Month: November 2015

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” (Psalm 27:8; NIV).

Clouds and thick darkness surround him (Psalm 97:2; NIV).

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

The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life”
(Psalm 32:8; NLT).

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face
(1 Corinthians 13:12; NRSV).

The LORD your God will be your everlasting light (Isaiah 60:19; NLT).

Lord,
In order to seek your face,
We must find our way
Through the darkness
That surrounds you.

Sometimes we go astray
In the shadows,
Losing sight of both the world,
And you.

Then we must trust you,
Waiting patiently
Through the dark night of the soul,
Until you show us the path again.

In death, we pass through
The darkness one last time.
Then we will see you face to face,
In everlasting light.

They will soar high on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31; NLT).

“The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven”
(John 6:33; NLT).

He lifts the poor from the dust (Psalm 113:7: NLT).

The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down (Psalm 146:8; NLT).

Sometimes,
In contemplation, Lord,
My soul soars up
To meet you in the air.

At other times,
My soul can’t rise at all, Lord,
For I’m burdened
By anxiety and care.

Then you come down
To meet me in the dust, Lord,
Lifting me up with gentle hands,
To hear my prayer.

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

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

Lord,
Help me to be at one
With you each day
Until life’s end,
When I will reunite with you
In paradise for evermore.

Help me to be at one
With those I meet each day
Until life’s end,
When we will reunite with you
In paradise for evermore.

And help us to be at one
Throughout the world each day
Until life’s end,
When we will reunite with you
In paradise for evermore.

Through Jesus’ name,
Amen.

The LORD took hold of me (Ezekiel 37:1; NLT).

“You are my God” (Psalm 31:14; NLT).

“He will neither fail you nor abandon you”
(Deuteronomy 31:6; NLT).

His faithful love endures forever (Psalm 136:2; NLT).

Lord,
You’ve taken hold of me,
And I of you.

Even if I let go of you,
You won’t let go of me,

For you will never fail me,
Nor abandon me.

Thank you for loving me
So faithfully.

Through Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Seek his face always (Psalm 105:4; NIV).

Be silent before the Sovereign Lord (Zephaniah 1:7; NIV).

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face
(1 Corinthians 13:12; NRSV).

Father,
As I seek your face
In contemplation,
My mind drifts off repeatedly.

Every time I realise this has happened,
I gently bring it back,
Seeking your face in silence,
Once again.

I’ve done this
Countless times before,
And will continue, if I can,
Until life’s end.

Then I will see you
Face to face, at last,
With nothing to distract me
From your glory, Lord!

“He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you”
(Deuteronomy 31:8; NLT).

The LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion (Isaiah 30:18; NLT).

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27; NIV).

Lord,
There’s so much suffering
In our world –
So many who are sick,
Hungry, and thirsty;
So many who are poor,
Lonely, and homeless;

So many prisoners,
Refugees, and slaves;
So much prejudice,
Cruelty, and oppression;
So much hatred,
Violence, and killing.

Yet you are here, Lord,
Waiting in the midst
Of all our troubles,
Until we turn to you,
Asking for your forgiveness
And your help.

Then you open our minds
To your wisdom,
Our hearts
To your love,
And our souls
To your perfect peace.

You are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28; NLT).

And though we are many … we are one body
(1 Corinthians 10:17; NLT).

“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one” (John 17:22; NLT).

God is love (1 John 4:16; NLT).

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

Lord,
I wish I could express
My love for you,
For other people,
And the universe.

But my sense of self
Is only an illusion –

For there is no separate ‘me’,
Or ‘you’,
Or ‘other people’,
Or ‘the universe’ to love.

Instead, all things are One,
That ‘One’ is you,
And you are love itself,
Living over, in, and through
All that exists.

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27; NLT).

“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters” (Matthew 23:8; NLT).

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28; NIV).

Lord,
I don’t believe at all
That you intended
Women to be inferior to men
In any way.

Nor did you mean them
To have less power,
Freedom, choice,
Or independence.

Even Saint Paul acknowledged
Our equality in full –
But only when he was at
His very best!

“Keep on seeking, and you will find” (Matthew 7:7; NLT).

Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? (Job 2:10; NIV).

So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion (Isaiah 30:18; NLT).

“Peace I leave you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27; NIV).

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul (Psalm 31:7; NLT).

Lord,
When I seek you
In the midst
Of all my troubles,
I find you there already,
Waiting to fill my soul
With your peace,
And love,
And joy.