Category: Angel

What if I meet my abuser in heaven?

Ruth Kirk

Introduction
Some years ago, when my emotionally-abusive mother died, I was extremely relieved to know she was no longer here, on earth.

However, since then I have often wondered uneasily whether I might have to see her again in heaven. If so, what will I do if she continues to relate to me as she did in life? What if I need to confront her, yet again, about her behaviour? What if she continues to deny, minimise, and dismiss the damage she inflicted on me, just as she did when she was alive?

These thoughts readily re-trigger my anxiety and dread. They make me fear I will never truly escape her power to wound, and even to destroy me.

Heaven: forgiveness and healing
This issue began to change recently, when I saw that in heaven there will be no danger whatsoever of having to confront my mother, for this task belongs to God alone (Zephaniah 3:19; NRSV).

It will be up to God to hear her confession, witness and accept her repentance, and forgive all her sins. I will never know what passes between them, nor is it my concern. Moreover, my mother had damaging experiences of her own, so God will also heal her wounds completely.

In just the same way, my own sins, like those of everyone else, will be forgiven, and all suffering, including that caused by other people, will be healed.

Oneness
When our sin and suffering have been removed, only the innate goodness and perfect wholeness of our souls will remain, for our souls will still be part of God, just as they always have been (Genesis 2:7; KJV).

In heaven, we will at last be fully re-united with God and with each other forever, far beyond time and space (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

Perhaps we will no longer even be recognisable as the embodied, gendered individuals we were during life, because we shall all be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51; NKJV). Jesus said that we will be like the angels in heaven (Mark 12:25; NIV), whilst John said we will be like Christ (1 John 3:2; NIV).

Conclusion
So, in heaven there will no longer be “abuser” and “victim”, no “others” or “self”. Once we are forgiven and healed, these distinctions will disappear. We will all be one, all like Christ, and all united in God. Our histories, their consequences, and our emotions about them, will pass into nothingness. Everyone will be forgiven, and everyone will be healed. Past events will be viewed very differently, left behind at last, or perhaps mercifully erased.

There is therefore no need to dread having to meet, or confront, our abusers after death. Isaiah offers us a vision of what heaven will be like:

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 11:9; NIV).

Amen. God is good! Thank you, Lord!

Orans praise

Ruth Kirk

There is an article about the orans tradition of praying with uplifted hands on this link: https://wp.me/p45bCr-bb8

I lift up my hands in Your Name (Psalm 63:4; LSV).

In your dear Name
I lift my hands
To join in with
The angel bands
Who praise you, Yahweh,
Day and night –
For you are mercy, love,
And light.

In your dear Name
I lift my hands
To join in with
The angel bands
Who praise your Son, Lord,
Night and day –
Your Living Word;
Our life; our way.

In your dear Name
I lift my hands
To join in with
The angel bands
Who praise your Spirit,
Without end –
One God: our Saviour,
And our Friend.

I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me (John 15:15; NLT).

Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God (Romans 5:11; NLT).

Angels

Ruth Kirk

Then an angel from heaven came to help him (Luke 22:43; CEV).

A few days ago, in great distress, I begged God to send me an angel who would help me. He did, indeed, do so, but, being God, Yahweh didn’t send just one: God sent angel after angel over the following days, including Sunday the 14th of July, 2024, when I’m writing this in the evening.

Since I asked, time after time, people have come into my path with just the right help, information, care, or comfort I needed, each at just the right time. It’s very startling when each one arrives completely unexpectedly.

Putting myself into God’s hands and trusting this new, “blind” way forward is a strange, but wonderful experience, and a huge learning curve for me. I also need to remember what the Bible says:

Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2; CSB).

Arrow prayers

Ruth Kirk

Introduction
I have been collecting arrow prayers for a while now, so I could share them with you. Here is the definition of arrow prayers offered by Perplexity:

Arrow prayers are short, spontaneous prayers that can be quickly “shot up” to God during any situation.

Such situations can be ordinary, irritating, depressing, or trying. They can be wonderful, joyful, blissful or ecstatic. They can be uncomfortable, painful, or frightening; panic-stricken, dangerous, or fatal.

There are many potential opportunities every day for these brief, direct contacts with God, as part of our ongoing communion with Him.

Each section of today’s bog ends with an arrow prayer, by way of example. I also include a list of further examples towards the end of this article.

A car crash
I can personally testify to the immense help and comfort arrow prayers bring. When I accidentally crashed my car over a cliff, landing upside down on a solid rock foreshore, I spontaneously shouted, “Help me, Father!”, at the top of my voice.

The whole car was smashed, and I am severely claustrophobic. Somehow, I was able to release my seat belt, wind down the window, and inch my head out until it rested on the bare rocks. Then I laid still, filled with peace, needing nothing else. I have no idea how I managed to do these things, but it has always seemed to me that they were done with the help of an angel.

