Month: February 2021

God My Rock El Sali

Samuel 21-24 covers six topics
though out of strict chronological
order, form an appendix to the
main body of the historical book:
(1) a famine sent in judgment for
Saul’s treatment of the Gibeonites;
(2) a series of wars with Philistines;
(3) a psalm of deliverance & praise;
(4) a list of David’s mighty men
of value; (5) a sinful sensus; and
(6) the punishment that followed.
The closing paragraph of the
book portrays David in his natural
pose: worshiping God in humility.

All Praise be to El Sali:
The Lord lives! Blessed be
my Rock; Let God be exalted,
The Rock (El Sali) of my salvation!
It is God who avenges me…
He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above
those who rise against me;
You have delivered me…
Therefore, I will give thanks
to You, O Lord among the
Gentiles and sing praises to
Your name (2 Sam 22:47-50).

Lord El Sali, we bless Your name
for You reign over all. Upon the
strength of who You are, we find
a firm foundation to build our life.
Thank You for Your power and
strength which is available to us.
Thank You for providing stability
in this fallen and unstable world.
Thank You for being our rock,
the God of our salvation. Amen.

Lord El Sali, I enter each day
with the intention to trust
in You as Your names remind
me of Your great power.
Yet when the winds blow
and the waves rise, I may
just forget to look at You.
Forgive me each time I have
not sought refuge in You.
In Jesus’ gracious name, Amen.

Lord El Sali, as my rock and
my salvation, be my stability
when things are not stable.
Whisper to me in those times
when I’m unable to see You there.
Help me focus on Your eternal
throne and never-ending kingdom
for they are unshakable because
You are El Sali, my solid rock.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Crucifixion of the Son of God

In his account of Jesus’ trials,
John focuses on the appearances
before Pilate and the governor’s
futile efforts to release Jesus.
Yielding 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 and
7 disciples. Thru 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 Your light of the world.
In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Lord, we’ll Reach Out to the thirsty:
Jesus knew that everything was
now finished and to fulfill the
Scriptures he said: I am thirsty…
So when Jesus had received
the sour wine, He said: It is finished
and gave up His Spirit (Jn19:28-30)
Lord Jesus, You poured out Your life
like an offering and gave me living
water that saved & restored my soul.
Help me Lord to take that same
same living water and extend it
to those around who are thirsty.
Use me to reach out to the scorned
the abandoned and the unlovable,
with Your sacrificial love. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Believe without seeing:
And Thomas answered and said
to Him: My Lord and my God!
Then Jesus told him: Blessed
are those who have not seen and
yet have believed (Jn 20:28-29).
Lord, I know You want to bless
me in countless ways that will
require believing without seeing.
Help me to have the kind of strong
faith I need to overcome doubt.
Help me to have faith in Your
Word and Your promises and in
Your love, goodness and power.
Help me to trust that You are
answering my prayer even when
I can’t see it yet happening. Amen.

Lord, we will be Fishers of Men:
At dawn the disciples saw Jesus
standing on the beach, but
they couldn’t see who he was.
He called out: Friends, have you
caught any fish? No, they replied.
Then he said: Throw out your net
on the right-hand side of the boat
and you’ll get plenty of fish!!
So they did, and they couldn’t
draw in the net because there
were so many fish in it (Jn 21:4-6)
Lord, show me the best way to go
about the work You’ve called me
to do so that I can be more fruitful
for Your kingdom. Thank You for
creative ideas and fresh plans
I never would think of on my own.
I am so grateful that You delight
in revealing them to a willing heart.
And when You do, may I remember
to give You the credit. Amen.

Comfort from the Son of God

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 & His men
as He models true humility (John 13),
describes the Holy Spirit who will
comfort & empower them (Jn 14-16)
and intercedes for unity & protection
of His disciples worldwide (Jn 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 the Gift of the Spirit to help us.
We purpose to Remain in You;
and we pray for Unity among us.
And we pray that we will each
experience Your presence, peace,
help and uniting love in concrete
ways so that we in turn can share
it with others for Your glory. Amen.

