24.11.23: Our Godhead

Hello, friends. From today onwards, I will be posting my blog every evening, rather than every morning. This should release me from the daily conflict between wanting to pray, and the pressure to publish each day’s blog as early as possible. I hope it will also prove helpful for early risers to find the day’s blog in their email in-box as soon as they wake up, rather than having to wait for its arrival.

✝️   With love and thanks to all who visit and follow here, from Ruth xxxxxx


O Lord, you are our God (2 Chronicles 14:11; NLT).

Yahweh: Our Godhead,
Beyond time and space;

Christ: God incarnate,
The Lord’s human face;

Spirit: God’s presence,
Infallible grace –

Lord: you are Love,
May all know your embrace.

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him* (Luke 15:20; NLT).


References

Verse 1:

The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4; NIV). 

For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours (Psalm 90:4; NLT). 

God looks down from heaven on the entire human race (Psalm 53:2; NLT). 

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 2:

In him [Christ] is embodied all the fulness of the Godhead (Colossians 2:10; LB).

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14; NIV).

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

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

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; NIV). 

Verse 3:

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth (John 14:16; NIV).

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! (Psalm 139:7; NLT). 

God is Spirit (John 4:24; NLT). 

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

I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family ofDavid and on the people of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:10; NLT).

Verse 4:

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


Note:

*This verse is taken from the parable of the prodigal son. If you would like to read the whole parable, it can be found in any Bible translation: Luke 15:11-32.  

11.10.23: Hear my call

Parable of the Good Shepherd by Philips Galle, 1565: metmuseum.org.

Hello to everyone who visits here. Yesterday I decided to stop describing how each prayer comes to me. This is because my energy is now so limited. If there is anything I feel I should share, I will briefly outline it. Otherwise, from now on I’ll just post my blogs. Meanwhile, my twice-daily intercessions for all readers will continue unchanged.

So, this is what God showed me yesterday:

Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me (Psalm 27:7; NIV).

Come quickly, LORD, and help me (Psalm 70:1; NLT). 

Yahweh, Father, hear my call
And come to me, my All in All. 

When I sin, Lord, hear my prayer,
For You, alone, can pardon me.

When I’m lost, please seek me out,
For You, alone, can rescue me.

When I fall, Lord, lift me up,
For You, alone, can steady me.

When I die, please walk with me,
For You, alone, can comfort me.

Yahweh, Father, hear my call
And come to me, my All in All.

The Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28; NIV). 

19.9.23: Perfect

LevaNevsky: Pixabay.

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’s truth 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).

3.9.23: Hear my prayer

Pezibear: Pixabay, with added words.

A few days ago I experienced a precious time of wordless prayer, with these verses only emerging right at the end, which was a huge relief. They were relatively easy to put into words. The final two lines came to me whilst I was showering, so I had to repeat them constantly until I got out and wrote them down.

Hear my prayer, Lord (Psalm 102:1; NIV). 

1. Yahweh, Jesus, Holy Spirit,
Hear my prayer, and come to me.
Help me, Lord, to worship you
In blesséd stillness, silently.

2. Yahweh, Jesus, Holy Spirit,
Pity my ineptitude.
Pray on my behalf, I beg you,
As I wait in solitude.

3. Yahweh, Jesus, Holy Spirit,
Here I am, Lord: hear my cry.
Help me to embrace my cross
And follow you, Adonai.

4. Yahweh, Jesus, Holy Spirit,
I am yours in servitude.
Set me free to walk with you
In love, and joy, and gratitude.

Walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God (Ephesians 5:2; CSB).

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).


References

Verse 1:
*I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you (John 14:18; NIV).
*Be still, and know that I am God! (Psalm 46:10; NLT).
*Be silent before the LORD, all humanity (Zechariah 2:13; NLT).

Verse 2:
*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).
*He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf (Hebrews 7:25; NLT).
*For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is God (Psalm 62:5-7; RSV).
*Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD (Psalm 27:14; NIV).
*Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mark 1:35; NIV).

Verse 3:
*Here I am (1 Samuel 3:5; NIV).
*In your faithful love, O LORD, hear my cry (Psalm 119:149; 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).
*I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).

