Jehovah Elohim formed Man, dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and Man became a living soul.
(Genesis 2:7; DBY).
1. Elohim,
Our God, our Lord:
Our Maker, stronghold,
Shield, and sword,
We bow before you,
Silent, awed – Our Father.
2. El Chuwl, The God who gives us birth:
You nurture us
Each day, on earth;
Our soul, our pearl
Beyond all worth – Our Mother.
3. Yahweh Roi,
The Shepherd God:
You comfort us
With staff and rod
Along the way
That Jesus trod – Our Saviour.
All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.
(Jude 1:25; NLT).
References
1. Elohim: The Creator
Thou art great, JehovahElohim; for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee (2 Samuel 7:22; DBY).
These are the histories of the heavens and the earth, when they were created, in the day that Jehovah Elohim made earth and heavens (Genesis 2:4; DBY).
God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27; NLT).
Jehovah Elohim is a sun and shield (Psalm 84:11; DBY).
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name (Matthew 6:9; RSV).
You deserted the Rock, who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18; NIV).
Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow (James 1:17; NLT).
2. El Chuwl: The God who gave you birth
You forgot the God who gave you birth (Deuteronomy 32:18; NIV).
Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, you are God (Psalm 90:2; CSB).
Who held back the sea behind partitions when it burst forth from my womb? (Job 38:8; TIB).
Will I, who causes others to give birth, not also give birth myself, says the Lord? Will I, who bestows generation upon others, be barren myself, says the Lord your God? (Isaiah 66:9; CPDV).
For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant (Isaiah 42:14; NIV).
“As truly as God is our Father, so truly God is our Mother” (Julian of Norwich).
3. Yahweh Roi: The Lord is my Shepherd
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:1-4; KJV).
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep (John 10:11; NLT).
I woke at 4am yesterday, and the moment I began to pray, these verses began to flow with very little input from me at all:
Our lives are in his hands (Psalm 66:9; NLT).
In your hands, dear Lord,
I’ll rest,
Throughout each danger,
Loss and test,
However scared,
However stressed: My Father.
In your hands, dear Lord,
I’ll stay,
Despite my troubles,
Every day,
However weary,
I will pray: My Jesus.
In your hands, dear Lord,
I’ll die,
Then straight to you
My soul will fly,
For you are God,
Who shares each sigh: My Spirit.
In your hands,
Dear Trinity,
I’ll live, forever
Joyful, free
To worship you
In ecstasy: My Saviour.
God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for (Titus 3:6-7; GNT).
A few days ago, when I was praying without words, I “saw” these verses. It took only a few minutes to make some notes, but the rest of the day to put them into words.
The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. John 3:35; NLT.
Into your hands
I commend my pleasures,
Ending my time here on earth.
Into your hands I consign my darkness,
Leaving the land of my birth.
Into your hands I entrust my anguish,
Setting my life here aside.
Into your hands I commit my spirit,
Jesus, my Saviour and Guide.
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. Luke 23:46; NIV.
The LORD will guide you always.
Isaiah 58:11; NIV.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4; KJV.
The godly will live in your presence (Psalm 140:13; NLT).
Live in the Father’s presence,
Choosing his holy way;
Worship in life’s harsh deserts:
Give thanks, rejoice, and pray.
Walk in the Saviour’s presence,
Serving like Him, each day;
Worship in life’s vast wastelands:
Give thanks, rejoice, and pray.
Rest in the Spirit’s presence,
Clinging, so you don’t stray;
Worship on life’s cold mountains:
Give thanks, rejoice, and pray.
Trust in the Threefold Presence:
Comfort will fall, like dew;
Worship in death’s dark valley:
God will rejoice in you.
The LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs (Zechariah 3:17; NLT).
Readings
Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness (Isaiah 35:6-8; NIV).
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4; KJV).
This prayer came to me yesterday morning as I kissed the cross on my bedroom shrine, then blessed myself with holy water. All I could do was to start writing it down immediately.
To my utter astonishment, the second line of the second verse had already been given to me the day before, though at the time it seemed unconnected with anything else. As always, I had noted it down, but with no idea how it might be used. It was only as I finished roughing out the first verse that I realised the purpose of this precious phrase.
1. Good morning, Mother, Father: Yahweh –
God of gods, and Lord of lords;
My thanks for all you send each day –
The “good” and “bad” that life affords.
2. Good morning, Teacher, Saviour: Jesus –
Son of God, and Son of Man; You are the sacrifice for sins –
The consummation of God’s plan.
3. Good morning,Ruach: Holy Spirit – Breath of God, the King of kings;
All life, and truth, and peace are here –
Beneath the shadow of your wings.
Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
(Psalm 63:7; NLT).
