Month: September 2020

Get the Priorities Right (Sep 11)

Consider your ways & Finish what
you have begun are the resounding calls of prophet Haggai as he tries
to awaken the people spiritually.
They have just returned from exile
in Babylonia and are discouraged
by the destruction in the city.
But Haggai’s message brings encouragement, particularly to the governor, Zerubbabel, who must inspire the people. I am with you,
declares the Lord as the people are called to rebuild and fight against future oppression. There is hope and
future blessing for their obedience!

Lord, we’ll Straighten Priorities:
Thus says the Lord: Consider
your ways! Go up to the mountains
and bring wood and build the
temple, that I may take pleasure
in it and be glorified, says the Lord.
You expected much, but see,
it turned out to be little… Why?…
Because of my house, which
remains a ruin, while each of you is
busy with his own house (Hag1:8-9)
Yet now be strong Zerubbabel, and be strong Joshua the high priest;
and be strong all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work; for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts.
My Spirit remains among you, just
as I promised when you came out of
Egypt. So don’t be afraid (Hag2:4-5)

Lord, help us learn from Haggai’s
prophesy that one possible reason
one does not have enough may
be because of misplaced value.
Help us guard our spiritual priorities.
Help us allocate our time, energy
and resources, not to forget the
importance of pursuits that matter
to You God. And even as we seek
to further Your kingdom, won’t
You ambly provide for us. Amen.

Lord, help me to not be concerned
with outward appearance and
selfish pursuits, but rather to be
concerned with spiritual growth,
the condition of our hearts and the things that touch the hearts of You.
Help me to have my priorities
in order so that my walk with
You continues to grow closer
and deeper over time. Amen.

Lord, sometimes You God gives
us challenging tasks to do. And
they may seem completely out
of our reach; and we may feel
like just give up, thinking the job
is impossible. But Lord, no job
is impossible when You God
tells us it is part of Your plan
and You say it’s time to do it.
Empower us Lord with Your
wisdom & perseverance. Amen.

Waiting Upon God thro Hard Times

Habakkuk prophesies in Judah
before its overthrow by Babylonia. Honestly concerned with how God could chasten Judah by means of
a nation even more sinful than itself,
Habakkuk deals with 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.

Lord, we Trust by Waiting on You:
I will stand my watch & set myself
on the watch tower. And watch
to see what He will say to me…
Then the Lord answered me:
The vision is yet for an appointed
time; but at the end it will speak,
and it will not lie. Though it tarries,
Wait for it; because it will surely
come, it will not tarry. Behold the
proud… is not upright; but the just
shall live by his Faith (Hab 2:1-4).
Though the fig trees does not bud,
there are no grapes on the vines
and the olive crop fails… yet I will
rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful
in God my Savior. The Sovereign
Lord is my strength (Hab 3:17-19).

Lord, we note that to trust God
fully means to trust Him even
when we do not understand
why events occur as they do.
Help us to live by Faith by Waiting
upon You and trust that You God
will direct all things according
to Your purpose, Your way and
Your time. In Jesus’ precious name.

Lord, I have “heard all about You
and I am filled with awe by the
amazing things You have done.”
In our time of deep need, begin
again to help us as U did in years
gone by. Show us Your power to
save us. No matter what happens,
whether I see prayers answered,
I purpose to hold on In Faith.
And may my heart rejoice in You;
for You are my strength. Amen.

Oh Sovereign Lord, we need You.
Our strength is limited; but Your strength is endless. Fill us and empower us; enable us to do
all that You have called us to do.
May the same Spirit that raised
Jesus from the dead give us life
and strength to make thro all the
dark winters we are facing and
bear much fruit in Your time. Amen

Share Message of Compassion

God calls Jonah to warn Assyrian
city of Nineveh of impending
destruction. However the brutal
Assyrians are Israel’s bitter enemies
and Jonah both fears and despises
them. Instead of heading to Nineveh
Jonah sets sail in the opposite
direction. A storm ensues, Jonah
is tossed overboard & is swallowed
by a great fish. After three days
the fish deposits Jonah on dry land.
Jonah then goes to Nineveh and
preaches as God had instructed.
When the people repent, Jonah’s
resentment grows until God must
teach him a lesson in compassion.

Lord, we will Deliver Your Message:
The Lord spoke to Jonah a 2nd time.
Go to the great city of Nineveh and deliver the message of judgment…
This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command… He shouted to the
crowds:Forty days from now Nineveh
will be destroyed! The people of
Nineveh believed God’s message
and from the greatest to the least,
they decided to go without food and
wear sackcloth in sorrow (Jon 3:1-5)
Then God said: Is it right for u to be angry because the plant died? Yes,
Jonah retorted: even angry enough
to die! Then the Lord said: You feel sorry about the plant, though you
did nothing to put it there… But
Nineveh has more than 120,000
people living in spiritual darkness…
Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such
a great city? (Jonah 4:9-11).

