Month: September 2022

God Rules & Fulfils Dreams

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
in interpreting a king’s dream,
reading the hand-writing on the
wall, or taking a stand for his God.

Lord, You Rule & Fulfil Dreams:
I thought it good to declare
the signs and wonders that the
Most High God has worked for me.
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 4:2-3)
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 You alone.
Thank You for reassuring knowledge
that You are in control of every area
of my life. I confess with my heart,
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…
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget. Amen

God Reveals Deep Things

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 You
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. Then the king promoted
Daniel… gave him many great gifts;
and he made him ruler over the
whole province of Babylon (v47-48).

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
& You’re willing to reveal them to us.
For Your Spirit searches out
all things and shows God’s deep
secrets to those who love Him.
Reveal to us Lord those things
which You are custodian. Amen.

God Brings Dead Things to Life

In a vision told with vivid details,
that you can see the bones moving,
Ezekiel announces Israel’s rebirth.
Reassembled with God’s breath
of life, the bones become the new
Israel, more powerful than before.
Then in a second vision, Ezekiel sees
the revived nation destroy its last foe
(Magog) after which God is agreed
by all nations as undisputed Victor.

Lord, You Can Revive All Things:
Prophesy to these (dry) bones…
This is what the Sovereign Lord
says: I will make breath enter you,
and you will come to life (Ezek 37:4-5)
So I prophesied as He commanded
me, and breath came into them,
and they lived and stood
upon their feet, an exceedingly
great army (Ezekiel 37:10).
Thus says the Lord God:
Behold, O My people, I will… cause
you to come up from your graves,
and bring you into the land of
Israel. Then you shall know that
I am the Lord (Ezek 37:12-13). Amen.

Father, there are areas of my life
that seem to be dead; and they
need a new infusion of Your life.
There are dreams that seem as if to
have died for it has been a long time
and still they have not been realised.
I know if You can make dry bones
into a vast army, then You can also
bring life to anything worth praying,
no matter how dead it seems. Amen.

Gracious God of all compassion,
Your breath alone can bring life
to dry bones and weary souls.
Pour out Your Spirit upon us, that
we may face despair with hope of
resurrection and faith thro Christ.
Forgive our faults as we confess &
restore us the joy of Your salvation.
Call us out of the valley of dry bones
into Your Kingdom of hope. Amen.

Lord, by a roadway in the
wilderness, You will lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and Earth will fade
but Your Word will still remain
And You’ll do something new today
Oh, God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
You work in ways we cannot see
You will make a way for me
You will make a way… Amen.

God Gives You A New Heart

Backgrounder on Ezekiel 7-11:
In a series of visions, Ezekiel
foresees the what, why and how
of God’s judgment upon Judah.
The What: total destruction of
Jerusalem and the departure
of God’s glory from the temple.
The Why: generations of idolatry,
wickedness & spiritual indifference.
The How: through the cruel Baby-
lonians, God’s agents of judgment.
But the harshness of the sentence
is tempered by a tender reminder:
A remnant will survive, receive
sanctuary in a foreign country
and return to the Land of Promise.

Lord, Thank You for New Heart:
Tell the exiles, this is what the
Sovereign Lord says: Although
I have scattered u in the countries
of the world, I will be a Sanctuary
to you during your time in exile…
I will gather you… and give you
the land of Israel (Ezek 11:16-17).
I will give them an undivided Heart
and put a new spirit in them;
I will remove from them their
heart of stone and give them
a Heart of Flesh… Then they
will truly be my people, and
I will be their God (v19-20) Amen.

Lord, thank You that you are
always my Home and my refuge.
Thank you for the promise of
protection in Psalm 91 that: if
you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your
shelter, no evil will conquer you.
Thank you for the promise of
Your Presence & Help in Psa 139:
I can never get away from
Your Presence… If I dwell by
the farthest oceans, even there
Your hand will guide me & Your
strength will support me. Amen.

Lord, I pray You will fill me with
Your love; and help me to keep
my heart from wandering away
from You. Make my heart to
be undivided and take away
any hardheartedness in me.
I invite You to take charge of
my mind and emotions & help me
to give complete control to You.
Light a flame of desire in me
for You that never goes out. Amen.

Lord, thank you that when we
become Christians, You did a
miracle by making us new inside.
You took out the hard cold hearts
and put in new & compassionate
hearts so that we are able to
serve, do good and help others.
Help us to have an ear for those
who need counsel or a kind word.
Help us to give practical helps
when someone has a real need.
Help us to intercede for people
who are in trouble or needs healing.
Help us to live as we should. Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vwWjg_HeMso

God’s Faithfulness Is Great

God’s warning had come thru the
prophet Jeremiah, but the people
of Judah refused to listen.In 586BC
the Babylonian army attacked,
the people were carried into exile
and Jerusalem lay ruined & empty.
For days Jeremiah lamented over
the city and its future. As he cries
out in the darkness of destruction,
Jeremiah is given a spark of hope.
God promises forgiveness & grace;
the period of judgment is limited
and in His mercy God will restore
the city and return the captives.