Verse 4:
*I am yours (Psalm 119:94; NLT).
*O LORD God, I am your servant (2 Samuel 7:25; NLT).
*Although we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our servitude (Ezra 9:9; NET).
*Turn your ear to listen to me, and set me free (Psalm 71:2; NLT).

21.8.23: Good morning

Didgeman: Pixabay, with added wording.

This prayer came to me yesterday morning as I kissed the cross on my bedroom shrine, then blessed myself with holy water. All I could do was to start writing it down immediately.

To my utter astonishment, the second line of the second verse had already been given to me the day before, though at the time it seemed unconnected with anything else. As always, I had noted it down, but with no idea how it might be used. It was only as I finished roughing out the first verse that I realised the purpose of this precious phrase.

1. Good morning, Mother, Father: Yahweh
God of gods, and Lord of lords;
My thanks for all you send each day –
The “good” and “bad” that life affords.

2. Good morning, Teacher, Saviour: Jesus
Son of God, and Son of Man;
You are the sacrifice for sins –
The consummation of God’s plan.

3. Good morning, Ruach: Holy Spirit
Breath of God, the King of kings;
All life, and truth, and peace are here
Beneath the shadow of your wings.

Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
(Psalm 63:7; NLT).


Notes and references 

Verse 1
* Will I, who causes others to give birth, not also give birth myself, says the Lord? Will I, who bestows generation upon others, be barren myself, says the Lord your God? (Isaiah 66:9; CPDV).
* “As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother” (Julian of Norwich).
* “The personal name of God, Yahweh, which is revealed to Moses in Exodus 3, is a remarkable combination of both female and male grammatical endings. The first part of God’s name in Hebrew, “Yah,” is feminine, and the last part, “weh,” is masculine” (David Wheeler-Reed, “What the early church thought about God’s gender”; the conversation.com).
* Should we accept only good things from the hand of God, and never anything bad? (Job 2:10; NLT).

Verse 2
* The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (Hebrews 1:3; NIV).
* The angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35; KJV).
* Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20; NLT).
* He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins – and not only our sins but the sins of all the world (1 John 2:2; NLT).
* Once at the consummation of the ages He has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:26; NASB20).
* This is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:6; NLT).

Verse 3
* “In Hebrew the word for Spirit (רוח) (ruach) is feminine (Gender of the Holy Spirit, Wikipedia).
* God, who knows everything in our hearts, knows perfectly well what the Spirit is saying, because her intercessions for God’s holy people are made according to the mind of God (Romans 8:27; TIB).
* The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life (Job 33:4; KJV).
* The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6; NIV).
* The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).

20.8.23: A dedication (#2 of 2)

Capilladeadoracion: Pixabay.

Today’s blog is the group version of, “A dedication (#1 of 2)”, which I posted on the 13th of August. If you would like to check out that earlier, individual prayer, here is a link:
https://wp.me/p45bCr-eSN.

May your kingdom come.
(Luke 11:2; GNT).

Father,
May your kingdom come
In every life,
To make us one.

Jesus,
May your will be done
In every mind,
Till we are one.

Spirit,
May your pity dwell
In every heart:
Please make us one.

Yahweh,
May your mercy reign
In every soul,
Then we’ll be one.

Saviour,
May your kingdom come
Throughout this world:
Your will be done.

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

19.8.23: Holy Spirit

Pexels: Pixabay.

Yesterday I woke early. Before I had even begun to say the Lord’s Prayer, the first two lines of this diary entry arrived, so I began writing it immediately.

Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
(Ephesians 2:18; NLT). 

1. Holy Spirit, deep within,
Please pray for me, despite my sin.
I beg you, Lord, to help me cling
To Jesus.

2. Pray for me with heartfelt sighs.
Lord, plead on my behalf. Arise
And intercede for me, with cries
To Yahweh.

3. Holy Spirit, pray for all.
Please weep for those in need, and call
Their names, and save them when they fall:
Bring comfort.

4. Pray for us. Please don’t delay,
For you know what we need to say:
Lord, keep our feet on Jesus’ way
Forever.

Jesus answered, “I am the way.”
(John 14:6; NIV).


References

Verse 1
*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? (1 Corinthians 6:19; NLT).
*Cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days (Deuteronomy 30:20; NKJV).
*Cling to your faith in Christ (1 Timothy 1:19; NLT).

