This prayer arose spontaneously out of my silence yesterday, resolving my long-standing fear of having to meet my mother again one day, in heaven.
My mother is a part of me,
And I, Lord, am a part of her.
Despite the suffering she caused,
Our primal linkage will endure.
Lord, I’ve forgiven her abuse –
Through prayer, I’ve let it go, at last.
I understand her suffering,
Her rage, her devastating past.
I used to dread that I would have
To meet her when my race is run.
But now I know she cannot hurt me
Any more, for we’ll be one
In you, the God who heals us all.
No harm will come to me, just good,
For when you take me in your arms,
I’ll meet my mother in your love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. (1 John 4:16; NLT).
References
None will harm or destroy another on My entire holy mountain, for the land will be as full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is filled with water (Isaiah 11:9; HCSB).
Nothing harmful will take place on the LORD’s holy mountain. Just as water fills the sea, the land will be filled with people who know and honor the LORD (Isaiah 11:9; CEV).
They will no longer injure or destroy on my entire royal mountain. For there will be universal submission to the LORD’s sovereignty, just as the waters completely cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9; NET).
The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox (Isaiah 65:25; NIV).
In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain. I, the LORD, have spoken! (Isaiah 65:25; NLT).
The LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations (Psalm 100:5; NIV).
Thedustreturns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).
Yesterday I wasn’t well enough to go to Mass, so I stayed in bed for the morning, as I do most days now. I began to pray, starting with silence, just as Saint Mother Theresa always did. In the silence, I searched for God, striving fruitlessly to find him. Then today’s prayer came to me.
For several minutes I tried hard to push it away, so I could keep on striving to reach God, just as the 14th century author of “The Cloud of Unknowing” describes:
“Struggle to pierce that darkness above you; and beat on that thick cloud of unknowing with a sharp dart of longing love, and do not give up, whatever happens” (The Cloud of Unknowing; Anon).
However, the words arriving were absolutely insistent, so I began writing them down. I knew I didn’t have enough energy to work on a rhyming scheme, but that turned out not to matter, as my prayer didn’t need one.
Only when it was finished, very late last night, did I begin to understand what these verses have to teach me. Anyway, after this long introduction, here they are at last:
Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest”.
(Matthew 11:28; NLT).
1. It’s time to stop striving:
Just dwell in God’s light, Which is Jesus.
2. It’s time to stop striving:
Just wait in God’s peace, Which is Christ.
3. It’s time to stop striving:
Just follow God’s way, Which is Jesus.
4. It’s time to stop striving:
Just cling to God’s truth, Which is Christ.
5. It’s time to stop striving:
Just share in God’s life, Which is Jesus.
6. It’s time to stop striving: Just hope in God’s grace, Which is Christ.
7. It’s time to stop striving:
Just dwell in God’s Word, Which is Jesus.
8. It’s time to stop striving:
Just live in God’s love, Which is Christ.
He [God] is the source of your life in Christ Jesus. (1 Corinthians 1:30; RSV).
References
Verse 1 God is light (1 John 1:5; NLT).
I am the light of the world (John 8:12; NLT).
Verse 2 The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you (John 14:27; NIV).
Verse 3 God’s way is perfect (2 Samuel 22:31; NLT).
Jesus told him, “I am the way” (John 14:6; NLT).
Verse 4 The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
Jesus told him, “I am… the truth” (John 14:6; NLT).
Verse 5 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them (1 John 3:9; NLT).
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25; NLT).
Verse 6 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).
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace (Romans 6:14; NLT).
Verse 7 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1; NLT).
His name is the Word of God (Revelation 19:13; NIV).
Verse 8 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him (1 John 4:9; NLT).
[Nothing] in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39; NIV).
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God (Ephesians 3:19; NLT).
Christ is my life (Philippians 1:21; GNT).
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3; NIV).
When I woke up yesterday morning I was warm and comfortable. It was easy to pray without words, expecting nothing. Then, to my surprise, these verses began to arrive.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Mark 12:30; CSB.
1. To love God Is to seek him;
To seek him
Is to find;
To find him Is to worship,
To serve,
And to be kind.
2. To love God
Is to hear him;
To hear him
Is to give;
To give
Is to love everyone,
To grow like Christ, And live.
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10; NIV.
