Month: August 2019

God Has Good Plans For You !!

Jeremiah’s messages of judgment
arouse opposition in the palace.
During Jehoiakim’s reign, Jeremiah
is threatened with a death sentence.
While Zedekiah rules, Jeremiah dons
a wooden yoke to portray Jerusalem
surrendering to Babylon. In midst of
turmoil, Jeremiah sends the exiles
in Babylon an encouraging letter.

Lord, You have Good Plans For Us:
After 70 years are completed at
Babylon, I will visit you & perform
My Good Word toward you and
cause you to return to this place.
For I know the Plans I have for
you, declares the Lord, Plans to
prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope & a future.
Then you Will Call upon me and
come and Pray to me, and I will
listen to you. And you Will Seek Me
and Find Me, when u Search for Me
with all your heart (Jer 29:10-13).

Lord, we note despite the depth
of Judah’s faithlessness, so great
is Your love that You Promised
to bring Your people home again.
Thank You Lord for Your Plans,
though I may not fully understand.
You promise that when I pray,
You will listen. Help me persevere
in seeking You. For in seeking You,
I know that I will find You. Amen.

Lord, thank you that Your plans
for me are for good to prosper me
and give me a Future and a Hope.
Lord, I realise that Your good plan
requires our participative prayer.
I seek You about my future and Ask
You to help me to hear Your voice
leading me each step of the way.
Help me Obey You and not do any
thing that hinder Your plan. Amen.

Lord, thank You for planning
a future and a hope for my life.
Because of Your Power and Your
Faithfulness, I know that nothing
in my life is outside Your Control.
Help me to willingly submit to Your
will for my future. Draw me to look
for You and to pray wholeheartedly.
And grant that my hope be grounded
in your Unchanging Character. Amen

God Gives You A Life Message

For centuries prophets had come
to God’s people with the ultimatum:
Shape up or God will ship you out
in judgment. But their message
fell on deaf ears and stony hearts.
At last it is time for God to show
His words are no idle threat.
He selects a messenger – Jeremiah,
the tenderhearted son of a priest
of Anathoth to announce that
Judah’s condition is terminal.
For their idolatry and indifference,
the people will reel in judgment
at the hands of the Babylonians.

Lord, we’ll Share Our Life Message:
The Lord gave me this message…
Before I formed you in the womb
I knew you, before you were
born I Set You Apart (Jer 1:4-5).
The Lord replied: Don’t say, I am
too young, for you must go where
ever I send you and say whatever
I Tell you. And don’t be afraid of
the people, for I will be with you
and will protect you. I the Lord
have spoken! (v7-8). The Lord
reached out & touched my mouth
and said: Look, I have Put My
Words in your mouth! (v9) Amen.

Lord, speak to my thoughts and
let me know which ones are Yours.
Help me Lord to discern the deep
impulses of my heart that comes
from You and to believe in them.
Thank You Lord for knowing me
completely before I was even born.
Honoured to be chosen by You
the Almighty God and Set Apart for
a special task. Show me and make
clear the tasks U have for me. Amen.

Lord, I don’t want to make excuses
for not doing Your will. But I feel
inadequate to do the things You are
calling me to do, including prayer.
Yet I don’t want fear to keep me
from doing it. I accept the exciting
though challenging opportunity.
I have to depend on You to do them
thro me; for after all You are the
author of all good things. Amen.

Lord, grateful & humbled as a sinner
that You have reserved a special task
including a message for me to share.
Thank You that I am sufficient to
the task because You will equip me.
Reveal to me Lord where and with
whom I am called to serve You.
Put Your Words in my mouth so that
I can pray by the power of Your Spirit.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Seek God’s Guidance, Way & Time

After months of running for his life,
David concludes that leaving Israel
entirely is the only way to escape
Saul’s relentless pursuit. Convincing
the Philistines he is a true defector,
David is given the city of Ziglag as
his base of operations. But instead
of aiding the enemy, David and his
army methodically destroy Philistine
strongholds. Meanwhile, Saul’s
attempts to counter the Philistine
threat finally lead him to consult
a medium. Instead of the promise
of victory, Saul hears predictions
of death and defeat – forecasts
which come true the next day.

