Category: Teacher

I’m not asking

Ruth Kirk

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…

Spirit,
I’m not asking you
To teach me how to pray:
Instead, please pray on my behalf
For all those who are ill.

Spirit,
I’m not asking you
To tell me what to say:
Instead, please intercede for them
According to God’s will.

…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).

References 

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them (1 Timothy 2:1; NLT). 

He knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust (Psalm 103:14; NLT). 

May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10; NLT).

If you have faith when you pray for sick people, they will get well. The Lord will heal them, and if they have sinned, he will forgive them (James 5:15; CEV). 

Prayer on waking

Ruth Kirk

When I wake up, you are still with me (Psalm 139:18; NLT). 

Lord,
My Father:
Thank you for my sleep.

Lord,
My Teacher:
Guide me through today.

Lord,
My Comfort,
Hold me when I weep.

Lord,
My Saviour,
Keep me on your way.

Lead me in your eternal way (Psalm 139:24; ABPE).

References 

Verse 1:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name (Matthew 6:9; RSV).
When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet (Proverbs 3:24; NKJV).

Verse 2:
You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am (John 13:13; NLT).
Your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast (Psalm 139:10; NIV).

Verses 3:
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you always (John 14:16; GNT).
Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close (Psalm 27:10; NLT).
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1; NLT).
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:4; NLT).

Verse 4:
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long (Psalm 25:5; NIV).
You are my helper and my savior (Psalm 40:17; NLT).
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).

Call us

Ruth Kirk

I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name (Isaiah 45:3; NLT). 

Father,

Call us; draw us
To your side.

Help us; teach us all
To follow Christ;

To pray for others, 
Bear our cross each day,

And imitate
His perfect sacrifice.

By the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 9:14; NLT).

God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21; NLT).

Reference

Walk in a manner worthy of the vocation to which you have been called (Ephesians 4:1; CPDV). 

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them (1 Timothy 2:1; NLT). 

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NIV).

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5; NIV).

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).

Good Friday

Ruth Kirk

Today’s blog has completely overwhelmed me this morning, and is specifically for Good Friday, so I am posting it earlier than usual.

God says this to the evildoer: “How can you declare my commands, and talk about my covenant? For you hate instruction and reject my words” (Psalm 50:16-17; NET). 

We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly (1 Kings 8:47; NIV). 

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all (Isaiah 53:6; NLT). 

Lord,

We go to church, and read our Bibles.
We say our prayers, and give to charity.

Yet still we judge and hurt so many people;
We think, and say, and do some dreadful things.

We haven’t even tried to grasp your teaching:
We’re far away from growing more like you.

We’re sorry for our sins, and for our sinfulness.
Forgive us; help us all to start again.

Lord, may we become like little children,
Learning from all you say, and all you do.

Help us to grow more like you every day,
By loving you in all along our way.

Please forgive our sins, and make us good.
Help us to grow like you, dear Lord,
In thought, and word, and deed,
For you are love.

Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NIV).

References 

Let no one have any evil thought in his heart against his neighbour… for all these things are hated by me, says the Lord (Zechariah 8:17; BBE). 

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

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

The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.’ No other commandment is greater than these (Mark 12:29-31; NLT).

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

Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).

Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NLT). 

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). 

Instability (with thanks to E.S.)

Ruth Kirk

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV). 

Lord,
My situation is unstable.
May I accept this gladly,
Giving thanks.

I’m facing the unknown
Without a route-map,
But want to greet my future
Without dread.

You are my Good Shepherd,
And my Teacher;
My way, my truth, my life,
My guide, my peace.

So, Lord, I don’t ask
For this uncertainty to end:
I simply put my trust in you,
Instead.

My future is in your hands (Psalm 31:15; NLT). 

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me (John 14:1; NLT).

References 

No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future (Ecclesiastes 10:14; NLT). 

Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish (Isaiah 46:10; NLT). 

I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29: 1; NLT).

We believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us (Romans 8:23; NLT). 

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future (Ephesians 4:4; NLT). 

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

Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done” (Matthew 26:42; NLT). 

Why did Jesus come to earth?

Ruth Kirk

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15; NLT). 

Jesus didn’t come just to teach, forgive, touch, heal and save a small number of fortunate individuals during his life on earth. He came to show us exactly what God is like. As Paul states:

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3; NIV).

