Month: August 2019

God Brings Dead Things to Life !!

In a vision told with vivid details,
that you can see the bones moving,
Ezekiel announces Israel’s rebirth.
Reassembled with God’s breath
of life, the bones become the new
Israel, more powerful than before.
Then in a second vision, Ezekiel sees
the revived nation destroy its last foe
(Magog) after which God is agreed
by all nations as undisputed Victor.

Lord, You Can Revive All Things:
Prophesy to these (dry) bones…
This is what the Sovereign Lord
says: I will make breath enter you,
and you will come to life… So I
prophesied as He commanded me,
and breath came into them, and
they lived and stood upon their
feet, an exceedingly great army…
Then you shall know that I am
the Lord (Ezek 37:4-13). Amen.

Father, there are areas of my life
that seem to be dead; and they
need a new infusion of Your life.
There are dreams that seems as if
have died for it has been a long time
and still they have not been realised.
I know if You can make dry bones
into a vast army, then You can also
bring life to anything worth praying,
no matter how dead it seems.Amen

Gracious God of all compassion,
your breath alone can bring life
to dry bones and weary souls.
Pour out your Spirit upon us, that
we may face despair with hope of
resurrection and faith thro Christ.
Forgive our faults as we confess &
restore us the joy of your salvation.
Call us out of the valley of dry bones
into Your Kingdom of hope. Amen.

Lord, by a roadway in the
wilderness, You will lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and Earth will fade
but Your Word will still remain
And You’ll do something new today
Oh, God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
You work in ways we cannot see
You will make a way for me
You will make a way… Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RsMAXhc0QTs

God Gives You A New Heart !!

Ezekiel’s emphasis shifts from
the failures of Judah’s past to
the Promises of Judah’s future.
Jerusalem has fallen; and the
prophet’s tongue silenced for
3 yrs is loosened at last to declare
that a new Shepherd is coming.
He will tenderly care for the flock
of Israel, rescue His people from
their scattered homes of exile and
restore them to their covenant land.

Lord, we Worship Wholeheartedly:
I will give you a New Heart and
I will put a new spirit within you;
I will take the heart of stone out
and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put My Spirit in you
and Move You to follow my
decrees and be careful to keep
my laws (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
I will Deliver you from uncleanness
and filthy behaviour (v29). Amen.

Lord, Thank you for giving me a
new heart to live the new life in You.
I really need the Heart of flesh,
the kind that You give. Fill me
with Your desires, Your faith and
everything that pleases You.
For I purpose not only to be Your
child but also to be Your worker.
Help me learn from Your Word and
continue to follow Your ways. Amen.

Lord, Thank You that You have
put Your Holy Spirit within me to
Guide me in all things. Give me
the discipline to do what I must do.
Lead me by the power of Your
Spirit so that I will always obey
Your Word & Follow Your laws.
Help me to Follow Your leading
and not run ahead or behind
chasing after my own ways. Amen.

Lord, Thank you for the promise
to help us clean up our filth acts.
Lord, our Christian life can be a
struggle and we go thro bad times.
But thanks that You God is in the
business of making life better for
us on the inside. You will not leave
us where we are but will Help us
get to where You want us to be.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FrCDh3wizQk

God Has Message For You

While Jeremiah is preaching about
the judgment of God on Judah,
his contemporary Ezekiel is
in Babylon interpreting God’s
judgment to those Jews already
in captivity. Ezekiel’s preaching
also contains large doses of hope.
The 70 year exile will teach God’s
people “that I am the Lord”, thus
preparing them for restoration.

Lord, You Speak thro Your Word:
The voice said to (Ezekiel): Eat what
I am giving you – eat this scroll!
Then go and give its message to
the people… So I opened my mouth…
And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet
as honey in my mouth (Ezek 3:1-3).
Then He added: Let all My words
sink deep into your own heart first.
Listen to them carefully for yourself.
Then go to your people in exile
and say to them: This is what the
Sovereign LORD says (Ezek 3:10-11)
When I give u a message, I’ll loosen
your tongue and let you speak: Then
you will say to them: This is what the
Sovereign Lord says! (v27). Amen.