Dear Lord, from the experience of
David & Saul, we learn not to take
matters over into our own hands.
David quickly killed Goliath but
waited patiently for God to deal with
Saul. Although David was anointed
to be Israel’s next king, he had to
wait for years to realise this promise.
For the difficult circumstances in
life and the times of waiting often
refine, teach and prepare us for the
future responsibilities God has for us
Help us to Wait For Your Timing;
Help us to Seek Your Guidance;
Help us to Obey Your Way. Amen.

Lord, we will Wait For Your Timing:
When Saul saw the Philistine army,
he trembled greatly. When Saul
inquired of the Lord, the Lord didn’t
answer him. Then Saul said to the
servants: Find me a medium that
I may inquire of her. Now Samuel
said to Saul: The Lord has torn the
kingdom out of yr hand & given it
to David; because you did not obey
the voice of the Lord nor execute
His fierce wrath upon Amalek.
Moreover the Lord will also
deliver Israel with you into the
hand of the Philistines (28:5-18).
Lord, thank U for hearing prayers.
Grant me patience to wait for the
answers and in Your perfect timing.
Give me peace to accept Yr answer,
even if it is no. Help me never take
matters into my own hands to try
& make things to happen that is not
Your will. For I trust You know what
is best for me at all times. Amen.

Lord, we will Seek Your Guidance:
David was now in great danger
because all his men were very bitter
about losing their sons & daughters
& they began to talk of stoning him.
But David found strength in the Lord
his God. Then he said to Abiathar
the priest: Bring me the ephod!…
Then David asked the Lord: Should
I chase after this band of raiders?
And the Lord told him: Yes, go after
them. You will surely recover every-
thing taken from you (1 Sam 30:6-8)
Lord, my strength is limited but
Your strength is endless. Fill me,
empower me and enable me to do
all that You have called me to do.
And let me never be presumptuous
about Your Will or Your methods.
I am depending on fresh guidance
in every situation of my life. Amen.

Lord, we will Obey Your Way:
The Philistines attacked Israel
and the men of Israel fled before
them. Many were slaughtered
on the slopes of Mount Gilboa.
The Philistines closed in on Saul
and his sons and they killed three
of his sons. The fighting grew
very fierce around Saul and the
Philistine archers caught up with
him and wounded him severely.
Saul groaned to his armor bearer:
Take your sword and kill me
before these pagan Philistines
come to taunt and torture me.
But his armor bearer was afraid
and would not do it, So Saul took
his own sword & fell on it (31:1-4)
Lord, we will guard against the
spirit of individualism and doing
things “My Way”. Instead we will
aspire for obedience to You God
and doing things Your way. Amen.

God’s Mercy Through His People

After a brief delay to deal with
a Philistine threat, Saul resumes
persuit of David and unknowingly
traps David and his men in a cave.
Then miraculously, the tables are
turned as David stands poised over
King Saul with the power of life and
death in his hand. And although
vengeance is within his reach,
David refuses to end the life of
God’s anointed. Again the scene
is repeated in the wilderness of Ziph.
Once again the source of David’s
anxiety is only a sword’s thrust away.
And once again David resists the
temptation to assume God’s role by
ending the life of Saul prematurely.

Dear Lord, from the experience
of David & Saul, we learn not take
matters over into our own hands,
but instead to dispense mercy.
Help us be willing to Do Right;
rather than taking easy way out
or giving in to group pressure.
Help us duly Respect Leaders as
as God has given them authority.
Help us guard against doing things
“My Way” but to Listen To Advice.
For God is both just and faithful;
You see all that is happening and
we trust You care for us. Amen.

Lord, we aspire to Do What’s Right:
After Saul had left the cave, David
came out and shouted to Saul: The
Lord placed you at my mercy back
there in the cave. Some of my men
told me to kill you but I spared you.
For I said: I will never harm the
king – he is the Lord’s anointed one.
Look at what I have in my hand.
It is a piece of the hem of your robe!
I cut it off but I didn’t kill you. This
proves that I am not trying to harm u..
even though you have been hunting
for me to kill me (1 Sam 24:7-11).
Lord, we realise the means we use
to accomplish a goal are important
as the goal we are trying to achieve.
Help me not compromise Your moral
standards by giving in to group
pressure or taking the easy way out.
Help me to be willing to do right
and not what seems to be right.
Help me being in tune with You God
so that I know the difference. Amen.

