Prayer – ♥️ Take heart!

New day

22.05.2026Ruth Kirk

Stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord (1 Chronicles 23:30; NIV).

Thank you, God,
For this new day.

Please help me now
To praise and pray,

And gladly welcome
All you send,

Because your love
Will never end.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends (Lamentations 3:22; NLT).

References

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

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other (Ecclesiastes 7:14; NIV).

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God, and never anything bad? (Job 2:10; NLT).

Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal (Job: 5:17; NIV).

Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you (Isaiah 30:20; NLT).

I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things (Isaiah 45:7; NIV).

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised (Job 1:21; NIV).

Delight

18.05.2026Ruth Kirk

Take delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:4; NLT).

My God,
May I delight in you today,
By lifting up my voice to praise
And pray.

My God,
May I confide in you today,
Whilst walking by your side
Along the way.

My God,
May I remain in you today,
By trusting in your presence –
Come what may.

Trust in God (John 14:1; NLT).

We are all fragile, fallible, and mortal. Today, in prayer, I saw clearly that the purpose of life is to face its inevitable challenges, sorrows, and sufferings, learning to accept and endure them as patiently as we can, while still loving and serving Jesus in others. This was Christ’s mission, and it is ours as well, for Jesus is resurrected in us all.

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).

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

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).

So here is today’s prayer:

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

You make us,
You see us,
And hear us.

You know us,
You guide us,
And help us.

You feed us,
You love us,
And hold us.

You wound us,
You teach us,
And heal us.

Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from my powerful hand! (Deuteronomy 32:39; NLT).

References

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).

Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher (Isaiah 30:20; RSV).

May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ (2 Thessalonians 3:5; NLT).

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised (Hebrews 10:36; 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).

Sitting alone

27.04.2026Ruth Kirk

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

The LORD is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it! (Genesis 26:16; NLT).

I sit all alone –
Without a word;

Bask in your light –
And this is prayer;

Speak if I must –
You listen, Lord,

Then rest in the dark –
For you are there.

Moses went into the darkness where God was (Exodus 20:21; BES).

Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light (Micah 7:8; NLT).

I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness – secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name (Isaiah 45:3; NLT).

References

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

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

We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him (1 John 5:14; NLT).

God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest” (Isaiah 28:12; NLT).

Don’t pretend

24.04.2026Ruth Kirk

God knows all our thoughts, and the secrets of our hearts. High-flown prayers, self-justification, minimisation, pretence, concealment, hypocrisy, and outright untruths are all completely pointless with God. NB: They don’t make for good, honest relationships, or good mental health either!

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

When praying, don’t pretend
And don’t conceal.
Be genuine and real,
So Christ can heal.

When praying, don’t tell lies
Or hide your doubt.
Be congruent with Christ,
Inside and out!

When praying, be yourself,
For he is near.
Just speak the truth in love,
And he will hear.

When praying, be yourself,
Just as you are –
And make the Son of God
Your guiding star.

I am the bright morning star (Revelation 22:16; NLT).

I have given you an example to follow (John 13:15; NLT).

References

You know my thoughts (Psalm 139:2, NLT).

You know my heart (Jeremiah 12:3, NLT).

I am with you always (Matthew 28:20, NLT).

He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him (1 John 5:14, NLT).

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

Freedom to Be

23.04.2026Ruth Kirk

If the Son sets you free, you are truly free (John 8:36; NLT).

It’s okay to be how we are,
And okay to feel as we feel.
It’s okay to think our own thoughts,
And okay to pray how we pray.

There’s no other way we should be,
And no other way we should feel.
There’s no other way we should think,
And no other prayer we should say.

So be how you are: it will change,
And feel how you feel: it will shift.
Notice your thoughtflow, and pray your own truth –
For freedom, through Christ, is God’s gift.

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

My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10; NLT).

References

Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law (Galatians 5:1; NLT).

You have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13; NLT).

God

22.04.2026Ruth Kirk

God sits above the circle of the earth (Isaiah 40:22; NLT).

God above us,
Brooding, wise:
You hear each cry of grief,
Each breath.

God beside us,
Here on earth:
You give all beings
Life and death.

God in every
Heart and soul:
You are our pearl,
Our King of kings.

God amongst us,
We are one:
Please shelter us
Beneath your wings.

Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings (Psalm 61:4; NLT).

Shared healing

17.04.2026Ruth Kirk

Today in prayer, I saw clearly that we need to work with Jesus in order to bring about the healing of our wounded inner child.

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children …

Son of Man,
We share one mind:
Let’s listen to my inner child
Together.

Lamb of God,
We share one heart:
Let’s lift and hold my inner child
Together.

Shepherd King,
We share one soul:
Let’s bless and heal my inner child
Together.

Lord, my God,
We share this life:
Let’s teach and love my inner child
Together.

… I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them (Mark 10:13-16; NLT).

References

I am the good shepherd (John 10:11; NLT).

He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young (Isaiah 40:11; NLT).

Reading: Psalm 23.

Together

12.04.2026Ruth Kirk

The LORD is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him (Habakkuk 2:20; NLT).

In silent praise and wordless prayer:
Christ is with us, very near.

In private grief and hidden loss:
He weeps beside us, always here.

In untold stress and unseen pain:
Jesus is our friend and kin.

In secret fear and deepest dread:
He shares it all – our God, within.

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

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

References

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

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

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