loss – Seeking God's face together

8.9.23: Follow and worship (updated today)

September 8, 2023September 8, 2023Ruth Kirk

I posted today’s prayer at midnight last night, when it only had seven verses. However, this morning, when I was praying without words, I suddenly received the final couplet, which makes it complete. So that email followers don’t miss this, I’m now posting the final version for their sake.

A thoroughfare will be there – it will be called the Way of Holiness (Isaiah 35:8; NET).

Follow Christ on the way of love:
Worship Him who reigns above.

Learn from Christ on the way of faith:
Worship Him and seek His face.

Talk with Christ on the way of prayer:
Worship Him, our thoroughfare.

Serve with Christ on the way of light:
Worship Him both day and night.

Weep with Christ on the way of pain:
Worship Him who rose again.

Walk with Christ on the way of death:
Worship Him; one final breath

Then rest with Christ when life is past,
And worship Him with joy, at last.

Lord, though I’m on the way of dust,
I’ll worship you with steadfast trust.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3; NIV).

References

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).

You were made from dust, and to dust you will return (Genesis 3:19; NLT).

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

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:1; NLT).

Those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die (Isaiah 57:2; NLT).

8.9.23: Follow and worship

September 8, 2023September 8, 2023Ruth Kirk

My husband is suffering from a virus, and I now have it as well. Yet still God gives, and still I write, though very slowly.

N.B: I posted today’s prayer at midnight, last night, with the first seven verses. However, this morning, when I was praying without words, I suddenly received the final couplet, which makes it complete. So that email followers don’t miss this, I’m reposting the final version again, for their sake.

A highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way (Isaiah 35:8; NIV).

Follow Christ on the way of love:
Worship Him who reigns above.

Learn from Christ on the way of faith:
Worship Him and seek His face.

Talk with Christ on the way of prayer:
Worship Him, our thoroughfare.

Serve with Christ on the way of light:
Worship Him both day and night.

Weep with Christ on the way of pain:
Worship Him whose loss was gain.

Walk with Christ on the way of death:
Worship Him; one final breath

Then rest with Christ when life is past,
And worship Him with joy, at last.

Lord, though I’m on the way of dust,
I’ll worship you with steadfast trust.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3; NIV).

References

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).

You were made from dust, and to dust you will return (Genesis 3:19; NLT).

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

Those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die (Isaiah 57:2; NLT).

27.7.23: Help me

July 27, 2023July 27, 2023Ruth Kirk

We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16; NIV).

Lord,
Please help me, every day,
In all I feel, think, do and say,
To live in love, rejoice, and pray
For others.

Lord,
Please help me, through the years,
To walk with you, and face my fears,
Accepting sickness, loss and tears
With courage.

Lord,
Please help me: hear my plea
To live in you, and you in me,
Then all my sinfulness will flee
Your presence.

Lord,
Please help me: give me grace
To serve you till I’ve run my race,
Then I will see you face to face
Forever.

Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; NRSV).

18.7.23: Bathed in light

July 18, 2023Ruth Kirk

These verses arrived during a period of wordless prayer yesterday morning. I resisted breaking off to write them down for as long as I could, but in the end there was no choice. This piece was extremely difficult to put into words.

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

1. I’m bathed in light,
In peace, and joy;
In your forgiveness
From above.

2. I sense your pity,
Grief and tears;
Your fire, your strength,
Your tender love.

3. I’m bathed in faith,
In truth, and grace,
As I receive
Your gentle touch.

4. You share my sorrow,
Loss, and pain –
Because you care for me
So much.

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).

References

Verse 1:
🔻 The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).
🔻 Everlasting joy will be yours (Isaiah 61:7; NIV).
🔻 He forgives all my sins (Psalm 103:3; NLT).
🔻 The LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other (Deuteronomy 4:3I; NIV).
🔻 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1; NIV).

Verse 2:
🔻 Yahweh is tenderness and pity (Psalm 103:8; NJB).
🔻 The Lord your God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; NIV).
🔻 The Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength (Isaiah 26:4; KJV).
🔻 God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

Verse 3:
🔻 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).
🔻 The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
🔻 See, your king comes to you: he is upright and has overcome; gentle and seated on an ass (Zechariah 9:9; BBE).
🔻 I am humble and gentle at heart (Matthew 11:29; NLT).
🔻 No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one (Luke 4:40; NLT).

Verse 4:
🔻 In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).
🔻 He loves us with unfailing love (Psalm 117:2; 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).
🔻 You care for people and animals alike, O LORD (Psalm 36:6; NLT).
🔻 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him (Nahum 1:7; NIV).
🔻 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you (1 Peter 5:7; NLT).