Verse 2
*The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26; RSV).

Verse 3
*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).
*I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ (Jude 1:1; NLT).

Verse 4
*We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself asks on our behalf with ineffable sighing (Romans 8:26; CPDV).
*Your Father already knows all your needs (Matthew 6:32; NLT).
*God, who knows everything in our hearts, knows perfectly well what the Spirit is saying, because her intercessions for God’s holy people are made according to the mind of God (Romans 8:27; TIB).

19.8.23: Holy Spirit

Pexels: Pixabay.

Yesterday I woke early. Before I had even begun to say the Lord’s Prayer, the first two lines of this diary entry arrived, so I began writing it immediately. 

Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
(Ephesians 2:18; NLT). 

1. Holy Spirit, deep within,
Please pray for me, despite my sin.
I beg you, Lord, to help me cling
To Jesus.

2. Pray for me with heartfelt sighs.
Lord, plead on my behalf. Arise
And intercede for me, with cries
To Yahweh.

3. Holy Spirit, pray for all.
Please weep for those in need, and call
Their names, and save them when they fall:
Bring comfort.

4. Pray for us. Please don’t delay,
For you know what we need to say:
Lord, keep our feet on Jesus’ way
Forever.

Jesus answered, “I am the way.”
(John 14:6; NIV).


References 

Verse 1
*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? (1 Corinthians 6:19; NLT).
*Cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days (Deuteronomy 30:20; NKJV).
*Cling to your faith in Christ (1 Timothy 1:19; NLT).

Verse 2
*The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26; RSV).

Verse 3
*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).
*I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ (Jude 1:1; NLT).

Verse 4
*We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself asks on our behalf with ineffable sighing (Romans 8:26; CPDV).
*Your Father already knows all your needs (Matthew 6:32; NLT).
*God, who knows everything in our hearts, knows perfectly well what the Spirit is saying, because her intercessions for God’s holy people are made according to the mind of God (Romans 8:27; TIB).

13.8.23: A dedication (#1 of 2)

dodo71: Pixabay.

Today’s prayer arrived last Friday morning. As I worked to put it into words, it divided into two: one version for personal use, and one for groups. Here is the personal version, which came first. I plan to post the second in a week’s time, God willing.

May your kingdom come.
(Luke 11:2; GNT).

The kingdom of God is within you.
(Luke 17:21; NKJV).

Father,
May your kingdom come
Within my body:
Make us one.

Jesus,
May your will be done
Within my mind,
Till we are one.

Spirit,
May your kingdom come
Within my heart,
So we’ll be one.

Three-fold God,
Your will be done
Within my soul,
Then we’ll be one. 

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

15.7.23: Here

41330: Pixabay.

Yesterday, when I woke and started to pray as usual, these two groups of linked couplets quickly came to me. They were quite hard to put into words, but slowly, line by line, the whole piece emerged from my inner darkness.

Be silent before the LORD, all humanity
for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.
(Zechariah 2:13; NLT).

1. Here, in silent adoration,
Lord, I wake, and start to pray.

Here, in stillness: exultation –
Thus, Lord, I begin each day.

Here, I find you, always waiting:
Yahweh, you’re not far away.

❤️

2. Here, alone, in wordless worship,
Lord, you set my spirit free.

Here, in darkness: one with you
There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

Here, in timeless liberation:
This is heaven, Lord, for me.

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said,
“Surely the LORD is in this place,
and I wasn’t even aware of it!”
(Genesis 28:16; NLT).


References 

First three couplets:
🔻 We adore you as the one who is over all things (1 Chronicles 29:11; NLT).
🔻 Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10; NLT).
🔻 Exult in his holy name (1 Chronicles 16:10; NLT).
🔻 The LORD must wait for you to come to him (Isaiah 30:18; NLT).
🔻 He is not far from any one of us (Acts 17:27; NLT).

Second three couplets:
🔻 When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private (Matthew 6:6; NLT).
🔻 Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor (1 Chronicles 16:29; NLT).
🔻 Our soul has gone free like a bird out of the net of those who would take her (Psalm 124:7; BBE).
🔻 Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light (Micah 7:8; NLT).
🔻 I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).
🔻 What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven! (Genesis 28:17; NLT).
🔻The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21; KJV).
🔻 We are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).
🔻 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).