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,” whethertotheright 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).
2. Help us to speak
The truth in love,
As God wants.
3. Help us to plead
For others, Lord,
As God wants;
4. And help us to bless
Our enemies –
As God wants.
References
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).
We will speakthe truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).
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).
To you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you (Luke 6:27-8; NLT).
Yesterday I woke at 3am, began to pray, and was immediately flooded with the joy of God’s presence. As today’s verses began to flow, I marvelled at all the different experiences God wants to share with us during prayer.
Although I received the first few lines in words, and could see the shape and rhythm of the whole poem, it proved astonishingly difficult to put into words. The first rough draft was completed just after 8am, but the whole piece wasn’t finished until 11.30 last night!
In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Psalm 16:11; WEB).
Prayer is such a pleasure, Lord,
So, may I rest in you alone,
Sharing the joy and peace you bring:
Father, you want my soul to sing.
Prayer is such a banquet, Lord,
So, may I feast with you each day,
Sharing your pain and ecstasy:
Father, you set my poor soul free.
Prayer is such a wellspring, Lord,
So, may I intercede for all,
Sharing the love that you outpour:
Father, you help my soul to soar.
Prayer is such a comfort, Lord,
So, may I lodge here through life’s storms,
Sharing your perfect truth and light:
Father, you make our souls unite.
The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).
References
Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).
Listen to my prayer and my plea, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you today (1 Kings 8:28; NLT).
Since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, 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).
Those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31l NLT).
May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light (Colossians 1:12; NLT).
Yesterday I wasn’t well enough to go to Mass, so I stayed in bed for the morning, as I do most days now. I began to pray, starting with silence, just as Saint Mother Theresa always did. In the silence, I searched for God, striving fruitlessly to find him. Then today’s prayer came to me.
For several minutes I tried hard to push it away, so I could keep on striving to reach God, just as the 14th century author of “The Cloud of Unknowing” describes:
“Struggle to pierce that darkness above you; and beat on that thick cloud of unknowing with a sharp dart of longing love, and do not give up, whatever happens” (The Cloud of Unknowing; Anon).
However, the words arriving were absolutely insistent, so I began writing them down. I knew I didn’t have enough energy to work on a rhyming scheme, but that turned out not to matter, as my prayer didn’t need one.
Only when it was finished, very late last night, did I begin to understand what these verses have to teach me. Anyway, after this long introduction, here they are at last:
Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest”.
(Matthew 11:28; NLT).
1. It’s time to stop striving:
Just dwell in God’s light, Which is Jesus.
2. It’s time to stop striving:
Just wait in God’s peace, Which is Christ.
3. It’s time to stop striving:
Just follow God’s way, Which is Jesus.
4. It’s time to stop striving:
Just cling to God’s truth, Which is Christ.
5. It’s time to stop striving:
Just share in God’s life, Which is Jesus.
6. It’s time to stop striving: Just hope in God’s grace, Which is Christ.
7. It’s time to stop striving:
Just dwell in God’s Word, Which is Jesus.
8. It’s time to stop striving:
Just live in God’s love, Which is Christ.
He [God] is the source of your life in Christ Jesus. (1 Corinthians 1:30; RSV).
References
Verse 1 God is light (1 John 1:5; NLT).
I am the light of the world (John 8:12; NLT).
Verse 2 The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you (John 14:27; NIV).
Verse 3 God’s way is perfect (2 Samuel 22:31; NLT).
Jesus told him, “I am the way” (John 14:6; NLT).
Verse 4 The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
Jesus told him, “I am… the truth” (John 14:6; NLT).
Verse 5 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them (1 John 3:9; NLT).
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25; NLT).
Verse 6 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).
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace (Romans 6:14; NLT).
Verse 7 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1; NLT).
His name is the Word of God (Revelation 19:13; NIV).
Verse 8 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him (1 John 4:9; NLT).
[Nothing] in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39; NIV).
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God (Ephesians 3:19; NLT).
Christ is my life (Philippians 1:21; GNT).
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3; NIV).
Yesterday, when I woke and started to pray very sleepily, this prayer quickly arose. I wanted to ignore it, but had to begin writing it immediately, or it would have faded away in moments.
Jesus told him, “I am the way” (John 14:6; NLT).
1. Lord Jesus, When I wake each day,
May I give thanks,
Rejoice, and pray
To you, my Guide:
God’s perfect way.
2. Lord Jesus,
Yahweh’s living proof,
May I confess,
Without excuse,
My sins to you:
God’s perfect truth.
3. Lord Jesus,
When I rest at night,
May your dear Spirit
Shine so bright
That I see you:
God’s perfect light.
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12; NLT).
He is a light to reveal God to the nations (Luke 2:32; NLT).
References
Verse 1: *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).
*It was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader (Hebrews 2:10; NLT).
*God’s way is perfect (2 Samuel 22:31; NLT).
Verse 2: *Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name” (John 10:25; NLT).
*He [God] has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead (Acts 17:31; NIV).
*Jesus told him, “I am…the truth” (John 14:6; NLT).
*The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
*God’struth stands firm like a foundation stone (2Timothy 2:19; NLT).
Verse 3: *God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us (1 John 4:13; NLT).
*God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24; NKJV).
*God is light (1 John 1:5; NLT).
