Month: October 2021

The Lord’s My Shepherd

Backgrounder on Psalms 19-24:
The Lord can be seen in many
different roles in these six psalms.
He is the Creator (P19), Helper
(P20), King (P21), Crucified One
(P22), Shepherd (P23) & Glorious
One (P24). For each role, there
is a corresponding responsibility
for the people who would follow
Him as their God, King & Shepherd.

Lord, You Provide, Guide & Protect:
The Lord is My Shepherd, I Lack
Nothing & have everything I need.
He Leads me besides peaceful
streams. He Guides me along right
paths… Even when I walk thro the
darkest valley, I will not be afraid
for You are close beside me.
Your rod and staff Protect and
comfort me (Ps 23:1-4). Amen.

Lord, the Shepherd of my soul,
praise & thank You for Your Care.
You are not just my Creator and
my God; You are not just the King
and the Judge of the universe. For
You are my Shepherd & I’m blessed
for because of You, I Lack Nothing.
Keep me from complaining; and
Keep me from fear and worry; for
You’ll Provide all my needs. Amen.

Lord Shepherd, it is comforting
to know that I am not alone in
the journey of life. Thank You
that You are ever so vigilant,
Guiding and watching over me.
And thank You that You love to
lead me to “Peaceful streams”.
So, help me to always respond to
Your sweet small voice and stay
close to You. And I gladly Follow
You as You call my name. Amen.

Lord Shepherd, You faithfully
feed, guide and above all Protect
Your flock with Your very life.
Lord, You are always close by,
You protect & comfort us, and
You protectively watch over us.
Merciful Lord and dear Shepherd,
in my darkest moments when I’m
very afraid and I cry out to You,
please extend Your hand to hold
my hand. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Knowing God thru His Shepherding

The historical books tell of the entry
of Israelites into the Promised Land,
the monarchy, its division and exile;
whilst the purpose  of Psalms is to
provide poetry for the expression of
praise, worship and prayers to God.
This week we understand God better
thru seeing His Shepherding Ways.
On Monday, we learn from Josh 24
about God Who Backs His People.
On Tuesday, we learn from 1Sam 17
about God Who Is Our Defender.
On Wednesday, we learn from 1Kgs 3
about God Who Gives Wisdom.
On Thursday, we learn from Ps 23
about The Lord My Shepherd.
On Friday, we learn from Psa 32
about the Lord My Hiding Place.
On Saturday, we learn from Psa 103
about the Lord Who Gives Benefits.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

The Lord who Gives Benefits

In Psalm 103, the psalmist urges
you to count your blessings. And
Psalm 98-102 provide plenty of
ideas to help you do just that by
focusing on the many things for
which you should be thankful:
your salvation (Ps 98) answered
prayer (Ps 99), God’s Goodness and
Mercy (Ps 100), God’s justice and
holiness (Ps 101) and God’s care
when you are downcast (Ps 102).

Lord, You Bless Your People:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
Forget Not All His Benefits –
who forgives all your sins,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life fr destruction
who crowns you with lovingkindness
who satisfies your desires with
Good things (Psalm 103:2-5).
The Lord is Merciful and Gracious,
slow to anger & abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us, nor
will He keep His anger forever(v8-9)
The Lord is like a father to his
children, tender & Compassionate
to those who fear Him. For He
knows how weak we are (v13-14).

Lord, You are worthy of praise,
for You do countless Good things
for Your children. Forgive us for
the times we fail to acknowledge
Your many blessings in our lives.
Forgiveness, healing, rescue,
love and mercy, You indeed fill our
lives with undeserved blessings.
Teach us Lord the wonderful habit
of counting our blessings. Amen.

Lord, You are Merciful & Gracious,
full of unfailing love; and I ask U to
reveal this in my life in these days.
Grateful for revealing Your wondrous
attributes to me in Your Word.
Open my eyes to who You really are
so that my prayers will rest on the solid foundation of Your character.
And may my prayers have dunamis
power because they are based on
the truth about You Lord. Amen.

Lord, in Your mercy, do not leave
us exposed to lack or danger.
Remember we are weak and
we can get easily discouraged.
Please do not test us too long,
beyond what we are able to bear.
Instead encourage us with ready
manifestation of Your presence.
Strengthen us Lord in the spirit
when we are deeply discouraged.
Help us see Your Compassion and
loving kindness toward us. Amen.

The Lord My Hiding Place

Psalms 31-36 show how a proper
perspective can help you face
any circumstance; and can bring
you from gloom to glory (Ps 31)
from failure to deliverance (Ps 32),
fr false security to secured trust(P33)
from affliction to adoration (Ps 34),
from persecution to praise (Ps 35)
and from darkness to light (Ps 36).

Lord, You Are My Hiding Place:
When I kept silent,
my bones grew old through
my groaning all the day long…
For this cause everyone
who is godly shall pray to You…
You are My Hiding Place;
You protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs
of Deliverance (Psalm 32:3-7).
The Lord says: I Will Guide you
along the best pathway for your life.
I will Watch over you… (And)
he Who Trusts in the Lord,
mercy shall surround him (v8-10).

