Month: June 2023

God Hears & Gives Word (Jun 14)

Backgrounder to Proverbs 14-17:
Nowhere is wisdom more essential
than in community relationships.
A heart attitude controlled by
the fear of the Lord is the key to
proper response towards others.
To promote peace, prosperity and
justice in interpersonal relationships,
commit to godliness, in thoughts &
motives as well as temper & tongue.

Lord, we will Humble Before You:
The Lord detest the sacrifice of
the wicked, but the prayer of the
upright Pleases Him (Prov 15:8).
Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with advisors they Succeed.
A man finds joy in giving
an apt reply – and how good
is a Timely Word ! (v22-23).
The Lord is far from the wicked but
He Hears prayer of the Righteous…
The ear that Hears the rebutes
of life will abide among the wise….
The fear of the Lord is the
instruction of wisdom, and before
honour is Humility (Prov 15:29-33).

Father, I am grateful that You see
me as righteous just because
of my relationship with Jesus.
But I know You also want me to
choose to live righteously as well.
Grant that my thoughts, words
and actions will always be pleasing
in Your sight so that my prayers
will be pleasing to Your ears.
And enable me every day to do
what’s right in Your sight. Amen.

Lord, give me discernment to
know what advice is godly advice;
then help me make good decision.
Lord, You are the master of
timely words and circumstances;
Help me recognise Yr voice in them.
As I grow older, help me to be
a godly advisor who can offer
wise & godly counsel to others.

Lord, help us adopt the posture
of a child who is humble, open
to rebuke and open to instruction.
For You promise that those who
are humble will be the greatest
in Your kingdom. Help us to be
gentle & lowly in heart as You are
And we pray that our humble faith
and service will accomplish great
things for Your kingdom. Amen.

God Rewards Seekers (Jun 13)

Backgrounder on Proverbs 5-9:
The first 9 chapters of Proverbs
take the form of a fatherly address
for learning the fear of the Lord.
Beginning with Chap 5, Solomon
turns from a general appeal
to more specific application of
wisdom in everyday situations.
Pitfalls abound, ready to entangle
and destroy the unwary: immorality,
indebtedness, laziness, falsehood
and pride. Indulging in these sins
is a sure invitation to disaster.
Rather respond to call of wisdom,
which among its many benefits
is the favor of the Lord (Prov 8:35).

Lord, we’ll Seek & Wait on You:
I love all who love me.
Those who Search for me
will surely find me (Prov 8:17).
(Wisdom said) I have riches and
honour as well as enduring wealth.
My gifts are better than gold,
even the purest gold, my wages
better than sterling silver (v18-19).
Blessed is the man who listens
to Me, watching daily at my doors,
Waiting at my doorway. For whoever
finds me finds life, and obtains
favour from the Lord (v34-35).

Lord, Your Word in Proverbs says
those who Search will find You.
And Your Word in Hebrews 11:6
says You are a rewarder of
those who diligently seek You.
I purpose to seek Your face Lord
and I know Your gifts come
not as a separate blessings
but wrapped up in Yourself.
Please reward my search beyond
my greatest expectations. Amen.

Lord, Your word speaks of the
power of wisdom. With wisdom,
we can solve problems effectively.
With wisdom, we can conduct
affairs of life better and succeed.
With wisdom, God blesses with joy,
hope in faith and love from others.
And thanks that we can readily
receive wisdom from Your Word.
Help us Lord to gain wisdom even
as we search Your word. Amen.

Lord, I purpose to Wait upon
You and listen to Your voice.
Speak to my heart about the
things I need to hear from You &
Teach me Lord all I need to know.
Thank You for the great blessings
that await anyone who waits at
Your door & listens for Your voice.
Whilst waiting on You, may the
character of Christ be formed in
me and my faith be raised. Amen.

The Lord whom we Trust (June 12)

The author of Proverbs clearly
states the purpose of the book:
To know wisdom and instructions
(Prov 1:2-5). God wants His people
to be wise and skilful in making
moral and ethical choices. And
the first nine chapters of Proverbs
take the form of a fatherly address
to a young son – a divine primer
for learning the fear of the Lord.

Lord, You Direct as we Trust You:
TRUST in the Lord with all your
heart and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He shall
Direct Your Paths (Prov 3:5-6).
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord & depart from evil.
It will be health to your flesh,
and Strength to your bones (v7-8)
Honour the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns Will Be Filled
to overflowing (v9-10). Amen.

