Category: comfort

16.9.23: The grace of God

Ruth Kirk
kareni: Pixabay.

I woke early yesterday and couldn’t go back to sleep, so began to pray instead. As I said my familiar morning prayers, the opening words, shape and direction of today’s blog burst into my mind.

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
(Luke 1:46-7; NIV). 

1. I glorify the grace of God,
The mind, and heart, and face
Of God.

2. I celebrate the light of God,
The truth, and peace, and might
Of God.

3. I bow before the fire of God,
The jealousy and ire
Of God.

4. I venerate the hope of God,
The comfort, joy, and scope
Of God.

5. I witness to the love of God,
The Spirit, and the Son
Of God.

6. Lord,
Forgive my sin and shame,
And help me magnify your Name.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt His name together.
(Psalm 34:3; NKJV).

References

Verse 1:
*The grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. (Titus 2:11; NLT).
*The LORD your God is more powerful than all other gods and lords, and his tremendous power is to be feared. His decisions are always fair, and you cannot bribe him to change his mind. (Deuteronomy 10:17; CEV).
*The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood” (Genesis 8:21; NIV).
*Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”) (Genesis 32:30; NLT).

Verse 2:
* God is light (1 John 1:5; NLT).
*The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
*The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).
*Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you (2 Chronicles 20:6; NIV).

Verse 3:
The LORD your God is a devouring fire; he is a jealous God (Deuteronomy 4:24; NLT).
God’s anger will descend on them in torrents (Job 20:28; NLT).

Verse 4:
*I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13; NLT).
*He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us (2 Corinthians 1:4; NLT).
*Yahweh, your God, is in the midst of you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17; WEB).
*God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end (Ecclesiastes 3:11; NLT).

Verse 5:
*God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).
*No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39; NLT).
*God is Spirit (John 4:24; NLT).
*The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35; NLT).

Verse 6:
*Forgive us our sins (Luke 11:4; NLT).
*You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! (Ezekiel 16:63; NLT).

13.9.23: God’s presence

Ruth Kirk
jhiredman: Pixabay.

The godly will live in your presence (Psalm 140:13; NLT). 

Live in the Father’s presence,
Choosing his holy way;
Worship in life’s harsh deserts:
Give thanks, rejoice, and pray.

Walk in the Saviour’s presence,
Serving like Him, each day;
Worship in life’s vast wastelands:
Give thanks, rejoice, and pray.

Rest in the Spirit’s presence,
Clinging, so you don’t stray;
Worship on life’s cold mountains:
Give thanks, rejoice, and pray.

Trust in the Threefold Presence:
Comfort will fall, like dew;
Worship in death’s dark valley:
God will rejoice in you.    

The LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs (Zechariah 3:17; NLT).

Readings

Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness (Isaiah 35:6-8; NIV).

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).

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). 

19.8.23: Holy Spirit

Ruth Kirk
Pexels: Pixabay.

Yesterday I woke early. Before I had even begun to say the Lord’s Prayer, the first two lines of this diary entry arrived, so I began writing it immediately.

Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
(Ephesians 2:18; NLT). 

1. Holy Spirit, deep within,
Please pray for me, despite my sin.
I beg you, Lord, to help me cling
To Jesus.

2. Pray for me with heartfelt sighs.
Lord, plead on my behalf. Arise
And intercede for me, with cries
To Yahweh.

3. Holy Spirit, pray for all.
Please weep for those in need, and call
Their names, and save them when they fall:
Bring comfort.

4. Pray for us. Please don’t delay,
For you know what we need to say:
Lord, keep our feet on Jesus’ way
Forever.

Jesus answered, “I am the way.”
(John 14:6; NIV).

References

Verse 1
*Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? (1 Corinthians 6:19; NLT).
*Cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days (Deuteronomy 30:20; NKJV).
*Cling to your faith in Christ (1 Timothy 1:19; NLT).

Verse 2
*The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26; RSV).

Verse 3
*I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them (1 Timothy 2:1; NLT).
*I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ (Jude 1:1; NLT).

Verse 4
*We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself asks on our behalf with ineffable sighing (Romans 8:26; CPDV).
*Your Father already knows all your needs (Matthew 6:32; NLT).
*God, who knows everything in our hearts, knows perfectly well what the Spirit is saying, because her intercessions for God’s holy people are made according to the mind of God (Romans 8:27; TIB).

19.8.23: Holy Spirit

Ruth Kirk
Pexels: Pixabay.

Yesterday I woke early. Before I had even begun to say the Lord’s Prayer, the first two lines of this diary entry arrived, so I began writing it immediately. 

Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
(Ephesians 2:18; NLT). 

