Category: seek

Hold me fast

Ruth Kirk

Image: Zac Durant, Unsplash

🖤

Your right hand will hold me fast
(Psalm 139:10; NIV).

1. Hold me fast
When I forget you.

2. Hold me, Father,
When I stray.

3. Hold me close
When I am weary.

4. Hold me
When I cannot pray.

5. Hold me safe
When I’m in danger.

6. Hold me, Father,
When I cry.

7. Hold me tight
When I’m in pain,

8. And hold me, Lord,
When I must die.

🖤

References

1. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea, even there your hand will guide me; your right hand will hold me fast (Psalm 139:9-10; BSB).

2. I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands (Psalm 119:176; NIV).

3. The Lord will hold me close (Psalm 27:10; NLT).

4. I hold you by your right hand – I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, “Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you” (Isaiah 41:13; NLT).

We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26; RSV).

5. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies (Psalm 18:48; NLT).

6. Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you (Psalm 102:1; ESV).

7. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely (Psalm 63:8; NLT).

I am suffering and in pain (Psalm 69:29; NLT).

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

8. All of us must die eventually (2 Samuel 14:14; NLT).

Our God is a God who saves! The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death (Psalm 68:20; NLT).

I seek you (for Mags)

Ruth Kirk

Image: kalhh, Pixabay

🍁

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice (Psalm 55:17; KJV).

1. I seek you when I wake, Lord,
At midday,
And after noon:

Please hear my sighs,
Draw near to me,
And bring me comfort, soon.

2. I search for you each evening, Lord,
And long for you
Each night:

Please see my tears,
And come to me,
So I may glimpse your light.

3. I thirst for you unceasingly,
And crave
Your warm embrace:

Please heed my cries,
And take me home –
Then I will see your face.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 29:13-14; NIV).

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References

1. In the morning I earnestly seek for God (Isaiah 26:9; NLT).

In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul (Psalm 94:19; ASV).

2. All night long I search for you (Isaiah 26:9; NLT).

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

3. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? (Psalm 42:2; NLT).

So he returned 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).

The dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NLT).

Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; NRSV).

This little cross

Ruth Kirk

Image: Ruth Kirk

💚

Keep on seeking, and you will find
(Matthew 7:7; NLT).

1. Lord,
I saw this little cross,
As I walked
In the rain today,

2. Pointing straight ahead –
A symbol
Showing me
Your humble way.

3. When I saw
This little cross,
It deeply touched
My heart and mind,

4. Reminding me of you –
A sign
That all of us can seek,
And find.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 29:13-14; NIV).

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I love you

Ruth Kirk

Image: Henryk Niesrój, Pixabay

🌹

1. I love you, Lord,
With all my heart.

2. I cling to you
With all my mind.

3. I serve you, Lord,
With all my strength.

4. I seek you in my soul —
And find.

🌹

References

1. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind (Luke 10:27; NLT).

2. Cling to him (Deuteronomy 10:20; NLT).

3. You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him (Luke 4:8; NLT).

4. “If you look for me wholeheartedly you will find me. I will be found by you,”  says the Lord (Jeremiah 29:13-14; NLT).

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

I seek you

Ruth Kirk

Image: Tep Ro, Pixabay

💚

I seek you with all my heart (Psalm 119:10; NIV).

1. I seek you, Lord;
My head is bowed.
All is darkness;
Silence; cloud.

2. I lift my heart
To heaven above.
All is light;
Unfailing love.

3. You are Spirit,
Truth, and peace.
Your righteousness will
Never cease.

4. Lord, touch my hand,
And give me faith
That, one day, I will see
Your face.

💚

References

1. Now is the time to seek the Lord (Hosea 10:12; NLT).

Seek the Lord your God with all your heart and soul (1 Chronicles 22:19; NLT).

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker for he is our God (Psalm 95:6-7; NLT).

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

Be silent before the Sovereign Lord (Zephaniah 1:7; NIV).

2. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven (Lamentations 3:41; NLT).

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

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it (John 1:5; NLT).

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

3. God is Spirit (John 4:24; NLT). 

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

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

His righteousness never fails (Psalm 111:3; NLT).

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

4. When Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her (Matthew 8:15; NLT).

I have faith. Help my lack of faith! (Mark 9:24; JB).

The promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift (Romans 4:16; NLT).

Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; NRSV).

I will see you face to face and be satisfied (Psalm 17:15; NLT).

Shine your light

Ruth Kirk

Image: Ruben Gal, Pixabay

💛

1. Shine your light
On all who live in darkness,
Till they decide to seek you, Lord,
And find.

2. Spread your peace
To all who are abusive,
Till they begin to seek you,
And grow kind.

3. Teach your truth
To all who lie to others,
Till they are moved to seek you,
And lament.

4. Pour your love
On all who practice hatred,
Till they resolve to seek you,
And repent.

💛

References

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

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).