Lord, following Your voice is hard
for Your Words are difficult to obey.
Put Your truth in me, and let me
consume Your message in my
mouth so that it tasted like honey.
And help me embody Your voice
and Your message in my being
and in my life. And let me speak
to others the words that comes
straight from Your heart. Amen.

Lord, thank You for the invitation
to embody Your Word of truth.
For I want to understand You Lord,
Your thoughts and feelings as
well as Your work and Your ways.
I want to do it because I love You
and because I want to experience
the benefits of Your love for me.
Whatever blessings there may be,
I want to become one with You,
not only in principle but also in
experience. I want to embody who
You are in Word and in Spirit. Amen.

Lord, thank You for the life message
that You have given me as well as
the indicative target audience.
Sovereign Lord, I ask for Your will
to be indeed my will and desire.
And that include about whom You
want me to serve and what You
You want me to say to them.
May revelation of these specifics
make me more passionate about
Your assignment for me. Amen.

God’s Faithfulness Is Great

God’s warning had come thro the
prophet Jeremiah, but the people
of Judah refused to listen.In 586BC
the Babylonian army attacked,
the people were carried into exile
and Jerusalem lay ruined & empty.
For days Jeremiah lamented over
the city and its future. As he cries
out in the darkness of destruction,
Jeremiah is given a spark of hope.
God promises forgiveness & grace;
the period of judgment is limited
and in His mercy God will restore
the city and return the captives.

Lord, we claim Your Faithfulness:
Through the Lord’s mercies
we are not consumed,
because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Yr Faithfulness (L3:22-23)
Therefore I hope in Him!
The Lord is good to those who
Wait for Him, and seek Him.
It is good that one should hope
and Wait Quietly for the salvation
from the Lord (Lam 3:24-26).
You Remain the Same forever!
Turn us back to You and we will
be restored (L5:19-21). Amen.

Lord, thank You for being Faithful.
Your Word says You keep all Your
promises & none of them will fail.
In Your mercy and tender kindness,
reveal Your faithfulness to me and
show me that there is hope in You.
Help me to triumph over adversities
by focusing on Your Faithfulness.
Help me to exhibit faithfulness
in my relationships as well as in
my interactions with others. Amen.

Lord, Quieten my heart and mind
so that I am willing to Wait on You;
not with grumbling & frustration
but with hope and assurance
that You do everything in Your
perfect timing. Give me patience,
and help me to look for Your
answers to the requests I make.
And increase my faith that You
are working, even when I must
Wait for Your answer. Amen.

Lord, in the midst of severe trial,
we may wonder at times where
are You. But we praise & exult U
that You are Still on Your throne,
Reigning over all heaven & earth.
And in an ever-changing world,
it’s comforting to remember
that You God Does Not Change,
for You Remain the Same forever.
Unchanging God, we praise You for
Your faithfulness & unfailing love.
You are working out Yr purposes &
You are the reason we hope! Amen

Doing God’s Will In God’s Terms

With the death of Ish-Bosheth,
the people of Israel transfer their
allegiance to David as their rightful
king. As his first official act, David
conquers the strategic Jebusite
stronghold of Jerusalem and makes
it the new capital of the nation.
But something more than political
and military reform is necessary.
The worship of God must be
returned to its place of primacy.
Knowing this, David makes plans
to bring the ark of the covenant
to Jerusalem and build a fitting
place for it to reside. In the process,
he learns some hard lessons about
doing God’s Will in God’s Way and
in God’s Timing. Amen and amen.