1. Holy Spirit, deep within,
Please pray for me, despite my sin.
I beg you, Lord, to help me cling
To Jesus.

2. Pray for me with heartfelt sighs.
Lord, plead on my behalf. Arise
And intercede for me, with cries
To Yahweh.

3. Holy Spirit, pray for all.
Please weep for those in need, and call
Their names, and save them when they fall:
Bring comfort.

4. Pray for us. Please don’t delay,
For you know what we need to say:
Lord, keep our feet on Jesus’ way
Forever.

Jesus answered, “I am the way.”
(John 14:6; NIV).

References 

Verse 1
*Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? (1 Corinthians 6:19; NLT).
*Cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days (Deuteronomy 30:20; NKJV).
*Cling to your faith in Christ (1 Timothy 1:19; NLT).

Verse 2
*The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26; RSV).

Verse 3
*I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them (1 Timothy 2:1; NLT).
*I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ (Jude 1:1; NLT).

Verse 4
*We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself asks on our behalf with ineffable sighing (Romans 8:26; CPDV).
*Your Father already knows all your needs (Matthew 6:32; NLT).
*God, who knows everything in our hearts, knows perfectly well what the Spirit is saying, because her intercessions for God’s holy people are made according to the mind of God (Romans 8:27; TIB).

18.8.23: Comfort

Ruth Kirk
CharlVera: Pixabay.

Right at the end of my prayer-time a few days ago the first words of today’s blog struck me insistently. As I noted them down the rest simply followed, for which I was deeply thankful.

“If you possibly can, have pity on us and help us.” “‘If I possibly can!'” replied Jesus; “why, everything is possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father cried out, “I do believe: strengthen my weak faith” (Mark 9:22-4; WNT). 

Lord,

Help me
Where my faith falls short:

Give me your comfort
And support,

So I can comfort
Others, too,

Helping them, Jesus,
Just like you.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3-5; NLT).

11.8.23: Threefold love

Ruth Kirk
The Trinity in an initial letter B, Master of the Codex Rossiano, Sienese, probably 1387: metmuseum.org.

Yesterday, whilst I was praying quietly and sleepily, the sudden arrival of these simple, worshipful verses woke me up completely. This piece came together very sweetly, and was easy to put into words.

You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.
(Psalm 89:26; NLT). 

1. God, my Father,
And my Mother;
Lord, my Maker:
I love Thee.

2. Christ, my Teacher,
And my Shepherd;
Lord, my Saviour:
I love Thee.

3. Holy Spirit,
Guide, and Helper;
Lord, my Comfort:
I love Thee.

4. Three in One,
And One in Three;
My Lord forever:
I love Thee.

I love thee, O LORD, my strength.
(Psalm 18:1; ERV).

References 

Verse 1:
* Will I, who causes others to give birth, not also give birth myself, says the Lord? Will I, who bestows generation upon others, be barren myself, says the Lord your God? (Isaiah 66:9; CPDV).
* You are our maker; and we are all the work of your hand (Isaiah 64:8; BBE).

Verse 2:
* You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am (John 13:13; NLT).
* I am the good shepherd (John 10:11; NLT).
* You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18; NLT).

Verse 3:
* Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives (Galatians 5:16; NLT).
* I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever (John 14:16; ESV).
* When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me (John 15:26; ASV).

Verse 4:
* YHWH appeared to Abraham by the oak grove of Mamre, while Abraham sat at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Looking up, Abraham saw three travelers standing nearby (Genesis 18:1-2; TIB).
* Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; NIV).
* You are my God! (Psalm 31:14; NLT).
* He is our God forever and ever (Psalm 48:14; NLT).

5.8.23: Living water

Ruth Kirk
12019: Pixabay.

Yesterday morning, this prayer arrived without warning. I scribbled down lots of notes at the time, but it proved very challenging to write.

O God, thou art my God, I seek thee, my soul thirsts for thee; my flesh faints for thee, as in a dry and weary land where no water is.
(Psalm 63:1; RSV). 

Seek Christ’s living water:
Yes, plead for it each day.
He freely gives: receive his love,
Then he will help you pray.

Seek Christ’s living water,
For it will slake your thirst.
He freely gives: accept his joy,
Then put his kingdom first.

Seek Christ’s living water,
For he makes all things new.
He freely gives: embrace his peace,
Then he will dwell in you.

Seek Christ’s living water,
For he will not condemn.
He freely gives: so share your cup
With all, to comfort them.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4; NLT).

References 

Verse 1:
* To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life (Revelation 21:6; NLT).

Verse 2:
* Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water… Those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life” (John 4:10,14; NLT).

Verse 3:
* He who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5; RSV).
* In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT). 

Verse 4:
* God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:17; NIV).
* Freely you have received; freely give (Matthew 10:8; NIV).
* Whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward (Matthew 10:42; NKJV).
* On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water'” (John 7:37-8; RSV).

