but he does not answer them.
42 I grind them as fine windblown dust;
I beat them underfoot like clay in the streets.
43 You rescue me from a hostile army.
You make me a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects.
44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me.
Foreigners are powerless before me.
45 Foreigners lose their courage;
they shake with fear as they leave their strongholds.
46 The Lord is alive!
My Protector is praiseworthy.
The God who delivers me is exalted as king.
47 The one true God completely vindicates me;
he makes nations submit to me.
48 He delivers me from my enemies.
You snatch me away from those who attack me;
you rescue me from violent men.
49 So I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord.
I will sing praises to you.
50 He gives his king magnificent victories;
he is faithful to his chosen ruler,
to David and his descendants forever.”

photo credit: Becca Booth.

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God is taking you into a spacious place - Praying through Psalm 18:1-35

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 07:01:00 GMT

Hallo Prayer partners,

Today, we are praying through Psalm 18. I literally love this Psalm. I have used this Psalm in personal prayer so many times and I can’t wait to pray with you today.

Let’s pray!

New here?

The Pray Together Sessions were created for anyone who longs for a prayer partner, who needs encouragement or who desires to grow in prayer.

We have been praying through the Psalms, and today we are in Psalm 18. All you have to do is press play!

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

This is a long Psalm, so I have split this over two sessions. This is part one, verses 1-35.

Psalm 18 [NET]

For the music director, by the Lord’s servant David, who sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord rescued him from the power of all his enemies, including Saul.
He said:
“I love you, Lord, my source of strength!
2 The Lord is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer.
My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter,
my shield, the horn that saves me, and my refuge.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I was delivered from my enemies.
4 The waves of death engulfed me,
the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.
5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me,
the snares of death trapped me.
6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried out to my God.
From his heavenly temple he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help.
7 The earth heaved and shook.
The roots of the mountains trembled;
they heaved because he was angry.
8 Smoke ascended from his nose;
fire devoured as it came from his mouth.
He hurled down fiery coals.
9 He made the sky sink as he descended;
a thick cloud was under his feet.
10 He mounted a winged angel and flew;
he glided on the wings of the wind.
11 He shrouded himself in darkness,
in thick rain clouds.
12 From the brightness in front of him came
hail and fiery coals.
13 The Lord thundered in the sky;
the Most High shouted.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them,
many lightning bolts and routed them.
15 The depths of the sea were exposed;
the inner regions of the world were uncovered
by your battle cry, Lord,
by the powerful breath from your nose.
16 He reached down from above and took hold of me;
he pulled me from the surging water.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy,
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me.
19 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me.
20 The Lord repaid me for my godly deeds;
he rewarded my blameless behavior.
21 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands;
I have not rebelled against my God.
22 For I am aware of all his regulations,
and I do not reject his rules.
23 I was innocent before him,
and kept myself from sinning.
24 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds;
he took notice of my blameless behavior.
25 You prove to be loyal to one who is faithful;
you prove to be trustworthy to one who is innocent.
26 You prove to be reliable to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive to one who is perverse.
27 For you deliver oppressed people,
but you bring down those who have a proud look.
28 Indeed, you light my lamp, Lord.
My God illuminates the darkness around me.
29 Indeed, with your help I can charge against an army;
by my God’s power I can jump over a wall.
30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner;
the Lord’s promise is reliable.
He is a shield to all who take shelter in him.
31 Indeed, who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector besides our God?
32 The one true God gives me strength;
he removes the obstacles in my way.
33 He gives me the agility of a deer;
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend even the strongest bow.
35 You give me your protective shield;
your right hand supports me.
Your willingness to help enables me to prevail.

photo credit: Becca Booth

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Lord, you are my confidence - Praying through Psalm 17.

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 07:02:19 GMT

For anyone who longs for a prayer partner, who needs encouragement or who desires to grow in prayer. The Pray Together Sessions were created for you.

We have been praying through the Psalms, and today we are in Psalm 17. All you have to do is press play.

Let’s pray together.

The Pray Together Sessions are published every Thursday.

Happy New Year, my friends. How blessed are we to see another year in? Today, we pray through Psalm 17. Let’s start our year remembering God, whom we put our confidence in.

Psalm 17 [NIV]

Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.
²Let my vindication come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.
³Though you probe my heart,
though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
my mouth has not transgressed.
⁴Though people tried to bribe me,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
through what your lips have commanded.
⁵My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not stumbled.
⁶I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
⁷Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
⁸Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
⁹from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.
¹⁰They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
¹¹They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
¹²They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
¹³Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down;
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
¹⁴By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers for their little ones.
¹⁵As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

photo credit: Becca Booth

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Worshipful prayer to God our refuge and portion. - Praying through Psalm 16.

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 06:45:23 GMT

A prayer space created just for you.

Today, we pray through Psalm 16. This is one of my favourite Psalm. I am so blessed to be able to pray through it with you.

This will be our last Pray Together Session and post from Heart & Hope until January 2026,

much love and Merry Christmas x

Psalm 16 [ESV]

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.
4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

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Do you love me?

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:08:24 GMT

‘I know that He trusts me, but I don’t know that He loves me.’

The words tumbled out before I could stop them.

This Christmas season, two things have moved me unexpectedly:

God’s choice to come as a baby.
How I needed Him to come as a baby.

The former is not a new revelation, the latter one, that one is new to me.

I have been feeling off lately. My friends would ask me how I was, and I wouldn't be able to give a genuine answer. I would reach down into my soul and find an empty space where the easy answer should have been.