You will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 4:29; NIV).

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

They all do evil and abuse what power they have (Jeremiah 23:10; NLT).

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful (Ephesians 4:29; NLT).

You will grow as you learn to know God better and better (Colossians 1:10; NLT).

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

Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth (Zechariah 8:17; NLT).

“My people bend their tongues like bows to shoot out lies. They refuse to stand up for the truth […] They do not know me,” says the Lord (Jeremiah 9:3; NLT).

We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).

4. God is love (1 John 4:16; NLT).

Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbour (Zechariah 8:17; NKJV).

Love your neighbour (Luke 10:27; NLT).

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

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

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

Repent of your sins and turn to God for the Kingdom of Heaven is near (Matthew 4:17; NLT).

I seek you

Ruth Kirk

Image: TeeFarm, Pixabay


Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed
(Luke 5:16; NIV).

1. I seek you, Lord, in darkness,
The birthplace of your light.
This is where I want to pray with you
Throughout each night.

2. I seek you in the mountains,
The bedrock of your faith.
This is where I want to pray with you
And grow in grace.

3. I seek you in the desert,
The wellspring of your peace.
This is where I want to pray with you
And never cease.

4. I seek you in my mind and heart,
My soul, my bones, my blood.
This is where I want to pray with you,
And learn to love.

 

References

1. He prayed to God all night (Luke 6:12; NLT).

I am the light of the world (John 8:12; NLT).

2. Jesus went up on a mountain to pray (Luke 6:12; NLT).

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18; NIV).

3. He departed thence in a boat, into a desert place (Matthew 13:14; WEB).

Pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

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

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

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

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 (Ephesians 3:17; NLT).

Darkness (#1 of 2 linked prayers)

Ruth Kirk
Image: wallpapertag.com, Yandex

If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light,
trust in the Lord and rely on your God
(Isaiah 50:10; NLT).

1. I seek you in my body,
But find darkness.

2. I seek you in my mind,
But faith has fled.

3. I seek you in my heart,
But love lies broken.

4. I seek you in my soul,
But hope seems dead.

The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it
(John 1:5; NLT).

References

1. Darkness is my closest friend (Psalm 88:18; NLT).

2. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Psalm 22:1; NLT).

3. My heart is broken (Lamentations 1:20; NLT).

4.  All hope is gone (Ezekiel 37:11; NLT).

I seek you

Ruth Kirk
Image: Tomas B, Pixabay

If you seek him, you will find him
(1 Chronicles 28:9; NLT).

1. Living God,
I seek you in my mind,
So I may know your presence
Every day.

2. Son of Man,
I seek you in my heart,
So we can walk together, talk,
And pray.

3. Counsellor,
I seek you in my soul,
For I can’t live without your strength
And love.

4. Lord,
May we be one for evermore,
In mind, and heart, and soul;
In flesh, and blood.

References

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

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

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

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).

3. The Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things (John 14:26; CSB).

You have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you (1 John 2:27; NLT).

He will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit (Ephesians 3:16; NLT).

He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love (Romans 5:5; NLT).

4. I pray […] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity (John 17:20-23; NIV).

God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us” (Genesis 1:26; NLT).

You are the children of the living God (Hosea 1:10; NLT).

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5; NKJV).

I will give them one heart (Jeremiah 32:39; NLT).

We all share the same Spirit 1 Corinthians 12:13; NLT).

There is one body (Ephesians 4:4; NLT).

In Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body (Colossians 2:9; NLT).

Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you (John 6:53; NLT).

In silence

Ruth Kirk
Image: mystraysoul, Pixabay

Keep on seeking, and you will find (Matthew 7:7; NLT).

1. In silence, Lord,
I start afresh,
By seeking you
With every breath.

2. In stillness, Lord,
I try again,
By whispering
Your holy name.

3. In solitude,
I aim, once more,
To find you, Lord,
And to adore.

4. In darkness, Lord,
I hope anew,
And, reaching out,
I wait for you.

References

1. Be silent before the Sovereign Lord (Zephaniah 1:7; NIV).

Search for the Lord (Psalm 105:4; NLT).

2. Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10; NIV).

Yahweh is his name (Exodus 15:3; NLT).

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

If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me (Jeremiah 29:13; NLT).

We adore you (1 Chronicles 29:11; NLT).

4. Sit now in darkness (Isaiah 47:5; NLT).

I will put my hope in God (Psalm 42:5; NLT).

Reach out for him (Acts 17:27; NIV).

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him (Psalm 37:7; NIV).