{"id":11580,"date":"2021-06-03T23:50:48","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T21:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/?p=11580"},"modified":"2021-06-03T23:50:48","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T21:50:48","slug":"i-hear-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2021\/06\/03\/i-hear-you\/","title":{"rendered":"I hear you"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\n(Photo: Irene Bom)<\/span><\/p>\n

 
\nI’m subscribed to the GOODNEWSLETTER<\/a> – a weekly dose of five good news stories to counter cynicism and despair, to awaken hope. <\/p>\n

This week’s GOODNEWSLETTER opens with a wonderful story from Zimbabwe about the Friendship Bench<\/strong>, a groundbreaking mental health programme based on evidence-based talk therapy, offered for free by trained grandmothers in more than 70 communities around the country. <\/p>\n

Here’s an excerpt about one of the grandmothers serving her community as part of this programme: <\/p>\n

Chinhoyi, who is 72, has lost count of the number of people she has treated on an almost daily basis over the past 10-plus years. She regularly meets with HIV-positive individuals, drug addicts, people suffering from poverty and hunger, unhappy married couples, lonely older people and pregnant, unmarried young women. Regardless of their background or circumstances, she begins her sessions the same way: \u201cI introduce myself and I say, \u2018What is your problem? Tell me everything, and let me help you with my words.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

After hearing the individual\u2019s story, Chinhoyi guides her patient until he or she arrives at a solution on their own. Then, until their issue is completely resolved, she follows up with the person every few days to make sure they are sticking to the plan. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 
\nOn the BBC Future<\/a> website you can read more about the Friendship Bench<\/strong> and how the programme is spreading to other countries. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n

I Do Believe<\/h3>\n

I believe in God whose light shines in the darkness,
\nand the darkness can never smother it.<\/p>\n

I believe in the Word who has become incarnate,
\nour very flesh and blood,
\nyet full of grace and truth.<\/p>\n

I believe in the blessed appearing of the salvation of our God,
\nthat is for the happiness of all people.<\/p>\n

I believe in his name as Wonderful Counsellor,
\nMighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace;
\nof the increase of his rule and of his unique peace
\nthere will be no end.
\nThe zeal of the God of hosts will do this.<\/p>\n

This I surely believe!<\/p>\n

 
\n~ written by Bruce Prewer<\/strong>, posted on Bruce Prewer\u2019s Homepage<\/a>. (adapted)
\n <\/p>\n\n

 
\nFrom the blog<\/strong>
\nTurn to the light<\/a>
\nTheme: Good news<\/a>  [prayer sheet<\/span>]
\nShow me the way<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Photo: Irene Bom)   I’m subscribed to the GOODNEWSLETTER – a weekly dose of five good news stories to counter cynicism and despair, to awaken hope. This week’s GOODNEWSLETTER opens with a wonderful story from Zimbabwe about the Friendship Bench, a groundbreaking mental health programme based on evidence-based talk therapy, offered for free by trained … Continue reading “I hear you”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7,136,31,60],"tags":[202],"class_list":["post-11580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","category-confession","category-on-the-news","category-story","tag-hear"],"yoast_head":"\nI hear you - 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In these prayers we reflect on the significance and impact of the good news that Jesus came into the world to seek and save the lost. For personal use or to share. A.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "prayer sheet"","block_context":{"text":"prayer sheet","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/prayer-sheet\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/good_news_great_joy_2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/good_news_great_joy_2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/good_news_great_joy_2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16364,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2025\/06\/02\/theme-in-gods-presence\/","url_meta":{"origin":11580,"position":3},"title":"Theme: In God’s presence","author":"Irene Bom","date":"June 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"PDF version \u00a0 \u00a0 God\u2019s presence doesn\u2019t just fill a space \u2014 it transforms it. \u00a0 prayer sheet \u00a0 For personal use or to share. \u00a0 A. OPENING PRAYER Come, see the glorious things that our God can do! Be still in God\u2019s presence. Know that God alone is the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "prayer sheet"","block_context":{"text":"prayer sheet","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/prayer-sheet\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10460,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2020\/11\/30\/to-dance-with-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":11580,"position":4},"title":"To dance with God","author":"Irene Bom","date":"November 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 For this fourth and final post on the theme of DANCE I've found a story that overlaps with my chosen theme for December: CHILD. The story is taken from the opening chapter of Gertrud Mueller Nelson's book, To Dance with God (1986). Some years ago, I spent an afternoon\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "call to worship"","block_context":{"text":"call to worship","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/call-to-worship\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/praise_the_lord_for_he_is_altogether_good_psalm135.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17321,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2026\/06\/15\/look-down-and-see\/","url_meta":{"origin":11580,"position":5},"title":"Look down and see","author":"Irene Bom","date":"June 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Artwork by Irene Bom \u00a0 My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief, until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees. Lamentations 3:49-50 \u00a0 Prayer of intercession The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. (Psalm 145:14) God of love hear the cry\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "bible"","block_context":{"text":"bible","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/collage_prayer_copper_bg.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/collage_prayer_copper_bg.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/collage_prayer_copper_bg.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/collage_prayer_copper_bg.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Irene Bom","author_link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/author\/irenebom-com\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/article\/\" rel=\"category tag\">article<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/confession\/\" rel=\"category tag\">confession<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/on-the-news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">on the news<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/story\/\" rel=\"category tag\">story<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"(Photo: Irene Bom)   I’m subscribed to the GOODNEWSLETTER – a weekly dose of five good news stories to counter cynicism and despair, to awaken hope. This week’s GOODNEWSLETTER opens with a wonderful story from Zimbabwe about the Friendship Bench, a groundbreaking mental health programme based on evidence-based talk therapy, offered for free by trained…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11580"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11580\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}