breath – A prayer for today

Hosanna!

April 16, 2024Ruth Kirk

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-3; NIV).

Good morning, Father, Elohim,
The God of gods, my Rock, my King,
I lift my heart to you, and sing:
Hosanna.

Good morning, Christ, Adonai,
The Son of God, who stays close by,
The One who always hears my cry:
Hosanna.

Good morning, Spirit of the Lord,
The Breath of God, His love outpoured,
My Advocate, my truth, my sword:
Hosanna.

Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:8-9; NIV).

References

When I wake up, you are still with me! (Psalm 139:18; NLT).

When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied (Psalm 17:15; NLT).

Behold, I am with you every day, even unto the end of time (Matthew 28:20; ABPI).

Each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life (Psalm 42:8; NLT).

The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).

God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this.Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us (Acts 2:32-3; NLT).

Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Hebrews 4:12; NLT).

Sharing with God

April 8, 2024April 8, 2024Ruth Kirk

Introduction
Human beings are made up of five distinct, inter-related elements: body, mind, heart, soul and spirit. When we choose to share these parts of ourselves with God, we can move into an ever-deepening relationship with him, for: We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).

Every night, just before settling down to sleep, I silently open these five aspects of myself to God, sharing them with him one by one. This process is a journey to the deepest part of myself. It’s not easy to describe, but I will do my best.

Body
The body I live in belongs to God, who made it (Isaiah 64:8; BBE). He has lent it to me for a limited time, during my exile on earth, so I begin my journey by sharing it with him in stillness and silence.

Mind
Then I go a step further, sharing my mind with God. I don’t need to say a single word, because he already knows all my thoughts (Psalm 139:2; NLT). There is nothing I want to hide from him, and nothing I can hide from him.

Heart
Next, moving a little further on my inward journey, I share the emotions in my heart with him, though, once again, he already knows them in full (1 Samuel 16:7; NLT). Essentially, I am opening my whole self more and more fully to God, step by step.

Soul
Sharing my soul with him takes me still deeper, for I become acutely conscious that my soul is his life-giving breath within me (Genesis 2:7; KJV).

Spirit
Finally, at the deepest level of all, I reach my spirit. There is no need for me to “open” it, or to “share” it. Neither is there any “me”. There is only oneness with God. As St. Paul writes: The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

Conclusion
At my death, when I leave behind my earthly body, my mind, heart and soul will cease, but my spirit will continue to be one with God forever: The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

So, may my last words be the same as those of Jesus: Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands (Luke 23:46; NLT).

14.1.24: Three prayers

January 13, 2024Ruth Kirk

I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn (Psalm 130:6; NLT).

All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted (Psalm 77:2; NLT).

In the darkness of night:
Lord, I long for your light.

In the stress of each day:
Lord, please show me your way.

I’m the dust of the earth,
Without merit, or worth –

Yet my soul is your breath:
Lord, redeem me from death.

God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself (Psalm 49:15; NIV).

References

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life (Psalm 143:8; NIV).

I am nothing but dust and ashes (Genesis 18:27; NIV).

The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV).

When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord (Psalm 77:2; NLT).

29.12.23: Blood (#3 of 3)

December 28, 2023Ruth Kirk

Three unusual prayers came to me in very quick succession at bedtime on Christmas Day. They go together, so I’m posting them in the order in which they arrived. Here is the third:

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son (Luke 2:6-7; KJV).

Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last (Luke 23:46; NLT).

The blood of birth;
The blood of death:
Both spilled on earth –
We fight for breath.

The pain of birth;
The pain of death:
A final push;
A final breath.

All birth, and life,
And death are one
For us, and even you –
God’s Son.

It was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people (Hebrews 2:17; NLT).

References

This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:28; KJV).

Do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day (2 Peter 3:8; NIV).

All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time (Jude 1:25; NLT).

He was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:4; NLT).

13.12.23: You make us

December 12, 2023December 13, 2023Ruth Kirk

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life (Job 33:4; NLT).

Holy Ghost,
You make us,
Bear us,
Shake us,
Breathe us –
Never leave us.

