Category: soul

8.12.23: A dedication

Ruth Kirk

I am yours (Psalm 119:94; NLT).

I dedicate myself to you,
In all I think, and say, and do –
Lord,
You’ve given me this day:
I give it back to you.

I dedicate my mind to you:
May I take captive every thought –
Lord,
You’ve given me this day:
I give it back to you.

I dedicate my heart to you;
May I love you in everyone –
Lord,
You’ve given me this day:
I give it back to you.

I dedicate my soul to you;
May it return to you in death –
Lord,
You’ve given me this day:
You are my life and breath.

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

References

We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5; NIV).

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

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

21.11.23: You know me

Ruth Kirk

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

When I say, each day, “I’m sorry”,
You don’t want my lame excuses,
My defences serve no purpose:
Lord, you know exactly what I’ve done.

When I ask for your forgiveness,
You don’t like my sly evasions,
You don’t need my mitigations:
Lord, you know exactly what I’ve said.

When I beg for absolution,
You refuse my explanations,
My denials make no difference:
Lord, you know exactly what I’ve thought.

Yet, when I must stand before you,
You will not reject me, for you sent
And shared my trials and sorrows,
So your Spirit, deep within me,
Pleads on my behalf for mercy:
Lord, you are my Maker, and my Soul.

The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
(Genesis 2:7; KJV).

References 

You know everything I do (Psalm 139:3; NLT).

 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD (Psalm 139:4; NLT).

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

You perceive my thoughts (Psalm 139:2; NIV).

LORD, you know my heart (Jeremiah 12:3; NLT). 

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

The words you speak come from the heart – that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you (Matthew 15:18-20; NLT).

The LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance (Psalm 94:14; NIV).

I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things (Isaiah 45:7; NLT).

I will rejoice and be glad in your faithful love because you have seen my affliction. You know the troubles of my soul (Psalm 31:7; CSB). 

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4; NKJV). 

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). 

What is the hope of the sinner when he is cut off, when God takes back his soul? (Job 27:8; BBE).

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

The Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God’s people in accordance with God’s will (Romans 8:26-7; AMP).

Yahweh is mercy and tenderness (Psalm 111:4; NJB).

God will get back my soul (Psalm 49:15; BBE).

God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself (Psalm 49:15; NIV).

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

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

12.11.23: The light of my eyes

Ruth Kirk

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

You’re the light of my eyes;
You’re the voice in my mind;
You’re the love in my heart,
Where You are enshrined.

You’re the way I desire;
You’re the peace in my strife;
You’re the truth in my soul –
Lord: You are my life.

Christ is your life (Colossians 3:4; MNT).

References

Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left (Isaiah 30:21; NLT).

I love you, Lord (Psalm 18:1; NIV).

I am the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6; NET).

The Lord is Peace (Judges 6:24; NIV).

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

Lord, to whom shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life [you are our only hope] (John 6:68; AMP).

Every day, you are kind, and at night you give me a song as my prayer to you, the God of my life (Psalm 42:8; CEV).

You died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory (Colossians 3:3-4; NLT).

The Spirit is life (Romans 8:10; ESV).

8.11.23: You make us

Ruth Kirk

You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13; NIV).

You make us, Lord,
Watch over us,
And teach us.

You cherish us,
Forgive,
And make us whole.

You live in us,
You share our pain,
And help us.

You walk with us
In death,
And save each soul.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me (Psalm 23:4; KJV).

He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety (Psalm 18:2; NLT).

5.11.23: Filled with prayer

Ruth Kirk

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). 

Lord,
May my exile here
Be filled with prayer,
And all my days on earth
Be shaped by love.

Lord,
May my pathway here
Be lit by joy,
Guiding me step by step
To heaven above.

Lord,
May my thinking here
Be formed by peace,
And all my words and deeds
Framed by your law.

Lord,
May my journey here
Be made with thanks,
Then I’ll be one with you
For evermore.

Yes, 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 3:8-9; NLT). 

1.11.22: Returning

Ruth Kirk

Return to your rest, O my soul (Psalm 116:7; BSB).

Return to your rest, O my soul,
For Jesus is calling you home.

Soon, he’ll be making you whole,
And soon you’ll be shouting: Shalom!

Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the LORD is peace”) (Judges 6:24; NLT).

References 

Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! (Psalm 90:1; NLT). 

You will not leave my soul among the dead (Psalm 16:10; NLT). 

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

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever (Revelation 21:4; NLT).

They will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs (Psalm 66:4; NLT). 

I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-19; NLT).

A reading: Luke 2:29-32; KJV.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

31.10.23: Whatever you want (for L.S.)

Ruth Kirk

I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).

Give me teaching so that I may do your pleasure; for you are my God: let your good Spirit be my guide into the land of righteousness (Psalm 143:10; BBE). 

Whatever you want me to do,

I will do;
And whatever you want me to say,
I will say.

Whenever you want me to write,
I will write;
And whenever you want me to pray,
I will pray.

Wherever you want me to be,
I will be;
And however you want me to serve,
I will try.

Lord,
While you want me to live,
I will live;
And the moment you take back my soul,
I will die.

This night your soul will be required of you (Luke 12:20; NKJV).

References

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

Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives (Galatians 5:25; NLT).

Everyone whose heart was moved, everyone who was guided by the impulse of his spirit, came with his offering for the Lord, for whatever was needed (Exodus 35:21; BBE).

See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life (Deuteronomy 32:39; MSB).

The LORD gives both death and life (1 Samuel 2:6; NLT). 

When you take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust (Psalm 104:29; NLT).

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

27.10.23: Peace

Ruth Kirk

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward humankind (Luke 2:14; NHEB). 

I pray for peace on earth, Lord God:
Please free us from our past.

In every mind, and heart, and soul,
Please give us peace at last.

In every home, and every school,
And every workplace, too,

In every village, town and city,
Help us start anew.

Between all nations, tribes and states,
Of every faith, and none,

I pray for peace in every heart, Lord God:
Thy will be done.

Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10; RSV).

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation (Luke 11:4; NLT). 

25.10.23: Set on you

Ruth Kirk

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2; NKJV).

My mind is set on you, Lord God,
My heart is set on you –
No matter where I go, Lord God,
No matter what I do.

No matter how I am, Lord God,
No matter how I stray –
My soul is fixed on you, Lord God:
Please keep me on your way.

Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left (Isaiah 30:20-21; NLT).

References

Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God (1 Chronicles 22:19; NASB95).

O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You (Chronicles 29:18; NKJV).

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2; NIV).

Set your heart on the right path (Proverbs 23:19; NIV).