I didn’t feel bad or sad or upset, just disconnected.

‘When you leave a part of your heart cut off from God, it can start to rot and die, and eventually it will impact everything,’ My spiritual director reflected to me midway through one of our sessions.

Those words were the challenge I needed. I had locked something away. A thought so painful that I kept it barred deep within.

It was the best way I knew to deal with it. To let this idea out into the consciousness of my mind would devastate me. It would cripple my ability to keep walking. It would unhinge the little strength that I had left.

But no matter how much theology I knew, no matter how much mental gymnastics I successfully completely, I could not hide from the deep aching question that my soul was crying out.

‘Does God love me?’

Like, really, really love me?

Because the way He has led me has been so painful, the things He has asked of me so hard.

Over and over again, I have told myself, to share in His suffering is a blessing.

Over and over again I have been told, that it is a privilege to be trusted with trials and tests.

Those truths have strengthened me for a time. They have added fuel to my engine for over a decade.

But I am all out of gas.

And in all honesty, God’s trust is not what I desire. It is not enough to sustain me.

I am more than a servant in his Kingdom, I am not an employee in His workforce.

I am a child, and I am tired.

I am hurting, and I need to know the answer to the age-old question.

‘If God loves me, why did He lead me through suffering?’

Only I don’t need the theological answer, I don’t need the apologetic reasoning. I know those off by heart. My head is convinced but my soul is cut off.

I need an experiential answer. I need to know in the depths of me.

The Honest Ask

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“I know you are loving, but I need to know that you love me.

The pain of the last season is eroding caverns into my heart that I don’t know how to fill. The felt loss of the love I once knew is eating me up alive, and I don’t know how to stop it.

Where are you, Jesus?
Where are your nail-pierced hands?
Your kind, strong voice of comfort?

Where are you?

You stand tall, strong, kind, but so far away from me.

My pain, a chasm between us.
My orphaned heart screams out for you.

Do you hear me?”

The Unexpected Answer

We cuddled on the sofa with our morning story of the day. A story from the Jesus Story Book Bible - the story of the three wise men.

‘The three men knelt before the baby king, ’ I read to my 3-year-old daughter.

‘They took off their rich royal turbans and gleaming golden crowns, ’ I felt tears welling up in my eyes

‘They bowed their noble heads to the ground and gave him their sparkling treasures,’

I was weeping.

‘The journey that had begun so many centuries before had led three Wise Men here. To a little town. To a little house. To a little child.’

My daughter looked up at me, her eyes taking in the tears that were falling from mine. Her eyebrows furrowed unsure what was causing her happy Momma to weep.

I tried to explain, but I don’t think I did very well. She looked at me confused and told me she didn’t want to finish the book. (I laugh about that part, I totally understand her reasoning haha!)

One day she will understand better. She will be able to grasp why a baby King, who great wise kings bow down to, breaks open her Momma’s soul.

My need for a Baby King

God’s gift to me this Christmas has been the fresh revelation that Jesus came as a baby.

He could have come as a man fully grown, without the need of a mother, without the vulnerability of a fragile infant frame, but He chose the long, vulnerable route of coming as a baby.

And because He did this, I, someone disconnected because of pain, can find the intimacy I desperately need.

When you have been hurt by men in leadership positions (family, church, work, etc) it is not uncommon to find yourself shielding your heart from the One Man who is actually safe.

This Christmas I am so thankful that Jesus wasn’t always a man, but he was also a baby. Pure, innocent, weak, but still fully God. It is nearly impossible for me to project any of my wounds onto a baby.

Even now, as I stand separated by pain from intimacy with the God/man Jesus Christ, it is astonishing that God still finds a way to meet me. When I shut off my heart to Him and deem Him unsafe, He still reaches out for me and finds a way to me.

He does not meet my accusational questions with eloquent reasoning but with the innocent, soft eyes of a Baby King.

And when my walls are high, and every man shot on sight, He reaches for me with the gentleness and purity of a child.

When cynicism keeps out the words of God, it is unable to stop the unguarded fragility of an infant.

Though in this season, my wounds cause distance from the God/man Jesus Christ, my instincts draw me into the safety of the fully divine, perfectly safe, kind, strong and Holy Baby King.

I know it may sound strange to you, but He was God at one day old just as much as He is God now.

And this year, as my soul heals, this is what I desperately need - a God who came weak as a baby so that those wounded like me would not flinch and turn away, so that those in pain would not shield and hide, but because of His weakness, vulnerability and fragility, would dare to return to Him.

Somehow, in knowing Him as the Baby King, I can experience His love for me.

And that is enough for me.

Have a beautiful and blessed Christmas my friends.

May His peace, presence and glory be close to you and your family.

Thank you for journeying with me this year. It really is a privilege and a pleasure.

Until next time,

Love, Anna x

p.s. I love writing this blog and keeping posts free is something I believe in. Continue supporting by upgrading your subscription or buying me a coffee. Thanks 🧡

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'Who may dwell?' - Praying through Psalm 15.

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 06:45:12 GMT

A prayer space created just for you.

Today, we pray through Psalm 15

Psalm 15 [NET]

1 Lord, who may be a guest in your home?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 Whoever lives a blameless life,
does what is right,
and speaks honestly.
3 He does not slander,
or do harm to others,
or insult his neighbor.
4 He despises a reprobate,
but honors the Lord’s loyal followers.
He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise.
5 He does not charge interest when he lends his money.
He does not take bribes to testify against the innocent.
The one who lives like this will never be shaken.

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photo credit: Becca Booth

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