Lord, we receive Your Gift of Peace:
(Jesus said): I Am leaving you
with a gift – peace of mind & heart.
And the peace I give isn’t like the
peace the world gives. So don’t
be troubled or afraid (Jn 14:27).
Lord, thank You for the peace
of mind and heart that You
provide for me. In the midst of my
circumstances, I want to receive
Your peace for my life. I love You
for overcoming the world through
Your work on the cross. Help me
to keep my eyes fixed firmly on You
and to enter into Your peace. Amen

Lord, we purpose to Remain in You:
I Am the vine, you are the branches.
If a man remains in Me & I in him,
he will bear much fruit; for apart
from Me you can no nothing…
If you remain in Me and My words
remain in you, ask whatever you wish
and it will be given you (Jn 15:5-7)
Lord, help me to walk close to
You each day and stay constantly
in communication with You –
both by talking and listening
to You speak to my heart.
Help me to stay deeply in Your
Word, learning more about You
and getting to know You better.
Help me increase in the knowledge
of Your ways and Your will. Amen

Lord, Your Spirit Helps Us:
Very truly I tell you, it is for
your good that I am going away.
Unless I go away, the Advocate &
Helper will not come to you; but if
I go, I will send Him to you (Jn 16:7)
When He the Spirit of truth comes,
He will guide you into all truth (v13)
Lord, hard times are to be expected
in this life; but thank You for
sending Your Spirit to help us.
Grateful I do not go through life’s
challenges alone; for You are with
me to help, counsel and pray for me.
Grateful for Your enabling presence.
Draw me to follow Your leading and
to yield to You. And cause Your
power to flow through me. Amen.

Lord, we pray for Unity among us:
(Jesus said): I am praying not
only for these disciples but also
for all who will ever believe in me
because of their testimony.
My prayer for all of them is that
they will be one, just as You and I
are one, Father – that just as You
are in Me and I Am in You, so they
will be in Us, and the world will
believe You sent Me (Jn 17:20-21)
Lord, I pray for unity with family
members, with other believers
and with all who know You.
May we be one with the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit.
May our unity show the world that
You Jesus came from the Father
and may others be drawn to You
and experience Your love. Amen.

Knowing God thru His Names.

The purpose of 1 Samuel is to
record the life of Samuel, Israel’s
last judge; the decline of Saul
the first king; and the preparation
of David, Israel’s greatest king.
And that of 2 Samuel is to depict
David as an ideal leader of an
imperfect Kingdom and to fore-
shadow Christ who will be the
ideal leader of a perfect kingdom.
This week we understand God
better thru His revelation of Himself
of various names, mostly related to
His ability to meet needs of people.
On Monday, we learn from 1Sam 7
that God Is Our Mighty Helper.
On Tuesday, we learn from
1 Samuel 10 the Spirit of God.
On Wednesday we learn from
1 Sam 17 about the Lord of Hosts.
On Thursday, we learn from
2 Sam 22 God of My Strength.
On Friday, we learn from
2 Sam 22 about God My Rock.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

God My Rock El Sali (Feb 19)

Samuel 21-24 covers six topics
though out of strict chronological
order, form an appendix to the
main body of the historical book:
(1) a famine sent in judgment for
Saul’s treatment of the Gibeonites;
(2) a series of wars with Philistines;
(3) a psalm of deliverance & praise;
(4) a list of David’s mighty men
of value; (5) a sinful sensus; and
(6) the punishment that followed.
The closing paragraph of the
book portrays David in his natural
pose: worshiping God in humility.

All Praise be to El Sali:
The Lord lives! Blessed be
my Rock; Let God be exalted,
The Rock (El Sali) of my salvation!
It is God who avenges me…
He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above
those who rise against me;
You have delivered me…
Therefore, I will give thanks
to You, O Lord among the
Gentiles and sing praises to
Your name (2 Sam 22:47-50).

Lord El Sali, we bless Your name
for You reign over all. Upon the
strength of who You are, we find
a firm foundation to build our life.
Thank You for Your power and
strength which is available to us.
Thank You for providing stability
in this fallen and unstable world.
Thank You for being our rock,
the God of our salvation. Amen.

Lord El Sali, I enter each day
with the intention to trust
in You as Your names remind
me of Your great power.
Yet when the winds blow
and the waves rise, I may
just forget to look at You.
Forgive me each time I have
not sought refuge in You.
In Jesus’ gracious name, Amen.

Lord El Sali, as my rock and
my salvation, be my stability
when things are not stable.
Whisper to me in those times
when I’m unable to see You there.
Help me focus on Your eternal
throne and never-ending kingdom
for they are unshakable because
You are El Sali, my solid rock.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

The God of My Strength (Feb 18)

Samuel 21-24 covers six topics
though out of strict chronological
order, form an appendix to the
main body of the historical book:
(1) a famine sent in judgment for
Saul’s treatment of the Gibeonites;
(2) a series of wars with Philistines;
(3) a psalm of deliverance & praise;
(4) a list of David’s mighty men
of value; (5) a sinful sensus; and
(6) the punishment that followed.
The closing paragraph of the
book portrays David in his natural
pose: worshiping God in humility.

