Month: July 2024

Christ Seeks & Saves the Lost

It is now in the final week of Jesus’
earthly life. In the city of Jerusalem,
there’s excitement of the feast days
-some preparing to welcome a King,
while others preparing for execution.
Jesus draws battle lines by driving
the money-changers fr the temple.
From then on, the religious leaders
double their efforts to trap Him.
Though His hour of anguish draws
near, Jesus continues the activities
that have characterised His ministry:
teaching, healing and affirming.

Lord, we will also Seek the Lost:
Then Zacchaeus said to the Lord:
Look, I give half of my goods to
the poor; and if I’ve taken anything
from anyone by false accusation,
I restore fourfold. Jesus responded:
Salvation has come to this home…
And I the Son of Man, have come
to seek and save those like him
who are lost (Luke 19:8-10).
The multitude of disciples began
to rejoice and praise God: Blessed
is the King who comes in the name
of the Lord! Some Pharisees…
said: Teacher, rebuke Your followers
for saying things like that! (Jesus)
replied: If they kept quiet,the stones
would burst into cheers (v39-40).
Jesus entered the Temple & began
to drive out the people selling
animals for sacrifices. He said:
The Scripture declare: My Temple
will be a house of prayer (v45-46).

Lord, You reached out to Zacchaeus
even when others despised him.
Thank You Lord for seeking and
saving all those who are lost.
Open our eyes to the despised that
we might see them and reach out.
Help us to look beneath the surface
to the person created in Your image.
Help us have burden for the lost and
befriend those seeking You. Amen.

Lord, thank You for tender mercies
and great sacrificial love for us.
Grateful for the Holy Spirit and
Your Word that teaches & guides us.
We just cannot be quiet and keep
our love for You hidden within us.
Just as Your disciples called out
Your name, we will also praise You
for we serve a really amazing and
wonderful Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Lord, You want Your church to be
a people of prayer; and not just
supplication, but also adoration,
confession and thanksgiving.
Forgive us for being distracted
and neglecting prayer in both
our personal and community life.
Restore us to spiritual awakening
and grant us a heart of prayer for
the lost; for people need the Lord.
In Christ’s name for His glory. Amen.

Christ Urges Faith & Gratitude

With His gaze fixed in Jerusalem
and the consummation of His
earthly ministry, Jesus intensifies
His final training of the disciples.
Stewardship is the central theme,
for the disciples will soon be
entrusted with the message of
the gospel. Jesus outlines the
duties of a servant & underscores
the importance of prayer.

Lord, we will Pray With Faith:
And the apostles said to the Lord:
Increase our faith. So the Lord said:
If You had faith even as Small
as a mustard seed, You could say
to this mulberry tree: May you be
uprooted and thrown to the sea,
and it would obey you (Luke17:5-6)
Then as He entered a certain village,
there met Him ten men who were
lepers, who stood afar off (v12).
So when He saw them, He said
to them: Go show yourselves
to the priests. And so it was that
as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them when he saw he was
healed, came back, praising God
in a loud voice (Lk 17:14-15) Amen

Sovereign God, grateful that Your
Spirit will give us the necessary
faith and we need just to act upon it.
Help us to pray with perseverance,
trusting You to move even things
that look immovable and impossible.
For after all faith comes from looking
at God and not at the mountain.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, thank You for the many
blessings You have bestowed
upon my life. I praise You especially
as my healer; and thank You for
the times You have miraculously
healed me in the past and will heal
me in the future. Thank You that
even as I praise You now, Your
healing presence is penetrating
my life and making me whole. Amen.

Dear Father, I am very grateful
to You for so many blessings
received from Your loving hand.
Thank You Lord for forgiving all
my sins, for healing me many times,
for redeeming me from destruction,
for crowing me with lovingkindness,
for satisfying me with good things.
My heart is filled with gratitude
and I praise Your name. Amen.

Christ Models Compassion

With His gaze fixed in Jerusalem
and the consummation of His
earthly ministry, Jesus intensifies
His final training of the disciples.
The subject of stewardship is the
central theme, for the disciples
will soon be entrusted with the
precious message of the gospel.
Jesus outlines the duties of servant,
underscores importance of prayer
and models compassion for people.

Lord, help us Be Compassionate:
Jesus asked the Pharisees: Well,
is it permitted in the law to heal
people on the Sabbath day?
When they refused to answer,
Jesus touched the sick man and
healed him and sent him away.
Then He asked them: Which of
you doesn’t work on Sabbath?
If your son falls into a pit, don’t you
at once get him out (Lk 14:3-5).
So, He told a parable to those
who were invited, when He noted
how they chose the best places…
Those who exalt themselves will
be humbled & those who humble
themselves will be exalted (v7-11)
Invite the poor, the crippled,
the lame and the blind. Then at
the resurrection of the righteous,
God will reward u for inviting those
who could not repay you (v13-14).