Lord, we will Listen to Advice:
So David’s young men returned
and told him what Nabel had said.
Get your swords! was David’s reply…
Abigail wasted no time. She quickly
gathered 200 loaves of bread…two
wine-skins full of wine, 5 sheep..100
clusters of raisins & 200 fig cakes…
When Abigail saw David, she quickly
bowed & said: I accept all blame, my
lord… Nabel is an ill-tempered man;
please don’t pay attention to him. He
is a fool just as his name suggests…
David replied: Praise the Lord…
who has sent you to meet me. Thank
God for your good sense. Bless you
for keeping me from carrying out
vengeance (1 Sam 25:12-33).
Lord, thank You for the lesson of
not taking vengeance in our hands.
Help us always to be careful to
listen to what others have to say no
matter how right we think we are.
For the extra time and effort can
save us much pain & trouble. Amen.

Lord, we will Respect our leaders:
David took the spear and jug of
water that were near Saul’s head.
Then he and Abishai got away…
David climbed the hill opposite
the camp until he was at a safe
distance. Then he shouted down
to the soldiers and to Abner:
Wake up Abner!… Why haven’t
you guarded your master the king
when someone came to kill him?
You failed to protect your master,
the Lord’s anointed! Look around!
Where are the king’s spear and
the jug of water that were beside
his head? (1 Sam 26:12-16).
Lord, we learn from Rom 13:1-7
that God placed leaders in power.
Help us be like David in respecting
the positions and roles of those
to whom God has given authority.
Remind us not to hurt those who
are against us just because we have
the opportunity to do so. Amen.

God Desires Us to Be A Blessing

As Isaiah looks at his contemporary
situation, there’s little to commend it.
Empty ritual, meaningless fasts and
broken fellowship mark the spiritual
life of the nation. But Isaiah catches
a glimpse of the Glorious Future
awaiting the people of God. A day
is coming when darkness will be
swept away, affliction will cease and
the glad tidings of salvation shall
be proclaimed throughout Zion.
God has not forsaken His people
& groaning has given way to glory.

Lord, we aspire to Be A Blessing:
Is not this the kind of fasting I have
chosen: to loose the chains of
injustice… to set the oppressed free
and to break every yoke (Isa 58:6).
Share your food with the hungry…
and do not hide from relatives who
need your help. Your salvation will
come like the dawn… Your godliness
will lead you forward… When you
call, the Lord will answer: Yes I am
here, He will quickly reply (v7-9).
If I spend myself… (to) satisfy
the needs of the oppressed, then
my light will rise in the darkness…
Then You will satisfy my needs…
Then I will be like a well-watered
garden, like a spring whose water
never fail (Isa 58:10-11). Amen.

Lord, help me to be disciplined
enough to fast and pray as You
would have me to. For I need
to deny the desires of my flesh
in order to focus on my desire for
more of You. For I want to break
every yoke of oppression in my life
and the lives of others so that we
will see great breakthroughs. Amen.

Lord, I am busy looking for direction
that seems relevant that I miss Your
pointing me to the needs of others.
Lift my eyes to see opportunities
to reflect Your heart. I desperately
long for salvation to come like dawn;
for I have needs to be resolved.
Hear me Lord when I call; for Your
words mean much to me. Let my
responses to You & Your responses
to me, be quick and decisive. Amen.

Lord, Your Word promises that
when we give myself away in Your
cause, we will then find renewal.
Yet I often try to preserve time,
my resources and my energy
rather than being spent for others.
Help me choose generosity & help
me choose to be spent for others.
For when we seek God’s kingdom,
and His righteousness, all these
things will be added to us. Amen.

God’s Word Not Return Void

Backgrounder on Isaiah 52-57:
Nowhere in the OT will you see
a clearer picture of the horrible
price of your redemption than in
these six chapters. Many verses
show the anquish our Savior,
as suffering servant, endured
in paying the awful price of sin.

Lord, Your Ways Be Accomplished:
My thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways My ways, says
the Lord. For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are
My Ways Higher than your ways,
& My thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain come down from heaven
and do not return to it without
watering the earth and making it
bud and flourish… so is My word
that goes out from My mouth:
it will not return to me empty,
but Will Accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for
which I sent it (Isa 55:8-11). Amen.

