Seeking God's face together

9.6.23: You lift me up

June 9, 2023June 9, 2023Ruth Kirk

Yesterday, after posting my blog in bed as usual, I laid down to rest in prayer, and was immediately lifted up on a wave of light.

In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

You lift me on a wave of light,
And take my spirit far away,
Where all words cease,
In perfect peace,
And I no longer pray.

For you are here, within me, Lord,
There’s nothing that I need to do;
No time, or space,
Just your dear face –
In love, I’m one with you.

The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

References

The LORD is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him (Habakkuk 2:20; NLT).

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you (Isaiah 26:3; NLT).

The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26; RSV).

We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).

Christ lives within you (Romans 8:10; NLT).

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you (Romans 8:11; NLT).

There is…one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:5-6; NLT).

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).

He loves us with unfailing love; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

I love you LORD (Psalm 18:1; NLT).

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

You…are complete through your union with Christ (Colossians 2:10; NLT).

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).

8.6.23: I am the way

June 8, 2023Ruth Kirk

As I said grace before breakfast yesterday, this little prayer made a direct hit on me. I had to write it down immediately.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6; NLT).

I am the way
You must seek
For yourself.

I am the truth
You must find
Deep within.

I am the life
You must follow
Each day,

So: seek me,
And find me,

Then follow,
And pray.

Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

References

Keep on seeking, and you will find (Luke 11:9; NLT).

Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you (2 Timothy 1:14; NLT).

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23; NLT).

7.6.23: You are awesome

June 7, 2023Ruth Kirk

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay.

My husband and I are still completely flattened by his sudden, acute illness and hospital stay last week. It’s made me realise how quickly things can go wrong at our age. I’m also even more aware of how vulnerable I am without him, but God is in charge of our situation, as always.

The Lord Most High is awesome (Psalm 47:2; NLT).

Yahweh,
You are awesome
And eternal.
It’s hard to grasp
That I can talk to you,
And that you even notice
My existence,
Yet I have faith, dear Father,
That you do.

Yahweh,
You’re within me:
I’m your temple.
Please draw me ever closer,
Through your Son.
Then he and I, at death,
Will quit this body,
To live forever in your love,
As one.

Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; NIV).

References

God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple (1 Corinthians 3:17; NLT).

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

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

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16; NIV).

6.6.23. You are our Father

June 6, 2023Ruth Kirk

This prayer arrived yesterday morning whilst I lay very still, praying without words. I have included more references than usual, as Biblical imagery about God is so rich.

O LORD, you are our Father (Isaiah 64:8; NLT).

Will I, who causes others to give birth, not also give birth myself, says the Lord? Will I, who bestows generation upon others, be barren myself, says the Lord your God? (Isaiah 66:9; CPDV).

You are our Father,
And our Mother;
You are our Sister,
And our Brother;
You are our Husband,
Wife, and Lover;
You are our God:
We want no other.

You are our Bridegroom,
And our Bride;
You are our Shepherd,
Way, and Guide;
You’re the Companion
At our side;
Living within us:
You provide.

You are our Master,
Saviour, Friend;
Teach us, Lord, help us,
And defend;
Pardon our sins,
Our faults, transcend;
Make us like you, Lord:
Love without end.

God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! (Lamentations 3:22; NLT).

References

Humankind was created as God’s reflection: in the divine image God created them; female and male, God made them (Genesis 1:27; TIB).

For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant (Isaiah 42:14; NIV).

You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth (Deuteronomy 32:18; NIV).

As a mother consoles a child, so I will console you (Isaiah 66:13; NET).

Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother (Matthew 12:50; NLT).

I am my lover’s, and my lover is mine (Song of Songs 6:3; NLT).

You are our God (2 Chronicles 14:11; NLT).

God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride (Isaiah 62:5; NLT).

I promised you as a pure bride to one husband – Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; NLT).

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need (Psalm 23:1; NLT).

Jesus told him, “I am the way” (John 14:6; NLT).

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).

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

God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat (2 Corinthians 9:10; NLT).

You are my Master (Psalm 16:2; NLT).

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior, my God is my rock, in whom I find protection (Psalm 18:2; 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).

5.6.23: Suffering

June 5, 2023Ruth Kirk

Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, by
Robert Walter Weir, metmuseum.org.

To my great surprise, this prayer suddenly came to me early last Saturday morning, whilst I was washing my face:

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows (John 16:33; NLT).

Lord,

All our physical and mental sufferings are so much harder to bear when we don’t accept them.

Please teach us to say ‘Yes’ to all you send, and to thank you in all circumstances, knowing that we are always in your hands.

Help us to trust your will, and to endure, for you bring good from everything, including all we think of, Lord, as ‘bad’.

God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28; NLT).

References

My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done (Matthew 26:42; NLT).

Whatever happens to you, accept it (Sirach 2:4; NJB).

Be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38; KJV).

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).

Everything comes from him (Romans 11:36; NLT).

