Month: April 2022

Trust the Plan of God (April 12)

Before his death, David had
charged his son Solomon with the
responsibility of building a house
for God in Jerusalem. Now at last
it’s time to make that dream a reality.
For seven years Solomon plans and
prepares the Temple. When at last
the ark of the covenant is installed
in the Holy Place, the cloud of
God’s presence fills the house of
the Lord. Once again, God’s glory
dwells in the midst of His people.

Lord, we trust You Fulfil Your Plan:
It came to pass when the priests
came out of the holy place, that the
cloud filled the house of the Lord…
So the Lord has fulfilled His word…
and I have built a temple for the
name of the Lord (1 Kgs 8:10,20).
But will God indeed dwell on earth?
Behold, heaven… cannot contain You.
How much less this temple which
I have built! Yet regard the prayer
of Your servant and his supplication,
O Lord my God, and listen to the cry
and the prayer which Your servant
is praying before You (v27-28).
Praise the Lord who has given
rest to His people Israel, just as He
promised. Not one word has failed
of all the wonderful promises He
gave through His servant Moses.
May the Lord our God be with us…
may He never forsake us. May He
give us the desire to do His will
in everything and to obey all
the commands (1Kgs 8:56-58).

Lord, noticed that it wasn’t until the
temple was completed that God’s
glory took residence there – God’s
stamp of approval of a job well done.
We remember Your past deeds in
our life showing Your faithfulness.
And we trust that You will fulfil
Your promises in Your way and time.
Though sometimes it may seem late
to us, it will still be on time. Amen.

Lord, I thank You for Your presence,
and I am humbled that You through
Your Holy Spirit live inside of me.
Help me to never be full of myself,
but rather to always be freshly filled
with more of You Lord each day.
Help me to have a sense of Your
presence, especially as I read Your
Word and pray and live in obedience
to Your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, we praise You for keeping
covenant & fulfilling Your purposes!
Grant me O Lord the desire to do
Your will in every sphere of life.
Trust in Your infinite faithfulness
You will fulfill Your promise and 
purpose in my life just as You
fulfilled all Your promises to Moses.
Not one of them failed and neither
will Your promises to me. Amen.

Prayer for Wisdom & Understanding

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 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

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.

Prayer for Forgiveness

At a time when David should
have been on the field of battle,
he finds himself instead on the
roof of the palace. A casual glance,
a lustful thought, an inquiry and
the king of Israel set in motion
a chain of events that culminates
in adultery and murder. God then
Sends Nathan To David to uncover
the whole ugly scheme; and David
Repents & Receives Forgiveness.

Lord, we Seek Your Forgiveness:
The Lord sent Nathan to David…
David’s anger was greatly aroused…
and he said to Nathan: the man who
has done this shall surely die!…
Then Nathan said to David:
You are the man… Why have you
despised the commandment of
the Lord, to do evil in His sight…
So David said: I have sinned against
the Lord. And Nathan said to David:
The Lord also has Put Away your sin;
you shall not die (2Sam 12:1-13).
But because by this deed you have
made the enemies of the Lord show
utter contempt, the son born to you
shall surely die… David therefore
pleaded with God for the child, and
David fasted and… lay all night on the
ground… Then on the seventh day…
the child died… So David arose from
the ground, washed and anointed
himself, and changed his clothes;
and went into the house of the Lord
and worshiped. Then… he ate (v14-20)

Lord, grateful for Your tender
mercies and forgiving spirit that
was shown clearly when You put
away David’s sin & spare his life
despite serious transgressions
including adultery, false witness,
abusing of power and murder.
We purpose that when we fall
into sin, that we will not hide
but come to You in repentance
that we may receive mercy. Amen.

Gracious Lord, have mercy upon
me; blot out my transgressions;
and cleanse me from my sin. For
I acknowledge my transgressions
and my sin is always before me.
Against You have I sinned & done
this unrighteousness in Your sight.
Create in me a clean heart O God
& renew steadfast spirit within me.
And restore to me the joy of Your
salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, here is an instance where
You denied a prayer in wisdom.
David’s request for the child of
his shame was denied in mercy
and judgment, for the child would
have been a perpetual reminder
of his sin. When the child was dead,
David humbled himself under the
mighty hand of God, and rested
grateful with His grace for him.
And then another son came whose
birth was no taint of shame. Amen.