Within a few minutes, a coastal rescue team reached me. They had been having a training session close by, and went into full rescue mode. I don’t know how long it took, but they carefully extracted me from the car, immobilised me on a stretcher, and carried me to a place where we could climb up off the shore to the ambulance waiting above.

I could have been killed. I could have killed someone else. The tide could have been in, and I would have drowned. But apart from severe bruising, my only injury was a cracked vertebra. Thank you, Lord!

Small irritations
Arrow prayers can be used in many situations, every day, so I use them a lot. When something irritating happens, however small, I immediately say, “Thank you, Jesus.” This prayer was passed on to me by someone who remembered a nun always responding in this way to anything negative that happened. It lightens the moment instantly. God is good!

Fears and phobias
Here in my care home, the only way I can reach the ground floor is by using the lift. A staff member would willingly go with me, but I want to be as independent as possible. Each time I enter the lift alone, I make the sign of the cross, then reach out to God with an arrow prayer, which lasts as long as it takes for the lift to move, and the doors to open again. This is unbelievably helpful. Only God, and John, my husband of 48 years, can fully appreciate what a huge achievement it is for me to be using a small lift on my own. I praise your name!

Arrow prayers for others
Arrow prayers can also be for other people. For example, we can ask God to bless those who clean a toilet we have just used, or help someone we have just been listening to. In this brief way, I pray for all those who use the lift I’m in, people I see, greet, or chat with in the corridors and waiting rooms at my GP surgery and the hospital. In the past I used to say arrow prayers for those I passed in the street, or shopped alongside in a supermarket.

Arrow prayers are a very appropriate response to seeing or hearing about other people’s suffering of all kinds, whether we encounter them in person, in a newspaper, on TV, or by word of mouth. They are also a good way of responding when we hear an emergency vehicle. Lord, save them!

Examples of arrow prayers
So here is the list of arrow prayers I have collected to share with you. Clearly there are many, many more. Some come from the Bible, whilst others spring spontaneously to our lips. The key is to develop a habit of constantly watching out for opportunities to use them.

All arrow prayers can be said for the self, for others, or for a group of people, by using the pronouns I, her, him, us, or them, like this: Bless him/her/us/them, Lord! (Isaiah 19:25; NIV).

Finally, these prayers can be said silently, or aloud, according to your circumstances, and repeated over and over again, as many times as you need to, throughout any experience, however wonderful or dreadful:

Take heart! (John 16:33; NLT).
Jesus, I trust in you (Psalm 25:2; NIV).
Jesus, I cling to you (Psalm 63:8; NIV).
Lord, save me! (Matthew 14:30; NIV).
Lord help me! (Matthew 15:25; NIV).
I love you, Lord (Psalm 18:1; NIV).
My Lord and my God! (John 20:28; NLT).
Lord, use my suffering for others (Colossians 1:24; NIV).
Hear my prayer! (Psalm 143:1: NIV).
Have mercy on me, Lord! (Psalm 51:1; NIV).
Deliver me, Lord! (Psalm 71:4; NIV).
Thank you, Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).
Your will be done, Lord (Matthew 6:10; NIV).
I am deeply sorry for what I have done (Psalm 38:18; NLT).
Forgive me, Lord (Luke 11:4; NIV).

Jesus
Of course, Jesus, as in all things, is the Master here. He is our constant example of how to use arrow prayers. Here are some examples from the final hours of his life:

  • Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34; KJV).
  • My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46; NIV).
  • I thirst (John 19:28; NKJV).
  • It is finished (John 19:30; NIV).
  • Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46; NIV).

Conclusion
Arrow prayers can never replace our longer silent or spoken prayers, but they can help us to stay fully in touch with God each day, in every situation or need. For me, they are a vital part of fulfilling Paul’s advice to the Thessalonians: “Pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NIV).

References

O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me (Nehemiah 1:11; NLT).

In my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears… He reached down from heaven and rescued me (2 Samuel 22:7,17; NLT).

 

Angel bands

Ruth Kirk

Today’s prayer is related to to a much earlier blog called, “Golden angels”, which can be found on this link: https://wp.me/P45bCr-4qy

Suddenly there was with the angel a great band of spirits from heaven, giving praise to God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest (Luke 2:14; BBE).

I close my eyes
And fold my hands,

To worship with
The angel bands

Who sing your praises
Day and night,

One in the radiance
Of your light.

All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance (Isaiah 60:3; NLT).

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

References

With all my heart I praise you, LORD. In the presence of angels I sing your praises (Psalm 138:1; CEV).

The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’s Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence (Hebrews 1:3; AMP).

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).

No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the LORD will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end (Isaiah 60:19-20; NLT).

My Lord, my God

Ruth Kirk

I put my hope in you, LORD; you will answer me, my Lord, my God (Psalm 38:15; CSB). 

When I say: “My Lord, my God”,
This means:
The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

I say these words with all who love
The Lord our God,
And with the heavenly host.