The Rosary Hospital News

This Fiat Rosary uses a beautiful, recycled, mother-of-pearl centrepiece, alongside a lovely, old, silver medal from a kind donor to the Rosary Hospital. If you have any old rosary parts or broken rosaries you would like to donate for re-use, I would be delighted to hear from you via the comments button just below this caption.

30.6.23: Loss

June 30, 2023Ruth Kirk

This blog came to me during silent prayer last Wednesday morning:

I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.
(Lamentations 3:20; NLT).

1. I pray for all
Who live with loss,
Who, daily, must take up
Their cross,
Facing their heartbreak,
And their tears,
Their desolation,
And their fears.

2. I pray for all
Who live with grief,
Who bear their cross
Without relief,
Facing each trouble
On their own,
Clinging, Lord God,
To you, alone.

I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
(Psalm 63:8; NLT).

References

Verse 1: I eat ashes as my food, and mingle my drink with tears (Psalm 102:9; NIV).

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

I have cried until the tears no longer come; my heart is broken (Lamentations 2:11; NLT).

Verse 2: O God, let the voice of my grief come to your ear (Psalm 64:1; BBE).

My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken (Jeremiah 8:18; NLT).

My wound is severe, and my grief is great. My sickness is incurable, but I must bear it (Jeremiah 10:19; NLT).

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul Psalm 31:7; NLT).

Is not all human life a struggle? (Job 7:1; NLT).

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4; NIV).

The Rosary Hospital

Today’s Fiat rosary. My second bulk order is progressing slowly, but well.

10.6.23: One in love

June 10, 2023Ruth Kirk

Last Thursday morning, when I thought I had finished writing and was about to get up, this prayer suddenly sprang out of what I had already been given minutes before (see: https://wp.me/p45bCr-eiy). God is good!

NB: Yesterday I added a short book called, “Wordless prayer”, to my top-level menu. It’s a work in progress. If you would like to see it, here is a link: https://wp.me/P45bCr-ej9.

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).

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

One in love,
And one in Christ;
One in every sacrifice.

One in darkness,
One in light;
One in Jesus, day and night.

One in joy,
And one in pain;
One in every loss and gain.

One in living,
One in death;
One in every precious breath.

One in truth,
And one in peace:
One in Christ, our great High Priest.

Our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time (Hebrews 10:12; NLT).

References

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).

It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20; NLT).

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies (2 Corinthians 4:10; NLT).

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind (Philippians 2:1-2; NIV).

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7; NLT).

A reading from John 17:20-24; NLT.

I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one – as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began.

22.4.23: When I wake

April 22, 2023Ruth Kirk

Today I’m exhausted, so I’ve chosen a prayer written in happier and more peaceful times to share with you:

When I wake up, you are still with me! (Psalm 139:18; NLT).

When I wake, Lord: adoration:
I’m so glad that you are near.
Later on, Lord: intercession,
Knowing that you always hear.

All day long, Lord, is confession:
Sharing every sin with you,
And receiving your forgiveness
For each wrong I think, say, do.

In the evening, Lord, we rest
Together, as I hold your cross.
Then I sleep within your hands:
No sense of pain, or fear, or loss.

Thus, we live, Lord, in communion:
I, a sinner; you, God’s Son,
Delighting in our friendship, Lord,
And sharing everything as one.

No matter what each day may bring,
I know that you, Lord, will be there,
Because we live in unity, through faith,
Hope, love and constant prayer.

Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13; NLT).

Pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17; TIV).

6.3.23: My hope

March 6, 2023Ruth Kirk

Life is very demanding at present in terms of medical issues, so I’m posting early today, and sending my very best wishes to every reader:

My hope, Lord, is in you (Psalm 25:21; NIV).

My hope, my faith,
My joy new-born;
My light, my truth,
My sacred thorn.

My pain, my grief,
My gain, my loss;
My love, my life,
My way, my cross.

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

19.2.23: God’s way through

February 19, 2023Ruth Kirk

The emotions surfacing in last night’s dream were loss, anger, distress and powerlessness. Once again, I woke up shouting, then began to pray.

It’s very rare for me to pray for myself, but facing the Breast Clinic tomorrow with a lump on my sternum, this is how I prayed today, writing it down immediately afterwards:

Lord, whatever this lump turns out to be, please help me through the whole experience.

Please help everyone who is suffering in any way to go through whatever they must face.

Even while I’m saying this, Lord, I know you’re always with every one of us, sharing our suffering, and longing to help us through it. Yet even you, our Creator, have to wait until we turn to you and ask.

Please help everyone who is suffering to come to you, so you can show us your love and compassion, while you help us to go through whatever we must experience.

I ask this in your dear Son’s name. Amen.

Even when I walk through 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).

References

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).

You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13; NLT).

He became anguished and distressed (Matthew 26:37; NLT).

He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “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: 35-6; NLT).

My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done (Matthew 26:42; NLT, my emphasis).

In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

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