Lord, we realise Your plan may
seems crazy, for You sometimes
use foolish things to accomplish
Your purposes. For Your thoughts
are not our thoughts, neither are
our ways Your ways. When things
don’t make sense prompt us O
Holy Spirit to ask You for wisdom
to discern what You are doing.
For I will be a fool if I didn’t Take
You at Your Word & Trust U. Amen.

Lord, I praise You that Your words
do not come back empty, that
they do the work You sent them
to do & accomplish Your purpose.
Grant me to be hungry enough to
Feed on Your Word each day. And
grant me to Value Your Word more
than silver, gold or anything that this
world offers. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, grateful Your Word always
accomplishes the purpose for which
You sent it. Enable me to secure
the power in Your Word by planting
so firmly in my heart that it guides
everything I do. And help me use
Your Word in my prayers so that
it becomes a powerful weapon
against which the enemy cannot
prevail. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God Cares For You !!

In amazing collection of specific
prophecies (44-48) Isaiah foretells
the agent of comfort God will
use in delivering His people
(Cyrus, king of Persia) and the
means of comfort God will employ
(destruction of adulterous Babylon).
Isaiah taunts those who would
put their trust in mere images of
stone and wood. And God declares
I am God & there is none like me.

Lord, You Will Sustain Us:
Listen to me, all you who are left
in Israel. I created you and have
Cared for you since you’re born.
Even to your old age & grey hairs
I am He who will Sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry
you; I will Sustain you and I will
rescue you (Isaiah 46:3-4).
I am God and there is no other;
I am God and there is none like me.
I make known the end from the
beginning… what is still to come.
I say: My Purpose Will Stand, and
I Will Do all that I please (v9-10).

Lord, You will always be with me.
No matter what the circumstance,
Your Word gives the assurance
that You will be near. I cannot flee
from Your presence,not even
if I want to. You are my maker
and caretaker, the one who
will save and sustain me.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, help me to realise that You
are everlastingly my Father. And
that you know me intimately and
every moment of my entire lifetime.
Help me to rely on You through
every season of my life and to
rest in the knowledge that even
when I am old, You will still be
tenderly caring for me. Amen.

Lord, thank you for being In Control
of the whole world, including
my life. You alone know the future
and can orchestrate the events
of life. Keep me from foolishly
believing that I can plan out my life.
Give me instead the grace to trust
that You know what’s best and
that You will work for my good
and for Your glory. Amen.

God With You Through Trials

The book of Isaiah has been likened
to a miniature Bible, its 66 chapters
paralleling the 66 books of Bible.
The first 39 chapters of Isaiah,
like the 39 books of OT proclaim
judgment upon sinful mankind.
God’s patience is great, but He
will not allow persistent sin go not
punished. The final 27 chapters of
Isaiah, like the 27 books of the NT,
proclaim a message of comfort
and hope. The Messiah is coming
to be the Saviour of sinful people.

Lord, You are With Us thro Trials:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed u;
I have summoned u; you are mine.
When you go thro deep waters
and great trouble, I Will Be With u.
When you go through rivers of
difficulty, you will not drown!…
For I am the Lord your God… your
Savior (Isa 43:1-3)… No one can
snatch anyone out of my hand (v13)
I will even made a road in the
wilderness & rivers in the desert…
I provide water in the desert and
streams in the wasteland, to give
drink to my people…that they may
Proclaim My Praise (v19-21).Amen.

Lord, thank you for your promises
of presence, deliverance and
protection. Because you’ve said:
“I Will Be With you”, what have
I to fear? Help me to trust in You,
not only in the small details of life,
but also in times of great trouble.
For You are not only my Lord and
my God, You are indeed also my
Deliverer and my Savior. Amen.

Lord, Your Word says U are always
with me in times of great trouble.
Help me hang on to Your promise
even when I can’t sense Your
presence. For nothing and no one
can altar what You have spoken.
Give me strength to pass through
my trials and ultimately triumph so
that I will not be in shame and that
Your name will be glorified. Amen.

Lord, I want to show my love,
devotion and reverence for
You as I lift You up in worship.
I Praise You for who You are and
for all You have done in my life.
Help me live every day with praise
and thanksgiving in my heart.
Help me fulfill my greatest calling
and purpose on earth, which is
to worship and Glorify You. Amen.