I say them with all living things,
With all creation, height, depth, time
And space:

My Lord, my God, I praise your Name:
One Love, one Light, one Truth,
One boundless grace.

The grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people (Titus 2:11; NLT).

References 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace (Luke 2:13-14; KJV). 

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 4:5-6; NLT).

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

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12; NLT).

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

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14; NLT).

 

Saint Raphael

Ruth Kirk

What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation (Hebrews 1:13; GNT). 

Saint Raphael,
Please pray for us:
The sick in body,
Mind, heart, soul,

And beg the Lord
To send you
With his healing touch,
To make us whole.

God sent me…to cure you (Tobit 12:13-14; GNTA).

Note

Saint Raphael the Archangel is the Patron Saint of healing, who serves God by restoring people in body, mind, heart and soul.

Let it be

Ruth Kirk

As my energy dwindles, I’m becoming less able to receive and write new material every day. This means I sometimes have to use a piece I wrote a while ago.

I always try to choose the most appropriate, and to bring it up to date as best I can. However, it’s hard not to feel a sense of letting you all down when I do so.

Early yesterday morning, while I was praying, I realised that it’s not a personal failure when I don’t receive and write something new. In fact such days can be extremely helpful, because they give me time to process and absorb what God has already shown me. It can also be a relief to rest more that day, without the pressure of having to express something new in words.

Later on, whilst saying grace over my breakfast, I found myself ending my prayer with these words: “Let it be unto me according to thy will.”

When I looked this phrase up, I discovered that it is not a direct quote from any of the Bibles I use, though this had been my working assumption. Instead, it draws on four separate verses:

  • Mary’s response to the angel at the Annunciation: “Be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38; KJV).
  • The sentence given to us by Christ when he taught us how to pray: “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10; RSV).
  • Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, as he fully faced the inevitability of the cross: “I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39; NLT).
  • Simeon’s prayer when he took Jesus in his arms at the presentation in the temple: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word” (Luke 2:29; KJV).

I plan to incorporate the first three of these verses into my prayers every day, and to use Simeon’s dedication as I’m dying. But may my last words be Christ’s final cry on the cross: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46; KJV).

Reading: Luke 2:21-32; NLT

Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord – “either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

 

Remembering

Ruth Kirk

Image: Pablo Juan, Pixabay

🖤

1. I remember the stories –
The shepherds, the star;
The stable, the manger,
The kings, from afar.

2. I remember the temple,
The questions, the joy;
My parents; their wrath –
I was only a boy.

3. I remember the wedding
At Cana, the wine
Transformed from fresh water –
My first ever sign.

4. I remember my baptism,
Miracles, feasts;
The preaching, the healing;
The scribes and the priests.

5. I remember the mountain,
The voice, and the light –
My transfiguration:
God clothed me in white.

6. I remember the colt,
The procession, the crowd;
The palms and the cloaks –
People shouting so loud!

7. I remember the supper,
The bread, and the wine;
The friendship, the sharing
With those who were mine.

8. I remember the garden,
The darkness, the fear;
The kiss of betrayal
When Judas drew near.

9. I remember the scourging –
I knew all was lost;
The robe, and the thorns,
And the weight of the cross.

10. Now all that is left
Is the blood, and the pain;
The thirst, and the dying,
As I call your name.

🖤

References

1. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them (Luke 2:6-7; NIV).

2. Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious leaders, listening to them and asking questions (Luke 2:46; NLT).

3. This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory (John 2:11; NLT).

4. One day when the crowds were being baptised, Jesus himself was baptised. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy (Luke 3:22; NLT).

The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant (Matthew 21:15; NLT).

5. Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them (Mark 9:2-3; NIV).

6. The next day, the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13; NIV).

7. He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:19-20; NIV).

8. He went on a little further and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39; NLT).

He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood (Luke 22:44; NLT).

9. Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face (John 19:1-3; NLT).

Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the Place of the Skull…

10. …There they nailed him to the cross (John 19:17; NLT).

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Mark 15:34; NLT).

The dream of angels

Ruth Kirk

God is not the dream of angels,
Nor a vision,
Nor a creed.

God is not just wishful thinking,
Nor a longing,
Nor a need.

God is neither male nor female,
Storm, nor earthquake,
Fire, nor flood.

God is Father, Son, and Spirit,
One forever —
God is Love.

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

References

This is …the message of the man whose eyes see clearly, the message of one who hears the words of God [and] sees a vision of the Almighty (Numbers 24:3-4; NLT).

I yearn for the Lord, more than watchmen do for the morning (Psalm 130:6; NET).

He is not a human being (1 Samuel 15:29; NIV).

The Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire (1 Kings 19:11-12; NLT).

I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing (Genesis 6:17; NLT).

Therefore 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).

The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! (Deuteronomy 6:4; NASB).