Month: May 2018

Christ Our Bread of Life

Backgrounder on Mark 8-10:
As opposition to Jesus’ ministry
increases, it is no longer safe
to move openly in Galilee. So Jesus
traverses the regions of Decapolis,
Caesarea Philippi and Perea,
thereby avoiding both the crowds
and the deadly plots of the
religious leaders. In the concluding
days of His earthly ministry, Jesus
begins to prepare His disciples
for the faithful journey to
Jerusalem that will mark the end
of His life and the beginning of
their role as bearers of glad tidings.

Lord, You are our Bread of Life:
Another great crowd had gathered
& the people ran out of food again.
Jesus told his disciples: I feel sorry
for these people. They have been
with me for three days and have
nothing to eat. And if I send them
home without feeding them, they
will faint along the road..How many
loaves of bread do you have?
He asked. Seven, they replied…
Now those who had eaten were
about four thousand (Mark 8:1-9)
When the Pharisees heard that
Jesus had arrived, they came to
argue with him. Testing him to see
if he was from God,they demanded:
Give us a miraculous sign from
heaven to prove yourselves.
When he heard this he sighed
deeply and said: Why do you
people keep demanding a
miraculous sign? (Mark 8:11-12).
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (May 22)”

God’s Help to Fight Temptation

Backgrounder on Mark 1-3:
Mark begins his gospel with
the ministry of John the Baptist,
the forerunner who would prepare
the way for Jesus’ ministry of
servanthood. Mark’s emphasis
throughout the gospel is on
Christ’s works rather than His
words, as befitting a Servant.

Lord, help us Resist Temptation:
John came baptising & preaching
a baptism of repentance for the
remission of sins…And he preached
saying: There comes One after me
who is Mightier than l… I indeed
baptised you with water, but He
will baptise u with the Holy Spirit.
It came to pass that Jesus came
from Nazareth and was baptised
by John in the Jordan..Immediately
the Spirit drove Him into the
wilderness. And He was there
in the wilderness forty days,
Tempted by Satan…and the angels
Ministered to Him (Mark 1:4-13).
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (May 21)”

Liberty & Freedom In Christ
(Prayer Walk thro Gal 4-6)

Backgrounder: This epistle is
essentially Paul’s manifesto of
justification by faith. Paul directs
this charter of Christian freedom
to people who are about to forsake
the priceless liberty they possess
in Christ. Certain Jewish legalists
are influencing the believers in
Galatia to trade their freedom
in Christ for bondage to the law.
Paul writes to refute their false
gospel of works & to show the
superiority of justification by faith.

Lord, thank You that faith in Christ
brings about true freedom from
sin and from futile attempt to be
right with God by keeping the law.
It also frees us to serve Christ
out of gratitude, which results in
living purposeful & fulfilling lives.
Lord, Grant us grace as we purpose
to live as Your Grateful Children,
to move into Your Freedom and
to Not Lose Heart in service. Amen
Continue reading “Praying thro Galatians (May 20)”

Living For Jesus By Faith
(Prayer Walk thro Gal 1-3)

Backgrounder: This epistle has
been called the charter of Christian
liberty. It is Paul’s manifesto of
justification by faith and the liberty
that produces. Paul directs this
great charter of Christian freedom
to people who are about to forsake
the priceless liberty they possess
in Christ. Certain Jewish legalists
are influencing the believers in
Galatia to trade their freedom
in Christ for bondage to the law.
Paul writes to refute their false
gospel of works & to show the
superiority of justification by faith.

Dear Lord, thank you for Your
loving kindness and grace to us.
Our acceptance by You God
comes by believing in Christ alone.
Through the lessons from Gal 1-3,
Help us to Seek Your Approval;
Help us to Live For You; and
Help us to Live By Faith. Amen.
Continue reading “Praying thro Galatians (May 19)”

We have been Chronologically
covering the Bible phase by phase.
We start the Gospels, with Mark
focussing on acts of Jesus and
presents Him as the Servant who
came to give His life as a ransom.
Luke focuses on Jesus’ teachings
and presents Him as the perfect
Son of Man whose mission was to
seek and save that which was lost.
Matthew presents Jesus as the
Christ, Israel’s messianic King.
And John presents Jesus as the
Son of God so offered eternal
life to all who believe in Him.
We have also covered Acts of
the Apostles, which chronicles
the Growth of the church.

