Category: Arrow prayers

Inner prayer

Ruth Kirk

Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV). 

No matter what I’m doing, Lord,
May I repeat, “My Father”,
In my heart.

No matter what I’m thinking, Lord,
May this unspoken mantra
Never cease.

No matter how I’m feeling, Lord,
May I repeat, “My Father”,
In my soul.

Then, no matter what befalls me,
I’ll remain in you,
And share your peace.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you (John 15:4; NLT). 

I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid (John 14:27; NLT).

 

Pour out your heart

Ruth Kirk

Whilst praying a few day ago, these little verses came into my mind. I had to write them down immediately, or they would have slipped away as if they had never existed.

Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge (Psalm 62:8; NLT). 

Pour out your heart:
Concealment is vain.
Tell God the truth,
For He shares your pain.

Pour out your heart:
Say all that you will.
Tell God the truth,
For he’ll love you still.

He loves us with unfailing love (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

References 

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

You desire honesty from the womb (Psalm 51:6; NLT). 

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

Pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done (Philippians 4:6; NLT).

 

Are you weary?

Ruth Kirk

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest…

Are you weary?
Are you burdened?
Come, right now,
To Jesus.

Are you grieving?
Are you frightened?
He will help you
Face each test.

He is humble.
He is gentle.
He is here
To comfort you.

Are you weary?
Come to Jesus:
He will always
Give you rest.

…Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30; NLT).

References 

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

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4; KJV).

 

Forgive me

Ruth Kirk

We made it through yesterday, but today will be equally demanding, so here is today’s prayer, nice and early:

For the honour of your name, O Lord, forgive my many, many sins (Psalm 25:11; NLT).

Yahweh,

Please forgive my sins,
My selfishness, and greed,
My judgements, and the hardness
Of my heart to those in need.

Please forgive my foolishness,
My ignorance, and pride;
Make me more and more like you,
My Shepherd, and my Guide.

Please forgive me! Help me change!
Lord, heal my inner strife,
And make me more and more like you:
My way, my truth, my life.

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). 

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

Teach us to pray

Ruth Kirk

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1; NLT). 

Lord,

Teach us to pray,
As you taught your disciples.

Help us to pray,
And make our hearts your own.

Pray, Lord, on our behalf,
Without cessation,

Making our fragile souls
Your earthly home.

Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them” (John 14:23; NLT).

References 

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 (Romans 8:26; AMP). 

I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19; NKJV). 

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

Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NKJV).

 

For all he gives

Ruth Kirk

Today’s prayer is the second of four linked poems which arrived together on New Year’s Eve. If you didn’t see the first, here is a link to it: https://wp.me/p45bCr-d8z.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV). 

For all he gives each day
Say, “Thank you, Jesus”.

For all he takes away,
Say just the same.

No matter what goes wrong,
Say, “Thank you, Jesus” –

Accept his will,
And bless his holy name.

I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).

Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21; CSB).

I breathe you in

Ruth Kirk

On New Year’s Eve I woke very early, with a migraine. Fortunately, the day before, I had arranged everything I needed to start making hot drinks in my bedroom. So I sat up in bed to pray, a mug  of tea to hand, holding my cross, and repeating Jesus’ name in time with my breathing.

Out of this came a stream of four short, linked prayers. Despite their brevity, they were extremely difficult to put into words. I plan to post them over the next few days, God willing.

The whole group springs from a special prayer said daily by the Community of Our Lady of Walsingham – a prayer which has made a real difference to my quality of life. If anyone is interested, I could ask permission to post it here.

The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV). 

I breathe you in,
And breathe you out, Lord Jesus.

No matter what you send,
I will say, “Yes”.

You live in me,
And I in you, Lord Jesus –

With you, I can endure
Each new distress.

With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall (2 Samuel 22:30; NIV). 

In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind (2 Corinthians 6:4; NLT).

References 

In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind (Job 12:10; NIV).

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

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV). 

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

Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21; CSB).

Lord, save us! (with thanks for the safe crossing of C.O.)

Ruth Kirk

Yesterday I woke to the sound of a roaring sea, knowing that my friend was crossing to the island at that time. As I prayed for him, today’s blog burst into my mind. It is my prayer for all people in 2023:

It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within (Mark 7:20-23; NLT). 

Lord,

Please calm
Our raging storm
Of greed, and hate,
And war.

Heal every mind,
And heart, and soul –
Lord, save us!
I implore.

Change us,
As you changed Saint Paul,
For we, too, Lord, oppress,
And kill.

In every mind,
And heart, and soul
Please whisper:
Peace, be still.

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm (Mark 4:39; NKJV).

References 

Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” (Matthew 8:25; NKJV).

Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. …As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:1;3-6; NLT). 

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, 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. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-12; NLT).

What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! (Matthew 10:27; NLT).

Jesus

Ruth Kirk

I wrote this prayer very late at night a few days ago, after a really bad day health-wise. I was exhausted, and it was time to settle down, but the words were so insistent that I had to rough them out as best I could, then work on them next day. This prayer falls naturally into two related halves:

He refreshes my soul (Psalm 23:4; NIV). 

Jesus refreshes me,
Jesus instructs;
Jesus delivers me,
Jesus delights.

Jesus releases me,
Jesus protects;
Jesus advises me,
Jesus unites.

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

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom (Luke 23:42; CSB).

Jesus, remember me,
Jesus, forgive;
Jesus, encourage me,
Jesus, defend.

Jesus, unshackle me,
Jesus, console;
Jesus, replenish me –
Jesus, my Friend.

You are my friends if you do what I command (John 15:14; NIV).

As I wake

Ruth Kirk

As I wake, eyes still closed, I’m in my familiar, warm, dimly-lit inner space, looking down at the dark, still surface of my unconscious mind, repeating, “I love you, Lord; I love you.” 

The face of the deep begins to stir, creating ripples which spread out from the centre until they are lost from my sight in the surrounding darkness. Then I hear myself saying aloud, “Let it be done to me according to thy word”. After this, I lie in silence, amazed and awed.

Eventually, I pick up my iPad, and start to write down what happened. I have a sense that something is coming: a change, a gain, a loss? What might it be? I feel a ripple of apprehension and excitement, which persists throughout the day.

References 

Darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters (Genesis 1:2; NLT). 

An angel of the Lord came from time to time and stirred up the water (John 5:4; NLT). 

I love you, Lord; you are my strength (Psalm 18:1; NLT). 

Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38; KJV).
Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29; NIV).

Then Jesus told the centurion, “Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you” (Matthew 8:13; CSB). 

Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10; RSV).

I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).