Month: May 2021

God who Cares For You (May 31)

To Israel, a land steeped in idolatry,
God sends the prophet Hosea,
whose name means salvation. Just
as God foretold, Gomer deserts her
husband for other lovers -a graphic
depiction of Israel’s faithlessness
in response to God’s loyal love.
When Gomer sinks to the level of a
slave, Hosea is commanded to buy
her back, for she is still his wife.
In the same way the God pledges
His continuing love for His people,
even though their spiritual adultery
will result in captivity & enslavement
at the hands of the Assyrians

Lord,thanks for Hedge of Protection:
I Will Fence her in with thornbushes.
I Will Block the road to make her
lose her way. When she runs
after her lovers, she won’t be
able to catch up with them.
She will search for them but
not find them. Then she will say:
I will go and Return to my first
husband for then it was better
for me than now (Hos 2:6-7).
I Will Win her back once again…
I Will Be Faithful to you and
make you Mine (v14, 20). Amen.

Lord, I ask You to build a Hedge
of thorns to separate my friends
and loved ones from any
influence not ordained by You.
I pray that those who are a bad influence will lose interest and
flee and that my loved one would
lose interest in them as well.
And may that Hedge of thorns
defend against any contact with
those who are out of Your will. Amen.

Lord, You are holy and want us
to walk straight and narrow paths.
Put a hedge around us who can’t
see the destructive path or the
discipline to keep away from it.
Teach us Lord to pray with faith
and perseverance, knowing that
nothing is impossible to You Lord.
Help us to wait trusting You and
expect for breakthrough. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for Your nature
to Love Your people relentlessly.
Thank You for Your Care through
Your people, the caring community.
Thank You for showing Your love
through object lessons, as well as
those who provide practical help,
expertise, prayers and presence.
Thank You Lord for showing so
clearly Your love and that it’s indeed
great to be in Your family. Amen.

God of Wisdom & Revelation

The first 3 chapters of the book
describe the spiritual integrity
of Daniel and his three friends.
Selected for government service,
they resist the pressure to conform
to their pagan environment and
instead take a stand for God.
Whether in diet, truthfulness or
spiritual discipline, the four young
men live out their convictions.

Lord, grant us Your Revelation:
During the Night the mystery was
revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then
Daniel said: Praise be the name of
God… wisdom are His (Dan 2:19-20)
He Reveals deep and mysterious
things and knows what lies Hidden
in darkness… I thank and praise U
for You have given me Wisdom and
strength. You have told me what
we Asked of You and Revealed to us
what the king demanded (v22-23).
The king answered Daniel and said:
Truly your God is the God of gods,
the Lord of kings and a Revealer
of secrets, since you could
reveal this secret (Daniel 2:47).

Lord, it seems that in the middle of
the night problems appear larger.
At those times I am reminded that
You never sleep and I can come
to You and cling to Your presence.
I pray that at those times You will
give me the treasures of darkness,
as You have spoken in Your Word.
I pray You will fill my darkness with
Your light and give me peace. Amen

Lord, I praise Your mighty name
for You are the God who has
all wisdom and power, the One
who guides even world events.
You give wisdom to the wise
and You know what is hidden
in darkness and all mysteries.
Grant me Lord Your wisdom and
strength to handle the tricky
situations each day. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, we purpose not to lean on
our own understanding; but instead
to look to You the All Knowing One
for understanding and wisdom.
There are things we can’t know by
seeing or hearing are known by God
& U are willing to reveal them to us.
For no eye has seen,no ear has heard
& no mind has imagined what God
has prepared for those who love Him.
For Your Spirit searches out all things
and shows us God’s deep secrets.
So Lord, Reveal to us those things
which only You are custodian. Amen.

Walk Worthy of our Calling (May 30)

Backgrounder: Walk Worthy of
your calling..You are rich in Christ,
so live that way! But it takes
a lifetime to live out the reality.
The Christian’s conduct should
be consistent with his calling.
He is indescribably rich in Christ,
endowed with spiritual blessings.
But he must learn to walk in the
light of that wealth. A spiritual
war rages, and only those who
learn to appropriate and use the
full armour of God will be able to
stand against Satan’s wily attacks.

