Category: spirit

My heartfelt prayer

Ruth Kirk

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee.
(Psalm 102:1; KJV).

1. Hear my heartfelt prayer, Lord God:
End our greed and hatred.
Take away our minds of stone,
And make our thinking like your own:
Loving; joyous; full of peace –
Help us, I implore you.

2. Hear my earnest prayer, Lord God:
Turn us from all evil.
Take away our hearts of stone,
And make our passions like your own:
Patient; kindly; generous –
Till everyone adores you. 

3. Hear my urgent prayer, Lord God:
Forgive our sins; have mercy.
Take away our souls of stone,
And give us spirits like your own:
Faithful; gentle; self-controlled –
Then all will bow before you.  

🖤

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-3; NRSV).

Bow down and worship the Lord (Ezekiel 46:3; NLT).

 

References

1. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the Lord (Psalm 14:2-4; NIV).

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

All of you should be of one mind. Sympathise with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it (1 Peter 3:8-9; NLT).

2. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it (Psalm 34:14; NIV).

I will give you a new heart … I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26; NIV).

I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever (Jeremiah 32:39; NLT).

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things (1 Chronicles 29:11; NLT). 

3. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously (Isaiah 55:7; NLT). 

I will …put a new spirit in you (Ezekiel 36:26; NIV).

We have all been baptised into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13. 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). 

 

 

Love

Ruth Kirk

Do everything with love (1 Corinthians 16:14; NLT).

May I treat all I feel with love,
With understanding, Lord, and care.

May I check all my thoughts with love,
Correcting them, through instant prayer.

May I speak every word with love,
Say sorry, when I get this wrong.

May I do everything with love,
And serve you gladly, all day long.

May I rejoice, and praise your name,
Commune with you, Lord, all the time.

May I accept both good and bad,
Until our spirits intertwine.

May I treat everyone with love,
No matter what they say, or do,

And trust our Father constantly –
Then I will be 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).

 

 

Life

Ruth Kirk

You will soon return from exile (Lamentations 4:22; NLT).

Life is an exile,
Our time here, our quest;
Our classroom, our desert,
Our struggle, our test.

Christ is our Teacher,
Our way, and our guide;
Our friend, our example,
Our help, by our side.

His Spirit, within, is our light,
And our strength;
Our Counsel, our Comfort,
Our truth, our defence.

God is our Maker,
Our life, and our goal;
Our Lord, our Redeemer,
Our spirit; our soul.

🖤

There is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them.
(Job 32:8; NLT).

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; WEB).

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

 

Hold my spirit (for B.B.)

Ruth Kirk

Lord,

1. Hold my spirit in your arms
While I’m still in this body.

2. Hold my spirit in your arms,
For death will come, one day.

3. Hold my spirit in your arms
When I must leave this body.

4. Hold my spirit in your arms
For evermore, I pray.

🖤

References

1. The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you (Deuteronomy 33:27; NLT).

2. No one can live forever; all will die. No one can escape the power of the grave (Psalm 89:48; NLT).

3. Yea, 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).

4. Into your hands I commit my spirit (Psalm 31:5; NIV).

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever (Psalm 16:11; NLT).

 

 

You are the potter

Ruth Kirk

We are the clay, and you are the potter.
We all are formed by your hand
(Isaiah 64:8; NLT). 

You are the potter,
I, the clay.
You are my life, my truth,
My way;

My flesh, my mind,
My heart, my soul:
You are the One
Who makes me whole.

You are my breath,
My hope, my end:
My Shepherd King;
My steadfast Friend.

You are my crook,
My staff, my rod;
My light, my fire,
My peace: my God.

Yet we are one,
Our love, complete:
I lay my spirit
At your feet.

❤️

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

The air we breathe

Ruth Kirk

There is one Lord … who is over all, and in all,
and living through all (Ephesians 4:5-6; NLT). 

Lord,

You’re in the air
We breathe,
Our food and water,
All we see;

In our bodies,
Minds, hearts, spirits:
Waiting, Lord,
To set us free;

For you cherish
All your children,
Loving us
Unfailingly.

How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings
(Psalm 36:7; NLT).

You will heal my sickness (#6 of 6 linked prayers)

Ruth Kirk

He will heal us
(Hosea 6:1; NLT).

You will heal my sickness,
My depression, fear, and pain;

You will cleanse my sins, Lord God, 
And give me strength again;

You will ransom me from death,
And give me life anew –

When you call my spirit home,
To reunite with you.

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

Made from dust

Ruth Kirk

The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person
(Genesis 2:7; NLT).

You made my body
Out of dust,
And formed me
In my mother’s womb;

My mind, Lord, 
From the good and bad
You send
To help me grow and bloom.

You made my heart
From your great love,
Poured out through Jesus
Here on earth;

My soul, Lord,
From the breath of life
With which you quickened me
At birth.

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Mighty quickens me
(Job 33:4; LSV).

Failing

Ruth Kirk

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever (Psalm 73:26; NLT).

Lord,
My health is failing:
I’m weary, slow, and lame.

Please help me still to walk with you,
Rejoice,
And praise your name. 

My spirit, Lord, is failing:
Forgetful, sad,
And weak.

Please help me still to wait for you,
To listen, pray,
And seek.

Yet, still, my heart is strong, Lord:
Forever,
We are one.

Please help me to accept my lot
With thanks:
Your will be done. 

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).