Category: heart

Night prayer

Ruth Kirk

Image: Patricia Alexandre, Pixabay

I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night
(Psalm 63:6; NLT).

1. In silent contemplation
I adore you,
Opening my heart and soul
Before you;

2. Sharing all my joy, and fear
And sorrow;
Ready, Lord, to start again,
Tomorrow.

3. In silent contemplation
I adore you,
Resting here, alone, and still,
Before you;

4. Sharing in your joy, and fear
And sorrow;
Ready, Lord, to start again,
Tomorrow.

References

1. Be silent before the Sovereign Lord (Zephaniah 1:7; NIV).

We adore you as the one who is over all things (1 Chronicles 29:11; NLT).

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

2. Pray about everything (Philippians 4:6; NLT).

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

When I awake, I am still with you (Psalm 139:18; NIV).

3. Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28; NLT).

When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private (Matthew 6:6; NLT).

Be still in the presence of the Lord (Psalm 37:7; NLT).

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

His mercies begin afresh each morning (Lamentations 3:22; NLT).

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past (Isaiah 43:18; NIV).

One day

Ruth Kirk

Image: Skitterphoto, Pexels; words: RK

The one sitting on the throne said,
“Look, I am making everything new!”
(Revelation 21:5; NLT).

1. One day,
You will give me a new body.
Then, at last,
I’ll walk, and dance, and run.

2. One day,
You will give me a new mind, Lord.
Then, at last,
I’ll grasp all you have done.

3. One day,
You will give me a new spirit.
Then, at last,
I’ll never fear again.

4. One day,
You will give me a new heart, Lord.
Then, at last,
I’ll weep with joy: Amen!

Let God transform you into a new person
(Romans 12:2; NLT).

 

References

1. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies (1 Corinthians 15:43-4; NLT).

Our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:53; NLT).

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31; NIV).

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

We have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; NLT).

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have the power together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18-19; NIV).

3. I will […] put a new spirit in you (Ezekiel 36:26; NIV).

At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster (Zephaniah 3:15; NLT).

They will eat and sleep in safety, and no one will make them afraid (Zephaniah 3:13; NLT).

4. I will give you a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26; NIV).

Tears of joy will stream down their faces (Jeremiah 31:9; NLT).

Guide me, Lord

Ruth Kirk

Image: Rene Rauschenberger

Think of it – the Lord is ready to heal me!
(Isaiah 38:20; NLT).

1. Guide me, Lord,
For I am blind.

2. Step by step,
Please heal my mind.

3. Touch my heart, Lord,
Make me whole,

4. And day by day,
Restore my soul.

 

References

1. He guides me along right paths (Psalm 23:3; NLT).

Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way (Isaiah 59:10; NIV).

2. The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me (Job 30:27; NIV).

“I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the Lord (Jeremiah 30:17; NLT).

3. Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” Mark 1:41; NLT).

He wounds, but his hands make whole (Job 5:18; NKJV).

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

I love you

Ruth Kirk

Image: Mike, Pexels

My beloved is mine and I am his
(Song of Songs 2:16; NIV).

1. I love you, and you love me;
Lord God, that’s all I need.

2. Whatever setbacks I must face,
And though my heart may bleed,

3. Help me to learn from what goes wrong,
And then to start anew,

4. For, come what may, you love me still,
And, Father, I love you.

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).

 

References

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

The Father himself loves you dearly (John 16:26; NLT).

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need (Psalm 23:1; NLT).

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

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

3. Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-9; NLT).

I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly (Ecclesiastes 1:17; NLT).

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord (Lamentations 3:40; KJV).

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

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

Your will be done

Ruth Kirk

Image: kmicican, Pixabay

1. I offer my body and mind to you,
I open my heart and soul.

2. Forgive my sins, and heal me, Lord;
I beg you: make me whole.

3. But if it’s your desire
That I should suffer with your Son,

4. Please help me to accept my lot with joy:
Your will be done.

References

1. You and I both belong to God (Job 33:6; NLT).

2. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases (Psalm 103:3; NLT).

3. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death (Philippians 3:10; NLT).

God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21; NLT).