Lord, learnt from passage that
Jonah was to preach only what
You told him: a message of doom.
Those who bring God’s Word to
others should not let fear of people
dictate their words. For they are
called to preach God’s message
and his truth, no matter how
unpopular it may be. Amen.

Lord, I know there are people all
around who need to hear Your
message of hope and truth –
people whom I might not even
notice, but whom You love deeply.
Reveal them to me so that I can
pray for them and perhaps speak
an encouraging word to them.
Prepare their hearts to receive
word from You through me. Amen.

Dear Lord, we acknowledge Your
Sovereignty & You are In Control.
Help us not run away from doing
Your purpose in the world but
instead to Deliver Your Message.
Help us to Be Compassionate,
including those who are different
from us in race or background.
Help us not be inward looking but be
Your missionaries wherever we are.
Help us to share the Good News for
People truly Need the Lord. Amen.

Guard Against Indifference (Sep 8)

In the midst of a period of prosperity
and peace, the northern 10 tribes
have become indifferent to God.
Their complacency, immorality and
idolatry will be tolerated no longer.
As for Israel, violence, oppression
& rebellion feature nation’s lifestyle.
First to Israel’s neighbours, then
to Israel herself, Amos forcefully
delivers God’s stern warning: I will
send a fire. And thro famine, drought,
pestilence & death, God patiently
called the nation back to Himself.

Dear Lord, You are good and holy;
and You require truth, goodness,
justice and righteousness from
all people and nations today.
Help us to Guard against tendency
to Indifference and Complacency.
Help us to Repent from our sins;
Help us to Be Open to Your Word;
Help us to Seek You & Your Truth.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we’ll Repent of our sins:
For three sins of Israel, even for
four, I will not turn back my wrath…
They trample..the heads of the poor
and deny justice to the oppressed…
I brought you up out of Egypt, and
…give you the land of the Amorites.
I also raised up prophets among You.
But you made the Nazirites drink
wine and commanded the prophets
not to prophesy (Amos 2:6-7, 10-12)
Lord, help me to hear Your voice in
the whirlwind & challenges of life.
Help me to recognise those people
who speak Your truth and to act
on the truth they bring. Search me
O God and know my heart; test me
and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way
and lead me into Your way. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Be Open to Your Word:
Hear this word that the Lord has
spoken against you, O Israel…:
You only have I known of all the
families of the earth; therefore
I’ll punish you for all your iniquities…
Surely the Lord does nothing
unless He reveals His secret
to His servants the prophets…
The Lord God has spoken! Who
can but prophesy? (Amos 3:1-8).
Lord, I pray I will always have good
friends & we’ll encourage & inspire
one another to walk closer to You.
Grant me friends who will tell me
the truth in love, give me sound
counsel and be a help in trouble.
And enable me to be that kind
of friend too to someone. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Seek You & Your Truth:
Seek the Lord and live! If you don’t,
He will roar through Israel like
a fire, devouring you…It is He who
turns darkness into morning and
day into night. It is He who draws
up water from the oceans and
pours it down as rain in the land.
With blinding speed and power
He destroys the strong, crushing
all their defenses (Amos 5:6-9).
Lord Almighty, It is You who
created heaven and earth; and
nothing can withstand Your power.
Your Word reminds me of Who You
are and calls me back to devotion.
Cause my heart to bow to Your
truth in scripture. Keep me from
the defilement of evil and guide
me along the path of life. Amen.

Return to the Lord (Sep 7)

Addressing hearts that have grown
cold to the things of God, Joel
confronts the people of Judah.
He reminds them of the destruction
brought by a plague of locusts and
warns of the castastrophe 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 unparalleled blessing
and the gift of peace to Zion!

Lord, we’ll Return & Be Redeemed:
The grapevines and the fig trees
have all withered… all the fruit trees
have dried up. All joy has dried up
with them. Dress… in sack-cloth.
Wail before the altar (Joel 1:12-13)
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

Lord, Thank You for being gracious
and merciful, not easily angered but
filled with kindness for Your people.
Grant not only me but our whole
community the gift of repentance,
so that we can return to You,
holy God with our whole hearts.
Thank You for not only hearing my cries for help, but also for bringing restoration to my life. In Jesus name.

Lord, thank You that it is never
too late to turn to You and see
Restoration happens in our life.
Even though there has been time
wasted when I didn’t live fully for U,
I pray that You’ll Redeem the time
and help me to make up for it.
Restore everything that has been
lost, wasted or ruined so that
I can testify of Your glory. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for Your Word
that everyone who calls on
Your name Will Be Saved.
Thank You for the promise to
hear and answer my cries for help.
Your rescue of me may not end
up looking like what I imagine but
You Lord do promise to deliver.
Grant me the faith to believe this
promise with all my heart. Amen.

