Category: hope

Courage

Ruth Kirk


Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said.
“Take courage. I am here!” (Matthew 14:27; NLT).

1. Lord,
Please give us courage,
To face all life may bring:
Heartbreak, sickness, hunger,
For you are still our King.

2. Lord,
Please give us courage
To bear all that may come:
Loneliness and worry,
Until this plague is done.

3. Lord,
Please give us courage
To turn to you, and pray,
Trusting in your mercy,
And serving you each day.

4. Lord,
Please give us courage
And hope, for you are great;
Forgive us all our sins,
And help us hold fast to our faith.

References

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

2. This is my intense suffering, but I must bear it (Jeremiah 10:19; CSB).

3. I plead for the Lord’s mercy (Psalm 142:1; NLT).

4. Put your hope in God (Psalm 42:5; NIV).

Having hope will give you courage (Job 11:18; NLT)

I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts (Isaiah 57:15; NLT).

Hold fast and repent (Revelation 3:3; NKJV).

Covid-19 (#2 of 2 linked poems)

Ruth Kirk

1. This plague won’t end
Until we turn to God,
Wanting to change our goal
From looks, to love.

2. This plague won’t end
Until we turn to God,
Willing to shift our hopes
From wealth, to love.

3. This plague won’t end
Until we turn to God,
Ready to move our hearts
From hate, to love.

4. This plague won’t end
Until we turn to God,
Learning to switch
From selfishness, to love.

5. This plague won’t end
Until we’ve understood,
And changed our way of life on earth –
For good!

References

1. Repent of your sins and turn to God (Matthew 3:2; NLT).

People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7; NLT).

2. God said to him, “You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?” (Luke 12:20; NLT).

3. You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbour’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! (Matthew 5:44; NLT).

Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you (Luke 6:27; NLT).

4. Then he [Jesus] 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).

5. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance (1 Corinthians 13:4-7; NLT)

You have shown me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever (Psalm 16:11; NLT).

Gifts

Ruth Kirk

Give thanks for everything to God the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
(Ephesians 5:20; NLT).

1. Thank you for your gift of faith,
Which helps me, Lord, to pray.

2. Thank you for your gift of hope,
Which lifts my heart each day.

3. Thank you for your gift of love,
Which makes my soul rejoice.

4. Thank you for your gift of truth:
Your still, small, inner voice.

5. Thank you for your gift of time,
Whatever trials may come.

6. Thank you for eternal life,
Your gift, through Christ, your Son.

References

1. It is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8; NIV).

You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it (Matthew 21:22; NLT).

2. Christ Jesus […] gives us hope (1 Timothy 1:1; NLT).

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! (Psalm 42:5; NLT).

3. Each day the Lord pours out his unfailing love upon me (Psalm 42:8; NLT).

My heart rejoices in the Lord (1 Samuel 2:1; NLT).

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

After the fire [came] a still small voice (1 Kings 19:12; NKJV).

5. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth (Isaiah 42:5; NLT).

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

6. God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16; NLT).

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23; NLT).

Suffering and loss

Ruth Kirk

Pray for all people. Ask God to help them;
intercede on their behalf
(1 Timothy 2:1; NLT).

1. Lord,
I pray for all of us
Who suffer:

2. Those yearning for a home,
A job,
A child;

3. Those thirsting for freedom
From fear, abuse,
Or exploitation;

4. Those longing for better health
For others,
Or themselves;

5. And those who ache
For the presence
Of the dead.

6. Please strengthen us
To face each loss;
Console us when we mourn.

7. Help us to find
New hope in you,
And to rebuild our lives

8. By following your much-loved Son,
Who gave up all he had
For us.

Through his dear name,
Amen.

References

1. Pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf (1 Timothy 2:1; NLT).

2. Forget not your servant but give her a son (1 Samuel 1:11; NIV).

3. The oppressed will be set free (Luke 4:18; NLT).

4. He will heal us (Hosea 6:1; NLT).

5. You have taken away my companions and my loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend (Psalm 88:18; NLT).

6. Even when I walk in the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).

7. “I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11; NLT).

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me!” (Matthew 4:19; NLT).

8. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being (Philippians 2:6-7; NLT).

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us (1 John 3:16; NLT).

Speak to me

Ruth Kirk
Image: Elias Sch, Pixabay

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

Lord,

1. Speak to me with words of peace:
Abate the tempest
in my mind.

2. Speak to me with words of truth:
Reveal your presence
In my heart.

3. Speak to me with words of hope:
Dispel the shadows
in my soul.

4. Speak to me with words of love:
Restore my strength,
And make me whole.

References

1. The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).

He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves (Psalm 107:29; NLT).

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

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

3. God [is] the source of hope (Romans 15:13; NLT).

My God turns my darkness into light (Psalm 18:28; NIV).

4. God is love (1 John 4:16; NLT).

He restores my strength (Psalm 23:3; NET).

Upon him was the chastisement that made us whole (Isaiah 53:5; RSV).

The hopes of the helpless

Ruth Kirk
Photo: KELLEPICS

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

Lord,

1. You know the hopes
Of the helpless,

2. The dreams
Of the damaged,

3. The faith
Of the friendless,

4. And the prayers
Of the poor:

5. Hear our cries
And comfort us, we beg you;

6. Mend our bodies,
And our anxious minds;

7. Fill our hearts with care
For one another –

8. Then we will share your love,
Which heals and binds.

References

1-5. Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them (Psalm 10:17; NLT).

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

7. I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other (John 13:34; NLT).

If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us (1 John 4:12; NIV).

8. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:14; NLT).

At the heart of our faith

Ruth Kirk
Photo: TheDigitalArtist

People look at the outside appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart
(1 Samuel 16:7; NIV).

1. At the heart of our faith, Lord:
Your way to the cross.

2. At the heart of our sorrow:
Your truth, and its cost.

3. At the heart of our worship:
Your body and blood.

4. At the heart of our mourning:
Your death, and your love.

Photo: geralt

5. At the heart of our hope, Lord:
Your rising again.

6. At the heart of our gladness:
Your kingdom, and reign.

7. At the heart of our purpose:
Your gospel and grace.

8. At the heart of our yearning:
Your kiss, and embrace.

Photo: sthelenachurch.net

References

1. He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross (Philippians 2:8; NLT).

2. Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!” Then they became insistent. “But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes” (Luke 23:4-5; NLT).

3. He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:19-20; NIV).

4. We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us (1 John 3:16; NLT).

5. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world (Revelation 1:5; NLT).

6. The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21; NKJV).

7. My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God (Acts 20:24; NLT).

We are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus (Acts 15:11; NLT).

8. 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).

Photo: suju