Month: June 2021

God who is Refiner & Purifier

Years after the restoration from
exile, the spiritual condition of
God’s people has deteriorated.
Again they have lapsed into the
same sins that brought about
captivity. They tithe sporadically,
ignore the Sabbath and intermarry
with unbelievers. Their hearts
have grown hard and their love
for God has grown cold, yet
Malachi comes to remind the
people of God’s love for them.
Malachi’s final warning about
the purifying Day of the Lord
marks the close of the OT period
which is followed by 400 years
of silence in the biblical record.

Lord, Purify My Heart:
Who can endure the day of
His coming? And who can
stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire…
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier
of silver; He will purify the sons
of Levi, and purge them as gold
and silver, That they may offer
to the Lord an offering in
righteousness (Malachi 3:2-3).
And I will come near you for judgment… because they do not
fear Me, says the Lord of hosts.
For I am the Lord, I do not change…
You have gone away from My
ordinances and have not kept them.
Return to Me and I will return to you,
says the Lord of hosts (v5-7).

Lord, Your holy fire burns within
and purges every secret sin.
Your life in me ignites the fire
that fulfils my heart’s desire.
The Spirit’s work, my life made new
transformed within, ablaze with You.
A heart like Yours, my one desire:
Do Your work, Refiner’s Fire.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, help me to remember
that I can rest in the truth
that You control all things.
You Lord never changes; for
You are in essence the same yesterday, today and forever.
When my life is like in a whirlwind,
and I begin to lose my bearing,
give me Lord the needed wisdom
so that I can anchor myself to
Your unchanging character. Amen.

Lord, Purify my heart
Let me be as gold & precious silver.
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold, pure gold.
Refiner’s fire
My heart’s one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You, Lord.
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You, my Master
Ready to do Your will. Amen.

God who Is Humble & Gracious

Though horrible judgment would
fall on Israel’s neighbours, Israel
would be preserved for the long-
awaited day of her Messiah’s arrival.
The King of Zion would come
riding upon the colt of a donkey
to defend His people and defeat
His enemies just as He promised.
Zechariah closes his prophecy
with a breathtaking panorama of
events in store for Israel in that day.

Lord, help us be humble & gracious:
Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion!
Shout O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly & riding on a donkey (Z9:9).
In that day the Lord will defend
the inhabitants of Jerusalem…
And I will pour on the house of David
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
the Spirit of Grace and supplication;
then they will look on Me
whom they pierced. Yes they
will mourn for Him as one mourns
for his only son (Zech 12:8, 10).
In that day a fountain shall be
opened for the house of David
and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem
for sin and uncleanness (Zech 13:1)

Lord Jesus, You came so gently
and humbly to us, Your people.
And the world senselessly crucified
You instead of bowing to You.
Forgive us Lord in Your grace
and mercy. Grant our eyes the
vision to see You are a good King.
In Your power, help us overcome
all resistance and rebellion.
And lead and bring us under
Your loving rule. In Jesus’ name.

Lord Jesus, we look forward to the
day when You reign as King on earth.
Meanwhile, our hearts are burdened
over the millions in our world who
have not yet come to the fountain.
Spirit, help us to bring them, out
of unbelief, out of hardness, out of
rebellion to the cleansing fountain.
This we desire because we know
You are not willing any should perish
but all should come to repentance.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord Jesus, thank You so much
for Your sacrifice on the cross;
for without the shedding of blood
there is no remission of sin.
Thank You that because of Your
great act of love, we have our sins
washed away & receive restoration
of relationship with Father God.
Spirit of Christ, we ask Your enabling
for apart from U we can do nothing.
And in appreciation we declare Your
redeeming love thro our lives. Amen

God who Moves by His Spirit

The opening six verses of Zechariah
give the reader valuable insight
into how the visions that Zechariah
relates should be interpreted.
God is calling His people back
to a fresh commitment to Him –
a commitment demonstrated in rearranged priorities & rekindled
worship. God desires to cleanse
and use His nation. Like a candle-
stick and lamps, Israel can bear
light to a darkened world “not
by might, nor by power, but by
my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

Lord, we’ll Move by Your Spirit:
Now the angel who talked with
me came back and wakened me…
And he said… What do you see? So
I said: there is a lampstand of solid gold…and two olive trees are by it…
And (the angel) said to me:
This is the word of the LORD
to Zerubbabel: Not by might
nor by power, but by My Spirit,
says the Lord of hosts.
Who are you O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall
become a plain (Zech 4:1-3, 6-7).

Almighty God, I acknowledge
that I cannot do all You have
called me to do, except that
Your Spirit enables me to do it.
I depend on You Lord to help
me get where I need to go.
I worship You as the light of
my life who illuminates my path
and guides every step of the way.
I praise Yoy as the all-powerful
God for whom nothing is too hard.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord of heavenly hosts,
quieten my soul so that I can
hear the truth that the Spirit
would like to reveal to me.
I realise addictive behaviours can
interfere with God’s call on my life.
Thank You Lord for loving me,
even when I struggle with yielding,
or even refuse to surrender what
Your Spirit has revealed to me.
Bear with me I pray. In Jesus’ name.