Lord, Thank You for giving us
security in midst of insecurity,
peace in the storm of life, and
a Hiding Place in Your safe arm.
Thank You for Your promise
that Your unfailing love will
surround those who Trust You.
And they who dwell in the shelter
of the Most High will rest in the
shadow of the Almighty. Amen.

Lord, You promise that You will
Guide Your people along the
best pathways for their lives.
Thank You for Your assurance
of direction and protection.
So, Guide me Lord day by day;
and give me the strength to step
out with courage and faith as
I sense Your leading. Amen.

Lord, You are My Hiding Place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
Let the weak say I am strong
In the strength of the Lord
I will trust in You. Amen.

The Lord’s My Shepherd (Oct 28)

Backgrounder on Psalms 19-24:
The Lord can be seen in many
different roles in these six psalms.
He is the Creator (P19), Helper
(P20), King (P21), Crucified One
(P22), Shepherd (P23) & Glorious
One (P24). For each role, there
is a corresponding responsibility
for the people who would follow
Him as their God, King & Shepherd.

Lord, You Provide, Guide & Protect:
The Lord is My Shepherd, I Lack
Nothing & have everything I need.
He Leads me besides peaceful
streams. He Guides me along right
paths… Even when I walk thro the
darkest valley, I will not be afraid
for You are close beside me.
Your rod and staff Protect and
comfort me (Ps 23:1-4). Amen.

Lord, the Shepherd of my soul,
praise & thank You for Your Care.
You are not just my Creator and
my God; You are not just the King
and the Judge of the universe. For
You are my Shepherd & I’m blessed
for because of You, I Lack Nothing.
Keep me from complaining; and
Keep me from fear and worry; for
You’ll Provide all my needs. Amen.

Lord Shepherd, it is comforting
to know that I am not alone in
the journey of life. Thank You
that You are ever so vigilant,
Guiding and watching over me.
And thank You that You love to
lead me to “Peaceful streams”.
So, help me to always respond to
Your sweet small voice and stay
close to You. And I gladly Follow
You as You call my name. Amen.

Lord Shepherd, You faithfully
feed, guide and above all Protect
Your flock with Your very life.
Lord, You are always close by,
You protect & comfort us, and
You protectively watch over us.
Merciful Lord and dear Shepherd,
in my darkest moments when I’m
very afraid and I cry out to You,
please extend Your hand to hold
my hand. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God Who Gives Wisdom (Oct 27)

In the final hours before his death,
David charges Solomon to walk
before the Lord in integrity and
truth – a request which Solomon
fulfills in the early days of his reign
by ruling with justice, humility
and honesty before God and man.
Presented with a “blank cheque”
by God, Solomon asks for wisdom
to rule skilfully rather than wealth.
In return, God Gives him both!

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to
Solomon: Ask! What shall I Give u?
And Solomon said: O Lord my God,
You have made Your servant king…
Therefore give to Your servant
an understanding heart to judge
Your people, that I may discern
between good and evil. For who
is able to judge this great people
of Yours? The speech pleased
the Lord that Solomon had asked
this thing. Then God said to him:
Because you have asked this thing
understanding to discern justice…
I have given you a wise and
understanding heart, so that there
has not been anyone like you…
And I have also given you what
you have not asked: both riches
and honour, so that there shall
not be anyone like you among
kings all your days (1Kgs 3:5-13).

Lord, we are grateful that whenever
we are lost or unsure of what to do,
we can always seek You for wisdom.
Thank You Lord for divine wisdom,
which we can readily find in Your
Word as well as asking You for it.
Your word assures if I lack wisdom,
I can ask God who gives generously.
Thank You that the wisdom from
heaven is full of good fruit. Amen.

Lord, help us seek Your wisdom;
open our ears to it and help us to
recognise wisdom when we hear it.
Give us Lord the wisdom to know
what to do, how to do and the
courage to follow through on it.
And we know even as we put
You God and Your agenda first
that You will satisfy all our needs.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, help us not only to hear
and meditate on Your Words
but also put them into practice
so that we can be like a wise man
who built his house on the rock.
And help us take care how we live,
not as the unwise but as wise;
making most of every opportunity
to be a source of blessing and to
lead others to Your kingdom. Amen

God Who Is Our Deliverer (Oct 26)

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
the pasture than the 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 and
handles Saul’s jealous attacks.

Lord,we Remember Your Deliverance:
Saul said to David: You are not
able to go against this Philistine;
for you are a youth, and he a
man of war from his youth…(But)
David said: The Lord Who Delivered
me from the paw of the bear,
He Will Deliver me from the hand
of this Philistine (1 Sam 17:33-37).
Then David said to the Philistine,
You came to me with a sword,
with a spear and with a javelin.
But I come to You in the name
of the Lord of hosts, the God of
Israel whom you have defiled…
So David prevailed over the
Philistine with a sling and a stone
and… killed him (1 Sam 17:45-50)

Father God, just as You taught
David to trust You when he killed
the bear and the lion, prepare me
for the battles I will face one day.
And when I reach those battles,
remind me I had overcome in other
situations and that as You were with
me then, You will be with me again.
Give me the courage of David to
take up the armour of God, for with
it I can overcome anything. Amen.

