Month: July 2023

Pray within me

Ruth Kirk

Yesterday I woke very early in the morning, and began to pray. Just at the point of letting go of all words, this prayer came to me. I had to draw back from the beckoning silence in order to note it down. Perhaps writing it was a way of continuing to pray.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion (Ephesians 6:18; NLT). 

The Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words…

Holy Spirit,
Pray within me:
You know all
My human weakness.

Holy Spirit,
Pray within me:
Pray with sighs
Too deep for words.

Holy Spirit,
Pray within me:
Pray on my behalf
For others.

Holy Spirit,
Pray within me:
Lift my pleading
Heavenwards.

… and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God’s people in accordance with God’s will (Romans 8:26-7; AMP).

I worship you

Ruth Kirk

This prayer burst upon me last Wednesday morning. It was an absolute pleasure to write and reference it.

Worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness (1 Chronicles 16:29; CSB). 

I worship you in darkness,
And in light;
I bless you, Lord, in stillness,
And in dance.

I follow you in solitude,
And crowds;
I honour you in anguish,
And in peace.

I sing your praise in silence
And in sound;
I trust you, Lord, in sorrow,
And in joy.

I give you thanks
For everything you send:
Rejoicing that you love me
Without cease.

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

 

I lift my hands

Ruth Kirk

These verses came to me whilst I was praying early yesterday morning. I saw the structure and essence of the whole piece at once, so my only task was to put it into words.

I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary (Psalm 134:2; NLT).

I lift my hands to you in thanks,
My eyes, in faith,
My voice, in praise.

I lift my mind to you in peace,
My heart, in love,
My soul, ablaze.

I lift my life to you in joy,
My wish: to serve you
All my days.

I lift my prayers in childlike trust,
Because your grace
Alone, Lord, saves.

It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved! (Ephesians 2:5; NLT).

 

I look on you

Ruth Kirk

Today’s blog came to me swiftly as I prayed before my icon of Christ yesterday morning:

They will look on the one they pierced (John 19:37; NLT).

I look on you:
The One we pierced –
The God who died,
And rose again.

I look on you:
The One who heals –
Who sets us free
From sin and pain.

I look on you:
The One who hears –
The God who listens
To our prayers.

I look on you:
The One who sees –
Who saves us, helps us,
Guides, and shares.

I will be with you in trouble (Psalm 91:15; TIB).

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens (Psalm 68:19; NIV).

 

You watch

Ruth Kirk

This prayer began with a single verse last Tuesday morning, but by end of the day it had grown to four!

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 95:6-7; NLT). 

You watch our rise, Lord,
And our fall;
You lift us up,
And love us all.

You know each triumph, gain,
And loss;
You grieve, and help us
Bear our cross.

You send our good times,
And our bad;
You comfort us
When we are sad.

You share our laughter,
Sickness, tears –
And guide our steps
Through all the years.

You guide me (Psalm 73:24; NLT).

 

Everything

Ruth Kirk

This prayer arrived whilst I was part-way through posting yesterday’s blog. I had to scribble it down in my notebook, for fear of forgetting where I had got to.

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).

Lord,
You’re everything to me:
My way, my truth;
My life, my Friend;

Lord,
You’re everywhere to me:
Throughout this world;
Beyond its end;

Lord,
You’re everyone to me:
In all who live,
Both great and small –

In good and bad,
In life, and death:
I know you, Lord,
My all, in all.

Their eyes were opened, and they knew him (Luke 24:31; KJV).

Christ is all, and is in all (Colossians 3:11; NIV).

Time stands still (with thanks to B.)

Ruth Kirk

This prayer arrived as I greeted my icon of Christ yesterday morning. To begin with, only the first three words came to me. They stood alone, seemingly unconnected to anything else, but I knew I had to write them down. A few minutes later the next three words emerged, then, line by line, the whole piece was born from nothingness, or perhaps I should say from everything, because God is all, and is in all:

  • There is…one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:5-6; NLT).
  • Christ is all, and is in all (Colossians 3:11; NIV).
  • Thine incorruptible spirit is in all things (Wisdom of Solomon 12:1; KJV).  

In just a few minutes, the process was complete, leaving me deeply awed. I’ve never been more certain that how I am is exactly how I am meant to be, and that God’s will is being done through all that happens to me. It was such a strange experience – a momentary glimpse of timelessness, infinity, oneness, and the unfathomable goodness of God’s plans:

  • “I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11; NLT).
  • God is greater than we can understand (Job 26:36; NLT).
  • We know that 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).

So, after this rather long introduction, here is today’s prayer:

I see Your face when I awake (Psalm 17:15; LSV). 

Time stands still
In endless space
When we gaze, Lord,
On your face.

Your will is done,
Your reign has come,
And all is well,
For we are one.

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

One flock

Ruth Kirk

This little prayer came out of a period of blissful wordlessness a few days ago:

I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd (John 10:16; NLT). 

There’s one flock,
And one Shepherd,
One faith, hope and Lord;
One baptism only,
One love,
One accord.

There’s one mind,
And one body,
One heart, and one soul;
One God,
And one Spirit –
Whose hands make us whole. 

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

 

Weak and sick (for B.)

Ruth Kirk

This prayer rose gently from a beautiful time of bright, wordless prayer. Writing it made me smile, because it arrived backwards, which rarely happens to me.

He knows how weak we are (Psalm 103:13; NLT). 

Lord,
You know
How weak and sick I am:
I cling to you so tight
That we are one.

Help me to serve you well
Each day;
Forgive my every failing, lapse,
And wrong.

Lord,
Though I’m nothing,
I rejoice,
Because to you, forever,
I belong.

You are my Maker
And my end:
So, though I’m weak and sick, Lord,
I am strong.

He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10; NKJV).

 

In your arms

Ruth Kirk

This simple poem arrived during a time of quiet worship:

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27; NKJV).

We wake, pray, and rejoice, Lord,
In your arms;
We give, share, and receive, Lord,
In your hands.

We toil, strive, and progress, Lord,
In your arms;
We fail, sin, and repent, Lord,
In your hands.

We suffer and submit, Lord,
In your arms;
We grieve, weep, and endure, Lord,
In your hands.

We rage, doubt, and despair, Lord,
In your arms;
We hope, trust, and believe, Lord,
In your hands.

We love, serve, and remain, Lord,
In your arms;
We live, die, and unite, Lord,
In your hands.

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