References
Verse 1
Love the LORD your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul (Deuteronomy 10:12; NLT).
The LORD will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him (2 Chronicles 15:2; NLT).
Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listento his voice, and cling to him (Deuteronomy 13:4; NLT).
Verse 2
Your own ears will hearhim. 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).
Freely you have received; freely give (Matthew 10:8; NIV).
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ (Ephesians 5:2; NLT).
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).
We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).
This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13; NLT).
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life (Deuteronomy 30:19-20; NLT, my emphasis).
When I was praying last Thursday, slowly repeating the name of Jesus, this prayer came to me. I had to end my contemplation so I could immediately began to put it into words.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion (Ephesians 6:18; NLT).
Lord, my God,
I want to pray
In your dear Spirit Every day
For all the world,
Through Jesus’ name:
Please bless us With your sacred flame.
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4; NLT).
Yesterday, when I woke and started to pray very sleepily, this prayer quickly arose. I wanted to ignore it, but had to begin writing it immediately, or it would have faded away in moments.
Jesus told him, “I am the way” (John 14:6; NLT).
1. Lord Jesus, When I wake each day,
May I give thanks,
Rejoice, and pray
To you, my Guide:
God’s perfect way.
2. Lord Jesus,
Yahweh’s living proof,
May I confess,
Without excuse,
My sins to you:
God’s perfect truth.
3. Lord Jesus,
When I rest at night,
May your dear Spirit
Shine so bright
That I see you:
God’s perfect light.
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).
He is a light to reveal God to the nations (Luke 2:32; NLT).
References
Verse 1: *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).
*It was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader (Hebrews 2:10; NLT).
*God’s way is perfect (2 Samuel 22:31; NLT).
Verse 2: *Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name” (John 10:25; NLT).
*He [God] has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead (Acts 17:31; NIV).
*Jesus told him, “I am…the truth” (John 14:6; NLT).
*The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
*God’struth stands firm like a foundation stone (2Timothy 2:19; NLT).
Verse 3: *God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us (1 John 4:13; NLT).
*God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24; NKJV).
*God is light (1 John 1:5; NLT).
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: *ThegraceofGod 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 “faceofGod”) (Genesis 32:30; NLT).
Verse 2: * Godislight (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 loveofGod 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 SonofGod” (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).
Yesterday I woke early, and the moment I began to pray this song of praise arrived. Its first words and its shape were instantly clear in my mind. Despite this, writing is gradually getting harder and more tiring as my energy and mental capacity reduce. I don’t know how much longer I will be able to do it for, but will continue as long as I can, until God stops giving me prayers to write.
I love you, LORD; you are my strength (Psalm 18:1; NLT).
I love you, Lord,
And bless your name,
Confide in you,
Confess my shame,
Receive forgiveness,
Sing your praise,
And gladly worship
All my days.
I love you, Lord,
And trust your Son.
I follow him,
For we are one.
I’ll bear my cross
Through good and ill,
Rejoice, and pray
And thank you, still.
I love you, Lord,
Your Spirit, too.
She lives in me,
And I in you.
So, may we plead
With one accord
For those who suffer,
Blessed Lord.
I love you,
Holy Trinity:
The Mighty God
Who sets me free.
Day after day
I hear your call
And try to serve you, Lord, In all.
Whateveryoudidfor one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, youdidfor me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).
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).
This prayer began to form last Friday, when several Bible verses came together in my mind, and I saw a connection between them. The link is that life and death, as well as many other “positive” and “negative” things, are the same to God, and they can be the same to us, as well. Knowing this can make suffering easier to bear.
If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:8; NLT).
1. All through our lives And when we die,
Lord, we are Yours:
You watch, close by.
2. Darkness and light Are just the same
To You, our origin
And aim.
3. Father, you call us all
Your kin,
For we are Yours:
You live within.
4. God of the living, And the dead: All are alive
To You, our Head.
5. Lord, all these mysteries
Are true:
May we explore each one
With You.
He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness; he brings light to the deepest gloom (Job 12:22; NLT).
References
Verse 1: The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade (Psalm 121:5; NLT).
Verse 2: To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you (Psalm 139:12; NLT).
Verse 3: We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NIV).
Verse 4: He is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him (Luke 20:38; NLT).
Verse 5: I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven (Ecclesiastes 1:13; NLT).