Father God, forgive me for the
times when I try to do Your work
in my way and by my power.
Realising I cannot only accomplish
Your work by trusting in Your Spirit,
I now yield myself now to You
Lord. Fill me with Your Spirit;
and do immeasurably more
than all that I ask or imagine.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

God Who Speaks (June 15)

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).
Then… Zerubbabel… with all the
remnant of the people, obeyed the
Voice of the LORD their God (v12).
Yet now be strong Zerubbabel…
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 pursuits that matter to You.
And even as we seek to further
Your kingdom, won’t Yo provide
for our needs. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

Lord, sometimes You God gives
us challenging tasks that seem completely out of our reach;
and we may feel like giving 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 and perseverance. Amen.

God who Keeps Promises

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 praise You for Your
lovingkindness & Your faithfulness.
We thank You Lord for recording
Your Word for us so that through endurance, the encouragement
of scriptures and of Your Spirit,
we might have confident hope.
Thank You that Your rhema word
will surely come to pass and
grant us the strength to wait
upon You. In Jesus’ mighty name.

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 Lord 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’ mighty name.

Merciful and faithful Lord, I pray
especially over people right now
who are experiencing loss,
who are experiencing suffering,
who are undergoing severe trial,
who are walking through tough
health challenge even facing death.
God, I pray for joy in suffering.
God, I pray for a satisfaction in You;
God, I pray for a strength from You,
a joy in You that supersedes the hardest circumstances. Amen.

Mighty One who Will Save

Writing at perhaps the lowest
point in the spiritual life of Judah,
Zephaniah’ primary concern is
the impending Day of the Lord.
That day would signify the final
judgment of God on earth and the
ensuing time of blessing & peace.
Zephaniah knows when judgment
is finally over, God will once again
look with favour on His people;
Restore their fortunes, Rejoice
over them and dwell among them.

Lord, You are Mighty to Save:
In that day… do not fear; Zion,
let Not your hands be weak.
The Lord your God is With you,
He is Mighty To Save.
He will Take Great Delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will Rejoice over u with singing…
Behold at that time,
I will deal with all who afflict you;
I will save & gather those driven out..
I will bring you back…
I will give you fame and praise
among all the peoples of the earth…
says the LORD (Zep 3:16-20) Amen.

Lord, I have peace and joy in
knowing You are always With me
and have the Power To Save me
from harm, plans of the enemy
and You can move the mountain!
Help me to remember at all times,
even when going through difficult
situations that my foundation is
in You and my security is sustained
by Your Great Love for me. Amen.

Lord, we may struggle with fear
that You don’t like us due to
our stubborn commitment to sin.
We may even feel that You God
has deserted us in our difficulties.
Thanks for Your promise in Zep 3
that helps us put such fears to rest.
The reality is that You take great
delight in us with gladness.
In fact Your promise is not only
to rescue and restore us but also
to rejoice over us with songs. Amen

Lord, I’m blessed You Delight in me,
even after rebuking me for wrongs.
Thank You Sovereign God for being
indeed a loving Heavenly Father
rather than a stern disciplinarian.
Thank You that You much prefer
to rejoice with us than to rebuke us.
Thank You for loving me so much
that You would sing over me.
In adoration and thanksgiving,
I offer You my heart unreservedly &
say how much I appreciate U. Amen

Living Out Complete In Christ

Backgrounder: Heresy that Jesus
is neither central nor supreme is
undermining the Colossian church.
Paul’s responds to these false
teachings by upholding Christ as
the Preeminent Head of the church
and speaks against man-made
regulations & ritualistic worship.
Instead of their present practices,
Paul encourages them to pursue
a godly life befitting those
who are risen with Christ.

Christ Jesus, we praise You for
being Supreme God, Lord of all creation as well as head of the Church & we pledge loyalty to You.
Help us be Christ-centered and
live in Constant Contact with You.
Help us to Be Heavenly Minded;
help us to Seek Your Voice; and
help us to Pray for One Another.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we’ll Be Heavenly Minded:
Since you have been raised to
new life with Christ, set your sights
on the realities of heaven, where
Christ sits at God’s right hand
in the place of honour and power.
Let Heaven Fill Your Thots. Do not
think only about things down here
on earth. For you died when Christ
died, and your real life is hidden
with Christ in God (Col 3:1-3).
Lord, help me to see with new
eyes of faith from these days.
Instead of the troubles in this world,
help me focus on You, the author
and finisher of my faith; the lover
as well as the keeper of my soul.
Help me to trust in the realities of
Your kingdom more than I trust what
I can experience physically. Amen.

Lord, we Seek Your Voice & Will:
Let the message about Christ,
in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other
with all the wisdom He gives.
Sing… spiritual songs to God
with thankful hearts (Col 3:16).
Lord, we want to find truth and
meaning & live purposeful lives.
But we are often confused and
disillusioned; for the world is full
of lies, fears and unholy agendas.
Help us focus even as we purpose
to fill our mind and heart with Your
words so that our spirit be more
sensitive to Your voice. Amen.