I woke early yesterday and couldn’t go back to sleep, so began to pray instead. As I said my familiar morning prayers, the opening words, shape and direction of today’s blog burst into my mind.
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
(Luke 1:46-7; NIV).
1. I glorify the grace of God,
The mind, and heart, and face
Of God.
2. I celebrate the light of God,
The truth, and peace, and might
Of God.
3. I bow before the fire of God,
The jealousy and ire
Of God.
4. I venerate the hope of God,
The comfort, joy, and scope
Of God.
5. I witness to the love of God,
The Spirit, and the Son
Of God.
6. Lord,
Forgive my sin and shame,
And help me magnify your Name.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt His name together.
(Psalm 34:3; NKJV).
References
Verse 1: *ThegraceofGod has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. (Titus 2:11; NLT).
*The LORD your God is more powerful than all other gods and lords, and his tremendous power is to be feared. His decisions are always fair, and you cannot bribe him to change his mind. (Deuteronomy 10:17; CEV).
*The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood” (Genesis 8:21; NIV).
*Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “faceofGod”) (Genesis 32:30; NLT).
Verse 2: * Godislight (1 John 1:5; NLT). *The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
*The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).
*Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you (2 Chronicles 20:6; NIV).
Verse 3: The LORD your God is a devouring fire; he is a jealous God (Deuteronomy 4:24; NLT). God’s anger will descend on them in torrents (Job 20:28; NLT).
Verse 4:
*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).
*He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us (2 Corinthians 1:4; NLT).
*Yahweh, your God, is in the midst of you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17; WEB).
*God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end (Ecclesiastes 3:11; NLT).
Verse 5: *God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).
*No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the loveofGod that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39; NLT).
*God is Spirit (John 4:24; NLT).
*The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the SonofGod” (Luke 1:35; NLT).
Verse 6: *Forgive us our sins (Luke 11:4; NLT).
*You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! (Ezekiel 16:63; NLT).
This prayer began to form last Friday, when several Bible verses came together in my mind, and I saw a connection between them. The link is that life and death, as well as many other “positive” and “negative” things, are the same to God, and they can be the same to us, as well. Knowing this can make suffering easier to bear.
If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:8; NLT).
1. All through our lives And when we die,
Lord, we are Yours:
You watch, close by.
2. Darkness and light Are just the same
To You, our origin
And aim.
3. Father, you call us all
Your kin,
For we are Yours:
You live within.
4. God of the living, And the dead: All are alive
To You, our Head.
5. Lord, all these mysteries
Are true:
May we explore each one
With You.
He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness; he brings light to the deepest gloom (Job 12:22; NLT).
References
Verse 1: The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade (Psalm 121:5; NLT).
Verse 2: To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you (Psalm 139:12; NLT).
Verse 3: We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NIV).
Verse 4: He is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him (Luke 20:38; NLT).
Verse 5: I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven (Ecclesiastes 1:13; NLT).
When I woke yesterday, I longed to return to the bliss I had experienced the morning before, but instead I was given this incredibly difficult prayer to write.
I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I go and stand before him?
(Psalm 42:2; NLT).
1. Spirit of the living God,
Please come to me each time I wake:
Lord, set my weary mind aflame,
So I can bless Your holy Name.
2. Spirit of God’s perfect peace,
Please come to me each time I wake:
Lord, intercede on my behalf,
And remedy my broken heart.
3. Spirit of God’s faithful love,
Please come to me each time I wake:
Lord, seek me every time I stray,
And heal my soul – please don’t delay.
4. Spirit of God’s light and truth,
Please come to me each time I wake:
Lord, take me to your dark abyss,
So I can worship You in bliss.
Thou makest me to know the path of life;
in Thy presence is fulness of joy,
in Thy right hand bliss for evermore.
(Psalm 16:11; JPS Tanakh 1917).
References
Verse 1:
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3:16; NLT).
Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name (Psalm 103:1; RSV).
Verse 2:
The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).
I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations (Ezekiel 36:26-7; NLT).
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 (Romans 8:26; AMP).
Verse 3:
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34; NLT).
The Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost (Luke 19:10; NLT).
Verse 4:
God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all (1 John 1:5; NLT).
The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
The earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters (Genesis 1:2; NAB).
He spoke with a loud voice from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness (Deuteronomy 5:22; NLT).
Moses approached the thick darkness where God was (Exodus 20:21; NLT).
I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches from secret places so that you may know that I am the Lord (Isaiah 45:3; CSB).
He who formed us…is God, who has given us His Spirit as a pledge and foretaste of that bliss (2 Corinthians 5:5; WNT).
I’m feeling physically and mentally very worn after my hospital trip, but am resting patiently in the hope that this will improve, God willing. To my great surprise, a prayer still came to me yesterday morning, though putting it into words proved really difficult.
My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me(Psalm 63:8; BSB).
Lord, stay close to me today,
And keep me close to you.
May everything I do be kind
And all my words be true.
Please stay close to me today,
And keep me by your side.
May all my thoughts be free from sin
Like yours, my Way and Guide.
Lord, stay close to me today,
And keep me always near.
May I rejoice, give thanks, and pray
In sorrow, pain and fear.
Please stay close to me today,
And keep me in your hands.
May I obey, as you did, Lord,
And serve as God commands.
Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him (Deuteronomy 13:4; NLT).