Gracious Lord, Thank You for giving
to us every spiritual blessings.
Grant us grace to walk in light of that
wealth and be worthy of our calling.
As part of Christ’s body, help
us live in vital union with Him;
so that our conduct be consistent
with this living relationship and
fulfill our role in the living church.
Help us Speak Words of Grace;
help us Live Wisely on earth and
help us Put On Your Armour. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Speak Words of Grace:
Let no corrupt word proceed out
of your mouth, but what is good
for necessary edification, that
it may Impart Grace to the hearers..
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger,
clamour and evil speaking be
put away from you, with all malice.
And be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God in Christ
forgave you (Eph 4:29-32).
Lord, may my heart and words
be full of encouragement and
may they Give Grace to others.
Work Your gentleness & patience
in me so that I won’t be so quick
to respond in ways that don’t
honour You. May the words of
my mouth and the thoughts of
my heart be pleasing to You,
O Lord, my rock & redeemer. Amen

Lord, we purpose to Live Wisely:
Be careful how you live. Don’t
live like fools, but like those who
are Wise, redeeming the time,
because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be unwise,
but understand what the will
of God is (Eph 5:15-17). Amen.
Lord, we purpose to Live Wisely
and make good use of our time.
Help us to sense Your presence
& purpose in every circumstance.
Help us see what You are doing
and what You want to do thro us.
Help us reflect each day to sense
what You are doing in our life and
where You are leading us. Amen.

Lord, we will Put On Your Armour:
Put On the full Armour of God
so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes…
Pray in the Spirit on all occasions
with all kinds of prayers & requests
With this in mind, be alert and
always keep on praying for
all the saints (Eph 6:11, 18).
Lord, I recognise because I have
aligned myself with You, the
enemy will wage war against me.
Help me Put On the full spiritual
Armour that You have provided.
Help me Lord to fully understand
the depth of truth, righteousness,
faith, a solid walk with Christ,
salvation, powerful prayer & the
sword of the Spirit Your Word.
Teach me how to use the armour
& perseverance practising it. Amen

Living Out Our Calling (May 29)

The Ephesians had unlimited
spiritual wealth at their disposal,
yet they lived as spiritual paupers.
So Paul wrote to encourage them
to claim their heavenly resources.
Only then could they draw on them for their earthly walk. And In Christ,
Christians are endowed with every
spiritual blessing as well as adoptn,
redemption, inheritance and power.

Lord, thanks for giving wonderful
spiritual blessings to Your body.
Praise U for being not just creator
and sustainer but also head of
the church. Because You Christ is
central to everything, help us Lord
place priorities under Your control.
Help us to Seek Your Ways;
Help us to Be Your Workmen;
Help us to Adore Your Love.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we will Seek Your Ways:
(I pray) that the eyes of your heart
may be enlightened in order that
you may know the hope to which
He has called you, the riches of His
glorious inheritance in the saints,
and His incomparably great power
for us who believe (Eph 1:18-19)
Lord, I pray that the eyes of my
heart will be opened to see the
Hope to which You have called me.
Help me to understand my true
Inheritance; and enable me to
comprehend the magnitude of
Your Power for I believe in You.
I seek more of Your presence
and Your power so that I can see
them manifested in my life. Amen.

Lord, we will Be Your Workmen:
For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God…
For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God Prepared
beforehand that we should
Walk in them (Eph 2:8-10).
Father, thank You for giving me
an enriching life that will never end.
Thanks for capacity to change and
help me grow to be more like Jesus
Give me spiritual gifts to serve
others. Work in me & through me.
Help me lead a purposeful life,
be a blessing to others and
thereby glorify Your name. Amen.

Lord, we will Adore Your Love:
May your roots go down deep into
the soil of God’s marvellous love.
And may you have the power to
understand, as all God’s people
should, how wide, how long,
how high and how deep His love
really is. May you experience
the love of Christ, though it is
so great you will never fully
understand it (Eph 3:17-19).
Lord, I want to understand and
experience Your Love in a deeper
way than I ever have before.
May Your love be my anchor
as Your Spirit causes my roots
to sink deeper in You. Grant me
the power to really understand
the limitless extent of Your love.
Reveal Yourself to me each day
and be the center of my life. Amen.

Knowing God thru His Names

The purpose of Daniel is to give
a historical account of the faithful
Jews who lived in captivity and
to show how God is in control,
directing the destiny of nations
and the care of His people.
This week we understand God better
thru His revelation of names, mostly
related to His ability to meet needs.
On Monday, we learn from Dan 2
about God of Wisdom & Revelation.
On Tuesday, we learn from
Dan 3 about the Most High God.
On Wed, we learn from Dan 4
about God Rules over all kingdoms.
On Thursday, we learn from Dan 7
about Our God: The Ancient of Days.
On Friday, we learn from Dan 9
about Lord of Holiness & Mercy.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

Lord of Holiness & Mercy

God’s people, a major force among
the Gentiles since days of Joshua,
now find themselves under Gentile
domination. But even world powers
don’t rise or fall without the consent
of almighty God. In a remarkable
collection of prophetic glimpses,
Daniel sets forth both the near
and distant future of God’s
chosen people; a future filled with
purifying judgment and blessing.