Seeking God thru Biblical Prayers

The purpose of 2 Samuel is to record the history of David’s reign, to show the qualities that please God and to foreshadow Christ who will be the ideal leader of a new and perfect kingdom.
This week we seek gracious God
for Direction, Forgiveness and Help.
On Mon, we learn fr 2 Sam 1/2
on Prayer for Direction.
On Tue, we learn from 2 Sam 5
on Doing God’s Will in God’s Way.
On Wed, we learn from 2 Sam 7
on When God Says No.
On Thu, we learn from 2 Sam 12
on Prayer for Forgiveness.
On Fri, we learn from 2 Sam 15
on Prayer in Challenging Situation.
On Sat, we learn from 2 Sam 22
on Prayer as a Song of Praise.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

Seeking God thru Biblical Prayers

The purpose of 2 Samuel is to record the history of David’s reign, to show the qualities that please God and to foreshadow Christ who will be the ideal leader of a new and perfect kingdom.
This week we seek gracious God
for Direction, Forgiveness and Help.
On Mon, we learn fr 2 Sam 1/2
on Prayer for Direction.
On Tue, we learn from 2 Sam 5
on Doing God’s Will in God’s Way.
On Wed, we learn from 2 Sam 7
on When God Says No.
On Thu, we learn from 2 Sam 12
on Prayer for Forgiveness.
On Fri, we learn from 2 Sam 15
on Prayer in Challenging Situation.
On Sat, we learn from 2 Sam 22
on Prayer as a Song of Praise.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

Prayer in Challenging Situation

Today’s reading describes the
fulfilment of Nathan’s prophetic
judgment on David. While his own
transgression was done in secret,
the shame & murder within his own
family circle would be done before
all Israel. But the greatest headache
would be the rebellious attempt by
Absalom to usurp his father’s throne.
David’s faith in God never diminish,
though severely tested. Driven from
Jerusalem and disgraced by his son,
David is restored eventually, though
at heavy personal and national cost.

Lord, we Entrust our future to You:
(Absalom) got up every morning
and went out to the gate of the city.
When people brought a case to the
king for judgment, Absalom would
ask where in Israel they were from,
and they would tell him their tribe.
Then Absalom would say: You’ve
really got a strong case here! It’s
too bad the king doesn’t have any-
one to hear it. I wish I were the judge.
Absalom did this with everyone
who came to the king for judgment,
and so he stole the hearts of all
the people of Israel (2 Sam 15:2-6).
A messenger came and told David:
The hearts of the men of Israel are
with Absalom. Then David said to
all his officials… Come! We must
flee, or none of us will escape from
Absalom… They set down the ark of
God and Abiathar offered sacrifices..
Then the king said to Zadok: Take
the ark of God back into the city.
If I find favour in the Lord’s eyes,
He will bring me back and let me
see it… again. But if He says: I am
not pleased with you… let Him do
to me whatever seems good to Him
(2 Samuel 15:13-14, 24-26). Amen.

Lord, all scripture is profitable
for instruction in righteousness;
including obscure passages related
to the judgment on King David.
Help us Lord to do the right thing
in difficult & challenging situations.
Help us to entrust our future to You
help us to be Guided by Your Law;
Help us to think being doing anything.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord of Justice, we realize that
there is much pressure to conform
to the world in its ways and values.
Rather than trying to be popular,
guide our life Lord by the moral principles given in God’s Word.
For You who never change will stand for justice, You know the ways of
evil men & know what is best for us.
We entrust our future to You. Amen.

Lord, let us follow the example of
David when life’s broken & dreams
shattered, he still worshipped You.
Help us when the future is uncertain
to entrust ourselves to Your hands.
Help us to trust that when we
protect Your honour and seek
Your kingdom and righteousness,
You will provide all that we need.
Help us to depend solely on You for
deliverance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer as a Song of Praise (Apr 9)

The last four chapters of 2 Samuel
form an appendix to the main
body of the book and includes
a beautiful psalm of deliverance,
a listing of David’s mighty men
of valour, a sinful census and the
severe punishment that followed.
The closing paragraph of the book
portrays David in his natural posture:
worshipping the Lord in humility.

Lord, we Praise You for being
Our Strength and Our Rock:
For who is God except the Lord?
And who is a rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with
strength & keep my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet
of a deer; he causes me to stand
on the heights (2 Sam 22:32-34).
The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock!
Let God be exalted, the Rock of my
salvation! It is God who avenges me…
He delivers me from my enemies…
Therefore I will give thanks to You,
O Lord… and sing praises to
Your name (2 Sam 22:47-50).

Lord, some challenges we face
in life can make us feel insecure.
Our fears tell us that if we take a
wrong step, we’ll fall into danger.
David used the feet of the nimble
deer as a reminder of the strength
and assurance God provides.
Lord, in Your grace and mercy
exchange our slippery feet
and our doubts for the deerlike
feet of the overcomer. And we
will give You all the glory. Amen.

Lord, thank You for Your offer
to arm us with strength and
offer to help us stand Secure.
I crave for these Your assurances
and appropriate them by faith.
Please put a spring in my step
like the deer as I follow where
You lead and do what I may think
is impossible. For apart from You
God, I can do nothing; but with
God nothing is impossible. Amen.

