Category: Salvation

Spirit

Ruth Kirk

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

The Spirit teaches you everything you need to know (1 John 2:27; NLT).

Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives (Galatians 5:16; NLT).

Spirit,
Please help us;
Teach us,
And guide us.

Spirit,
Forgive us;
Comfort,
And heal us

Spirit,
Protect us;
Stay close,
And pray for us.

Spirit,
Restore us;
Release us,
And save us.

He restores my soul (Psalm 23:3; NKJV).

Because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death (Romans 8:2; NLT).

Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God (Romans 8:10; NLT).

The Spirit alone gives eternal life (John 6:63; NLT). 

References

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life (Job 33:4; NLT).

The Spirit gives life (Titus 3:5; NLT).

May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing (Psalm 143:10; NLT).

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).

The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will (Romans 8:26-7; NLT).

The Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor – Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you (John 14:26; AMP).

With eyes fully open

Ruth Kirk

This prayer came to me the moment I woke and started to pray on Christmas morning. It is a special prayer for all of us who find Christmas very difficult, whatever the reason. With my warmest love, and with thanks to you all for your support, from Ruth xxx

I love you, LORD; you are my strength (Psalm 18:1; NLT).

With eyes fully open,
And eyes fully closed:
Yahweh, I love you so much!

No matter what happens
You’re here, at my side:
Jesus, I love you so much!

Speaking, or silent,
You’re here, in my soul:
Spirit, I love you so much!

And you love me too,
Though I can’t see you yet:
But soon, Lord, I’ll reach out, and touch!

Reach out your hand and put it into my side (John 20:27; NIV).

If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed (Matthew 9:21; NLT).

References

Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do. As he spoke, he showed them his hands and feet (Luke 24:39-40; NLT).

Blessed are those who believe without seeing me (John 20:29; NLT).

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).

After my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes (Job 19:26-7; NLT).

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

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1 Corinthians 12:12; NIV).

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

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).

 

Thank you

Ruth Kirk

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).

Thank you for making me;
Thank you for saving me;
Thank you for knowing my heart,
Mind, and prayers.

Thank you for hearing me;
Thank you for guiding me;
Thank you for sharing my sorrows
And cares.

In all their suffering he also suffered (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

References

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

You are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long (Psalm 25:5; NIV).

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

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away (Psalm 139:2; NLT).

He hears my voice (Psalm 55:17; NIV).

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake (Psalm 23:3; NIV).

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

 

Please help us all

Ruth Kirk

May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10; NLT).

Please help us all,
And may your Kingdom come.

Please mend our minds,
And may your will be done.

Please heal our hearts,
And fill us with your love.

Please save our souls –
Then we will meet above!

We who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17; NLT).

Reference

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies (Psalm 103:3-4; NLT).

 

Each morning

Ruth Kirk

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning (Lamentations 3:23; NLT).

Each morning,
Reunite with God:
Accept God’s will,
And staff, and rod.

Next, re-commit
To Jesus Christ:
Embrace his way,
And truth, and life.

Request, again,
Their Spirit’s care:
Entreat her help
With every prayer.

Then, join again
With God: the Three-
In-One, who saves,
And sets us free.

Our God is a God who saves (Psalm 68:20; NIV).

God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children (Galatians 4:5; NLT).

References 

Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done” (Matthew 26:42; 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, too, comes to help us in our weakness. For we don’t know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit expresses our plea with groanings too deep for words. And God, who knows everything in our hearts, knows perfectly well what the Spirit is saying, because her intercessions for God’s holy people are made according to the mind of God (Romans 8:26-7; TIB).

 

Possessions

Ruth Kirk

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21; NKJV).

I’m whittling my ‘possessions’ down
As I approach the door to death,

So, unencumbered, I’ll slip through
To Jesus, at my final breath.

Naked (without possessions) I came [into this world] from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there (Job 1:21; AMP). 

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; NLT).

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

 

Heaven on earth

Ruth Kirk

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children” (Matthew 19:14; NLT).

Children playing: free at last,
Having left behind the past.
No abuse; joy unsurpassed –
It’s heaven!

Women laughing: unoppressed,
Having passed through every test
With honours. Now so loved and blest –
It’s heaven!

Menfolk dancing: no more war!
No advantage any more.
Equal, under Yahweh’s law –
It’s heaven!

All are spirits. All are one
In Jesus Christ, God’s only Son.
Included: all; excluded: none –
It’s heaven!

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever” (Revelation 5:13; NLT).

