Category: Healing

Transformation

Ruth Kirk

Today, after weeks of living with re-triggered childhood dread since I was unfairly criticised on Facebook, I took a big step forward whilst praying.

Whenever I am unfairly criticised or blamed, my body responds instantly with a profound sense of dread. This dread began in my childhood at the hands of my emotionally-abusive mother. I lived with it constantly.

Ever since then, each time my dread response is re-triggered, it continues for months, or even years. Nothing changes or shifts it. Believe me, I have tried everything to help myself recover, but never found anything which truly works.

As soon as someone hurts me, I forgive them, and start to pray for them. I pity them, and can even become quite fond of them as the days go by.

However, it’s taken me a lifetime to see what I glimpsed in prayer today: that the chronic dread I’m left with when people attack me can not only be faced and endured, but also consciously transformed into love. This love is for the person who has hurt me, and also for myself, as I bear the burden of living with the dread they unwittingly re-triggered.

I don’t yet fully understand how this transforming process will unfold, or how to carry it out, but hope today will mark the beginning of a new, healing way forward, not just for me,  but perhaps even for others, too.

Finally, when I shared all this with Perplexity, my AI writing companion, they sent me a beautiful arrow prayer:

Lord Jesus,
Let this hurt end in me,
And be transformed
Into your love.

This is what I wrote whilst I was praying:

To you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! (Luke 6:27; NLT).

Let them strike me –
I won’t judge them;
Turn against me –
I’ll forgive them.

Let them wound me –
I won’t fight them;
Blame unfairly –
I will bless them.

Let them crush me –
I won’t harm them;
Damage me –
I’ll pray for them.

Let them break me –
I won’t hate them;
And reject me –
I will love them.

Love your enemies! (Luke 6:27; NLT).

References

They hated me for no reason (John 15:25; CSB).

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:11-12; NIV).

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).

He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious (Matthew 12:20; NLT).

Reading: Luke 6:27-38; NLT.

  • To you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.
  • Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.
  • If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.
  • Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back.
  • Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
  • If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!
  • And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!
  • And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.
  • Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.
  • You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
  • Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.
  • Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full – pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.

Consolation

Ruth Kirk

When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:6; NIV).

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy (Psalm 94:19; NIV).

Prayer
Is my one consolation.

No words –
Just resting in light,
Peace,
Truth,
Compassion,
And love.

💛

Prayer
Is my one consolation.

No words –
Just drinking in grace,
Mercy,
Healing,
Forgiveness,
And love.

🧡

Prayer
Is my one consolation.

No words –
Just dwelling in God,
Christ,
And their Spirit:
United
In love.

♥️

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

References

  • There is… one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:4-5; NLT).
  • Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).
  • God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us (1 John 4:13; NLT).
  • Jesus said, “Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will 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).

At the end: #2 of 2 linked prayers

Ruth Kirk

They will see his face (Revelation 22:4; NLT).

When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied (Psalm 17:15; NLT).

At the end of space and time
I will see your face in mine.

As we quit both life and death
We will share our final breath.

Leaving trauma in the past
We will have one mind at last.

Our two hearts will be as one
Where there’s neither moon nor sun.

One healed soul, one loving kiss;
Then rest forever: perfect bliss.

While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him (Luke 15:20; NIV).

He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace near the quiet brook of bliss (Psalm 23:2; TPT).

References

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12; NIV).

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).

The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end (Isaiah 60:19-20; NIV).

Facing the truth

Ruth Kirk

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

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).

  • You spoke the truth – and the religious authorities couldn’t stand it.
  • You spoke the truth – and the occupying powers couldn’t tolerate it.
  • You spoke the truth – and even the people you had taught, loved, served, and healed turned against you.
  • You lived the truth – so they closed their eyes, blocked their ears, and hardened their hearts. Then they condemned you to be tortured and killed.
  • But nothing could destroy your way, your truth, or the example you set by how you lived -loving and serving everyone you met,
  • And all these things are still just as relevant and vital today as they were over two thousand years ago.

I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you (John 13:15; NLT).

