Month: April 2018

Significance Reinstated (Apr 30)

Dear Friends,
We have completed six months
of devotion on God’s Promises,
following three earlier series on
Adoring God thro Thanksgiving,
Knowing God’s thro His Names
and Praising God thro Hymns.
Before continuing into the NT,
let’s pause to note the significance
of Imploring God on His Promises.

There are so much to pray about:
our dreams, hopes and plans.
But often we are held up by our
own doubts: Does God really
care about this request of ours?
How assuring to pray back to God
the promises found in His Word.
Then we no longer wonder if this
is something God cares about,for
He brought it up in the 1st place.
Continue reading “Imploring God thro His Promises:”

Crucifixion of the Son of God
(Prayer Walk thro John 18-21)

Backgrounder: In his account of
Jesus’ trials, John focuses on
the appearances before Pilate
and the governor’s futile efforts
to release Jesus. Yielding at last
to political expediency and mob
pressure, Pilate sentences Jesus
to be crucified. Many of the details
John includes are unique to his
account: the Roman soldiers
casting dice for Jesus’ robe;
the spear trust into Jesus’ side;
the post-resurrection appearances
to Mary Magdalene, Thomas & 7 disciples. Thro it all, John’s purpose
shines forth clearly to present Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God in His life, death and resurrection.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that
in Your death and resurrection
You showed your caring love as
well as instructed the disciples
why & how to continue to believe.
Out of gratitude and adoration,
Help us Believe without seeing;
Help us Reach Out to the thirsty &
Help us be Fishers of Men, so that
we’ll be Yr light of the world. Amen.
Continue reading “Praying thro John (April 29)”

Comfort from the Son of God
(Prayer Walk thro John 13-17)

Backgrounder: The Upper Room
Discourse contains Jesus’
final words of instruction and encouragement to His disciples
before His death. Only John
records these intimate moments
between Jesus and His men as
He models true humility (chap 13),
describes the coming Holy Spirit
who will comfort and empower
them (chap 14-16) and intercedes
for the unity and protection of
His disciples worldwide (chap 17).

Dear Lord Jesus, in this world,
we can face many challenges.
But we thank you for Your final words of encouragement and
instructions at the Upper Room
which reveals yr heartbeat for us.
Lord, we receive your Gift of Peace
and Gift of the Spirit to help us.
We purpose to Remain in You; and
we pray for Unity among us. Amen.
Continue reading “Praying thro John (April 28)”

God Saves & Rejoices Over You

Backgrounder on Zephaniah 1-3:
Writing at one of the lowest points
in the spiritual life of Judah,
Zephaniah’ primary concern is
the impending Day of the Lord.
That day signifies the final judgment of God on earth and the
ensuing time of blessing & peace.
Zephaniah knows when Judgment
is over God will once again look
with favour on His people: Restore
their fortunes, Rejoice over them
and dwell among them (Z3:14-18).

Lord, You are Mighty to Save:
In that day… do not fear; Zion,
let Not your hands be weak.
The Lord your God is With you,
He is Mighty To Save.
He will Take Great Delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will Rejoice over you with
singing (Zep 3:17-18). Amen,
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (April 27)”

God Is Your Strength

Backgrounder on Habakkuk 1-3:
Habakkuk prophecies in Judah
before its final overthrow by
Babylonia. Honestly concerned
with how God could chasten Judah
by means of a nation even more
sinful than itself, Habakkuk deals
with some perplexing questions:
Why is a just God silent? Why do
the pleas of the faithful seem to
go unheard? The reply comes
in the statement of a timeless
principle of God’s sovereignty:
God will deal with the wicked
in His way and in His time.
Meanwhile righteous people
must continue to trust God (H2:4)

Lord, You are Our Strength:
How Long O Lord must I call
for help but You do not listen?
Or cry out to You… but
You do not save? (Hab 1:2).
I am filled with awe by the amazing
things You have done. In this time
of our need, begin again to help us,
as You did in years gone by. Show
us Your power to save us (Hab 3:2)
Even though the olive crop fails
and the fields lie empty & barren;
even though the flocks die in the
fields & the cattle barns are empty,
yet I Will Rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of
my salvation (Hab 3:17-18).
The Sovereign Lord is My Strength;
He makes my feet like the feet
of a deer, He enables me to tread
in the heights (Hab 3:19). Amen.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (April 26)”

God Brings You Out of Darkness

Backgrounder on Micah 6-7:
Micah describes God’s people
on trial as the charges are leveled
against Israel: halfhearted worship,
persistent rebellion, hypocrisy, greed, idolatry. The verdict
can only be guilty as charged.
The sentence: a generation of
exile in Babylon. Yet the message
of Micah is not complete until
he preaches the richness of
God’s forgiveness and grace.
He retains not his anger forever because he delights in mercy(7:18)

Lord will Bring Us Out of Darkness:
Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness, the Lord
Will Be My Light. Because I have
sinned against him, I will bear
the Lord’s wrath, until He pleads
my case and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out Into the Light;
I’ll see His righteousness (Mic7:8-9)
Where is another God like You…
You will not stay angry with
your people forever, because you
delight in showing unfailing love.
Once again U will have compassion
on us. U will trample our sins under
your feet and Throw Them into the
depths of the Ocean (v18-19) Amen
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (April 25)”

God Will Redeem the Time

Backgrounder on Joel 1-3:
Addressing hearts that have grown
cold to the things of God, Joel
confronts the people of Judah.
He reminds them of the recent
destruction brought by a plague
of locusts. Yet that disaster will
seem pale beside the castastrophe
still to come. Unless the nation
repents, it will be destroyed by
an army from the north. The only
hope of escape is for the people
to repent. If they do, then God
will divert judgment and will
deliver an unparalleled blessing –
judgment on all Judah’s enemies
and the gift of peace to Zion!

Lord, You Will Redeem the Time:
I Will Repay you for the years
the locusts have eaten… my
great army that I sent among you.
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God (Joel 2:25-26).
It shall come to pass afterward that
I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh..
Whoever Calls on the name of the
Lord shall Be Saved (v28-32) Amen
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (April 24)”

God Builds Hedge of Protection

Backgrounder on Hosea 1-3:
To the nation of Israel, a land
steeped in idolatry, God sends
the prophet Hosea, whose name
means salvation. Just as God
foretold, Gomer deserts her
husband for other lovers -a graphic
depiction of Israel’s faithlessness
in response to God’s loyal love.
When Gomer sinks to the level
of a slave, Hosea is commanded
to buy her back, for she is still
his wife. In the same way the God
of Israel pledges His continuing
love for His people, even though
their spiritual adultery will result
in captivity and enslavement
at the hands of the Assyrians.

Lord, raise Yr Hedge of Protection:
I will Fence her in with thornbushes.
I will block the road to make her
lose her way. When she runs
after her lovers, she won’t be
able to catch up with them.
She will search for them but
not find them. Then she will say:
I will go and Return to my first
husband for then it was better
for me than now (Hos 2:6-7).
I Will Win her back once again…
I Will Be Faithful to you and
make you mine (v14, 20) Amen.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (April 23)”