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

God Comforts & Sustains His People

Isaiah is like a miniature Bible.
The first 39 chapters of Isaiah,
like the 39 books of OT proclaim
judgment upon sinful mankind.
And the final 27 chapters of Isaiah,
like 27 books of NT, proclaim a
message of Comfort and Hope.
The Messiah is coming to be the
Saviour of sinful people. Therefore,
Comfort my people, say your God

Lord, U are Tender to Your People:
Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God (Isaiah 40:1).
He tends His flock like a Shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in His arms
and carries them close to His
heart; He gently leads (Isa 40:11).
The Everlasting God, the creator
Gives Power to the Weak, and
to those who have no might
He Increases Strength…
But those Who Wait on the Lord
Shall Renew their Strength:
They shall mount up with wings
like eagles, they shall run and
not be weary, they shall walk
and not faint (v28-31). Amen.

Lord, You are our Shepherd & You
faithfully feed & guide Your flock.
Thank You for Your protection
and Your provision. You are gentle
and You hold me in Your arms.
What an amazing promise. When
I am afraid or tired, remind me
that You desire to carry me
with all tenderness. Amen.

Lord, You Promise Strength to
the weak. Sometimes I am weak
and feel I can’t go on. And without
Your power, I can’t live as I should.
But in You there is new power
to “fly”, to run and to persevere.
Grant me Lord the experience
of Your limitless Strength so that
I can serve You faithfully and be
a light for U in a dark world. Amen

Lord, sometimes we feel weary
in the challenges of life while
waiting for fulfillment of promise.
But Your Word says those who
wait in You will find new Strength.
Help me Lord to trust that You will
enable me to run and not grow
weary; and to walk and not faint.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

God Cares for the Downtrodden

David the king-elect of Israel –
anointed, approved in battle and
awaiting the inauguration of his
reign – is fleeing for his life from
the deranged Saul, the king rejected.
Saul’s pursuit drives David to
desperate measures such as eating
the forbidden shewbread at Nob
and feigning insanity at Gath.
But Scripture records that David’s
confidence in God never slackens,
as his frequent petitions to God for
direction & protection clearly testify.

Dear Lord, from the experience
of David on the run from king Saul,
we learn when treated unjustly that
we should not take matters into our
own hands. For God is just & faithful
and You Care for the downtrodden.
Help us Lord to Be Faithful Friends;
Help us to Seek Forgiveness; and
Help us Avail Ourselves for Service.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we will Be Faithful Friends:
If he is angry and wants u killed,
may the Lord kill me if I don’t
warn you so u can escape & live.
May the Lord be with you as he
used to be with my father. And
may you treat me with the faithful
love of the Lord as long as I live…
So Jonathan made a covenant
with David saying: May the Lord
destroy all your enemies! And
Jonathan made David reaffirm
his vow of friendship again, for
Jonathan loved David as much as
he loved himself (1 Sam 20:13-17)
Lord, we are inspired Jonathan
and David based their friendship
on commitment to You. And he
let nothing come between them,
not even personal and family.
Help us be people of integrity
by keeping promises even though
it may involve sacrifice. Amen.

Lord, we Return to U for Forgiveness:
Then David fled that day before Saul
and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And the servants of Achist said:
Is this not David the king of the land?
Did they not sing in dances saying:
Saul has slain his thousands and
David his 10,000? Now David took
these words to heart and was very
much afraid of Archist the king of
Gath. So he changed his behavior,
pretended madness (1Sam 21:10-13)
Lord, when in trouble, keep me
from the temptation to take matters
into my own hands. Rather than
devise scheme to avoid trouble,
give me courage to trust in You.
Even when I fail, keep me from
indulging in shame. And prompt
me to turn back to You so that
I may know Your forgiveness. Amen.

Lord, we Avail Ourselves for Service:
David therefore departed from there
and escaped to the cave of Adullam.
So when his brothers and all his
father’s house heard it, they went
down there to him. And everyone
who was in distress, everyone who
was in debt and everyone who was
discontented gathered to him.
So he became captain over them.
And there were about four hundred
men with him (1 Sam 22:1-2).
Lord, we note that David with Your
help managed to mould the 400
men into a strong fighting men and
did great exploits for the kingdom.
Help our leaders to manage people
from a range of backgrounds and to
be humble in accepting their failings.
Help our leaders to be both strong
and humble for church leadership
can be pretty tough work. Amen.