Category: seek

I want to hug you

Ruth Kirk

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

1. I want to hug you, Father,
But I can’t;
Yet when I hug a friend, Lord,
I hug you.

2. I yearn to kiss you, Mary,
But I can’t;
Yet when I kiss my neighbour,
I kiss you.

3. I long to hold you, Jesus,
But I can’t;
Yet when I hold a stranger,
I hold you.

4. I seek you, Threefold God,
With all my heart;
And when I love my foe, Lord,
I find you.

🖤

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

 

References 

1. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13; CSB).

2. Love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:31; NLT).

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

4. You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1; NIV).

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:27-8; NIV).

 

Fear God (#2 of 2)

Ruth Kirk

Fear him alone (Deuteronomy 13:4; NLT).

Fear God’s awesome fire and strength:
Worship him alone.

Praise God’s gracious mind and heart:
Honour him alone.

Seek God’s faithful love and truth:
Dwell in him alone.

Search God’s endless height and depth:
Trust in him alone.

Share God’s blissful light and peace:
Rest in him alone.

Choose God’s perfect way of life:
Follow him alone.

🖤

God’s way is perfect (2 Samuel 31; NLT). 

Listen! I, the Lord, am giving you a choice between the way that leads to life and the way that leads to death (Jeremiah 21:8; GNT). 

We will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.
(Micah 4:5; NLT).

Fear God (#1 of 2)

Ruth Kirk

I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear (Luke 12:5; NLT). 

Each of you must repent and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; NLT).

Fear God’s awesome fire and strength:
Turn away from sin.

Seek God’s gracious heart and mind:
Worship only him.

Choose God’s faithful truth and care:
Give up lies and shame.

Search God’s endless height and depth:
Honour his great name.

Share God’s blissful light and peace:
Make his love your home.

Choose God’s perfect way of life –
Serving him alone.

🖤

Serve him alone (Matthew 4:10; CPDV).

 

Praying for others

Ruth Kirk

Never stop praying, especially for others (Ephesians 6:18; CEV). 

Every day, when I post my blog, I pray for those who will read it, for those who will only glance at it, for those who won’t be exposed to any prayers, and for those who don’t believe in God. This can sometimes feel like a heavy task, because of my ongoing illness and fatigue, so I’m wondering if any readers might like to share it. 

One way to do this would be to develop the habit of praying briefly for others just before, or after, reading each new blog.

Here is a short, lighthearted poem that could be used:

Praying for others 

Bless all those who read this prayer,
And all those, Lord, who don’t.

Bless those who will pray today,
And all those, Lord, who won’t.

Bless those who can grasp your love,
And all those, Lord, who can’t.

Bless those who are seeking you,
And all those, Lord, who aren’t.

Alternatively, some readers might prefer to use their own words:

  • Pray for those who visit this website. Ask God to bless them, and to enable them to find something here that helps them.
  • Pray for those who glance at the day’s prayer, but dismiss it immediately.
  • Pray for those who never pray, and for all who don’t believe in God. Ask him to bring back those who have strayed, and to draw many new believers to himself each day.

Whatever the approach, I would deeply appreciate any prayers said for those who visit this website, and for the countless millions who don’t.

 

 

This fragile place

Ruth Kirk

Ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature (Romans 1:20; NLT). 

Lord,
You made this fragile place,
So those who search for you each day
Can always find you,
Always praise,
For they will see
Your face.

Lord,
You gave your only Son,
So those who put their trust in him
Will never perish,
Never die,
But dwell with you,
As one.

Lord,
You send your Spirit, too,
So those who take him to their heart,
Although they suffer,
Though they sin,
Will live in love,
With you.

💙

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
(1 John 4:16; NIV).

 

I seek you

Ruth Kirk

He sent his own Son in a body
like the bodies we sinners have
(Romans 8:3; NLT).

I seek you in my body, Lord,
And find you in my weariness,
And pain.

I seek you in my thinking, Lord,
And find you in my sinfulness,
And shame.

I seek you in my feelings, Lord,
And find you in my emptiness,
And loss.

I seek you in my spirit, Lord,
And find you in my journey,
And my cross.

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23; NLT).

May others glimpse your light (#2 of 2 linked prayers)

Ruth Kirk


Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them … “You are the light of the world”
(Matthew 5:1-2,14; NLT).

1. Lord,
May others glimpse your light,

2. Your fire, peace, truth and love
In me,

3. So they will seek you, Lord,
Repent,

4. Take up their cross
And follow thee.

“Come follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men”
(Mark 1:17; BSB).

References

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

2. God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; NIV).

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

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

God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

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

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

4. 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” (Luke 9:23; NLT).

______________________

To seek is to find

Ruth Kirk

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

To seek is to find;
To loose is to bind.

To lend is to store;
To fall is to soar.

To doubt is to know;
To fail is to grow.

To leave is to stay;
To wait is to pray.

To have is to give;
To die is to live.

Those who die in the Lord will live;
their bodies will rise again!
(Isaiah 26:19; NLT).

May I be born again

Ruth Kirk

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3; NLT).

Lord,
May I be born again,
Not once, but every day,
Then I’ll walk beside you,
Fearing nothing, come what may.

Lord,
May I be born again,
Not once, but every day,
Then I’ll grow like you
In all I think, and do, and say. 

Lord,
May I be born again,
Not once, but every day,
Then I’ll trust that you
Will seek me, every time  I stray. 

Lord,
May I be born again,
Not once, but every day,
Then I’ll thank you, praise, rejoice,
And never cease to pray. 

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NLT).