Category: Salvation

Life

Ruth Kirk

Keep watch and pray (Matthew 26:41; NLT).

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD (Psalm 27:14; NLT).

Watching,
Waiting,
Finding,
Caring.

Hearing,
Seeing,
Meeting,
Sharing.

Walking,
Talking,
Lending,
Giving.

Helping,
Serving,
Loving –
Living.

Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).

Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10; NIV).

References

The fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-3; AMP).

Love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; NLT).

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

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

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

Remember

Ruth Kirk

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation (Luke 11:4; NLT).

Always ask for God’s forgiveness –
And
Remember to absolve
Yourself,
And all who hurt you.

Always ask for God’s assistance –
And
Remember to support
Yourself,
And all in need.

Always ask for God’s compassion –
And
Remember to console
Yourself,
And all who suffer.

Always ask for God’s protection –
And
Remember to defend
Yourself,
And all the weak.

Always ask for God’s redemption –
And
Remember to release
Yourself,
And all in chains.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (Isaiah 61:1; NIV).

When you ask for healing

Ruth Kirk

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them (1 Timothy 2:1; NLT).

When you ask for healing,
Pray for others, too.
Pray for those who suffer
Yet nothing makes them new.
Plead for all who live with pain –
Jesus, make us whole again.

When you crave forgiveness,
Pray for all, as well.
Pray for those who’ve hurt you,
And caused you years of hell.
Plead for those who’ve spoiled your life –
Jesus, may we see your light.

When you seek salvation,
Pray for all the earth.
Pray for those who don’t believe
In God, who gave them birth.
Plead for those who just say, “No!” –
Jesus, help us change and grow.

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is (Ephesians 3:16-18; NLT).

It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow (1 Corinthians 3:7; NLT).

When I wake up…

Ruth Kirk

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

I want you;
I need you;
I seek you.

I find you;
I meet you;
I greet you.

I thank you;
I praise you;
I bless you.

I know you;
I trust you;
I love you.

I love you, Lord (Psalm 18:1; NLT).

2. The LORD watches over the simple (Psalm 116:6; NASB20).

You watch me;
You want me;
You draw me.

You see me;
You hold me;
You hear me.

You kiss me;
You bless me;
You soothe me.

You know me;
You save me;
You love me.

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

Living within

Ruth Kirk

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

Christ, living within,
Is my pearl without price;
My truth, and my gospel;
My way, and my life;

My well, and my water;
My root, and my vine;
My first and last supper;
My bread, and my wine;

My light, and my darkness;
My sun, and my rain;
My goal; my salvation;
My joy, and my pain;

My Shepherd; my Spirit;
My staff, and my rod;
My friend on life’s journey –
My Lord and my God.

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

The way of the cross

Ruth Kirk

He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood (Luke 22:44; NLT).

Praying; grieving;
Sweating; pleading;

Slipping; sliding;
Stumbling; falling;

Stripping; nailing;
Lifting; reeling;

Bleeding; dying;
Rising; healing.

For you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture (Malachi 4:2; 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).

A star

Ruth Kirk

A prayer for the world’s urgent awakening to Christ’s gospel.

The star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was (Matthew 2:9; NLT).

A star,
A moon,
A frost
At dawn;

A cry,
A light:
A child
Is born,

To save
Us all
From greed
And hate –

Let’s change,
Before
It’s far
Too late!

Give glory to the LORD your God before it is too late. Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you, causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains. For then, when you look for light, you will find only terrible darkness and gloom (Jeremiah 13:16; NLT).

As he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:41-2; NLT).

References

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine (Isaiah 9:2; NLT).

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! (Isaiah 9:6-7; 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).

Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the LORD’s forgiveness before it is too late. For the LORD has threatened them with his terrible anger (Jeremiah 36:7; NLT).

O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8; NLT).

Then he 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. 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. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?” (Luke 9:23-6; NLT).

You did not accept your opportunity for salvation (Luke 19:44; NLT).

Faith (for J.G.)

Ruth Kirk

A night prayer of longing to be finally and fully one with Christ.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1; NLT).

I kiss your feet,
Your hands, your face,

Then all I know
Is your embrace.

I hear you say:
Your work is done.

At last, forever,
We are one.

Well done, good and faithful servant! …Come and share your master’s happiness! (Matthew 25:21; NIV).

References

She knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet (Luke 7:38; NLT).

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands” (John 20:27; NLT).

They will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads (Revelation 22:4; NLT).

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

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look – I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave (Revelation 1:17-18; NLT).

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him (Luke 15:20; NLT).

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over” (Mark 5:34; NLT).

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance (1 Corinthians 13:7; NLT).

He loves us with unfailing love; the LORD’S faithfulness endures forever. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

A reading: Philippians 3:8-11; NLT.

Yes, 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. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Shadow and light

Ruth Kirk

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land where death casts its shadow, a light will shine… For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:2,7; NLT).

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35; NLT).

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).

God is in shadow,
And also in light.

God is the source
Of salvation in Christ.

God is in heaven
And also on earth.

God is the heart
Of all meaning and worth.

God is in darkness,
And also in fire.

God is the pearl
Of our deepest desire.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it (Matthew 13:45-6; CSB).

I desire you more than anything on earth (Psalm 73:25; NLT).

References

How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings (Psalm 36:7; NLT).

I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings (Psalm 63:7; NLT).

He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand (Isaiah 49:2; NLT).

God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16; AMP).

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last – salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ” (Revelation 12:10; NLT).

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3; NLT).

The LORD is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other (Deuteronomy 4:39; NLT).

Clouds and thick darkness surround him (Psalm 97:2; NIV).

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

The LORD your God is a devouring fire (Deuteronomy 2:24; NLT).