The life of every living thing is in his hand (Job 12:10; NLT).

Trust him, and he will help you (Psalm 37:5; NLT).

The LORD gives both death and life (I Samuel 2:6; NLT).

Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal (Job 5:17; NIV).

Those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction (Job 36:15; NIV).

I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things (Isaiah 45:7; NLT).

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God, and never anything bad? (Job 2:10; NLT).

Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you (Isaiah 30:20; NLT).

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised (Job 1:21; NIV).

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other (Ecclesiastes 7:14; NIV).

Patient endurance is what you need now (Hebrews 10:36; NLT).

The Rosary Hospital

We have both had a slightly better day than yesterday, so I celebrated by making a Fiat rosary. I love it so much that I’m not sure I can part with it!

4.6.23: God

June 4, 2023June 4, 2023Ruth Kirk

The Trinity in an Initial B, Master of the Codex Rossiano, Sienese, pobably 1387.

NB: Just after posting this prayer, I looked at my calendar and discovered that today is Trinity Sunday. This came as a complete surprise, and made me smile broadly, rejoicing in God’s astonishing goodness and power!

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; NIV).

God is three
And God is one:
Father, Spirit,
Much-loved Son.

God is one,
And God is three:
Love, in perfect
Unity.

Love …is the bond of perfect unity (Colossians 3:14; BSB).

God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

References

God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us” (Genesis 1:26; NLT).

The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4; NIV).

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3; NLT).

God is Spirit (John 4:24; NLT).

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:1-2; NKJV).

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone (John 1:1-4; NLT).

Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him (Isaiah 42:1; NLT).

This is My beloved Son (Luke 9:35; NKJV).

The Father and I are one (John 10:30; NLT).

A short reading: Genesis 18:1-3,33; CSB.

The LORD appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, bowed to the ground, and said, “My lord, if I have found favor with you, please do not go on past your servant… When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

3.6.23: Pray

June 3, 2023Ruth Kirk

My husband has been in hospital for the last few days, after suddenly becoming ill last Wednesday evening. He is safely home now, but we are both exhausted, so for today I’ve chosen a prayer I wrote some time ago. Meanwhile, we are taking life as easily as possible until we both start to feel rather more like our usual selves.

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf (1 Timothy 2:1; NLT).

I pray for those who live with sickness:
Father, help us all;
And for those who dwell in sorrow:
Abba, hear our call.

I pray for those who fret and panic:
Father, ease our fears;
And for those who are mistreated:
Abba, share our tears.

I pray for those who suffer hardship:
Father, mark our sighs;
And for those who are in danger:
Abba, heed our cries.

I pray for those who walk in darkness:
Father, guide us through;
And for those who cannot find you:
Abba, lead us, too.

I pray for those who bow in anguish:
Father, save each soul;
And for those who die in torment:
Abba, make us whole.

His hands make whole (Job 5:18; NKJV).

References

If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God (Isaiah 50:10; NLT).

My loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in travail; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear, I am dismayed so that I cannot see (Isaiah 21:3; RSV).

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4; NLT).

1.6.23: Take me over

May 31, 2023June 1, 2023Ruth Kirk

This prayer came to me silently and insistently yesterday morning:

It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20; NLT).

Lord,
Please take me over fully:
Mind and body, heart and soul;
Then pray on my behalf: I beg
That all the world will be made whole.

Lord,
Please pray within me, always:
Mind and body, heart and soul.
May all repent and turn to you:
Forgive us, save us, and console.

Lord,
Please live in me forever:
Mind and body, heart and soul.
Let’s pray for peace throughout the world
Together: that’s my foremost goal.

I will pray for peace (Psalm 122:8; CEV).

References

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).

We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself asks on our behalf with ineffable sighing (Romans 8:26; CPDV).

From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17; NLT).

Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name (Psalm 79:9; NLT).

As a mother consoles a child, so I will console you (Isaiah 66:13; NET).

I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you (John 14:20; NLT).

Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security (Jeremiah 33:6; NIV).

31.5.23: Forgiveness

May 31, 2023Ruth Kirk

The Prodigal Son, after Sir John Everett Millais. Engraved and printed by Dalziel Brothers in 1864.

Just as I was about to go down for breakfast two days ago, the first lines of today’s prayer struck me. I wrote them down on my iPad, then set off again, only for the next few lines to arrive before I had reached my bedroom door. This happened several times, until the whole piece was roughed out. It was an awesome experience.

Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? (Matthew 9:5; NLT).

Forgiveness
Is the same as healing,

Mercy
Is the same as love,

And weakness
Is the same as strength,

When we have faith
In Christ above.

Cling to your faith in Christ (1 Timothy 1:19; NLT).

A person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:16; NLT).

References

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love (Psalm 51:1; NLT).

When I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10; NLT)).

God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead (Romans 4:24; NLT).

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory (1 Peter 1:21; NLT).

God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11; NLT).