Holy Lord, we Come to You for Mercy:
But we have Sinned & done wrong.
We have rebelled against You
and scorned Your commands…
We have refused to listen to
Your… prophets (Daniel 9:5-6).
Now, our God, hear the prayers and
petitions of Your servant… We do
not make requests of You because
we are righteous, but because of
Your Great Mercy (Dan 9:17-18).
Seventy weeks are determined
for your people and for your holy
city… to make an end of sins,
to make reconciliation for iniquity,
to bring in everlasting righteousness
and to anoint the Most Holy (D9:24).

Lord, Daniel was an exceptional man
but even him had offended U God.
So in Daniel’s prayers, he took
responsibility for the sins that
he and his people had committed.
Help us Lord to learn from Daniel
not deny our faults but admit them.
Help us to be honest with You God,
confess our sins; so that we can
feel clean, relieved and prepared
to serve You forgiven. Amen.

Lord, I come to You not because
I am worthy but because You are.
You are full of mercy; and I need
Your mercy to be extended to me.
I need help with all things, but
especially with certain situations.
I thank You Lord that Your help
isn’t dependent upon my good
works, but upon Your goodness,
love and grace. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, let Your holiness manifest
itself in us; and may it transform
our thoughts, speech and actions.
You have purchased us our purity
at such a great cost; & we don’t
want it to be wasted in our lives.
Help us honour You in all we do
& help us focus on Your holiness.
And empower us to live a life
that is set apart to You Lord.
In Jesus’ gracious name, Amen.

Our God: The Ancient of Days

Backgrounder to Daniel 7-12:
The first half of Daniel’s book
centers around the prophet’s
personal adventures; the second
half focuses on his prophetic visions.
God’s people, a major political
and military force among the
Gentiles since the days of Joshua,
now find themselves under
Gentile domination. But even world
powers do not rise or fall without
the consent of almighty God.
In a remarkable collection of
prophetic glimpses, Daniel sets
forth both the near and distant
future of God’s chosen people –
a future filled with purifying
judgment and blessing.

Lord, we worship as You Reign:
Daniel had a dream as he lie in bed…
I watched as thrones were put in
place and the Ancient One sat down
to judge. His clothing was as white
as snow, his hair like purest wool.
He sat on a fiery throne & a river of
fire was flowing from His presence…
O Son of Man, You will come with
clouds of heaven. In the presence
of the Ancient of Days, You will be
given dominion and… a kingdom,
so that people of every nation…
will worship U (Dan 7:1, 9-10, 13-14)

Lord Jesus, we Praise You for taking
on human form to accomplish light,
life and liberation. All people will
eventually worship You someday.
We worship You Lord today for
You are our health and salvation.
And we choose to worship You
for You keep Your promises of lovingkindness. In Jesus’ name.

O Heavenly Father who has always
cared, provided and protected Your
children in all the ages, to You in
reverent awe our hearts are bowed.
O Lord Jesus, our Saviour and
Prince of Peace; to You we owe
with gratitude for blessed assurance
and the peace that still prevails.
O Holy Spirit, our Comforter
and Enabler, to You we owe the quickening power that gives peace and increase in all that we do. Amen.

Ancient of Days, who sittest
throned in glory,
To Thee all knees are bent,
all voices prayed;
Thy love has blessed the wide
world’s wondrous story
With light and life since
Eden’s dawning day.
O Triune God, with heart
and voice adoring,
Praise we the goodness
that doth crown our days;
Pray we that Thou will
hear us still imploring
Thy love and favour,
kept to us always.

God Rules over all kingdoms

Perhaps when you think of Daniel,
you think of a young man. But the
book of Daniel covers 70 years
in the life of this prophet of God.
Daniel was 76 years old in chap 4,
86 years in chap 5 and 93 in chap 6.
Throughout his days, Daniel’s faith
shines brightly, whether interpreting
a king’s dream, reading the
hand-writing on the wall, or
taking a stand for his God.