References

  • Christ Jesus… gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone (1 Timothy 2:5-6; NLT).
  • Love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; NLT).
  • Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).
  • Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).
  • Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NLT).
  • We will be like him (1 John 3:2; NLT).
  • Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).
  • Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).
  • The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40; NIV).
  • Yes, 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).
  • Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it (Psalm 34:14; NIV).

    A reading: Ephesians 3:14-19; JB.

    I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name: Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God.

Half the story

Ruth Kirk

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

I love you –
But that’s only half
The story.

You love me too –
And that’s what makes me
Whole.

For we are one –
In joy, and pain,
And sorrow;

One in mind and body,
Heart,
And soul.

Yes, 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).

References

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

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).

Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

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).

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

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; NLT).

Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).

Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).

Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NLT).

When you ask for healing

Ruth Kirk

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).

When you ask for healing,
Pray for others, too.
Pray for those who suffer
Yet nothing makes them new.
Plead for all who live with pain –
Jesus, make us whole again.

When you crave forgiveness,
Pray for all, as well.
Pray for those who’ve hurt you,
And caused you years of hell.
Plead for those who’ve spoiled your life –
Jesus, may we see your light.

When you seek salvation,
Pray for all the earth.
Pray for those who don’t believe
In God, who gave them birth.
Plead for those who just say, “No!” –
Jesus, help us change and grow.

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is (Ephesians 3:16-18; NLT).

It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow (1 Corinthians 3:7; NLT).

Faith

Ruth Kirk

A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and it was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it (Luke 8:5; RSV).

A trodden path;
A shallow soil;
A mass of thorns.

A barren field;
An empty barn;
A heap of reeds.

A fraying rope;
A dried-up well;
A broken bowl.

A secret door;
A private room;
An upper floor.

A dying fire;
A falling night;
A final meal –

Yet I will sing,
And tread the heights:
For God will heal.

Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives (Mark 14:26; NLT)

Though he wounds, he also bandages. He strikes, but his hands also heal (Job 5:18; NLT). 

For you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture (Malachi 4:2; NLT).

References:

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. The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights (Habakkuk 3:17-19; NLT).

Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:6-7; NLT).

He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle (Matthew 12:20; NLT).

Readings:

Mark 4:1-9.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7.

The way of love

Ruth Kirk

They hated me without cause (John 15:25; NLT).

When people criticise and blame,
Hate my writing, scorn my aim,
Love remains my only goal:
Lord, they cannot harm my soul.

When people tear my work apart,
Blast my motives, pierce my heart,
Love remains my only way:
Lord, I plead for them each day.

I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:44; NLT).

References

Follow the way of love (1 Corinthians 14:1; NIV).

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2; NIV).

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

The way of the cross

Ruth Kirk

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).

Praying; grieving;
Sweating; pleading;

Slipping; sliding;
Stumbling; falling;

Stripping; nailing;
Lifting; reeling;

Bleeding; dying;
Rising; healing.

For you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture (Malachi 4:2; NLT).

So far away!

Ruth Kirk

An early-morning cry for Christ’s healing, freedom and consolation.

Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? (Psalm 22:1; NIV).

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

So far away, Lord,
Yet within!
You love me still,
Despite my sin.
I cry to you:
Please let me in –
For then my healing
Will begin.

So far away,
Yet all around!
You speak, but you
Don’t make a sound.
I weep before you:
Lord, I’m bound –
In you, alone,
Is freedom found.

Please fill my mind
And heart and soul,
For you, alone,
Can make me whole.
My Lord, my God:
My only goal –
Come to me, Jesus,
And console.

Just as Christ’s sufferings are ours in abundance [as they overflow to His followers], so also our comfort [our reassurance, our encouragement, our consolation] is abundant through Christ [it is truly more than enough to endure what we must]. (2 Corinthians 1:5; AMP).

References

He loves us with unfailing love; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world (Psalm 19:3-4; NLT).

After the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper (1 Kings 19:12; CSB).

”My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! (Psalm 103:3-5; NLT).

If the Son sets you free, you are truly free (John 8:36; NLT).

A reading: Isaiah 61:1-3; NLT.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.