Category: stillness

To sit alone

Ruth Kirk
Image: Free-Photos, Pixabay

1. To sit alone
With you
Is to be one, Lord.

2. To walk with you
In darkness
Is to see.

3. To live with you
In silence
Is to pray, Lord.

4. To rest with you
In stillness
Is to be.

References

1. Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray (Mark 1:35; NLT).

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

Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; NIV).

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

You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light (2 Samuel 22:29; NLT).

To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you (Psalm 139:12; NLT).

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

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

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

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

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

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1; NLT).

In contemplation

Ruth Kirk

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you
(James 4:8; NKJV).

1. Lord,
In contemplation,
I watch my thoughts arise;
Wrapping them in love, I lay them down,
With soft goodbyes.

2. Lord,
In contemplation,
I watch my thinking fade,
Waiting, still and silent, as your glory
Is unveiled.

3. Lord,
In contemplation,
I watch my thinking cease;
Slowly coming closer, till we meet
In joy and peace.

4. Lord,
In contemplation,
I’m drawn into your gaze;
At last, our souls unite, and I am lost
In wordless praise.

References

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

Leave all iniquity behind you (Job 11:14; NLT).

He told them to take nothing for the journey except a walking stick (Mark 6:8; NLT).

They left everything and followed Jesus (Luke 5:11; NLT).

2. Wait patiently for the Lord (Psalm 27:14; NLT).

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

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

We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image (2 Colossians 3:18; NIV).

3. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you (James 4:8; NKJV).

While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him (Luke 15:20; NIV).

4. The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love (Psalm 33:18; NIV).

Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; NIV).

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans (Romans 8:26; NIV).

In solitude

Ruth Kirk

1. In solitude, be silent,
Still,
And wait upon the Lord,
Until

2. You’re overwhelmed
With waves of light:
Intense, majestic,
Golden, bright.

3. Absorb God’s love
As you breathe in:
Forget your cares,
Your pain, your sin.

4. Then talk to him
As you breathe out:
Share every longing,
Fear, and doubt.

5. Listen to
His still, small voice;
Accept his remedies;
Rejoice

6. And learn from him
With humble grace,
For, one day,
You will see his face.

References

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

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

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

2. God shines in glorious radiance (Psalm 50: 2; NLT).

Golden splendour comes from the mountain of God. He is clothed in dazzling splendour (Job 37:22; NLT).

3. Unfailing love, O Lord, is yours (Psalm 62:12; NLT).

Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28; NLT).

4. Pray about everything. Tell God what you need (Philippians 4:6; NLT).

You desire honesty from the womb (Psalm 51:6; NLT).

5. Listen to his voice (Deuteronomy 13:4; NLT).

After the fire [came] a still small voice (1 Kings 19:12; NKJV).

God talks with man (Deuteronomy 5:24; DBY).

Wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy (Proverbs 2:10; NLT).

He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy (Psalm 28:7; NLT).

6. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle (Matthew 11:29; NIV).

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

Remember, we will all stand before the judgement seat of God (Romans 14:10; NLT).

Temple

Ruth Kirk

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

Lord,

1. You are the stillness
Of my body;

2. The silence
Of my mind;

3. The love
Of my heart;

4. And the bedrock
Of my soul.

References

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

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

3. 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).

4. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock (Matthew 7:25; NLT).