1.8.23: You take away my health

Ruth Kirk
PublicDomainPictures: Pixabay.

This prayer took me by surprise as it arrived just after lunch last Sunday . It relates back to “Take my mind”, so here is a link in case you would like to check out that diary entry: https://wp.me/p45bCr-evh.

NB: Because I have so little energy, I now try hard to keep references to a minimum. However, they seemed so essential to today’s prayer that I’ve included them this time.

The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD.
(Job 1:21; CSB).

1. Lord,
You take away my health,
My pleasures, and my liberty;
My comfort, and autonomy –
Yet will I cling to Thee.

2. Lord,
You take away my friends,
My neighbours, and my family;
My church, and my security –
Yet will I worship Thee.

3. Lord,
You take away my choice,
My strength, and my mobility;
My self-esteem, and dignity –
Yet will I follow Thee.

4. In death,
You’ll take away my days,
My body, my identity;
My individuality –
Yet will I trust in Thee.

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.
(Job 13:15; KJV).

References 

Verse 1:
* When you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go (John 21:18; NLT).
* Cling to him (Deuteronomy 10:20; NLT).
* I cling to you (Psalm 63:8; NLT).

Verse 2:
* He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me. My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me (Job 19:13-14; KJV).
* You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend (Psalm 88:18; NLT).
* Worship the LORD your God (2 Chronicles 30:8; NLT).
* You alone are the one we worship (Isaiah 26:13; NLT).

Verse 3:
* He has taken away my strength (Psalm 102:23; NET).
* Jesus said to him, “Follow me” (Matthew 8:22; NET).
* Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21; NIV).
* Let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives (Galatians 5:25; NLT).

Verse 4:
* Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:17-18; NLT).
* The LORD gives both death and life (1 Samuel 2:6; NLT).
* The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).
* Trust in God, and trust also in me (John 14:1; NLT).
* I trust in God (Psalm 56:4; NLT). 

11.7.23: Sunlight and rain

Ruth Kirk
fietzfotos: Pixabay.

This prayer came to me at around six’ o’clock in the morning a couple of days ago, after I’d been awake for about two hours:

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

1. Thank you, my Father,
For sleeping and wakefulness,
Loving and loneliness,
Sunlight and rain.

2. Thank you, my Father,
For pleasure and wretchedness,
Good health and suffering,
Comfort and pain.

The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD.
(Job 1:21; CSB).

References 

Verse 1
– Everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory (Romans 11:36; NLT).
– Whatever happens to you, accept it (Sirach 2:4; NJB).
– When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other (Ecclesiastes 7:14; NIV).

Verse 2
– I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things (Isaiah 45:7; NIV).
– He wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal (Job: 5:17; NIV).
– I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength (Philippians 4:11-13; NLT).

18.6.23: Please help me

Ruth Kirk
geralt, Pixabay.

As soon as I surfaced from sleep yesterday, these couplets began to flow:

The Spirit, too, comes to help us in our weakness. For we don’t know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit expresses our plea with groanings too deep for words. And God, who knows everything in our hearts, knows perfectly well what the Spirit is saying, because her intercessions for God’s holy people are made according to the mind of God.
(Romans 8:26-7; TIB). 

1. Holy Spirit, help me pray
To You, Creator, every day.

2. Elohim, help me rejoice
In you, and listen to your voice.

3. Christ, my Saviour, help me talk
With You, my Teacher, as we walk.

4. Jesus, help me now to praise,
For you have set my heart ablaze.

5. Three-In-One, help me to love
All souls on earth, and those above.

6. Yahweh: Mother, Father, God,
Please comfort me with staff and rod.

7. One-In-Three, help me to bend
Before your will, until life’s end –

8. Lord, my God, then I will see
Your face, for all eternity.

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

References 

Verse 1
God is Spirit (John 4:24; NLT).
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters (Genesis 1:1-2; KJV).
Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

Verse 2
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice (Philippians 4:4; NLT).
Listen to his voice (Deuteronomy 13:4; NLT).
Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left (Isaiah 30:21; NLT).

Verse 3
He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:6; NLT).
Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you (Isaiah 30:20; NLT).
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12; NIV).

Verse 4
I will praise the LORD at all times (Psalm 34:1; NLT).
They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32; NLT).

Verse 5
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NIV).

Verse 6
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).

Verse 7
He will bend his shoulder to the load and submit himself to hard labor (Genesis 49:15; NLT).
I want your will to be done, not mine (Mark 14:36; NLT).

Verse 8
“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).
Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, you are God (Psalm 90:2; CSB).
Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever (1 Thessalonians 5:10; NLT).