Like Christ, God longs to meet us, talk with us and help us. He is always ready to begin working with us as we seek his physical, emotional and spiritual healing. He wants to eat with us, walk with us, work with us, and share a loving, two-way relationship with us, his children.

Jesus could only reach out to a relatively small number of people during his lifetime, but he showed us very clearly that God is always waiting to respond to us, as soon as we turn our minds and hearts to him.

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

References 

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! (John 14:9; NLT). 

The Father and I are one (John 10:30; NLT). 

26.1.24: Christ is the Way

Ruth Kirk
falco: Pixabay; modified by R.K.

“I am the Way,” replied Jesus, “and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
(John 14:6; WNT). 

1. Christ is the Way –
He’s the image of God:
Walk in his steps
Every day.

2. Christ is the Truth –
He’s the wisdom of God:
Follow his teaching,
And pray.

3. Christ is the Life –
He’s the power of God:
Cling to his hand,
Never stray.

4. Christ is the Son –
He’s the servant of God:
Share in his pain,
Come what may.

Together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
(Romans 8:17; NLT).

References 

Verse 1:
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15; NLT).
God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21; NLT). 

Verse 2:
Christ is…the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24; NLT).
Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son (2 John 1:9; NLT).
Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

Verse 3:
Christ is the power…of God (1 Corinthians 1:24; NLT).
Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him (Deuteronomy 13:4; NLT).
I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely (Psalm 63:8; NLT).

Verse 4:
This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God (Mark 1:1; NLT). 
He [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender shoot (plant), and like a root out of dry ground (Isaiah 53:2; AMP).
Because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins (Isaiah 53:11; NLT).
Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies (2 Corinthians 4:10; NLT).

20.1.24: Help us

Ruth Kirk
Help us, Lord: Ruth Kirk.


Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21; NIV). 

Help us, Lord,
To overcome
Our lack of love,
And hidden lies.

Help us, Lord,
To overcome
Our grudges:
Teach us, and advise.

Help us, Lord,
To overcome
Judgemental thoughts,
And recognise

Our sins. You’re
All that matters, Lord:
Our life, our aim,
Our longed-for prize.

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us (Philippians 3:14; NLT).

References 

A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes (Ecclesiastes 10:4; NLT).

Supplement your faith…with love for everyone (2 Peter 1:5,7; NLT). 

Do not lie (Colossians 3:9; AMP). 

Do not…bear a grudge against anyone (Leviticus 19:18; NIV). 

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged (Luke 6:37; NLT). 

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

Make me recognize and understand…my sin (Job 13:23; AMP). 

Christ is all that matters (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

You are all I really want in life (Psalm 142:5; NLT).

The LORD is your life (Deuteronomy 30:20; NIV). 

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace (Acts 20:24; NIV). 

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? (Psalm 42:1; NLT). 

I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14; CSB). 

24.12.23: One God (for L.)

Ruth Kirk

I will be your God throughout your lifetime – until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you (Isaiah 46:4; NLT). 

Lord God,
You are our Maker;
Your only Son, our Saviour;
Your Spirit, our Protector:
Lord,
You are One –
May we draw near to You,
And you to us.

Lord God,
You are our Refuge;
Your only Son, our Shepherd;
Your Spirit, our Defender:
Lord,
You are One –
May we abide in You,
And you in us. 

Lord God,
You are our Helper;
Your only Son, our Teacher;
Your Spirit, our Advisor:
Lord,
You are One –
May we be joined to You,
And You to us. 

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

References 

The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Mark 12:29; CSB).

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

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them (1 John 4:16; NRSV).

13.12.23: You make us

Ruth Kirk

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

Holy Ghost,
You make us,
Bear us,
Shake us,
Breathe us –
Never leave us.

Holy Ghost,
You wake us,
Pray us,
Take us,
Sigh us –
And baptise us.

Holy Ghost,
You walk us,
Teach us,
Talk us,
Move us –
And reprove us.

Holy Ghost,
You still us,
Touch us,
Fill us,
Use us –
And suffuse us.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself for God bought you with a high price (1 Corinthians 6:20; NLT).

References 

John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am – so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16; NLT).

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor-Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you (John 14:16-17; AMP).

The Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor-Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you (John 14:26; AMP).

On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4; NLT).

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13; NLT).