Category: truth

One Spirit

Ruth Kirk

Here is a video recording of today’s prayer: One Spirit

God is Spirit (John 4:24; NLT).

There is… one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4; NLT).

Spirit of God,
You help us in our weakness,
Teaching us what to ask
And how to pray.

Spirit of Christ,
You walk with us in sorrow,
Pleading on our behalf
Both night and day.

Spirit of Truth,
You guide us in our darkness,
Lighting our path with love
Along the way.

Holy Spirit,
You are in all creation,
So we are one with you,
Though we are clay.

Thine incorruptible spirit is in all things (Wisdom of Solomon 12:1; KJV). 

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

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

References 

Verse 1:
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you (Romans 8:11; NLT). 

The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for (Romans 8:26; NLT).

The Spirit teaches you everything you need to know (1 John 2:27; NLT).

Verse 2:
They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward (1 Peter 1:11; NLT).

The Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me (Philippians 1:19; NLT). 

Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us (Romans 8:34; CSB). 

He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24; NLT). 

Verse 3:
When He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13; AMP). 

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

Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light (Micah 7:8; NLT).

Verse 4:
Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13; NLT).

You love me

Ruth Kirk

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

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

You know all about me,
Yet you love me –

It’s very hard to grasp, Lord,
But you do.

You know all about me,
Yet you’re always by my side –

It’s very hard to grasp, Lord,
But it’s true.

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you (Isaiah 54:10; NIV).

References 

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5; NLT). 

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you (Psalm 69:5; NIV). 

Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely (Psalm 139:2; NIV). 

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar (Psalm 139:2; NIV). 

In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me (Psalm 59:10; NLT). 

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

With the LORD there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows (Psalm 130:7; NLT). 

Be sure of this: I am with you always (Matthew 28:20; NLT).

A reading: Ephesians 3:16-19; NIV.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Prayers by rote

Ruth Kirk

People draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote (Isaiah 29:13; NASB95).

Let’s not repeat our prayers by rote,
But speak as the heart desires.

May all our words be unadorned,
For this is what God requires.

Let’s talk with him spontaneously,
Just telling the truth, in love.

Then, may our souls be hushed and still:
One with the Father, above.

I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one (John 17:22; NLT).

References

When you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him (Matthew 6:7-8; NASB).

Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name (Matthew 6:9; RSV).

Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15; NLT). 

Be silent before the LORD, all humanity (Zechariah 2:13; NLT).

Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world (Psalm 46:10; NLT).

Be still in the presence of the LORD (Psalm 37:7; NLT). 

Listening

Ruth Kirk

He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed (Isaiah 50:4; NIV). 

Please help us, Lord,
To listen,
And to learn
From all you say,

To write it
On our hearts, Lord,
And to share it
Every day.

Please help us, Lord,
To be sustained
By all that you
Reveal,

Because your words
Are life and truth,
Which comfort, save,
And heal.

People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4; NLT).

References 

Verse 1:
Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts (Hebrews 3:15; NLT).
Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7; NLT).
Learn from me (Matthew 11:29; NIV).

Verse 2:
The very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life (John 6:63; NLT).
Your instructions are written on my heart (Psalm 40:8; NLT).
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves (Psalm 96:2; NLT).

Verse 3:
When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight (Jeremiah 15:16; NLT).
Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live (Psalm 119:116; NIV).
I will love them and reveal myself to each of them (John 14:21; NLT).

Verse 4:
They are not just idle words for you – they are your life (Deuteronomy 32:47; NIV).
You have the words of eternal life (John 6:68; NKJV).
We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life (1 John 1:1; NLT).
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6; NLT).
You are God, O Sovereign LORD. Your words are truth (2 Samuel 7:28; NLT).
Teach them your word, which is truth (John 17:17; NLT).

Hosanna!

Ruth Kirk

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-3; NIV).

Good morning, Father, Elohim,
The God of gods, my Rock, my King,
I lift my heart to you, and sing:
Hosanna.

Good morning, Christ, Adonai,
The Son of God, who stays close by,
The One who always hears my cry:
Hosanna.

Good morning, Spirit of the Lord,
The Breath of God, His love outpoured,
My Advocate, my truth, my sword:
Hosanna.

Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:8-9; NIV).

References

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

When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied (Psalm 17:15; NLT).

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

Each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life (Psalm 42:8; NLT).

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

God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this.Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us (Acts 2:32-3; NLT).

Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Hebrews 4:12; NLT).

Let’s feed our minds

Ruth Kirk

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

Let’s feed our minds
With nothing but God’s truth,
And set our hearts
On loving him each day.
Let’s charge our souls
With nothing but his joy,
And spend our lives
In following his way.

Let’s flood our minds
With nothing but God’s Word,
And fix our hearts
On loving him in all.
Let’s fill our souls
With nothing but his light,
And give our lives
To honouring his call.

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful (1 Thessalonians 5:23-4; NLT).

References 

Verse 1:
God is Spirit (John 4:24; NLT).
The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength (Mark 12:30; NLT).
Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:21; NLT).
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).

Verse 2:
His name is the Word of God (Revelation 19:13; NIV).
People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4; NLT).
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NIV).
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God (Ephesians 5:2; NLT).
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).
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12; NIV).
Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him (Matthew 4:21-2; NIV).

The less I am: #1

Ruth Kirk

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less (John 3:30; NLT). 

The less I am,
The more you mean to me:

You are my way, my truth,
And my vocation.

The less I am,
The more I love you, Lord:

You are my life, my God,
And my salvation.

O LORD, You are my God! (Isaiah 25:1; MSB). 

The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him (Exodus 15:2; NIV).

References 

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; NLT).

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6; NLT).

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

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

I love you, LORD (Psalm 18:1; NLT). 

God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation (Isaiah 12:2; NIV). 

May the God of my salvation be exalted! (Psalm 18:46; NLT).

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). 

My Lord, my God

Ruth Kirk

I put my hope in you, LORD;
you will answer me, my Lord, my God.
(Psalm 38:15; CSB). 

When I say: “My Lord, my God”,
This means:
The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

I say these words with all who love
The Lord our God,
And with the heavenly host.

I say them with all living things,
With all creation, height, depth, time
And space:

My Lord, my God, I praise your Name:
One Love, one Light, one Truth,
One boundless grace.

The grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.
(Titus 2:11; NLT).

References 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace (Luke 2:13-14; KJV). 

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

God is love (1 John 4:16; NLT).

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12; NLT).

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

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14; NLT). 

Without you

Ruth Kirk

You lived in this world without God and without hope.
(Ephesians 2:12; NLT). 

Jesus,

How could I live without you?
How would I ever cope
With not seeing your face,
Or hearing your voice?
How could I live without hope?

But even when I can’t see you, Lord,
And when I don’t hear your voice –
Your way, your truth
And your life are clear:
Lord, I have made my choice.

Yes, even when I can’t see your face,
And when I don’t hear your voice –
My faith, my hope
And my love are strong:
You are my only choice.  

Lord, to whom would we go?
You have the words that give eternal life.
(John 6:68; NLT).

References 

Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me” (John 20:29; NLT). 

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6; NLT).

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love (1 Corinthians 16:13-14; NLT). 

Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13; NLT).

Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are (1 Peter 5:9; 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).