Lord, praise You for Your faithfulness
and we are inspired by David on
his dependence on You for success.
Help us Follow Your Instructions
and not stray from Your will.
Help us Accept Your answer
to our prayers even when the
answers is not what we want,
for You know what is best for us.
Help us to Delight in Worshipping
wholeheartedly & exuberantly,
remembering all that You’ve done.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we’ll Follow Your Direction:
David inquired of the Lord: Shall
I go up against the Philistines?
And the Lord said: Go up for I’ll
doubtless deliver the Philistines
into your hand. So David went to
Baal Perazim and defeated them…
Then the Philistines went up once
again and deployed themselves
in the valley of Rephaim. So David
inquired of the Lord and He said:
You shall Not Go Up; circle around
Behind them. And David Did As the
Lord commanded him & he drove
back the Philistines (2S5:19-25).
Lord, I don’t want to make any
decision without your leading.
You care about the details of
my life and want to guide me in
the way I should go. Take away
my peace if I should decide to
step off the path of Your greatest
blessing for my life. Help me to
never stray from Your will. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Delight to Worship You:
David wearing (an) ephod, danced
before the Lord with all his might…
As the ark of the Lord was entering
the City of David, Michal daughter
of Saul watched from the window.
And when she saw King David
leaping & dancing before the Lord,
she despised him in her heart…
When David returned home…Michael
came out to meet him and said: How
the king of Israel had distinguished
himself… David said: It was before
the Lord, who chose me rather than
your father when He appointed me
ruler over Israel – I’ll celebrate before
the Lord. I will become even more
undignified than this (2S6:13-22).
Lord, we thank You for blessings and
delight In U thro exuberant worship.
Remind us not be like Michal who
despise those who are prepared
to be fools for Christ. Instead, help
us to be like David prepared to be
rediculed for allegiance to U. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Accede to Your Will:
Go tell my servant David: Are u the
one to build me a house to dwell in?
When your days are over… I will raise
up your offspring to succeed you
and I will establish his kingdom.
He is the one who will build a house
for my Name, and I will establish…
his kingdom forever (2Sam 7:5-13)
Lord, I trust You and accept Your
answers to my prayers, even when
the answers is not what I want.
Help me to understand Your will,
especially when the answers to my
prayers are not what I expect to be.
I am grateful You know what is best
for me; and You will not allow me to
seek after things I shouldn’t. Amen.

Wholehearted Dependence on God

The books of 1 and 2 Samuel are
actually a single continuous story.
In 1 Samuel, the mood is despair;
in 2 Samuel, a ray of hope shines.
In 1 Sam, Saul’s dynasty is destroyed;
while in 2 Samuel, David’s dynasty
is established. But the transition
of power is not simple. Proper
mourning for the departed monarch,
the inauguration of the leader,
the purging of the former regime’s
influence and the putting down
of rebellious elements, all must be
done before David can rule in peace.

Lord, praise You for Your faithfulness
and we are inspired by David on
his dependence on You for success.
Prompt us to Inquire of Your will
for guidance in the way to go. And
when we don’t quite understand
why You move so slowly at times,
grant us sufficient signs to trust
that Your promises will be fulfilled.
Help us to Focus on Your Purpose.
Help us to Wait on Your Timing.
Help us to Depend on Your Way.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we aspire loyalty to Yr Purpose:
David returned from his victory over
the Amalekites… On the third day a
man arrived from Saul’s army camp.
He had torn his clothes and put dirt
on his head to show that he was
in mourning… The man replied:
Our entire army fled from the battle.
Many of the men are dead and Saul
and his son Jonathan are also dead…
David and his men tore their clothes
in sorrow when they heard the news.
They mourned and wept and fasted
all day for Saul and his son Jonathan
and for the Lord’s army and the
nation of Israel (2 Sam 1:1-4, 11-12).
Lord, we see David’s loyalty to
Your purpose as he mourned for
Saul who was the Lord’s anointed.
And because David trusted You God,
he would not rejoice in Saul’s death.
Give us Lord greater passion for
Yr purpose than our interest. Amen.

