Category: Peace

My hope is a spark

Ruth Kirk

A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire (James 3:5; NLT).

My hope is a spark;
My light is a flame;
My fire is a blaze;
My wrath is a pyre.

My way is your path;
My thorn is your pain;
My flesh is your bread;
My blood is your wine.

…………………………..

My faith is a gift;
My peace is a dove;
My love is a cross;
My rest is a tomb.

My grace is your staff;
My strength is your rod;
My truth is your sword:
For I am your God.

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:19; NLT). 

References

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

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD (Psalm 31:24; NIV).

I trust in you, LORD; I say, “You are my God” (Psalm 31:14; NIV).

Oneness

Ruth Kirk

Be silent before the LORD, all humanity (Zechariah 2:13; NLT).

Let all the earth be silent before him (Habakkuk 2:20; NLT).

Lost in silence,
And in light;
Lost in comfort,
And in peace;

Lost in kindness,
And in grace;
Lost in goodness,
And in God.

Lost in stillness,
And in praise;
Lost in worship,
And in awe;

Lost in gladness,
And in love;
Lost in wonder:
One with God.

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

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

No sun

Ruth Kirk

There is no sun;
There’s only rain.
There is no proof:
There’s only faith.

There is no peace;
There’s only pain.
There is no proof:
There’s only hope.

There is no joy;
There’s only dread.
There is no proof:
There’s only love.

There is no cure;
There’s only grief.
There is no proof –
There’s only God.

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

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13; NLT).

References

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

Reading: Revelation 22:3-7; NLT.

Look within

Ruth Kirk

All around the world we read, see, experience, and share the freedom of those with greater wealth, status and power to ignore, control, denigrate, deprive, exploit, and abuse those who have less.

Despite my resolve to take one week without posting, God has other plans, and gave me this prayer today. The pressure to write and publish it is absolutely insistent, and very uncomfortable.

Please can I enlist your help to share these prayers with others, if you are willing and able? This would enable me to reach out to as many people as possible, even though I am very tired and unwell. I have had to stop posting to about 20 Facebook groups, because I cannot bear the weight of sharing what I am given all on my own any more. Please help me with this task.

Love and blessings, from Ruth xxx

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

Let’s look within
To find the Christ,
Then make our lives
A sacrifice

Of help for all,
Of love, and peace
Despite our pain,
Which will not cease

Until death comes
To take our hand,
And lead us to
God’s promised land.

There, we will be judged
At last,
By all the fallout
Of our past

For those we use,
Ignore, or hate.
By then,
It will be far too late

To change: despite
Our wealth, or birth,
We will be treated
Just as we treat others
Here on earth.

Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive (Luke 6:37-8; NET).

References

To reduce my burden a bit, I will now offer short, relevant readings you can look up in your own Bible, rather than the detailed quotes I have included in the past:

2 Corinthians 12:6-10.

Matthew 25:31-46.

Search for your light

Ruth Kirk

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it (John 1:1-5; NLT).

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12; NLT).

Search for your light
In the heart of the gospel,
Discovering hope
In the heart of God’s Word.

Search for your faith
In the heart of the gospel,
Discovering peace
In the heart of the Lord.

Search for your strength
In the heart of the gospel,
Discovering joy
In the heart of God’s Word.

Search for your life
In the heart of the gospel,
Discovering love
In the heart of the Lord.

I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness – secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD (Isaiah 45:3; 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).

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

References

We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life (1 John 1:1; NLT).

I have put my hope in your word (Psalm 119:74; NLT).

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

God’s word lives in your hearts ( 1 John 2:14; NLT).

No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us (John 1:18; NLT).

This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us (1 John 1:2; NLT).

God, our Maker

Ruth Kirk

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today! (Psalm 95:6-7; NLT).

The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Mark 12:29; NIV).

God, our Maker,
Christ, your Son,
Holy Spirit:
You are One.

Every word you speak
Is true:
Trinity,
Please make us new.

You’re our light,
Our peace, our way:
Help us all
To love, and pray.

Save us; teach us;
Guide us through –
Then we’ll all
Be one with you.

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

References

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

Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert (Psalm 126:4; NLT).

I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland (Isaiah 43:19; NT).

Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes (Ephesians 4:23; NLT).

The one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:5; NLT).

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

The LORD is peace (Judges 6:24; 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)

Save us, O LORD our God! (Psalm 106:47; NLT).

He will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths (Micah 4:2; NLT).

He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name (Psalm 23:3; NLT).

Christ: Son of God

Ruth Kirk

This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God (Mark 1:1; NLT).

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9; NLT).

Christ is the Son of God:
The Son of Light.

Christ is the Son of God:
The Son of Fire.

Christ is the Son of God:
The Son of Strength.

Christ is the Son of God:
The Son of Peace.

Christ is the Son of God:
The Son of Truth.

Christ is the Son of God:
He is Love, without cease.

God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

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

References

Even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him” (Matthew 17:5; NLT).
The Father and I are one… Why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world… The Father is in me, and I am in the Father (John 10:30,36,38; NLT).

God is light (1 John 1:5; NLT).
I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life (John 8:12; NLT).

The Lord your God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; NIV).
I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! (Luke 12:49; NLT).

The Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength (Isaiah 26:4; KJV).
I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13; NLT).

The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).
There is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all (Acts 10:36; NLT).

The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6; NLT).

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

Christ’s way

Ruth Kirk

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it (Luke 9:23-4; 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).

Love, despite hatred;
Joy, despite pain;
Peace, despite trouble:
Christ is our way.

Patience, in anger;
Kindness, in hurt;
Goodness, in everything:
Christ is our truth.

Faithfulness, always;
Gentleness, too;
Self-control, constantly:
Christ is our life.

Even in darkness;
Even in grief;
Even in suffering:
Christ is our light.

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12; NLT).

References

Love is the fulfilment of the law (Romans 13:10; NLT).

The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-3; NLT).

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).

Jesus: Son of Man

Ruth Kirk

The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8; NLT).

Son of Man,
And Son of God,
Guiding us
With staff and rod;

Son of Joy,
And Son of Love,
Living in
Our flesh and blood;

Son of Patience,
And of Peace,
Showing us
Your perfect way;

Son of Truth,
And Son of Light:
Help us, always –
Day and night.

Lord, help us! (Joel 1:19; NLT).

The LORD is my helper (Hebrews 13:6; NLT).

The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness (Romans 8:26; NLT).

References

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

Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:21; NLT).

God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

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

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

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

All-wise

Ruth Kirk

God is greater than we can understand (Job 36:26; NLT).

God is all-wise,
All-great,
All-good;
God is all-joy,
All-peace,
All-love.

God is all-truth,
All-fire,
All-light;
God is all-strength,
All-depth,
All-height.

God is all-birth,
All-life,
All-breath;
God is all-grief,
All-pain,
All-death.

God is all-earth,
All-stars,
All-sun;
God is all-worlds,
All-things:
All-One.

The LORD our God, the LORD is one! (Deuteronomy 6:4; NKJV).

References

The life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being (Job 12:10; NLT).

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? (Romans 2:4; NLT).

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