Lord, help us remember our past
deliverance and know that You
will continue to be our Deliverer.
Help us have the same perspective
of David where size of the giant
is irrelevant, for Goliath was puny
when compared with almighty God.
Help us to be trained in the power
of God, fixing our eyes on You God,
then we’ll not fear the giant. Amen.

Lord, remind us that prayer is
not something that only happens
in the quietness of a moment.
Prompt us to cry out to You whilst
in battle & desperate moments for
deliverance may be a prayer away.
Strengthen our faith in You so that
we’ll not forget or give up praying.
And enable us to stand strong
in prayer, giving thanks for Your
presence and deliverance. Amen.

God who Backs His People

After being commended for their
faithful service in conquering the
land of Canaan, the warriors of the
tribes east of Jordan are sent home.
They recognise the Jordan River
(which forms a natural barrier
between the tribes) may one day
form a spiritual barrier as well.
To prevent this, a memorial altar
is built on the riverbank. The book
closes with Joshua’s farewell
address where he gives the people
an ultimatum. Choose You this day
whom you will serve… as for me and
my house, we will serve the Lord.

Lord, we’ll choose to Serve You:
Then I took your father Abraham
from the other side of the River,
led him thru Canaan & multiplied
his descendants (Joshua 24:3).
And I brought you into the land of
the Amorites on the other side of
Jordan, and they fought with you.
But I gave them into your hands, that
you might possessed their land (v8).
(Joshua said): So honour the Lord
and serve Him wholeheartedly.
Put away forever the idols your
ancestors worshipped… Serve the
Lord alone. But if you are unwilling
to serve the Lord, then choose today
whom you will serve…But As For Me
and my family, we will serve the Lord.
The people replied: We would
never forsake the Lord & worship
other gods (Joshua 24:14-16).

Lord, we remember the times that
You guided, helped and backed us.
Just as Joshua pointed the way
to You God, each of us also has
the same opportunity to do so.
Thank You Lord for allowing us
to join You at work at various
ministries, including small groups.
Pray that those who look to us
for leadership will be drawn to You.
Lead them to choose to serve You
Lord only and no other. Amen.

Holy Lord, thank You for allowing
us into Your presence thru Christ.
You dwell in holy place, yet You
also dwell with those who are
contrite and of a humble heart.
Make my heart like Yours even as
I strive to be more reflective of You.
Speak to me before I think of wrong
thoughts or make wrong choices.
Enable me Lord to live humbly
and purpose to serve You. Amen.

Lord, let me not be useless, but
purpose to be Your faithful servant.
I hand over to Your care Lord my
prayers & yet to be fulfilled hopes.
I give my hands to do Your work.
I give my eyes to see as You see.
I give my tongue to speak Yr words.
I give my mind for You to think in me.
Above all I give You my heart that
You Lord will love through me. Amen.

The Lord Will Provide

The climax of more than 20 faith-
stretching years for Abraham and
Sarah comes in the birth of Isaac,
their miracle son and heir. But soon
Abraham’s faith is tested again
as God calls upon him to sacrifice
that treasured son upon an altar.
Abraham obeys, showing that
the experiences of the past two
decades have not been in vain.
For his faithfulness to the point
of death, God rewards Abraham
with further assurance of blessing.

Lord, You are Jehovah Jireh:
Some time later God tested Abraham.
He said to him: Abraham! ‘Here I am,
he replied. Then God said:Take your
son, your only son, Isaac, whom you
love and go to Moriah. Sacrifice Him
there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I’ll tell you(Gen22:1-3)
Abraham took the knife to slay
his son. But the Angel of the Lord
called: Do not lay your hand on
the lad for now I know that you
fear God since you have not
withhold your son, your only son
from Me. Then Abraham lifted his
eyes and there was a ram caught
in a thicket by its horns. So,
Abraham took the ram & offered
it up for a burnt offering instead
of his son. And Abraham called
the name of the place: The Lord
Will Provide (Gen 22:10-14).

Lord, how my life will change
when I say “Here I am” I can’t know
for sure. It might require laying down
of a dream that I long held tightly.
But Lord You are my Provider
and You work things for good.
You are the one I can put my trust
since it is also well within Your will.
So I present myself to You as an
offering to You; to be moved and
activated by Your voice. Here I am
while I am yielded and still. Amen.

Lord, realise that Abraham saw
Your willingness and ability to keep
promises even if it took a miracle.
Know that You wanted Abraham
to sacrifice Isaac in his heart so that
he learn to trust God completely.
Lord, obeying You may often be
quite a struggle for it may mean
giving up something we truly want.
Help us Lord when tested that we
will not complain but trust You. Amen

Lord Jehovah Jireh, my provider,
at this juncture, I appeal to this
name perhaps more than any other.
In your lovingkindness, let me know
You in the truest form of this name.
In Your mercy, let me see You on
the mountain-top of my struggles.
Come through for me as You Lord
did in providing Abraham’s sacrifice.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.