Lord, we will Pray For One Another:
Devote yourselves to prayer with
an alert mind and a thankful heart.
Don’t forget to pray for us too,
that God will give us many
opportunities to preach Christ…
Epaphras from your city, always
prays earnestly for you, asking God
to make you strong and perfect,
fully confident of the whole
Will of God (Col 4:2-3 & v12).
Lord, help us to truly realise that
prayer is the most important work
and that it’s worth our time & effort.
Grant us the strength of heart and
perseverance that Epaphras had, to
pray earnestly for fellow Christians
that they will be mature believers.
Make us strong and to live fully confident of Your Will. Amen.

Complete In Christ(Jun 12)

All is not well in Colosse.
A dangerous heresy – that
Jesus Christ is neither central nor
supreme is undermining the church.
Apostle Paul’s response to
these false teachings is two-fold.
First, he upholds Christ as the
preeminent Head of the church.
Next, he speaks out against the
rituals and man-made regulations
which typify worship at Colosse.

Dear Jesus Christ, we praise You
for Being Supreme for You are God
in the flesh, Lord of all creation
as well as head of the Church.
Because our sin has been forgiven
and we have been reconciled
to God, we have a union with
Christ that cannot be broken.
Help us to Know Your Will.
Help us to Submit Your Preeminence.
Help us to Be Complete In You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we seek to Know Your Will:
We have not stopped praying for
you & asking God to fill you with the
Knowledge of His Will through all
spiritual wisdom & understanding
that u may walk worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing Him, being fruitful
in every good work and increasing
in the knowledge of God (Col1:9-10)
Lord, I pray for the people You
have put in my life & in my heart.
Fill them with wisdom and under-
standing and the knowledge of
Your Will so that they will stay
on the path You have for them.
I pray they will learn to hear Your
voice and come to know You
better, so that they can have
a closer walk with You. Amen.

Lord,You’re Supreme & Preeminent:
(Christ) existed before anything
was created and is supreme
over all creation, for through Him
God created everything in the
heavenly realms and on earth…
Everything was created through
Him and for Him. He existed
before anything else & He holds
all creation together. And He is
the head of the body, the church..
that in all things He may have
the preeminence (Col 1:15-18).
Lord, You created me for
a purpose and help me be all
that You have created me to be.
Lord Jesus, I adore You not only
for Your sacrificial love, but also condescending to live in me.
Help me to let You have the preeminence in all things.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord Jesus, we’re Complete In You:
As you have received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted
and built up in Him & established
in the faith… abounding in it
with thanksgiving (Col 2:6-7).
In Christ the fullness of God
lives in a human body, and
you are complete through your
union with Christ (Col 2:9-10).
Lord, You are completely great
for You have chosen to live in me.
Help me to fully trust You, knowing
You are in control of all situations.
And that You are using everything
that happens in my life to show me
that I Am Complete In You. Amen.

Knowing God thru His Names

The purpose of the Twelve Minor
Prophets is to focus on warnings
of impending judgment, teachings
on righteous living, encouragement
to the faithful and oppressed and
prediction of God’s future plans.
This week we understand God better
thru knowing His attributes, mostly
related to His ability to meet needs.
On Monday, we learn from Micah 4
about the Lord of the Whole Earth.
On Tuesday, we learn from
Micah 6 about God on High.
On Wed, we learn from Micah 7
about God who shows Unfailing Love.
On Thursday, we learn from Hab 2
about God who Keep Promises.
On Friday, we learn from Hab 3
about God who Gives Strength.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

God who Gives Strength (Jun 11)

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, You are Our Strength:
I am filled with awe by the amazing
things You have done. In this time
of our need, begin again to help us,
as You did in years gone by. Show
us Your power to save us (Hab 3:2)
Even though the olive crop fails
and the fields lie empty & barren;
even though the flocks die in the
fields & the cattle barns are empty,
yet I Will Rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of
my salvation (Hab 3:17-18).
The Sovereign Lord is My Strength;
He makes my feet like the feet
of a deer, He enables me to tread
in the heights (Hab 3:19). Amen.

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 You did in years
gone by. Show us Your power to
save us. No matter what happens
whether I see prayers answered,
may my heart rejoice in You.
I will find my joy in You, for
You are my strength. Amen.

Oh Sovereign Lord, I need You;
For my strength is limited;
but Your strength is endless.
Fill me, empower me Lord,
and enable me to do all that
You have called me 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

Lord, I want to experience You in
fresh ways so that I can truly say
I desire You more than anything.
You Lord and You alone are
the Strength of My Heart; and I
am thankful You are mine forever.
Although I may face threats to my
health, finance, safety in this world,
but You are the Strength of my life.
Nothing can separate me from
Your love; but open my eyes Lord
to see Your care for me. Amen.