Lord, help me to Trust You and
Your ways with all my heart.
Guard me from depending on my
limited understanding of things.
Help me instead to rely on You
& help me to acknowledge You
Lord in every area of my life.
Thanks for promising to direct
my paths as I depend on You and
seek Your will in all that I do. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for the word of
warning that whenever I’m feeling
afraid or discouraged, these
may be symptoms that there
are places in my life where I am
depending on my own strength.
Right now I purpose to trust You
more and choose to lean on You.
And I choose to lean my weakness
on Your Strength each day. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for pledging to
meet the needs of Your children.
Keep us from being stingy with
our time, talents or treasure.
Grant us conviction Lord that
we can give ourselves freely;
for You our Jehovah Jireh
will be faithful to provide all
that we need out of Your glorious
riches in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Lord whom we Can Trust (June 12)

The author of Proverbs clearly
states the purpose of the book:
To know wisdom and instructions
(Prov 1:2-5). God wants His people
to be wise and skilful in making
moral and ethical choices. And
the first nine chapters of Proverbs
take the form of a fatherly address
to a young son – a divine primer
for learning the fear of the Lord.

Lord, You Direct as we Trust You:
TRUST in the Lord with all your
heart and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He shall
Direct Your Paths (Prov 3:5-6).
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord & depart from evil.
It will be health to your flesh,
and Strength to your bones (v7-8)
Honour the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns Will Be Filled
to overflowing (v9-10). Amen.

Lord, help me to Trust You and
Your ways with all my heart.
Guard me from depending on my
limited understanding of things.
Help me instead to rely on You
& help me to acknowledge You
Lord in every area of my life.
Thanks for promising to direct
my paths as I depend on You and
seek Your will in all that I do. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for the word of
warning that whenever I’m feeling
afraid or discouraged, these
may be symptoms that there
are places in my life where I am
depending on my own strength.
Right now I purpose to trust You
more and choose to lean on You.
And I choose to lean my weakness
on Your Strength each day. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for pledging to
meet the needs of Your children.
Keep us from being stingy with
our time, talents or treasure.
Grant us conviction Lord that
we can give ourselves freely;
for You our Jehovah Jireh
will be faithful to provide all
that we need out of Your glorious
riches in Christ Jesus. Amen.

God Cares For His People

Ps 135-139 are about Praising God.
Sometimes it’s easy to praise the
Lord simply by recalling the past
(Ps 135-136); at other times,
past memories produce more
pain rather than praise (Ps 137).
But even times of trouble can be
cause for Praise to God (Ps 138).
This is so as you think about the
infinite knowledge & unceasing
presence of Yr mighty God (Ps 139).

Lord, Praise Your Constant Care:
You discern my going out and
my lying down; You Are Familiar
with all my ways. Before a word
is on my tongue You know it
completely O Lord (Ps 139:3-4).
Where can I free from Yr Presence?
If I go to the heavens, You are there;
If I settle on the far side of the
sea, even there Your hand will
guide and hold me fast (v7-10).
Every day of my life was recorded.
Every moment was Laid Out before
a day had passed. How precious
are Your Thoughts (v16-17) Amen.

Lord, praise You for Knowing me
so well, for You caringly monitor
my movements and my thoughts.
I want to rest Lord in the truth
that I am always on Your mind.
You promise to guide my steps
into places of peace and security.
Thank You Lord for the comfort
of knowing I am so well known by
You and thoroughly cared for. Amen.

Lord, praise You for Your Omni-
presence and good plans for me.
You promise in Your word that I can
never get away from Your presence.
Where You take me, You Lord will guide and Your strength support me.
Guide and support me Lord with
Your strength each day of my life.
For apart from You Lord I can do
nothing worthy and well. Amen.

Lord, You created me for a purpose
& has prepared a Good Plan for me.
For You Charted the path ahead
of me and laid out every moment.
Help me to take comfort knowing
Your constant care & concern of me.
Help me to fully understand and
appreciate the depth of Your love.
Help me not to fear for You Lord
are with me and for me. Amen.

Trusting God thru His Promises

The purpose of Psalms is to provide poetry for the expression of praise, worship and confession to God.
Psalms 107-150 are similar to Deut
as they concern God & His Word;
and we can use these psalms as
a hymnbook of praise and worship.
On Monday, we learn from Ps 138
that God Promises with His Names.
On Tuesday, we learn fr Ps 139
that God Cares For His People.
On Wed, we learn from Ps 140/141
that God Delivers His People.
On Thu, we learn from Psalm 144
that God Brings Us Thru Trouble.
On Friday, we learn from Ps 145
that God Saves His People.
On Sat, we learn from Ps 146
that God Is the Promise Keeper.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who trust You:
for You truly keep Your promises;
for You care, deliver & save Yr Pple;
for there’s power in Yr name. Amen

God the Promise Keeper (Jun 10)

Backgrounder on Psalms 146-150:
Like the dramatic crescendo of
a symphony, the book of Psalms
builds to a climax of Praise.
Praise God from one generation
to the next (Ps 146); praise God
for His tender care (Ps 147);
praise God for his creation(Ps148);
praise God for His justice (Ps 149);
praise God for His greatness(Ps150)
Praise the Praiseworthy Lord!