Praise be to Elohei Ma’uzzi:
For who is God except the Lord?
And who is a rock except our God?
God (Elohei) is my strong (Ma’uzzi)
fortress; and He sets the blameless
in His way. He makes my feet
like the feet of deer, and sets me
on high places… You have given
me the shield of Your salvation;
Your gentleness has made me
great (2 Samuel 22:32-34, 36).

Lord, You are my strong fortress
and You’re the God of my strength.
In You are all power and might.
In You I find all that I need; and
In You I can find my strength.
Elohei Ma’uzzi, You are worthy
to be held in the highest esteem.
And I praise and thank You for
being strong and for being strong
for Your people. In Jesus’ name.

Lord Elohei Na’uzzi, forgive me
for doubting Your strength
and failing to access it in my
own life on a regular basis.
As a child of the almighty king,
I have access to Your strength,
and yet I often try to walk in my
own limited power. You must
have wonder why I don’t rely
on Your strength. Forgive me
for neglecting such a gift. Amen

Lord Elohei Ma’uzzi, gird me with
Your great strength; make my
heart strong and my mind wise.
Strengthen my hands to do all
You have assigned me to do.
Strengthen my mind to think
big because I serve a big God.
Strengthen my resolve when
life seems unfair or a struggle.
Elohei Ma’uzzi be my strength. Amen

The Lord of Hosts (Feb 17)

The rejection of a king after the
people’s heart (Saul) sets the
stage for the choice of a king
after God’s own heart (David).
A young shepherd with a disposition
more suited to pasture than palace,
David possesses few claims to fame.
He is a good marksman with a sling,
an excellent lyre player and the
youngest of eight sons from an
insignificant family in Bethlehem.
But his heart attitude is one of
undivided devotion – a quality readily
visible in the way David dispatches
the Philistine giant Goliath.

Praise be to Jehovah Tsaba:
David said to the Philistine:
You come to me with a sword,
a spear and a javelin, but I come
to you in the name of the Lord
of Hosts (Jehovah Tsaba),
whom you have taunted. This day
the Lord will deliver you into my
hand, and I will strike you and
take your head from you… that all
the earth may know that there is a
God in Israel. Then all this assembly
shall know that the Lord does not
save with sword and spear; for the
battle is the Lord’s and He will give
you into our hands(1Sam 17:45-47)

Jehovah Tsaba, Your name
alone was able to give David the
confidence to approach a trained
warrior twice his size. You have
the power to defeat the greatest
opponent as you’re Lord of Hosts.
Thank You for the power of Your
name, which gives us courage
to stand in the face of what
will normally frighten us. Amen

Jehovah Tsaba, it is so easy to be
frightened by the size of enemy;
just as the Israelite soldiers refused
to go out and face the Philistine.
Lord, I admit sometimes for
shrinking back from opposition
that seems to loom large over me.
Forgive my cowardice in the face
of trouble, for it is an affront to
Your sovereign power. Amen.

Jehovah Tsaba, just as You taught
David to trust You when he killed
the bear and the lion, prepare me
for the battles I will one day face.
When I reach those battles, remind
me that I have already overcome
in other situations and that as You
were with me then, You’ll be with me.
Give me Lord the courage of David,
for in that power,we can overcome
anything in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Spirit of God Ruach Elohim (Feb 16)

From all outward appearances,
Saul’s selection as the first king
of Israel is an outstanding choice.
His kingly demeanour & imposing
presence make him a promising
candidate from a human perspective.
But while man looks on the outward
appearance, the Lord looks on the
heart. Saul is anointed by Samuel,
installed as king at Mizpah, proven
in battle against the Ammonites
and confirmed as king at Gilgal.
But the fact remains (as pointed
out by Samuel in his final address
to the nation) that God not Saul
should be king over Israel.

Praise be to the Spirit of God:
Then Samuel took a flask of olive
oil and poured it over Saul’s head.
He kissed Saul on the cheek and
said: I am doing this because
the Lord has appointed you to be
the leader of His people Israel…
When you arrive at Gibeah of God,
where the garrison of Philistines
is located, you will meet a band
of prophets… and they will be
prophesying. At that time the
Spirit of the Lord will come upon
you with power, and you will
prophesy with them. You will be
changed into a different person…
When they came to the hill there,
behold a group of prophets
met Saul; and the Spirit of God
(Ruach Elohim) came upon him
mightily, so that he prophesied
among them (1 Sam 10:1, 5-6, 10)

Lord Ruach Elohim, in You we
put our hope and trust for You
are the Spirit of the living God. Because of You we can experience
the fullness of God in our lives.
Thank You for imparting the
wisdom of Your Word in our heart
and as You direct our thoughts.
Help us pray with words we don’t
even know we need to pray. Amen