4. By God’s power accept your share of suffering for the gospel (2 Timothy 1:8; NET).

I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering (2 Corinthians 7:4; NET.

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).

Start afresh

Ruth Kirk

Image: Pixabay

Lord,

1. May I start afresh today,
And leave my setbacks
Far behind.

2. May I try again, Lord,
To be patient, frank,
And kind.

3. May my heart and mind
Commune with yours, Lord:
Silent, still,

4. As I listen for your quiet voice,
So I may do
Your will.

References

1. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning (Lamentations 3:23; NLT).

Get rid of your sins, and leave all iniquity behind you (Job 11:4; NLT).

2. Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city (Proverbs 16:32; NLT).

We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people (2 Timothy 2:24; NLT).

Love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish (Luke 6:35; RSV).

3. Pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

Pray about everything (Philippians 4:6; NLT).

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

Be silent before the Sovereign Lord (Zephaniah 1:7; NIV).

Be still in the presence of the Lord (Psalm 37:7; NLT).

4. After the fire came a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12; NIV).

Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go” (Isaiah 30:21; NLT).

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing (Psalm 143:10; NLT).

Oneness

Ruth Kirk

Image: congerdesign, Pixabay

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).

Lord,

1. May I be one mind with you,
And share in all your joys and tears.

2. May I be one heart with you,
And share the way you faced your fears.

3. May I be one soul with you,
And share in all your pain and loss.

4. May I be one flesh with you,
And share your death upon the cross.

References

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

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15; NKJV).

2. I will give them one heart (Jeremiah 32:39; NLT).

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).

3. The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

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

4. Because God’s children are human beings – made of flesh and blood – the Son also became flesh and blood (Hebrews 2:14; NLT).

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:10; NLT).

In my heart

Ruth Kirk

Image: Camila Quintero Franco, Pixabay

Whatever is in your heart determines what you say
(Matthew 12:34; NLT).

1. Whatever’s in my heart, Lord God,
Determines what I say.

2. When I’m feeling crabby
I speak bitterly all day.

3. When I’m feeling angry
I abuse those I address,

4. When I’m feeling gloomy
I make others feel depressed.

5. When I’m feeling troubled
I ignore my neighbour’s pain,

6. And when I’m feeling needy
People ask for help in vain.

7. Instead, I dump my feelings
On to them, before they flee,

8. While, lost in my self-pity,
I cry: “Me! Me! Me! Me! Me!”

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).

Darkness (#1 of 2 linked prayers)

Ruth Kirk
Image: wallpapertag.com, Yandex

If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light,
trust in the Lord and rely on your God
(Isaiah 50:10; NLT).

1. I seek you in my body,
But find darkness.

2. I seek you in my mind,
But faith has fled.

3. I seek you in my heart,
But love lies broken.

4. I seek you in my soul,
But hope seems dead.

The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it
(John 1:5; NLT).

References

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

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

3. My heart is broken (Lamentations 1:20; NLT).

4.  All hope is gone (Ezekiel 37:11; NLT).

I seek you

Ruth Kirk
Image: Tomas B, Pixabay

If you seek him, you will find him
(1 Chronicles 28:9; NLT).

1. Living God,
I seek you in my mind,
So I may know your presence
Every day.

2. Son of Man,
I seek you in my heart,
So we can walk together, talk,
And pray.

3. Counsellor,
I seek you in my soul,
For I can’t live without your strength
And love.

4. Lord,
May we be one for evermore,
In mind, and heart, and soul;
In flesh, and blood.

References

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

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

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

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

3. The Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things (John 14:26; CSB).

You have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you (1 John 2:27; NLT).

He will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit (Ephesians 3:16; NLT).

He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love (Romans 5:5; NLT).

4. I pray […] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity (John 17:20-23; NIV).

God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us” (Genesis 1:26; NLT).

You are the children of the living God (Hosea 1:10; NLT).

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

I will give them one heart (Jeremiah 32:39; NLT).

We all share the same Spirit 1 Corinthians 12:13; NLT).

There is one body (Ephesians 4:4; NLT).

In Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body (Colossians 2:9; NLT).

Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you (John 6:53; NLT).