New church

Ruth Kirk

This prayer came to me today at 6am, as I prepared to try a new church, with the (probably forlorn), hope of being welcome there, and perhaps even fitting in. Hope springs eternal! I am struggling – please pray for me, just as I pray for all of you each day.

Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).

Will I be seen, Lord?
Will I be heard?
Will I be welcome,
Or will I be judged?

Will I be wanted?
Will I be sad?
Will I be lonely,
Or will I be loved?

Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).

Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31; NLT).

Here, in stillness

Ruth Kirk

Be still in the presence of the LORD (Psalm 37:7; NLT).

Here, in stillness,
Here, in silence,
Here, in darkness –
You are light. 

Here, in splendour,
Here, in rapture,
Here, in oneness –
You are truth.

Here, in trouble,
Here, in failure,
Here, in ruin –
You are peace.

Here, in sorrow,
Here, in longing,
Here, in anguish –
You are love.

God is love (1 John 4:16; NLT).

References

God is light (1 John 1:5; NLT).

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

The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).

Dread and distress

Ruth Kirk

You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life (Deuteronomy 28:66; NIV).

In the morning you shall say, “Would that it were evening!” And at evening you shall say, “Would that it were morning!” because of the dread of your heart (Deuteronomy 28:67; LSB).

Lord Jesus,

  • Let’s look after my acute dread and distress together – as if these emotions were a small child we’ve found wandering alone.
  • She’s injured, confused and weak. She’s hungry, thirsty and cold. She’s traumatised, terrified and lost.
  • Let’s do all we can to take care of her, whilst waiting patiently for her to trust us, and to let us help her.
  • Let’s offer her consistent comfort and protection; understanding, healing and love.
  • Let’s make room for her to be just as she is, listening to all she has to teach us. Then, let’s do the same for everyone we encounter in our daily shared life.

Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children” (Luke 18:16; NLT).

One day…

Ruth Kirk

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice – the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live (John 5:24-5; NLT).

One day
I will hear your voice,
And feel my spirit rise.

One day
I will take your hand,
And look into your eyes.

One day
You will smile at me,
And banish all my fears.

One day
You will make me well,
And wipe away my tears.

One day
We will kiss, and laugh,
And dance, Lord, in your light.

One day
We will merge,
For I am precious in your sight.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).

You are precious in my sight and honored, and I love you (Isaiah 43:4; CSB).

References

My beloved is mine and I am his (Song of Songs 2:16; NIV).

There will be no night there – no need for lamps or sun – for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever (Revelation 22:5; NLT).

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12; NLT).

Reading: John 1:1-5.

 

No home

Ruth Kirk

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (John 6:68; NIV).

Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them (John 4:23; NIV).

Lord,
I have no home
But you;
No congregation
Kind and true;
No parents,
And no resting-place;
No refuge here
Except your grace.

Lord,
I have no goal
But you;
No hope that drugs
Can make me new;
No fellows,
Nowhere to belong;
I am so weak
But you are strong.

Lord,
I have no way
But you;
My Shepherd, friend,
And teacher, too;
My source, my birth,
My soul, my breath:
You are my God
In life and death.

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).

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

References

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

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).

He himself gives life and breath to everything (Acts 17:25; NLT).

Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from my powerful hand! (Deuteronomy 32:39; NLT).

Love

Ruth Kirk

I love you, LORD; you are my strength (Psalm 18:1; NLT).

We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16; NIV).

Yahweh God,
I love you well –
More than human words
Can tell.
In your Being,
Safe I dwell:
My Father.

Living God,
I love your way –
More than human words
Can say.
You’re my comforter
Each day:
My Mother.

Shepherd God,
I love you so –
These, the only words
I know
Which let my gladness
Overflow:
My Saviour.

How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! (Luke 1:47; NLT).

Patient endurance

Ruth Kirk

We are all fragile, fallible, and mortal. Today, in prayer, I saw clearly that the purpose of life is to face its inevitable challenges, sorrows, and sufferings, learning to accept and endure them as patiently as we can, while still loving and serving Jesus in others. This was Christ’s mission, and it is ours as well, for Jesus is resurrected in us all.

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).

So here is today’s prayer:

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5; NLT).

You make us,
You see us,
And hear us.

You know us,
You guide us,
And help us.

You feed us,
You love us,
And hold us.

You wound us,
You teach us,
And heal us.

Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from my powerful hand! (Deuteronomy 32:39; NLT).

References

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).

Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher (Isaiah 30:20; RSV).

May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ (2 Thessalonians 3:5; NLT).

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised (Hebrews 10:36; NLT).

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? (Romans 2:4; NLT).

Sad world

Ruth Kirk

Why is my heart so sad? (Psalm 42:5; NLT).

How sad this world is!
Dark and drear –
Ease for some,
For others, fear.

How cold this world is!
Full of hate –
Some have freedom,
Others wait.

How strange this world is!
Food and fun –
Some have plenty,
Others, none.

How mean this world is!
Few are kind –
Some can see,
But most are blind.

How sick this world is!
So much pain –
Yet, in all,
Christ lives again.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

References

We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).

The Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).

As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world (1 John 4:17; NLT).

This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13; NLT).

You are my journey

Ruth Kirk

He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick – no food, no traveler’s bag, no money (Mark 6:8; NLT).

You are my journey,
My staff, and my rod.

You are my water,
My bread, and my wine.

You are my Shepherd,
My Lord, and my God.

You are my shelter,
My root, and my vine.

You are my teacher,
My truth, and my light.

You are my healer,
My peace, and my soul.

You are my Saviour,
My love, and my life.

You are my way, and my strength,
And my goal.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14; NIV).

For the journey

Ruth Kirk

He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick – no food, no traveler’s bag, no money (Mark 6:8; NLT).

May your shadow
Be my guide
And my companion;
Your body
Be my bread, Lord,
And my wine.

May your friendship
Be my well
And my refreshment;
Your teaching
Be my root, Lord,
And my vine.

May your living
Be my light
And my example;
Your dying
Be my way, Lord,
And my end.

May your Maker
Be my truth,
And my fulfilment;
Your Holy Ghost
My peace, Lord,
And my friend.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground (Psalm 143:10; NIV).