Notes and references
Verse 1 * Will I, who causes others to give birth, not also give birth myself, says the Lord? Will I, who bestows generation upon others, be barren myself, says the Lord your God? (Isaiah 66:9; CPDV).
* “As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother” (Julian of Norwich).
* “The personal name of God, Yahweh, which is revealed to Moses in Exodus 3, is a remarkable combination of both female and male grammatical endings. The first part of God’s name in Hebrew, “Yah,” is feminine, and the last part, “weh,” is masculine” (David Wheeler-Reed, “What the early church thought about God’s gender”; the conversation.com).
* Should we accept only good things from the hand of God, and never anything bad? (Job 2:10; NLT).
Verse 2 * The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (Hebrews 1:3; NIV).
* The angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35; KJV).
* Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20; NLT).
* He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins – and not only our sins but the sins of all the world (1 John 2:2; NLT).
* Once at the consummation of the ages He has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:26; NASB20).
* This is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:6; NLT).
Verse 3 * “In Hebrew the word for Spirit (רוח) (ruach) is feminine“(Gender of the Holy Spirit, Wikipedia).
* 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 8:27; TIB).
* The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life (Job 33:4; KJV).
* The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6; NIV).
* The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
The Trinity in an initial letter B, Master of the Codex Rossiano, Sienese, probably 1387: metmuseum.org.
Yesterday, whilst I was praying quietly and sleepily, the sudden arrival of these simple, worshipful verses woke me up completely. This piece came together very sweetly, and was easy to put into words.
You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.
(Psalm 89:26; NLT).
1. God, my Father,
And my Mother;
Lord, my Maker:
I love Thee.
2. Christ, my Teacher,
And my Shepherd;
Lord, my Saviour:
I love Thee.
3. Holy Spirit, Guide, and Helper;
Lord, my Comfort:
I love Thee.
4. Three in One,
And One in Three;
My Lord forever:
I love Thee.
I love thee, O LORD, my strength.
(Psalm 18:1; ERV).
References
Verse 1: * Will I, who causes others to give birth, not also give birth myself, says the Lord? Will I, who bestows generation upon others, be barren myself, says the Lord your God? (Isaiah 66:9; CPDV).
* You are our maker; and we are all the work of your hand (Isaiah 64:8; BBE).
Verse 2: * You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am (John 13:13; NLT).
* I am the good shepherd (John 10:11; NLT).
* You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18; NLT).
Verse 3: * Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives (Galatians 5:16; NLT).
* I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever (John 14:16; ESV).
* When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me (John 15:26; ASV).
Verse 4:
* YHWH appeared to Abraham by the oak grove of Mamre, while Abraham sat at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Looking up, Abraham saw three travelers standing nearby (Genesis 18:1-2; TIB).
* Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; NIV).
* You are my God! (Psalm 31:14; NLT).
* He is our God forever and ever (Psalm 48:14; NLT).
When I was praying yesterday morning, I saw the simultaneous Threeness and Oneness of God, all happening continually and eternally in a never-ending moment of nowness. However, I found this pretty well impossible to put into words, so today’s blog is sadly just a pale glimpse of what I was given; I did my best.
God is Spirit (John 4:24; NLT).
The Son isthe radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3; NIV).
Anyone who hasseenme has seen the Father! (John 14:9; NLT).
God is Spirit – this we know,
And Jesus is God’s human face.
The Holy Ghost is their shared soul,
Uniting them in love and grace.
For God is Three, and God is One:
Our Origin, our life, our end;
Yesterday morning this prayer came to me whilst I was worshipping very sleepily. I didn’t want to break off, but I had to start writing it down in the end. It proved very difficult to express. I’m really sorry that my words are so inadequate and pedestrian, and wish I could do better.
I love you, Lord (Psalm 18:1; NLT).
1. “I love you” – This is my spirit’s song;
May I repeat it
All day long,
And serve you well,
And do no wrong: My Teacher.
2. “I love you” –
Lord, though my heart may break,
I’ll say these words
When I awake,
And lift up others
For your sake: My Saviour.
3. “I love you” –
This is my only prayer,
For you are with me Everywhere;
One Lord, one God,
Without compare: My Jesus.
“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
(John 20:28; NLT).
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11; NLT).
References
Verse 1: 🔻 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am (John 13:13; NLT).
🔻 Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:16; NIV).
🔻 Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).
Verse 2: 🔻 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:17-18; NLT).
🔻 When I wake up, you are still with me (Psalm 139:18; NLT).
🔻 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).
🔻 May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace (Titus 1:4; NLT).
Verse 3: 🔻 I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20; NLT).
🔻 Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38; NLT).
🔻 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 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 4:4-6; NLT).
🔻 This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior (2 Peter 1:1; NLT).
🔻 The Father and I are one (John 10:30; NLT).
🔻 This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:12; NLT). 🔻 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3; NIV).