References

Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17; NLT).

May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10; NLT).

Humankind was created as God’s reflection: in the divine image God created them; female and male, God made them (Genesis 1:27; TIB).

The LORD will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore (Isaiah 2:4; NLT).

Then I saw new heavens and a new earth. The former heavens and the former earth had passed away, and the sea existed no longer. I also saw a new Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down out of heaven from God, beautiful as a bride and groom on their wedding day. And I heard a loud voice calling from the throne, “Look! God’s Tabernacle is among humankind! God will live with them; they will be God’s people, and God will be fully present among them. The Most High will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death, mourning, crying and pain will be no more, for the old order has fallen” (Revelation 21:1-4; TIB).

I trust you

Ruth Kirk

Trust in God, and trust also in me (John 14:1; NLT).

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

You help me slowly,
Bit by bit:
I trust you,
For you never quit.

You mend my thinking,
Day by day:
I trust you,
For you light my way.

You ease my anguish,
Step by step:
I trust you,
For we share each threat.

You heal my spirit,
Year by year:
I trust you,
For you’re always here.

Behold, I am with you every day, even unto the end of time (Matthew 28:20; ABPE).

References

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13; NLT).

According to your faith [your trust and confidence in My power and My ability to heal] it will be done to you (Matthew 9:29; AMP).

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).

The LORD is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it! (Genesis 28:16; NLT).

I can never get away from your presence! (Psalm 139:7; NLT).

 

Judgement

Ruth Kirk

We must all stand before Christ to be judged (2 Corinthians 5:10; NLT).

Introduction
We will all be subject to judgement. However, this judgement may not be quite what we have traditionally been taught to expect. Today’s blog details what was recently shown to me in prayer.

Choices
During our time on earth, we make many choices about how we relate to God, other people, events, experiences, our planet and  even ourselves. These choices shape the person we become at every stage of our lives. After death, we will all face judgement before Christ.

What is judgement?
Judgement is a profoundly just, merciful and loving consideration of a combination of factors:

  • The body and life situation God gave us at birth.
  • All we experienced during our exile here.
  • Everything we felt, thought, said and did.
  • What we made of ourselves, our opportunities, and our suffering.
  • Who and what we became during the course of our lives.

Several stages
Judgement is a process with several stages. It will include:

  • Looking directly at every aspect of our life, choices, behaviours, attitudes, speech, thoughts and actions. This will be like looking at ourselves in a crystal-clear mirror, and seeing right to the inmost core of our soul, with the eyes of Christ.
  • Fully understanding why we decided on the choices we made.
  • Recognising with complete honesty everything we faced and dealt with during our lives.
  • Admitting all the hurt and damage we caused to others, and repenting fully.
  • Asking ourselves how much we accepted, loved and helped, all other people, including the poorest and least powerful.
  • Considering the overall value of our life objectively.
  • Seeing clearly, and acknowledging fully, what we amount to in total.

This might sound alarming, perhaps even terrifying. However, throughout the whole process, we will be standing before Christ, fully supported by God’s Spirit of love, understanding and mercy.

Reacting to our judgement
In response to seeing and fully understanding ourselves, our choices and our lives, we will inevitably react by experiencing a mixture of profound emotions, including shame, sorrow and repentance. This healing process includes catharsis, purgation and purification.

I believe that through this healing process we will receive God’s forgiveness and love. It will also enable us to forgive and to love both ourselves and others completely.

Conclusion
Whether we know it or not, we are indissolubly one with God from the eternity before our birth, during our exile on earth, and for eternity beyond our death. Our judgement will take place within the context of this oneness.

As a result of our judgment we will experience forgiveness, healing and complete reconciliation with God. This is salvation, paradise and eternal bliss.

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:2-5; NLT).

Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43; NLT).

References

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely (1 Corinthians 13:12; NLT).

The King will reply, “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).

You, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness (Psalm 96:15; NLT).

To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness (Daniel 9:9; RSV).

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7; NLT).

Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool (Isaiah 1:18; KJV).

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing (Isaiah 35:5; KJV).

The spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

 

Maundy Thursday

Ruth Kirk

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

Let Jesus wash your feet,
And give you strength.

Let Jesus bathe your mind,
And cleanse your thoughts.

Let Jesus flood your heart,
And heal your wounds.

Let Jesus fill your life,
And save your soul.

He … will save the souls of the needy (Psalm 72:13; NKJV).

Reference

When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” (John 13:6-9; NLT).