sin – Seeking God's face together

6.6.23. You are our Father

June 6, 2023Ruth Kirk

This prayer arrived yesterday morning whilst I lay very still, praying without words. I have included more references than usual, as Biblical imagery about God is so rich.

O LORD, you are our Father (Isaiah 64:8; NLT).

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 Father,
And our Mother;
You are our Sister,
And our Brother;
You are our Husband,
Wife, and Lover;
You are our God:
We want no other.

You are our Bridegroom,
And our Bride;
You are our Shepherd,
Way, and Guide;
You’re the Companion
At our side;
Living within us:
You provide.

You are our Master,
Saviour, Friend;
Teach us, Lord, help us,
And defend;
Pardon our sins,
Our faults, transcend;
Make us like you, Lord:
Love without end.

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

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! (Lamentations 3:22; NLT).

References

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

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).

You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth (Deuteronomy 32:18; NIV).

As a mother consoles a child, so I will console you (Isaiah 66:13; NET).

Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother (Matthew 12:50; NLT).

I am my lover’s, and my lover is mine (Song of Songs 6:3; NLT).

You are our God (2 Chronicles 14:11; NLT).

God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride (Isaiah 62:5; NLT).

I promised you as a pure bride to one husband – Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; NLT).

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need (Psalm 23:1; NLT).

Jesus told him, “I am the way” (John 14:6; NLT).

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

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

God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat (2 Corinthians 9:10; NLT).

You are my Master (Psalm 16:2; NLT).

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior, my God is my rock, in whom I find protection (Psalm 18:2; NLT).

The Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).

28.5.23: Take a step

May 28, 2023Ruth Kirk

Christ Pantocrator, a photo of an icon on my bedroom wall, author unknown.

Just as I reached the end of my few spoken prayers yesterday morning, today’s verses began to flow into my mind. I had to postpone falling silent, so I could write them down.

Their rhythm might sound a bit odd if you read them as a poem, but they fit the tune of my favourite childhood Sunday School chorus, “Turn your eyes towards Jesus”. I tried to include a YouTube link to it, but failed.

The original moving, meditative song was written by Helen Lemmel, in 1918. Her words are available on Google, but I don’t want to risk breaching copyright by quoting them here.

Instead, here is a recording of me singing today’s prayer to her tune. Please forgive my weak voice and shortness of breath:

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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).

Take a step towards Jesus,
Turn to his Father, repent,
Then relinquish selfishness,
Take your cross,
And follow the Saviour
God sent.

Christ forgives every trespass,
Taking away all your sin,
Then He sets you free
For abundant life,
As you grow every day
More like Him.

The Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).

References

Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized 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).

God so loved the world, that he even gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world should be saved by him (John 3:16-17; LB).

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

As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world (1 John 4:17; NLT).

This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13; NLT).

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

24.5.23: Shame

May 24, 2023Ruth Kirk

Plaque with Doubting Thomas, German ca. 1140–60.

Today’s prayer came to me most unexpectedly yesterday, whilst I was saying grace before breakfast.

Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23; NLT).

We all have sins that shame us,
Behaviour we regret;
We all have faults and failures,
But Jesus loves us yet.

We know our inner darkness,
The things we can’t put right,
The evils on our conscience,
But Jesus is our light.

We all have guilty secrets,
We haven’t done God’s will;
We’ve judged and wounded others,
But Jesus loves us still.

We know that we are nothing,
Just grains of sand, or dust,
But through Christ comes forgiveness,
So in His name we trust.

Through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins (Acts 13:38; NLT).

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12; NLT).

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

References

I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark (John 12:46; 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).

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

I am nothing but dust (Genesis 18:27; NIV).

There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent (Luke 24:47; NLT).

A reading: Romans 3:22-25; NLT.

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.

18.5.23: Heaven on earth

May 18, 2023Ruth Kirk

Garden at the Nunnery, Isle of Man; Ruth Kirk.

Yesterday morning, when I was worshipping in silence, this prayer came to me so simply, joyfully and insistently that I just had to write it down.

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

I love you,
And you love me.
My sins are gone,
You’ve set me free
To live with you
In heaven, Lord,
On earth.

You love me,
And I love you.
Lord, you’ve saved me,
Made me new,
And all I want:
To be like you,
On earth.

I in you,
And you in me:
Lord, we’re one,
So we can be
In paradise,
Together, here
On earth.

The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

16.5.23: More like you

May 16, 2023Ruth Kirk

The Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).

Lord,
Please make me more like you.
Consume my sins, my heart, renew,
Then I’ll show love in all I do,
And light the way for others, too.

Lord,
Please make me more like you,
So all I say is kind and true.
My judgements, fears and greed, subdue,
Until I’m perfect, through and through.

You are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48; NLT).

References

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven (Luke 6:37; NIV).

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

Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him (Colossians 3:10; NLT).

The Rosary Hospital

A batch of fiat rosaries, made with a combination of new and recycled parts.

13.5.23: Come, Lord, search me

May 13, 2023May 13, 2023Ruth Kirk

The Temptations of Christ in the Desert, unknown sculptor of Milanese area, ca 1580.

Yesterday, whilst I was praying without words, this prayer came to me most insistently. I wanted so much to go on being silent, but in the end was compelled to write it down.