Lord, praise be the King of kings:
How great are His signs, and
how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom, and His dominion is from
generation to generation (Dan 4:3).
As he looked out across the city,
he said: Just look at this great city
of Babylon! I by my own mighty
power have built this beautiful city…
While he was still speaking these
words, a voice called down from
heaven, O King Nebuchadnezzar,
this message is for you! You are
no longer ruler of this kingdom…
You will live in the fields with the
wild animals and you will eat grass
like a cow… until you learn that
the Most High rules over the
kingdoms of the world and gives
them to anyone He chooses(v30-32)

Lord, thank You that wisdom and
understanding comes from U alone.
Thank U for reassuring knowledge
that You are in control of every area of my life. I can truly confess with my whole heart, through the words that Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed, “how great are Your signs & wonders;
and Your kingdom is everlasting.
Thank You that You are my God and
Saviour, for in You I have placed
my trust. Praise Your mighty name.

Lord, we note Nebuchadnezzar’s
prideful heart when he says:
“By my own mighty power,
I have built this beautiful city.”
Lord, we realise we can also
fall into prideful tendencies.
King of heaven, Your rule is ever
lasting and Your kingdom eternal.
Your acts are just and true; and
You are able to humble the proud.
Humble, restore and lead us. Amen.

Lord, If drunk with sight
of power, we lose
Wild tongues that have
not Thee in awe,
Such boasting as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the law
Lord God of hosts be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget. Amen.

The Most High God (May 25)

The first 3 chapters of the book
describe the spiritual integrity
of Daniel and his three friends.
Selected for government service,
they resist the pressure to conform
to their pagan environment and
instead take a stand for God.
Whether in diet, truthfulness or
spiritual discipline, the four young
men live out their convictions.

All Praise be to El Elyon:
Look! he answered: I see four
men loose, walking in the midst
of the fire; and they are not hurt,
and the form of the fourth is like
the Son of God. Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of
the blazing furnace and shouted:
Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego,
servants of the Most High God
(El Elyon), Come here! So
Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego
came out of the fire (Daniel 3:26).

Lord El Elyon, thank You for
showing us time and again that
You are over all, and delivering us
from the snares of the enemy.
You hold the power in Your hand
to keep the flames of life’s trials
from scorching us; and You have
the power to save. We will not
fear what man can do, for You
are El Elyon, the Most High God,
and You Lord are for us. Amen.

Lord El Elyon, we may tremble
when life’s troubles surrounds us,
whether in work, finances or
health through worry or fear.
Yet You Lord are El Elyon, Most
High God and knows everything.
Forgive us for looking only at
what we can see, things that
seem so certain to harm us
rather than looking at You.

Lord El Elyon, we ask You manifest
Your might more & more each day.
Too often we look to ourselves
when we get into difficulties;
and so often we become fearful.
Help us look to You; for You are
not only Creator God, but also
Elyon Most High. Grant us power
when we feel faint; increase
our strength when we are weak;
and help us wait upon You. Amen.

God of Kings & Revelation

The first 3 chapters of the book
describe the spiritual integrity
of Daniel and his three friends.
Selected for government service,
they resist the pressure to conform
to their pagan environment and
instead take a stand for God.
Whether in diet, truthfulness or
spiritual discipline, the four young
men live out their convictions.

Lord, grant us Your Revelation:
During the Night the mystery was
revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then
Daniel said: Praise be the name of
God… wisdom are His (Dan 2:19-20)
He Reveals deep and mysterious
things and knows what lies Hidden
in darkness… I thank and praise U
for You have given me Wisdom and
strength. You have told me what
we Asked of You and Revealed to us
what the king demanded (v22-23).
The king answered Daniel and said:
Truly your God is the God of gods,
the Lord of kings and a Revealer
of secrets, since you could
reveal this secret (Daniel 2:47).

Lord, it seems that in the middle of
the night problems appear larger.
At those times I am reminded that
You never sleep and I can come
to You and cling to Your presence.
I pray that at those times You will
give me the treasures of darkness,
as You have spoken in Your Word.
I pray You will fill my darkness with
Your light and give me peace. Amen

Lord, I praise Your mighty name
for You are the God who has
all wisdom and power, the One
who guides even world events.
You give wisdom to the wise
and You know what is hidden
in darkness and all mysteries.
Grant me Lord Your wisdom and
strength to handle the tricky
situations each day. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, we purpose not to lean on
our own understanding; but instead
to look to You the All Knowing One
for understanding and wisdom.
There are things we can’t know by
seeing or hearing are known by God
& U are willing to reveal them to us.
For no eye has seen,no ear has heard
& no mind has imagined what God
has prepared for those who love Him.
For Your Spirit searches out all things
and shows us God’s deep secrets.
So Lord, Reveal to us those things
which only You are custodian. Amen.