Category: anguish

Jesus doesn’t ask me

Ruth Kirk

Image: Hans Braxmeier, Pixabay

We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathise with our weaknesses,
but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are –
yet he did not sin (Hebrews 4:15; NIV). 

1. Jesus doesn’t ask me
To go anywhere he hasn’t been,
Or to walk his narrow path alone.

2. Jesus doesn’t ask me
To face anything he hasn’t feared,
Or to cope with anguish on my own.

3. Jesus doesn’t ask me
To bear anything he hasn’t borne,
Or to suffer pain without his care.

4. Jesus doesn’t ask me
To love anyone he doesn’t love:
Instead, he waits to take my hand, and share.

 

References

1. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness (Matthew 4:1; NLT).

I am with you always (Matthew 28:20; NLT).

2. He became anguished and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death” (Matthew 26:37-8; NLT).

In all their suffering he also suffered (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

3. When they came to the place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross (Luke 23:33; NLT).

He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4; NIV).

4. Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NIV).

Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing (Luke 23:34; NLT).

May I share

Ruth Kirk

Image: Tumisu, Pixabay

1. Father,
In my anguish,
May I share the mind of Christ.

2. Father,
In my torment,
May I share his flesh and blood.

3. Father,
In my dying,
May I share his sacrifice.

4. Father,
In my rising,
May I share his perfect love.

 

References

1. Lord, see my anguish! My heart is broken and my soul despairs (Lamentations 1:20; NLT).

Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44; NIV).

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).

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5; NKJV).

2. My heart is troubled and restless. Days of suffering torment me (Job 30:27; NLT).

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; RSV).

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies (2 Corinthians 4:10; NLT).

3. Into your hands I commit my spirit (Psalm 31:5; NIV).

I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath (Psalm 146:2; NLT).

If we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering (Romans 8:17; NLT).

4. Though I fall, I will rise again (Micah 7:8; NLT).

The time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again (John 5:28-9; NLT).

Perfect love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear (1 John 4:18; NLT).

You shield me

Ruth Kirk
Image: jplenio, Pixabay

This short dialogue is the starting-point for today’s prayer:

Moses: Show me your glorious presence.

God: I will make all my goodness pass before you. But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live. Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by (Exodus 33:18-22; NLT).

1. With thick clouds, Lord, you shield me
From your glory,
While you dwell within my flesh,
To give me life.

2. With shadows, you protect me
From your brilliance,
While you dwell within my mind,
To give me light.

3. With darkness, you preserve me
From your power,
While you dwell within my heart,
To give me rest;

4. And though my anguish
Blinds me to your presence,
You dwell within my soul,
So I am blest.

References

1. Thick clouds swirl about him (Job 22:14; NIV).

God is my shield (Psalm 7:10; NLT).

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

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

2. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand (Isaiah 49:2; NLT).

He […] protects those who suffer (Job:11; NLT).

His face was like the sun in all its brilliance (Revelation 1:16; NLT).

The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness (Psalm 18:28; NLT).

3. He shrouded himself in darkness (2 Samuel 22:12; NLT).

The Lord preserves the simple (Psalm 116:6; RSV).

All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his (Jude 1:25; NLT).

I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28; NLT).

4. How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? (Psalm 13:2; NLT).

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Psalm 22:1; NLT).

My eyes are blinded by my tears (Psalm 88:9; NLT).

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

God blesses those who are poor in spirit, and realise their need for him (Matthew 5:3; NLT).

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation (James 1:12; NLT).

Darkness (#2 of 2 linked prayers)

Ruth Kirk
Image: wallpapertag, Yandex

If we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering
(Romans 8:17; NLT).

1. I share my darkness, Lord, with you,
The One who guides me on my way.

2. I share my emptiness with you,
The One who weeps with me today.

3. I share my anguish, Lord, with you,
The One who never leaves my side.

4. I share my loss of hope with you,
The One who suffered, bled, and died.

References

1. You have taken away my companions and my loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend (Psalm 88:18; NLT).

By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock (Luke 23:44; NLT).

He guides me along the right paths (Psalm 23:3; NIV).

2. I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me (Job 7:3; ESV).

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death (Hebrews 5:7; NIV).

In all their suffering he also suffered (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

3. How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? (Psalm 13:2; NLT).

Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44; NIV).

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

4. Our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off (Ezekiel 37:11; ESV).

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Psalm 22:1; NLT).

Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood (Hebrews 13:12; NLT).

You understand

Ruth Kirk
With thanks to Walter Rane

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

1. You understand our struggles
And misfortunes;
You understand our failures,
And our fears.

2. You understand our losses
And afflictions;
You understand our anguish,
And our tears.

3. You understand our secrets
And temptations;
You understand our lives –
Each bitter pill.

4. You understand the tests
We must endure, Lord,
For you have shared them all –
And share them still.

References

1. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do (Psalm 33:15; NLT).

The Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought (1 Chronicles 28:9; NIV).

2. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died” […] Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” (John 11:32,35-6; NLT).

Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44; NIV).

3. He knows the secrets of every heart (Psalm 44:21; NLT).

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1-2; NIV).

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).

They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21; NKJV).

4. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all the same testings we do (Hebrews 4:15; NLT).

In all their suffering he also suffered (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4; NIV).

Anguish (written for M)

Ruth Kirk


How long must I struggle within my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
(Psalm 13:2; NLT).

1. Son of God,
We cry to you,
For life is very bleak.

2. Have pity on us, Lord,
For we’re in anguish,
Sick, and weak.

3. Touch us,
And forgive our sins,
For we belong to you,

4. And help us
To forgive all those
Who sin against us, too.

5. Heal us, Lord, in body,
And in mind, and heart,
And soul,

6. For you, Lord, are the only one
Whose touch
Can make us whole.

References

1. I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed (Psalm 61:2; NLT).

My spirit is crushed, and my life is nearly snuffed out (Job 17:1; NLT).

2. Jesus, Master, have pity on us (Luke 17:13; NIV).

Lord, see my anguish! (Lamentations 1:20; NLT).

Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony (Psalm 6:2; NLT).

3. Jesus touched the sick man and healed him (Luke 14:4; NLT).

Forgive us our sins (Matthew 6:12; NLT).

Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:8; NLT).

4. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven (Luke 6:37; NLT).

5. He forgives all my sins, and heals all my diseases (Psalm 103:3-4; NLT).

He restores my soul (Psalm 23:3; NKJV).

6. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed (Mark 1:41-2; NLT).

Be with us

Ruth Kirk


In all their suffering he also suffered
(Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

1. Be with us in our darkness, Lord,
And let us see your light.

2. Be with us in our weakness, Lord,
And show us all your might.

3. Be with us in our straying, Lord,
And guide us to your way.

4. Be with us in our anguish, Lord,
And comfort us today.

References

1. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light (Micah 7:8; NLT).

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

2. Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak (Psalm 6:2; NLT).

He is mighty in both power and understanding (Job 36:5; NLT).

3. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own (Isaiah 53:6; NLT).

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

4. Lord, see my anguish! (Lamentations 1:20; NLT).

He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever (John 14:16; KJV).

You’re one with us

Ruth Kirk


In all their suffering he also suffered
(Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

He is our God forever and ever,
and he will guide us until we die (Psalm 48:14; NLT).

1. You’re one with us in sorrow, Lord,
When you seem far away.

2. You’re one with us in heartbreak,
When we can no longer pray.

3. You’re one with us in loneliness,
For you are always near.

4. You’re one with us in suffering,
In anguish, pain, and fear.

5. You’re one with us when hope is gone,
And we can’t sense your grace.

6. You’re one with us in darkness,
When we cannot see your face.

7. You’re one with us in dying,
And you share our final breath.

8. You’re one with us for evermore,
In birth, in life, in death.

References

1. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4; NIV).

Why are you so far away when I groan for help? (Psalm 22:1; NLT).

2. You have taken away my companions and my loved ones (Psalm 88:18; NLT).

3. I know that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me (Psalm 16:8; NLT).

4. Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44; NIV).

He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified (Mark 15:15; NLT).

5. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Psalm 22:1; NLT).

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

Darkness is my closest friend (Psalm 88:18; NLT).

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

7. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me (Psalm 23:4; KJV).

Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last (Luke 23:46; NLT).

8. 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).

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

I am with you always, even to the end of the world (Matthew 28:20; WEB).

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

Our lives are in his hands (Psalm 66:9; NLT).

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

Weak and mortal

Ruth Kirk

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

1. My flesh is weak
And mortal, Lord;
It will return to dust.

2. My mind is full
Of anguish, Lord,
Making it hard to trust.

3. My heart is sad
And lonely, Lord,
Full of despair and sin,

4. But my soul is at peace
Forever, Lord,
Because it is you, within.

References

1. He knows how weak we are (Psalm 103:14; NLT).

He remembered that they were merely mortal (Psalm 78:39; NLT).

You were made from dust, and to dust you will return (Genesis 3:19; NLT).

2. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? (Psalm 22:1; NIV).

3. My soul is downcast within me (Psalm 42:5; NIV).

Darkness is my closest friend (Psalm 88:18; NLT).

From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help (Psalm 130:1; NLT).

In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful mature I am a slave to sin (Romans 7:25; NLT).

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

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

Shadow

Ruth Kirk

Hello everyone. I’ve been thinking a lot about our shadow side recently – all the parts of ourselves we prefer to hide, ignore and forget. If we are to become whole, we need to face and accept them all, sharing them with God, who already knows everything about us. I find it fascinating that even Jesus had a shadow side, which he had to face and accept during his time on earth – hence today’s prayer.

1. Even you, Lord,
Had a shadow:
Anger, tears, temptation.

2. Even you, Lord,
Had a shadow:
Fears you couldn’t share.

3. Even you, Lord,
Had a shadow:
Sorrow, grief, impatience.

4. Even you, Lord,
Had a shadow:
Anguish, dread, despair.

References

1. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples (Mark 10:14; NLT).

Jesus wept (John 11:35; NLT).

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil (Matthew 4:1; NLT).

2. He was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood (Luke 22:44; NLT).

3. Then he [Jesus] said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38; NIV).

Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? (Matthew 17:17; NLT).

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