Category: Honesty

Is prayer an effort?

Ruth Kirk

Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

Prayer needn’t be an effort:
Just share your honest self  –

Not as a chore, or duty,
For prayer is not a rod.

Just share your thoughts and feelings,
And all you say and do,

While listening to the inner voice
Of Christ, our Lord and God..

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

References

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

God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it (Job 33:14; NLT).

 

Face blindness: a message

Ruth Kirk

Despite, or perhaps partly because of, my newly-identified face blindness, I love whoever is in front of me, whether I recognise them or not. Now that I know I am face-blind, today’s blog encapsulates what I want to explain to those whose path I cross.

Acknowledging my face blindness openly, rather than hiding my lack of recognition, or faking recognition, is completely new for me. My hope is that this will make my life a lot less stressful than before.

Meanwhile, I take comfort from the fact that even Mary and the other disciples did not immediately recognise Jesus after his resurrection. God had a plan and a purpose for them, and also has a plan and a purpose for me, though I have no idea what it is. My face blindness is therefore not an accident, and God will bring good out of it for others, and perhaps even for me. As St. Paul writes: “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28; NLT).

So here is today’s blog…

God kept them from recognizing him (Luke 24:16; NLT). 

Although I cannot recognise
Your face, please know: I care.

No matter who you are, I’d like
To listen, help, or share.

Although I can’t recall your name
I’m ready: fully here –

So I’ll be honest, as I face,
And overcome, my fear.

Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).

References

She turned around and saw Jesus standing there; but she did not recognize that it was Jesus (John 20:14; BSB).

Then the two told what had happened on the road, and how they had recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24:35; BSB).

Christ is all, and is in all (Colossians 3:11; NIV).

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).

Love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; NKJV).

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

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

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

 

A secret cave

Ruth Kirk

When you pray, go into your most private room, close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret (Matthew 6:6; AMP). 

Prayer can be
A secret cave,
A quiet chat,
A tidal wave.

Prayer can be
An honest glance,
A flood of grief,
A joyful dance.

Prayer can be
A worry faced,
A bitter cup,
A trackless waste.

Prayer can be
A silent tomb,
An empty shrine,
God’s sacred womb.

Who held back the sea behind partitions when it burst forth from my womb? (Job 38:8; TIB).

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).

 

Naked prayer

Ruth Kirk

You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing!” But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked (Revelation 3:17; NIV).

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 (Romans 8:26; TIB).

Naked prayer: don’t prepare –
Spontaneity is all.
Ask the Holy Ghost to help you,
S/He will always hear your call.

Silent prayer: Christ will share
All your troubles, grief, and shame.
Like a child, with trust unfailing,
Praise and bless His holy name.

Honest prayer: God is there –
S/He is all you’ll ever need.
Let your words be short and simple,
God will always take the lead.

Wordless prayer: Threefold care –
Revel in the cleansing fire.
Spirit-led, just keep on seeking:
You’ll receive your heart’s desire.

Take delight in the Lord and he will give you your heart’s desires (Psalm 37:4; NLT).

References

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).

When you pray do not use vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7; NKJV).

Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it (Luke 18:17; CSB).

Keep on seeking and you will find (Matthew 7:7; NLT).

 

Judgement day

Ruth Kirk

We must all stand before Christ to be judged (2 Corinthians 5:10; NLT).

O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me (Psalm 139:1; NLT). 

There is a sense in which every day is judgement day, because we all stand before Christ whenever we pray, and he already knows everything about us.

Seeing him face to face is like looking into a mirror. Through his eyes we see with perfect clarity the truth about ourselves, and about all we think, say, do and feel.

All we can do is to acknowledge our sins with complete openness and honesty, telling him how sorry we are.

Then, we receive God’s mercy and forgiveness, for which we give thanks.

Lastly, we can move forward again, leaving our guilt behind. Having been renewed, we are ready to start again, clinging tightly, as always, to God’s love, help and support.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9; NIV).

References

We shall see face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; NIV).

Before a word is on my tongue, you, LORD, know it completely (Psalm 139:4; NIV).

Anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28; NLT).

He forgives all my sins (Psalm 103:3; NLT).

He restoreth my soul (Psalm 23:3; KJV).

 

Continual spontaneous prayer

Ruth Kirk

Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:16; NIV).

Continual spontaneous prayer is a way of life. It means opening our whole selves to God at every moment, sharing every thought, sensation, emotion and experience with God as it happens.

In this approach to prayer, we hide nothing whatsoever from God. We may be tempted to push unwanted thoughts or impulses aside, but instead, we choose to acknowledge them openly and willingly. Then we deal with them straightforwardly, directly with God.

This way of praying is constant, dynamic, and totally honest. It has no beginning, middle, or end. Rather, it is a long-term, two-way conversation with God.

A life of continuous prayer means spontaneously expressing our love, worship, praise, thanks, intercessions, rejoicing, sorrows, fears, and cries for help. We share them with God as they arise within us.