Next, we continue into apostolic
letters, beginning with Galatians.
Paul doesn’t open with his usual
greeting of praise & prayer for the
saints; for there is an emergency
at hand! The Galatians have
listened to false teachers who
have come into the church teaching
that salvation is a mixture of works
and grace. Paul warns the believers
about the bondage this type of
deception brings and exhorts them
to return to the Freedom that is
theirs in Jesus Christ. He goes
on to show that it is the Spirit,
not the flesh, that the Christian
life is to be successfully lived.
Continue reading “Preview on Galatians (May 19)”

Lord Jesus With You Always

Backgrounder on Matthew 26-28:
The events during the final two
days of Jesus’ earthly life carry
the shadow of the cross: the
anointing in Bethany, the Passover
Observance and Lord’s Supper,
the prayer in Gethsemane.
Jesus is arrested and tried first
by the Jews, then by the Romans;
He is condemned, executed and
placed in a tomb. But in glorious
triumph, Jesus comes forth from
the grave in resurrection power.
The Kings of the Jews Lives again,
a message which His followers
are commissioned to share.

Lord, You are Always With Us:
Go and make disciples of all the
nations… teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded u;
and lo I am With you Always,
even to the end of the age
(Matthew 28:19-20). Amen.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (May 18)”

Christ Promises His Return

Backgrounder on Matthew 24-25:
Herod’s temple captured the
attention of all who passed by.
Commenting on its beauty and
splendor, the disciples set the
stage for Jesus’ Olivet Discourse,
a prophetic look at future events.
His followers are urged to watchful
expectation coupled with faithful
service because the return of
Christ will be unannounced. And
His coming will bring rewards
for His watchful followers.

Lord, we will Prepare for Yr Return:
Immediately after the tribulation,
the sun will be darkened…
the stars will fall from heaven…
Then they will see the Son of Man
Coming on the clouds. He will send
forth his angels with the sound of a
mighty trumpet blast and they will
gather together His chosen ones
from the farthest ends of the earth.
When you see the events I have
described beginning to happen,
u can know His Return is very near..
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but My Words Will Not pass away
(Matt 24: 29-33 & v35). Amen.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (May 17)”

God Answers Prayers of Faith

Backgrounder on Matthew 20-23:
After Peter’s dramatic confession
of Jesus as “the Christ, the Son
of the living God”, Jesus told his
disciples he must go to Jerusalem,
suffer many things, be killed and
raised again the third day (16:21).
After preparing His disciples for
the unexpected events, Jesus
arrived at Jerusalem to a hero’s
welcome, hailed as King while
making His humble entrance.

Lord, we’ll ask with believing heart:
Jesus said: Assuredly I say to you,
if you Have Faith and do not doubt,
you will not only do what was done
to the fig tree, but also if you say
to this mountain: Be removed and
Be cast into the sea, it will be done.
And whatever things you ask
in prayer, Believing you will
receive (Matt 21:21-22). Amen.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (May 16)”

God Exalts His Servants

Backgrounder on Matthew 20-23:
After Peter’s dramatic confession
of Jesus as “the Christ, the Son
of the living God” (16:16), Jesus
began to show his disciples,
how he must go to Jerusalem,
suffer many things, be killed and
raised again the third day (16:21).
After preparing His disciples for
the unexpected events which will
soon take place, Jesus begins
His final journey to Jerusalem.
Arriving to a hero’s welcome,
He is hailed as King, while making
His humble entrance into the city.

Lord, teach us Servanthood:
Jesus said: You know the rulers
of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and those who are great exercise
authority over them. Yet it shall
not be so among you. Whoever
desires to become great, let him
be your Servant. And whoever
desires to be first, let him be
your Slave; just as the Son of Man
did not come to be served, but to
Serve, and give His life a ransom
for many (Matt 20: 25-28). Amen.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (May 15)”

God Blesses Agreement in Prayer

Backgrounder on Matthew 16-19:
In these chapters, Matthew records
crucial incidents from Jesus’ life. It’s clear Jesus’ key concern is for
His disciples He will leave behind
to continue the work He had begun.
Healings and discourses, miracles
and parables all focus on Jesus’
faithful followers to prepare them
for the difficult day’s just ahead.

Lord, we will Agree in Prayer:
(Jesus said) Whatever You bind
on earth will be bound in heaven
and whatever you loose on earth
will be loosed in heaven. Again
I tell you that if two of you agree
here on earth about anything
you ask, my Father in heaven
will do it for you. For where two
or three gather together as my
followers, I am there among them
(Matthew 18:18-20). Amen.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (May 14)”