NB: In the afternoon we managed a rare outing, so I made it into a slideshow called “Silverburn walk”. If you would like to see it, please click on this link: https://wp.me/P45bCr-e3T. Wonderful though it was at the time, it triggered a migraine, but that was inevitable.

Meanwhile, here is today’s prayer:

Come, Lord! (1 Corinthians 22:20; NLT).

Search me, O God (Psalm 139:23; NLT).

Come, Lord, search me:
Search my mind –
Reveal my sins,
Then I’ll ask your forgiveness.

Come, Lord, search me:
Search my heart –
Lay bare my coldness,
Then I’ll seek your warmth.

Come, Lord, search me:
Search my soul –
Expose my wounds,
Then I’ll entreat your healing.

Come, Lord, search me:
Search my life –
And though I’m nothing,
Make me more like you.

The Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).

References

As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world (1 John 4:17; NLT).

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

Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him (Colossians 3:10; NLT).

Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:24; NLT).

God created human beings in his own image (Genesis 1:27; NLT).

We will be like him (1 John 3:2; NLT).

7.5.23: Don’t leave me

May 7, 2023May 7, 2023Ruth Kirk

St. Peter kneels before Jesus. Image by falco, from Pixabay.

Matching today’s prayer with the image above, gave me a lot of simple pleasure!

When Simon Peter realised what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me – I’m too much of a sinner to be around you” (Luke 5:8; NLT).

Lord,
Don’t leave me,
Even though I’m sinful.

Never leave me, Lord,
For I am weak.

Lord,
Don’t leave me,
Even though I’m nothing.

Never leave me:
You are all I seek.

All night long I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek for God (Isaiah 26:9; NLT).

References

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5; NIV).

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

5.5.23: Forgiving myself

May 5, 2023Ruth Kirk

Praying woman, Nationalmuseum, artist unknown.

This prayer arrived yesterday morning, and I was able to spend time putting it into words during the evening:

I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done (Psalm 38:18; NLT).

Lord God,

I’ve said I’m sorry
For my sins.
I’ve asked you to forgive me,
And forget.

Please don’t condemn
Your servant out of hand –
Lord God, don’t scorn my sorrow,
Or reject.

Please heal the fear
That I have lost your love,
So I have nothing worse, Lord,
To regret.

Then help me, please,
To leave the past behind,
Forgive myself, and trust
You’ve paid my debt.

I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free (Isaiah 44:22; NLT).

References

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise (Psalm 51:17; NIV).

Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! (Psalm 27:9; NLT).

The kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death (2 Corinthians 7:10; NLT).

The LORD will not reject his people (Psalm 94:14; NLT).

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

2.5.23: Love

May 2, 2023Ruth Kirk

Following the series of short articles I’ve been working on over the last few days, I’ve chosen a short, simple prayer I received some time ago for today’s blog:

My beloved is mine and I am his (Song of Songs 2:16; NIV).

You love me,
And I love you.

You share my life,
And all I do.

You know my sins,
And pay each debt:

Lord, we are one,
In life and death.

Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:8; NIV).

30.4.23: Honest prayer #3

April 30, 2023April 30, 2023Ruth Kirk

Today’s article is the last in a series of three. It draws together what I have learned so far about honest prayer, including praying about the issues hidden in my shadow-self. If you would like to check out the previous two parts, here is the link to Part 1: https://wp.me/p45bCr-dXu, and for Part 2: https://wp.me/p45bCr-dXD.

Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy – full of greed and wickedness!” (Luke 11:39; NLT).

Following Biblical teaching on prayer, I want to:

Pray about everything (Philippians 4:6; NLT).
Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).
Pray simply (Matthew 6:7-13; NLT).
Pray truthfully (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).

And these are the things I don’t want to do:

Pray about what I think I should pray about.
Say what I think God wants to hear.
Ask for what I think I should ask for.
Hide whatever is happening in my shadow-self.

My way forward in prayer is to:

Be completely honest, straightforward and direct with God.
Confess my sins as soon as I’m aware of them, say sorry to God, then to the person concerned, and work towards reconciliation, if possible.
Tell God about everything in my shadow-self, especially the issues I would rather hide, ignore, or deny.

Jesus shared everything with God, so I can do the same. For example, I can:

Ask questions, express doubts, and weep.
Tell God about my self-pity, shame and regrets.
Express my frustration, irritation, anger, fear, anguish, grief, dread and despair.

Conclusions

I don’t want to “sanitise” my prayers by concealing my shadow-self. Neither will I say anything which is untrue. For example, I don’t recite prayers about being joyful or loving when these things are not genuinely present in my emotions and behaviour.

Rather, I want to speak the truth in prayer with complete honesty and openness at all times. Nothing I say will ever surprise or shock God, who knows everything about me long before I begin to speak. In fact, he is waiting for me to come to him and to confide in him, just as Jesus confided in him during his time on earth.

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

Additional references

Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely (Psalm 139:4; NIV).

I know every thought that comes into your minds (Ezekiel 11:5; NLT).

He knows the secrets of every heart (Psalm 44:21; NLT).

I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives (Jeremiah 17:10; ESV).

O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me (Psalm 139:1; NLT).

The LORD’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive (Proverbs 20:27; NLT).

In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

Confide in him at all times, ye people; pour out your heart before him: God is our refuge (Psalm 62:8; DBY).

As for me, I will confide in thee (Psalm 55:23; DBY).

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

The Rosary Hospital