It also includes unplanned periods when our prayer continues, but no words are needed. This wordless communion, when we simply rest in oneness with God, is one of the most intimate kinds of prayer we can experience here, on earth.

Above all, a life of continual, spontaneous prayer means being completely real with God, who is always completely real with us. This is the kind of relationship God longs to have with every one of us.

The Lord longs to be gracious to you (Isaiah 30:18; NIV). 

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

References

The LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion (Isaiah 30:18; NLT).

By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him (Hebrews 10:20; NLT).

We are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16; NIV).

Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence (Ephesians 3:12; NLT).

I am God, and not man; the Holy One within thee (Hosea 11:9; BST).

We are united with Christ (Ephesians 1:3; NLT).

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

 

Don’t make prayer a burden

Ruth Kirk

Unless you … become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3; NLT).

Don’t make your prayers a burden:
Share every thought with God.
Be honest and spontaneous –
As candid as a child.

Don’t make your prayers a burden:
Share every joy with God.
Be free and uninhibited –
Exult and dance; go wild!

Don’t make your prayers a burden:
Share every pain with God.
Be raw, direct, and unconstrained –
Expressing how you feel.

Don’t make your prayers a burden:
Share every fear with God.
Be straight; cry out with no holds barred –
Above all, just be real.

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

References

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36; NIV).

“Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Mark 14:36; NLT).

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Matthew 27:46; NLT).

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

 

Pray continually

Ruth Kirk

Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

The instruction to pray continually can seem impossibly demanding. We might be tempted to think that it can’t possibly apply to us. However, I believe that constant prayer is within reach for us all. Let’s have a look at what it involves:

    • To pray continually means living with Jesus, recognising and rejoicing in his presence within and around us at every moment.
    • It means sharing every experience with him, no matter how joyful, humdrum, burdensome, or traumatic it may be.
    • It means facing our suffering with Christ, accepting God’s will, and giving thanks for everything God sends, both good and bad.
    • It means seeing Jesus in everyone, loving and serving him in them to the best of our ability.
    • It means opening our bodies, minds, hearts and souls to him, hiding nothing, and always being completely honest.

In conclusion, to live like this is to pray continually – even if we rarely use words!

They think they will be heard for their many words (Matthew 6:7; RSV). 

Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! (Matthew 6:8; NLT).

References

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

Rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16; NIV).

I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things (Isaiah 45:7; NLT).

Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).

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

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).

 

Life

Ruth Kirk

Your life is a journey (1 Peter 1:18; The Message).

Life is a circular journey. We move from being one with God beyond space and time, to being born into a particular body, time, place and set of circumstances. Each of us is born as a unique individual with free will. We only get one shot at finding out who we are, and learning to be authentically ourselves.

Our exile here on earth is a journey back to God. Along the way, we experience our own unique joys and sorrows, successes and failures, tests and trials. We discover our limitations, and develop our own boundaries. We are fragile, so along the way we can get sick or damaged, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.

Life is a healing process. Everything we experience offers us opportunities to learn, grow and reach as much of our individual potential as we can. We can do this whilst excluding God completely, or whilst sharing the process with Him as much as we want to.

When we share ourselves honestly with God, we can grow in oneness with Him during our time here. We have Jesus as our example, and His Holy Spirit as our guide and helper.

By the time we die we have come almost full circle, and our journey towards healing is almost finished.  At death we return to our original, absolute oneness with God. Then our journey is over, and our healing process is complete.

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever (Revelation 21:4; NLT).

References

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5; NLT).

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).

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

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

Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God (1 Peter 1:18; The Message).

 

My soul

Ruth Kirk

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).

A few days ago, I experienced the presence of God within me. Today’s blog shares what I saw and understood.

My soul
First, I saw a dazzling bright light within me, and realised it was my soul: the eternal union within me of self and God.

Our oneness existed long before my conception, and continues during my exile on earth. It will remain unbroken during my death, and for evermore afterwards, beyond all time and space. My soul is the centre of my being, its essence, where self and God are truly one.

The voice of inner truth
Then I heard my soul speak with a single, totally honest voice: the voice of truth. This truth had two components: God’s truth, and my own completely honest inner truth.

Afterwards
As this experience gradually faded away, it left me ready to listen to the voice of my soul even more intently than before.

This voice is usually readily accessible within me, particularly during spoken and wordless prayer. It often gives me direct insights in comprehensible words and sentences, which I write down. These insights form the basis of everything I learn, write, and share.

Looking ahead
Since my experience, I will continue to learn everything this voice has to teach me, and to change and grow through its help and guidance. I want to be open to its constant support, and to find peace by asking for its forgiveness and healing.

Conclusion
I hope very much that I can retain the vivid memory of experiencing God’s presence within me in light and sound. I also want to continue listening to the voice I depend on so heavily for inspiration, insight, teaching, and personal, spiritual growth.

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

References

There is … one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:5-6; NLT).

We are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).

God is light (1 John 1:5; NLT).

The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).

God speaks (Deuteronomy 5:24; NKJV).

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 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 8:38-9; NLT).

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:32; NLT).

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6; NLT).

The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).