Holy Ghost,
You wake us,
Pray us,
Take us,
Sigh us –
And baptise us.

Holy Ghost,
You walk us,
Teach us,
Talk us,
Move us –
And reprove us.

Holy Ghost,
You still us,
Touch us,
Fill us,
Use us –
And suffuse us.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself for God bought you with a high price (1 Corinthians 6:20; NLT).

References

John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am – so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16; NLT).

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor-Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you (John 14:16-17; AMP).

The Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor-Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you (John 14:26; AMP).

On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4; NLT).

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13; NLT).

27.11.23: I breathe you in

November 26, 2023Ruth Kirk

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
(Job 33:4; NLT).

I breathe you in,
And breathe you out,
Without a word,
Or thought, or doubt.

You breathe within:
I share your breath
Unceasingly,
Until my death.

Lord, we are one:
You live in me,
And I in you,
Eternally.

Both life and death
Are your domain:
With silent love,
I praise your name.

On earth, below,
In bliss, above,
Through silence, Lord,
We share our love.

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.
(Song of Songs 6:3; NIV).

11.11.23: No dawn (for P.)

November 11, 2023November 12, 2023Ruth Kirk

The city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light… Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there (Revelation 21:23,25; NLT).

There is no dawn,
Or day, or night.

There is no darkness:
Only light.

No height, depth, length;
No time, or space.

There is no hurt:
Just love, and grace.

No quickening;
No birth, no breath.

No suffering,
Or fear, or death.

There is no dusk;
No Eden-fall.

There’s only God,
And God is All.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One” (Revelation 1:8; NLT).

6.11.23: Oneness

November 6, 2023November 6, 2023Ruth Kirk

You are God, O Sovereign LORD (2 Samuel 7:28; NLT).

Thank you, Lord,
For being God:
Holy, holy, holy
Is your name.

Thank you, Lord,
For being Christ:
From age to age, forever,
Just the same.

Thank you, Lord,
For being Breath:
Giving life,
And loving even me.

Father, Son,
And Holy Ghost:
One Lord, one God –
I bow, and worship Thee.

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care (Psalm 95:7; NLT).

References

Verse 1:

Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God (Psalm 90:2; NLT).

Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory! (Isaiah 6:3; NLT).

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty – the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come (Revelation 4:8; NLT).

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:2; KJV).

Verse 2:

We look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed (Titus 2:13; NLT).

This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior (2 Peter 1:1; NLT).

You [the Son] are always the same; you will live forever (Hebrews 1:12; NLT).

Verse 3:

The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV).

The last Adam – that is, Christ – is a life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45; NLT).

Then he [Jesus] breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22; NLT).

There is in humans a Spirit, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding (Job 32:8; GWT).

Verse 4:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:18; KJV).

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:4-6; NLT).

There is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life (1 Corinthians 8:6; NLT).

Come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker (Psalm 95:6; KJV).

8.9.23: Follow and worship (updated today)

September 8, 2023September 8, 2023Ruth Kirk

I posted today’s prayer at midnight last night, when it only had seven verses. However, this morning, when I was praying without words, I suddenly received the final couplet, which makes it complete. So that email followers don’t miss this, I’m now posting the final version for their sake.

A thoroughfare will be there – it will be called the Way of Holiness (Isaiah 35:8; NET).

Follow Christ on the way of love:
Worship Him who reigns above.

Learn from Christ on the way of faith:
Worship Him and seek His face.

Talk with Christ on the way of prayer:
Worship Him, our thoroughfare.

Serve with Christ on the way of light:
Worship Him both day and night.

Weep with Christ on the way of pain:
Worship Him who rose again.

Walk with Christ on the way of death:
Worship Him; one final breath

Then rest with Christ when life is past,
And worship Him with joy, at last.

Lord, though I’m on the way of dust,
I’ll worship you with steadfast trust.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3; NIV).

References

The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV).

You were made from dust, and to dust you will return (Genesis 3:19; NLT).

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:1; NLT).

Those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die (Isaiah 57:2; NLT).