Repent of Sins & Offences

In a series of visions, Ezekiel
foresees the what, why and how
of God’s judgment upon Judah.
The What: total destruction of
Jerusalem and the departure
of God’s glory from the temple.
The Why: generations of idolatry,
wickedness & spiritual indifference.
The How: through the cruel Baby-
lonians, God’s agents of judgment.
But the harshness of the sentence
is tempered by a tender reminder:
A remnant will survive, receive
sanctuary in a foreign country
and return to the Land of Promise.

Lord, Thank You for New Heart:
Tell the exiles, this is what the
Sovereign Lord says: Although
I have scattered u in the countries
of the world, I will be a Sanctuary
to you during your time in exile…
I will gather you… and give you
the land of Israel (Ezek 11:16-17).
I will give them an undivided Heart
and put a new spirit in them; I will
remove from them their heart of stone & give them a Heart of Flesh…
Then they will truly be my people;
and I will be their God (v19-20).
Rid yourselves of all the offences
you have committed, and get
a new heart and a new spirit.
Why will you die, O house of Israel?
So turn and live (Ezek 18:31-32).

Lord, I pray You will fill me with
Your love; and help me to keep my heart from wandering away from U.
Make my heart be undivided & take away any hardheartedness in me.
I invite You Lord to take charge of
my mind and emotions & help me
to give complete control to You.
Light a flame of desire in me for
You that never goes out. Amen.

Lord, Thank You that when we
become Christians, You did a
miracle by making us new inside.
You took out the hard cold hearts
and put in new & compassionate
hearts so that we are able to
serve, do good and help others.
Help us to have an ear for those
who need counsel or a kind word.
Help us to give practical helps
when someone has a real need.
Help us to intercede for people in
need and live as we should. Amen.

Lord, take away everything in my heart that is not right before You.
And help me Lord to get rid of
bad attitudes and wrong thinking.
Show me anything that has taken
root in my heart that should not be
there so that I can free myself of it before there’s a serious price to pay.
Help me clear the slate & begin again
with a new heart & right spirit. Amen

Divine Direction In Troubled Times

Though God’s people have marched
into exile, God’s Word continues
to come through the mouth of His
prophet. When Nebuchadnezzar
establishes a puppet governor over
the city of Jerusalem, Jeremiah
chooses to remain in the city –
and urges his countrymen to do
the same. But after Gedaliah’s
brutal assassination, the surviving
Jews disregard God’s command
and flee to Egypt for safety, taking
the unwilling prophet with them.
There Jeremiah predicts Egypt’s
destruction and Judah’s discipline
at the hands of Jehovah for knowing
what to do but refusing to do it.

Sovereign God wisely and lovingly
directs all creation to fulfil His
plans and He brings events to
pass according to His timetable.
As He is Lord over all the world and
because of God’s power and love,
our duty is to submit to His authority.
Lord, we Submit to Your Plan.
Lord, we Accept You are In Control.
Lord, we Trust You Get Us Through.
In Jesus precious name we pray.

Lord, we will Submit to Your Will:
Pray for us to the Lord for all this
remnant… that the Lord your God
may show us the way in which
we should walk and the thing
we should do (Jeremiah 42:2-3).
Do not be afraid of the king of
Babylon… for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand…
All the men who set their faces
to go to Egypt to dwell there.
They shall die by the sword,
by famine and by pestilence.
And none of them shall remain
or escape from the disaster that
I will bring upon them (v11 & 17).
Lord, it is good to look at the way
You God has worked in the past.
But this doesn’t mean we ignore
what You are saying at present.
For what seems sensible may go
against the bigger picture that
only the all knowing God can see.
Tell us Lord what we should do and
prompt us to check out Your will
on a regular basis. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, we Accept You are In Control:
The people refused to obey the Lord
and went to Egypt, going as far as
Tahpanhes. The Lord told Jeremiah:
While people of Judah are watching,
bury large rocks…at the entrance of Pharaoh’s palace here in Tahpanhes.
Then say to the people of Judah.
The Lord Almighty the God of Israel
says: I will surely bring my servant
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
here to Egypt. I will set his throne on
these stones I’ve hidden (Jer43:7-10)
Lord, the root of the rebellion of the
Jews was fear; for they were more afraid of Nebuchadnezzar than God.
They were more impressed by the king of Babylon’s power to punish them than by God’s ability to save.
Help us realise U Lord is sovereign
and is in control over all things.
And cause our hearts to abide in You
rather than turn against You. Amen.

Lord, we Trust You’ll Get Us Thro:
The word that prophet Jeremiah
spoke to Baruch in the fourth year
of Jehoiakim king of Judah saying:
Should you then seek great things
for yourself? Seek them not.
For I will bring disaster in all
people, declares the Lord, but
wherever you go I will let you
escape with your life (Jer 45:1-5).
Lord, be with me in the most trying
areas of my life, helping me in
ways I may not even comprehend.
Your Word says even though there may be troubles ahead when I walk with You, You will not let me fall.
Help me not to complain when
I go through difficult situations.
For You will Make A Way through
or provide means of escape. Amen.