Lord, You Keep Promise Forever:
Don’t put your confidence in
powerful people; there is no help
for you there. When their breathing
stops all their plans come to an
end. But happy are those who have
God as their helper, whose hope is
in the Lord their God (Ps 146:3-5)
He is the one who made heaven
and earth… He is the one who
Keeps every Promise forever (v6)
Praise the Lord!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to
His excellent greatness!…
Let everything that has breadth
praise the Lord (Ps 150:1-2, 6).

Lord, forgive me for putting my
confidence in people instead of
in You. You made heaven & earth,
the sea and everything in them.
You are unchanging & all powerful,
You give justice to the oppressed,
and help those who are heavyladen.
You keep all Your promises. I put my hope in You and I praise You, Amen

Lord, I gratefully thank You that
Your promises are eternally rock
solid and that Your nature and
character stand firmly behind them.
Thank You Lord that I can trust
in Your promise of constant
presence caring and protecting us.
And grant me the faith to believe
in Your words and to act on it. Amen.

Dear Lord, thank You for giving us
the book of Psalms that teaches us
how to pray and how to praise You.
And we want to praise You more
for You are completely Great,
for You can & will do mighty acts,
for You are caring & compassionate,
for You are the Promise Keeper
for You are our Best Hope.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Brings Us Through Trouble

Backgrounder on Psalms 140-145:
Your enemies will either drive you
from God or drive you to God.
In David’s hour of need he found
a sure Refuge (Ps 140, Ps 142),
a trustworthy Friend (Ps 141),
a listening Ear (Ps 143),
a Strong Arm (Ps 144),
a merciful King (Ps 145);
and You Can Too !! Amen.

Lord, You bring us Thru Trouble:
Bless the Lord, who is my rock.
He Gives Me Strength… He is
my loving ally and my fortress,
my Stronghold, my deliverer.
He stands before me as a Shield,
& I Take Refuge in Him (Ps 144:1-2)
O Lord, what are mortals that You
should notice us, mere mortals
that You should care for us ?
For… our days are like a passing
shadow. Bend down the heavens,
Lord and Come Down (v3-5).
Rescue me and deliver me from…
(those who) speaks lying words…
That our barns may be full,
supplying all kinds of produce…
Happy are the people who are in
such a state; happy are the people
whose God is the Lord (v11-15).

Father God, I am Your child; and
Nothing can separate me from
Your love. You are my loving ally;
and You’re my hero with strong arm.
You are my impregnable fortress
and my unconquerable stronghold
of safety. And You Lord will shield
me when I take refuge in You.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord Jesus, we praise You for
Coming to earth so that we who
believe in You may know Your
forgiveness & experience Your love.
You are Emmanuel God with us!
Altho as mere humans our days
are just like a passing shadow,
You Reached Down from high &
brought us out of darkness into
Your marvelous light. Amen.

Lord, my storage places will be
full of provisions; and my produce
increases steadily and continually.
And I am securely under Your
blanket of covering; and so there
can be no breaching of my walls.
My heavenly Father is the Lord
of Hosts; and under His guidance
and protection, I shall surely remain
healthy and happy all my life. Amen.

God Delivers His People (June 7)

Backgrounder on Psalms 140-145:
Your enemies will either drive you
from God or drive you to God.
In David’s hour of need he found
a sure Refuge (Ps 140, Ps 142),
a Trustworthy Friend (Ps 141),
a listening Ear (Ps 143),
a strong Arm (Ps 144),
a merciful King (Ps 145);
and You Can Too !! Amen.

Lord, we Seek You for Deliverance:
I said to the Lord: You are my God;
Hear the voice of my supplications,
O God the Lord, the strength
of my salvation (Psalm 140:6-7).
I know the Lord will maintain
the cause of the afflicted,
and justice for the poor.
Surely the righteous shall
give thanks to Your name;
The upright shall dwell
in Your presence (v12-13).
Lord, we can Count On You:
O Lord, I am Calling on You.
Please hurry! Listen when I cry
to You for help! (Psalm 141:1).

Lord God Almighty, You are
the Strong Deliverer; You are
the fortress in and You are
the rock; and whoever is
in You will surely be saved.
I praise You for You are powerful.
I praise You for You are my deliverer.
I praise You for You are my Saviour.
Thank You for whispering time and
again Your promises of deliverance.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord & Strong Deliverer, financial,
emotional and physical attacks
can rob us of joy, hope and peace.
May You be at forefront of my mind
so I know with full assurance You
as my deliverer are stronger than
anything that comes against me.
Give me Lord the peace that comes
with trust; and the grace that comes
with hope. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lord, I praise You that You are
a God I Can Count On to keep me.
Left to myself, I am not strong
enough to walk in Your paths.
Deliver me from choosing
my own way instead of Yours.
Strengthen my heart, and
thank You for working within me
according to Your purposes. Amen