Lord Ruach Elohim, forgive me
for the sins I harbour in my heart.
Forgive me for envy and becoming
ungrateful for all You’ve done for me.
Forgive me Lord when I am jealous,
comparing Your path for me with
the favour You have given to others.
Grant me the strength and help
to keep me from mortal sins in
the future. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord Ruach Elohim, I ask You to be
ever present in my spirit; and may
Your Holy Spirit dominate my own.
I don’t want to wrestle with fear
or doubt. Instead I want the trust
and rest that come from Your
presence to be evident in my life.
I seek You and Your closeness;
for I need Your presence in all I do.
And help me to know You and love
You as I ought to. In Jesus’ name.

God Is Our Mighty Helper (Feb 15)

When faith in God wavers, faith
in man-made objects increases.
The people of Israel carry the
ark of the covenant into battle,
confident that its presence will
ensure victory over the Philistines.
Instead they suffer a shattering
defeat in which 30,000 lives were
lost the ark of covenant captured. Upon hearing the news prophet
Eli falls back and breaks his neck.
It remains for Samuel to assume
the reins of leadership and guide
the people back to repentance.

Lord, You Are Our Mighty Helper:
(Samuel) pleaded with the Lord
to help Israel & the Lord answered.
Just as Samuel was sacrificing
the burnt offering, the Philistines
arrived for battle. But the Lord
spoke with a mighty voice of
thunder from heaven, and the
Philistines were thrown into
such confusion that the Israelites
defeated them (1 Sam 7:9-10).
Then Samuel took a stone and
set it up between Mizpah & Shen,
and called its name Ebenezer,
saying: Thus far the Lord has
helped us. So the Philistines
were subdued, and they did not
come anymore into the territory
of Israel. And the hand of the Lord
was against the Philistines all
the days of Samuel (v12-13).

Lord, You tell us to pray and give
us Your Word to guide our prayers.
And when Your people pray, You
show up. That’s why at the site
of the Israelite victory, Samuel in
thanksgiving erected a monument
with the name Ebenezer, meaning
the stone of help. It reminds us
to ask God for the help we need
each day and also not to forget to
thank You for the answers. Amen.

Lord, I praise You because You
are a God who hears and answers.
Just as You answered and moved
on behalf of Israel as they battled
their enemies, You move and work
these days on behalf of Your people.
Thank You for calling all of Your
people – young and old, to pray
and seek Your help in these days.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, Thou fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wondering from the fold of God.
He, to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood…
Lord, I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by Thy help I come.
Let Thy goodness like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander Lord I feel it;
prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above. Amen.

The Lord Is Peace Jehovah Shalom

Gideon, Israel’s fifth judge, receives
God’s call while hiding in a winepress.
Midian’s oppression is indeed severe
and Gideon is God’s man to lead
the people in throwing off that
yoke of bondage – an assignment
Gideon is not keen to accept!
But once convinced of his calling
thru two miraculous signs, Gideon
leads a humble army of 300 men,
equipped only with pitches, touches
and trumpets, in a stunning victory
against the mighty Midianite forces!
Israel’s unconventional weapons and
unusual battle plan leave no room
for doubt: The victory is the Lord’s!

Praise be to Jehovah Shalom:
Then the angel of the Lord touched
the meat and bread with the staff
in his hand, and fire flamed up from
the rock and consumed all he had
brought . When Gideon realized that
it was the angel of the Lord, he cried
out: Sovereign Lord, I have seen
the angel of the Lord face to face!
Then the Lord said to him:
Peace be with you; do not fear;
you shall not die. So, Gideon
built an altar there to the Lord
and named it The Lord Is Peace
Jehovah Shalom (Jdgs 6:21-24)

Lord Jehovah Shalom, in You
is fullness of peace and You
bring us peace in Your name.
For You still the storm within us
when we call on Your name. And
You bring peace to our heart & soul
when we abide in Your presence.
Thank You for making Your peace
available to us. And Thank You for
You Are My Peace and hope. Amen.

Lord Jehovah Shalom, peace escapes
many of us; and it also escapes
me more often than it should.
I realize that with faith comes
peace; with trust comes peace;
and with rest comes peace.
Forgive me for lacking in all three
and give me the grace of Your peace
so that I can truly live abundant life.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord Jehovah Shalom, I speak
shalom into my body and health.
I speak shalom into my mind,
my thoughts and my heart.
Let there be shalom in my plans,
in my future and in my relationships.
Lord, reveal to me the choices
I need to make to enter into an
even greater level of Your Peace.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.