Lord, we claim Your Faithfulness:
Through the Lord’s mercies
we are not consumed,
because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Yr Faithfulness (L3:22-23)
Therefore I hope in Him!
The Lord is good to those who
Wait for Him, and seek Him.
It is good that one should hope
and Wait Quietly for the salvation
from the Lord (Lam 3:24-26).
You Remain the Same forever!
Turn us back to You and we will
be restored (Lam 5:19-21). Amen.

Lord, thank You for being Faithful.
Your Word says You keep all Your
promises and none of them will fail.
In Your mercy and tender kindness,
reveal Your faithfulness to me and
show me that there is hope in You.
Help me to triumph over adversities
by focusing on Your Faithfulness.
Help me to exhibit faithfulness
in my relationships as well as in
my interactions with others. Amen.

Lord, quieten my heart and mind
so that I am willing to Wait on You;
not with grumbling but with hope
and assurance that You will do
everything in Your perfect timing.
Grant me patience, and help me to
look for Your answers to my requests.
And increase my faith that You
are working, even when I must
Wait for Your answer. Amen.

Lord, in the midst of severe trial,
we may wonder where are You.
But we praise and exult You
that You are Still on Your throne.
And in an ever-changing world,
it’s comforting to remember
that You God Does Not Change,
for You Remain the Same forever.
Unchanging God, we praise You for
Your faithfulness and unfailing love.
You are working out Your purposes &
we hope in You for restoration. Amen

God Bigger Than Our Problems

God pledges to reestablish the
nation after it has been purified
by the discipline of exile. As a sign
of His promise, He orders Jeremiah
to buy a field that would soon belong
to the conquering Babylonians.
That land would one day become
part of the restored nation to be
ruled by the Righteous Branch,
David’s Messianic descendant.

Lord, You are Almighty & Good:
I prayed… saying: Ah Lord God!
Behold You have made the heavens
& the earth by Your great power and
outstretched arm. There is nothing
too hard for You (Jer 32:16-17).
Then the word of the Lord came
to Jeremiah saying: Behold, I’m the
Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there
anything too hard for Me (v26-27).
They will be My people and I will
be their God. And I will give them
one heart and one purpose: to
worship me forever… I will never
stop doing good for them (v38-40)

Lord, thank You that nothing
in my life is beyond Your reach.
Nothing is too large or difficult
for Your powerful hand at all.
Help me to remember that
You display Your power best in
impossible situations. Give me
greater understanding of who
You are so that my trust in You
will grow and be complete. Amen.

Lord, when my faith is shaky,
remind me of Your Almighty power.
Give me a fresh glimpse of who
You really are: You made heavens
and the earth and You made us.
Increase my faith O Lord, for
Nothing is impossible with You.
Supply the confidence I need
to believe fully in this truth
and promise, especially when
I’m facing hopeless situation. Amen

Lord, You are truly great, good
and always concern of our welfare;
and I purpose to always worship
You and move people towards You.
When things are going well in my
life, remind me not to accept praise
without giving You the glory or
at least point people toward You.
And when time is hard, remind me
that You God will make everything
good & beautiful in Your time. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOh7nyujT_0

Seeking God thru Biblical Prayers

The purpose of the prophetic book
of Jeremiah is to urge God’s people
to turn from their sins & back to God.
On Monday, we learn from Jer 23
that God Grants Us Righteousness.
On Tuesday, we learn from Jer 29
that God Has Good Plans For Us.
On Wed, we learn from Jeremiah 32
that God Bigger Than Our Problems.
On Thursday, we learn from Jer 33
that God Is Near & Grants Access.
On Friday, we learn from Jer 45
that God Will Guide Us Through.
On Saturday, we learn from Jer 50
that God Delivers & Redeems Us.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
to be disciples who yearn to be
in communion with You Lord and
purpose to trust You wholeheartedly;
for You are almighty, You justify us,
You will deliver us and You want
to bless us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God Delivers & Redeems Us

Babylon the last and greatest enemy
of Judah will suffer the same fate
as the rest of Judah’s ungodly
neighbours. Jeremiah concludes
his prophecy with a note of hope.
Though Jerusalem has fallen, her
king Jehoiachin, is shown kindnes
in Babylon. In the restoration
of this covenant-breaking king,
Jeremiah pictures the future
restoration of covenant-breaking
Judah by her covenant-keeping God.

Lord, we Seek Your Deliverance:
The Lord spoke by Jeremiah the
prophet: Babylon is taken, out of the
north,a nation comes up against her.
Then the people of Israel & Judah
will join together… seeking the Lord
their God. They will ask the way
to Jerusalem and will start back
home again. They will bind
themselves to the Lord with an
eternal covenant that will never
again be broken (Jer 50:1-5).
In those days, says the LORD,
no sin will be found in Israel
or in Judah, for I will forgive
the remnant I preserve (v20).
The children of Israel were oppressed,
along with the children of Judah…
Their Redeemer Is Strong… He Will
thoroughly Plead their case (v33-34)

Lord, we may encounter brokenness
in our life: broken relationships,
broken promises and expectations.
Help us to live with that brokenness
without becoming bitter & resentful.
Draw us Lord to Your presence
in season of trial, so that we will
not be consumed by our struggle.
Let us know there is an end before
experiencing the deliverance. Amen.