Lord, thank You for providing
stability and for being our rock,
and the God of our salvation.I may
enter each day with the intention
to trust in Your great power.
Yet when the winds blow and
the waves rise, I may forget to
look at You. Forgive me each time
I have not sought refuge in You.
As my rock & my salvation, be my
stability when things are not stable.
Help me focus on U my solid rock!
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Prayer for Forgiveness (April 7)

At a time when David should
 have been on the field of battle,
he finds himself instead on the
roof of the palace. A casual glance, 
a  lustful thought, an inquiry and
 the king of Israel set in motion
a chain of events that culminates
in adultery and murder. God then
Sends Nathan To David to uncover
the whole ugly scheme; and David
Repents & Receives Forgiveness.

Lord, we Seek Your Forgiveness:
  The Lord sent Nathan to David…
 David’s  anger was greatly aroused…
and he said to Nathan: the man who
has done this shall surely die!…
Then Nathan said to David:
You are the man… Why have you
despised the commandment of
the Lord, to do evil in His sight…
So David said: I have sinned against
the Lord. And Nathan said to David:
The Lord also has Put Away your sin;
you shall not die (2Sam 12:1-13).
But because by this deed you have
made the enemies of the Lord show
utter contempt, the son born to you
shall surely die… David therefore
pleaded with God for the child, and
David fasted and… lay all night on the
ground… Then on the seventh day…
the child died… So David arose from
the ground, washed and anointed
himself, and changed his clothes;
and went into the house of the Lord
and worshiped. Then… he ate (v14-20)

Lord, grateful for Your tender
mercies and forgiving spirit that
was shown clearly when You put
away David’s sin & spare his life
despite serious transgressions
including adultery, false witness,
abusing of power and murder.
We purpose that when we fall
into sin, that we will not hide
but come to You in repentance
that we may receive mercy. Amen.

Gracious Lord, have mercy upon
me; blot out my transgressions;
and cleanse me from my sin. For
I acknowledge my transgressions
and my sin is always before me.
Against You have I sinned & done
this unrighteousness in Your sight.
Create in me a clean heart O God
& renew steadfast spirit within me.
And restore to me the joy of Your
salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, here is an instance where
You denied a prayer in wisdom.
David’s request for the child of
his shame was denied in mercy
and judgment, for the child would
have been a perpetual reminder
of his sin. When the child was dead,
David humbled himself under the
mighty hand of God, and rested
grateful with His grace for him.
And then another son came whose
birth was no taint of shame. Amen.

When God Says No (April 6)

With the death of Ish-Bosheth,
the people of Israel transfer their
allegiance to David as their rightful
king. As his first official act, David
conquers the strategic Jebusite
stronghold of Jerusalem and makes
it the new capital of the nation.
But something more than political
and military reform is necessary.
The worship of God must be
returned to its place of primacy.
Knowing this, David makes plans
to bring the ark of the covenant
to Jerusalem and build a fitting
place for it. In the process, he learns
some hard lessons about doing God’s
Will in God’s Way and in God’s Timing.

Lord, we’ll Submit to Your Will:
The king said to Nathan… See…
I dwell in a house of cedar, but the
Ark of God dwells inside tent curtains. 
Nathan replied to the king: Go ahead
and do whatever you have in mind…
But that same night the Lord said
to Nathan: Go and tell my servant
David… Are you the one to build
a house for Me? (2 Sam 7:2-5).
When your days are over and you
rest with your fathers, I will raise
up your offspring to succeed you…
and I will establish his kingdom.
He is the one who will build a
house for my Name (v12-13).
Your house and your kingdom
will continue for all time, and your
throne will be secure forever… Then
King David… said: Who am I, O Lord
God? And what is my house, that
You have brought me this far(v16-18)
Let Your name be magnified forever…
The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel.
And let the house of Your servant
David be established before You (v26)

Lord, we realise when we listen
for Your voice, sometimes we may
misunderstand some things; but 
trust that You are okay with that.
Thank You for the grace and
patience as I learn Your voice.
Help me learn to recognise it
immediately; and guide me clearly
when I don’t. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Lord, I trust You and accept Your
answers to my prayers, even when
the answer is not what I want.
Help me to always understand
Your will, especially when the
answers to my prayers are not
what I expected they would be.
I’m grateful that You know what is
best for me and will not allow me to
seek after things I shouldn’t. Amen.

Lord, when You say no, it does
not mean You don’t care for me.
It may mean You have a greater
purpose; or what I ask for may be
unwise, second-best or wrong.
Lord when You say no, help me
to trust Your wisdom; for You may
be signaling a yes in another way.
And I look forward Lord to the
good that You will send. Amen.