Lord, we aspire to Wait Upon You:
David inquired of the Lord: Shall
I go to any of the cities of Judah?
The Lord said:Go up. David asked
Where? And He said: To Hebron.
So David went up there. Then
the men of Judah anointed David
king of Judah. And they told
David: The men of Jabesh Gilead
were the ones who buried Saul. So
David sent messengers to Jabesh
Gilead & said: l’ll repay this kindness.
The war between the house of Saul
and the house of David lasted a long
time. David grew stronger & stronger,
while the house of Saul grew weaker
and weaker (2 Sam 2:1-6 & 3:1).
Lord, we note that when Saul died,
David did not rush to make himself
king of Israel. Help us to inquire
of You, follow Your direction, wait
patiently for Your promises to be
fulfilled for we trust in You. Amen.

Lord, we aspire to Depend on You:
Then Rechab and Baanah came into
the house of Ishbosheth, who was
lying on his bed at noon and they
stabbed him in the stomach. And
they brought the head of Ishbosheth,
the son of Saul to David at Hebron
and said to the king. Here is the
head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul
your enemy, who sought your life…
But David answered: When someone
told me Saul is dead, thinking to
have brought good news, I had him
executed. How much more, when
wicked men have killed a righteous
person on his bed? So David
commanded his young men to
execute them (2 Sam 4:5-8, 9-12).
Lord, we recognise that You are
a holy God and upholds justice.
Help us to depend wholly on You
for the fulfilment of promises and
not by unlawful practices. Amen.

Preview On 2 Samuel (Aug 17)

Whilst the Bible is arranged by
types of writings, we meditate it
chronologically to get better flow.
We start with Genesis on God’s
Plan for creation, then meditated
Job on the Sovereignty of God; and
Exodus, Leviticus, Num-Deut on
Deliverance, Holiness & Obedience.
Then Joshua on enjoying God’s
blessing through Obedient Faith,
Judges that God judges against sin
and Restores those who Repent;
Ruth on Faithfulness/Redemption; &
1 Sam on Rule of God in our heart.

Continuing, David the king-elect in
1 Samuel becomes king-enthroned
in 2 Samuel, ruling first over Judah
& then over all Israel. Characterised
at first by victory and success, David
leads Israel to world prominence.
But his reign is soon marred by
the dual sins of adultery & murder.
The aftershocks of turmoil, trouble
and unrest rock the kingdom for
the rest of his life and beyond.
Despite his weaknesses, David
remains “a man after God’s heart”
because of his repentant attitude
& his responsiveness to God’s will.

We’ll cover 2 Samuel in two parts
(David’s Successes & his Struggles)
over 3 weekends in 6 divisions:-
2 Sam 1-4: Divided Nation
2 Sam 5-7: United Nation
2 Sam 8-10: Expanded Nation
2 Sam 11-14: Adultery & Murder
2 Sam 15-20: Revolt & Unrest
2 Sam 21-24: David’s Last Word
Let’s meditate through 2 Samuel,
be inspired to be devoted to God &
weary of consequences of sin. Amen

God Desires to Give You Freedom

Babylon the last and greatest enemy
of Judah will suffer the same fate
as the rest of Judah’s ungodly
neighbours. Jeremiah concludes
his prophecy with a note of hope.
Though Jerusalem has fallen, her
king Jehoiachin, is shown kindness
in Babylon. In the restoration
of this covenant-breaking king,
Jeremiah pictures the future
restoration of covenant-breaking
Judah by her covenant-keeping God.

Lord, we Seek Your Deliverance:
The Lord spoke by Jeremiah the
prophet: Babylon is taken, out of the
north,a nation comes up against her.
Then the people of Israel & Judah
will join together… seeking the Lord
their God. They will ask the way
to Jerusalem and will start back
home again. They will bind
themselves to the Lord with an
eternal covenant that will never
again be broken (Jer 50:1-5). The
children of Israel were oppressed,
along with the children of Judah…
Their Redeemer Is Strong… He Will
thoroughly Plead their case (v33-34)

Lord, our life is full of brokenness:
broken relationships, broken
promises, broken expectations.
Help us to live with that brokenness
without becoming bitter & resentful.
In season of trial, draw us Lord
to Your presence so that we will
not be consumed by our struggle.
Let us know there is an end before
experiencing the deliverance. Amen.

Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift
of freedom You bought for me
on the cross. Thank You that in
Christ I no longer walk as a slave.
Guard my steps and thoughts
from places that will snare me.
Realise we never find freedom
from bondage in independence but
find it by binding ourselves to You.
Help me do that & use me to help
others in Your freedom. Amen.

Father God, thank You for loving
us and for caring for our welfare.
Praise You that U our Redeemer is
strong, Lord Almighty is Your name
& You made the earth by Your power.
In our challenges, we come to You,
bind to You and ask of You, for we
know that You will hear our case.
When oceans rise & thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Father You are King over the flood
I will be still, know U are God. Amen.

God Gives You Ready Access

God pledges to reestablish Judah
after it has been purified by the
discipline of exile. As a sign of His
promise, He orders Jeremiah to
buy a field that would soon belong
to the conquering Babylonians.
That land would one day become
part of the restored nation to be
ruled by the Righteous Branch,
David’s Messianic descendant.

Lord, we want to Hear from You:
The word of the Lord came to
Jeremiah while he was still shut
up in the court of the prison saying:
Thus says the Lord: the Lord who
made the earth and established it…
Call to Me, and I Will Answer you,
and show you great and mighty
things which you do not know
(Jeremiah 33:1-3). Amen.

Lord, we may find it challenging
to listen to those we interact with
because we may be self centred.
But we want to consult You God
and hear your voice because You
are not a cruel task master & want
to share great and mighty things.
Lord, I confess not being a good
listener and tend not wait to hear
what You have to say. Teach me
to hear your voice and grant me
the faith to trust and obey. Amen.

Lord, I want to hear from You with
a reasonable level of certainty.
I am asking You to speak in a way
that I can understand You clearly.
I know I may make mistakes
and sometimes mishear You.
But trust You will gently correct
me for I need to know Your voice.
I realise to hear You consistently
will require faith and patience. So
help me ask with expectation and
wait patiently for Your voice. Amen

Lord, we love to hear secret truths
that the world doesn’t know about.
It may be some Bible verses which
Your Spirit enables us to understand
in a way we have never grasped.
Or it may be seeing deep into
a friend’s heart in a way we have
never seen that person before.
Or it may be revelation over the
reason things happen to us and
we’ve never yet come to terms. Lord,
grant insights which will enhance
my understanding & love of U. Amen

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=spZAjPlPxKI

God Bigger Than Your Problems

God pledges to reestablish the
nation after it has been purified
by the discipline of exile. As a sign
of His promise, He orders Jeremiah
to buy a field that would soon belong
to the conquering Babylonians.
That land would one day become
part of the restored nation to be
ruled by the Righteous Branch,
David’s Messianic descendant.

Lord, You are Almighty & Good:
I prayed to the Lord saying; Ah Lord                                                       God! Behold You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great                                                  power & outstretched arm. There is                                                                 nothing too hard for U (Jer32:16-17)
Then the word of the Lord came
to Jeremiah saying: Behold, I’m the
Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there
anything too hard for Me (v26-27)
They will be My people and I will be their God. And I will give them
one heart and one purpose: to
worship me forever… (And) I will
never stop doing good for them
(Jer 32:38-40). Amen and amen.

Lord, thank You that nothing
in my life is beyond your reach.
Nothing is too large or difficult
for Your powerful hand at all.
Help me to remember that
You display Your power best in
impossible situations. Give me
greater understanding of who
You are so that my trust in You
will grow and be complete. Amen.

Lord, when my faith is shaky,
Remind me of Your Almighty power.
Give me a fresh glimpse of who
You really are. You made heavens
and the earth and You made us.
Nothing is impossible with You.
Increase my faith. Supply the
confidence I need to believe fully
in this promise, especially when
I’m facing hopeless situation. Amen

Lord, You are truly great, good
and always concern of our welfare;
and I purpose to always worship
You and move people towards You.
When things are going well in my
life, remind me not to accept praise
without giving You the glory or
at least point people toward You.
And when time is hard, remind me
that You God will make everything
beautiful in its own time. Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jpM-rPD0TPs