Lord Jesus, thank You for forgiveness
and remembering our sins no more.
Thank You for the gift of freedom
You bought for us on the cross.
Guard my steps and thoughts
from places that will ensnare me.
Realise Lord I never find freedom
from bondage in independence
but find it only by abiding in You.
Help me do that & use me to help
others in Your freedom. Amen.

Father God, thank You for loving
us and for caring for our welfare.
As our Redeemer, You are strong,
for are also Lord God Almighty and 
You made the earth by Your power.
In our challenges, we can come to
You, and surely You will hear our case.
For when oceans rise & thunders roar,
I will soar with You above the storm.
Father You are King over the flood,
I will be still, know You’re God. Amen.

God Will Guide Us Through

Though God’s people have marched
into exile, God’s Word continues to
come thru the mouth of His prophet.
When Nebuchadnezzar establishes
a puppet governor over Jerusalem,
Jeremiah chooses to remain in the city
& urges countrymen to do the same.
But after Gedaliah’s assassination,
the surviving Jews disregard God’s
command and flee to Egypt for safety,
taking along the unwilling prophet.
There Jeremiah predicts Egypt’s
destruction and Judah’s discipline
at the hands of Jehovah for knowing
what to do but refusing to do it.

Lord, You Will Get Us Through:
The prophet Jeremiah gave a message
to Baruch in the fourth year of
the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah,
after Baruch had written down
everything Jeremiah had
dictated to him (Jer 45:1).
Baruch, this is what the Lord says:
I will destroy this nation that I built.
I will uproot what I planted.
Should you then seek great things
for yourself? Seek them not.
For I will bring disaster on all
people, declares the Lord, but
wherever you go I will let you
escape with your life (Jer 45:4-5)
Because they have rejected
the law of the Lord (cf Isa 5:24).

Lord, be with me in the most difficult
times and trying areas of my life,
helping me in ways I may not
even be able to comprehend.
I know that even though there
may be troubles ahead, when I walk
with You, You Lord won’t let me fall.
When I go through difficult
situations, I won’t complain,
for I know You will make a way
through or a means of escape. Amen

O gracious Lord and Holy Father,
give us wisdom to perceive You,
diligence to wait for You,
patience to wait for You,
eyes to behold You,
a heart to meditate upon You,
and a life to proclaim You,
through the power of the Spirit
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

O Lord God and Great Jehovah,
Open our eyes to Your Presence;
Open our minds to Your grace,
Open our lips to Your Praise;
Open our hearts to Your love;
Open our lives to Your healing,
to be found among us and to
proclaim You through the power
of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen

God Is Near & Grant Access (Sep 22)

God pledges to reestablish Judah
after it has been purified by the
discipline of exile. As a sign of His
promise, He orders Jeremiah to
buy a field that would soon belong
to the conquering Babylonians.
That land would one day become
part of the restored nation to be
ruled by the Righteous Branch,
David’s Messianic descendant.

Lord, we want to Hear from You:
The word of the Lord came to
Jeremiah while he was still shut
up in the court of the prison saying:
Thus says the Lord: the Lord who
made the earth and established it…
Call to Me, and I will answer you,
and show you great and mighty
things which you do not know
(Jeremiah 33:1-3). Praise the LORD
of hosts, for the Lord is good,
for His mercy endures forever (v11).
Behold the days are coming,
says the Lord, that I will perform
that good things which I’ve promised…
In those days… I will cause to grow…
a Branch of righteousness…
In those days Judah will be saved and
Jerusalem will dwell safely (v14-15)

Lord, I want to hear from You,
and I want to hear from You with
a reasonable level of certainty.
I am asking You to speak in a way
that I can understand You clearly.
I know I may make mistakes
and mishear You sometimes but
I trust You to gently correct me.
I realise to hear You consistently
will require faith and patience. So,
Help me ask with expectation and
wait patiently for Your voice. Amen

Lord, we may find it challenging
to listen to those we interact with.
But we can consult You God and
hear Your voice because You are
not a cruel task master and want
to share great and mighty things.
Lord, I confess not being a good
listener and may not patiently
wait to hear what You have to say.
Teach me to hear Your voice & grant
me the faith to trust and obey. Amen.

Lord, we love to hear secret truths
that the world doesn’t know about.
It may be some verse in the Bible
which You enable us to understand
in a way we have never grasped.
Or it may be seeing deep into
a friend’s heart; or revelation over
the reason things happen to us.
Lord, enable me with such insights
which will enhance understanding of You; and draw me closer to You, Amen.