Lord, forgive us when we follow
tradition instead of following You.
It is easy to get tangled in activities
and forget there are needs around.
Help us Lord to practice the heart
of Christianity: to love God and
to love others; and help us to be
Compassionate to those in need.
And help us to live in such a way
that others will see You. Amen.

Lord, help us to avoid exalting
ourselves or promoting our own
interests over interests of others.
Help us to choose to live humbly
and not allow success go to our
heads lest it results in pride that
can derail God’s work in our lives.
Lord we give You freedom to work
in & change our life for the better;
for being exalted by You is better
than exalting ourselves. Amen.

Lord, You always have a soft heart
for the poor, the hurting and those
who can’t fend for themselves.
Remind us Lord that we are children
of a caring God and that we really
ought to Reflect Your Compassion.
Prompt us Lord to help those who
are in need knowing that You will
reward us what we do on that day.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Answers Persistent Prayers

Seventy disciples are sent out
two-by-two with instructions to
heal the sick & say: The kingdom
of God is come nigh unto you.
Their enthusiastic return prompts
Jesus to rejoice in praise to God.
But confrontation is gathering.
Some attribute His miracles to
Satan; others clamour for more
miracles and Pharisees attack His
seeming disregard for traditions.
Jesus responds by denouncing the
religious leaders for their hypocrisy
and warns disciples to be watchful.

Lord, we’ll Pray with Perseverence:
Which of you shall have a friend,
and go to him at midnight and say
to him: Friend lend me 3 loaves…
Because of the man’s persistence
he will get up and give him as
much as he needs (Luke 11:5-8).
So I say to you, ask and it will be
given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives,
and he who seeks finds and to him
who knocks it will be opened (9-10)
If you sinful people know how to
give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask him (v13). Amen.

Lord, Your parable on Persistence
implies the key to experiencing You
is to ask persistently and press thru
the negative voices in our minds.
So, we purpose to keep asking and
persist despite lack of clear results.
Help us have great faith that prayer
works so that we can experience
& know You in a deeper way. Amen

Lord, You tell us to be persistent
in prayer: to keep on asking, keep
on seeking and keep on knocking.
Help us Ask with simple faith, like
a child asking father: simply trusting.
Help us Seek with determined
faith, ever so open and observant.
Help us Knock with persistent faith,
wanting to meet the face of God.
Even as we lift up our needs to You,
transform our hearts and let Your
desire becomes ours as well. Amen.

Holy Spirit, we really need Your
manifestation in need and ministry:
Your voice, Your touch & Your Power.
Fill us as we yield to You for more of
the nature of God, the overwhelming
sense of His love and of Your power.
Flow freely O Spirit freely to us, in us
and through us so that there will be fruitfulness & lives be transformed.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

God Gives Authority to Witness

Seventy disciples are sent out
two-by-two with instructions to
heal the sick & say: The kingdom
of God is come nigh unto you.
Their enthusiastic return prompts
Jesus to rejoice in praise to God;
but confrontation is gathering.
Some attribute His miracles to
Satan; others clamour for more
miracles and Pharisees attack His
seeming disregard for traditions.
Jesus responds by denouncing the
religious leaders for their hypocrisy
and warns disciples to be watchful.

Lord, we will be Your Witnesses:
Then Jesus said: The harvest
is so great but the workers are
so few. Pray to the Lord who
is in charge of the harvest, and
ask Him to send out more workers
for His fields. Go now (Lk 10:2-3).
Then the seventy returned with
joy saying: Lord, even the demons
are subject to us in Your name. And
He said: I give you Authority… over
all the power of the enemy & nothing
shall by any means hurt you (v17-19)
A priest… saw the man lying there,
he crossed to the other side of
the road and passed him by… Then
a Samaritan came and saw the man,
he felt compassion for him. Going
over to him, the Samaritan soothed
his wounds… and bandaged them…
Take care of this man. If his bill runs
higher I’ll pay you next time (v31-35)

Lord, raise up and send out
labourers to every people group.
Raise up missionaries, teachers,
doctors and business people
to share the goodness of Christ
and to bring in a harvest of souls.
Help us Lord to see that the
harvest is right before our eyes.
Pour out Your Spirit to enable Your
people as the harvest waits. Amen

Lord, thank You that there is no
need to fear Satan; for You Jesus
had defeated him at the Cross and
blocked his power to induce guilt.
By rising from the dead, You Lord
broke Satan’s power over death.
We claim Your promise to protect
us and help defeat Satan in our life.
No matter what part of our life
we think Satan has power over, we
trust You God will defeat him. Amen

Lord, we affirm Your commandment
to love our neighbours; and we ask
for a heart of compassion realising
it is so easy to justify lack of love.
Help us be sensitive to Yr prompting
for our neighbour is anyone in need.
Help us Lord realise that to love
means acting to meet a need.
Help us be watchful of the needy &
respond to Your call to help. Amen.

The Lord’s Word to Be Responded

Preaching, healing and disciplining
that summarises the daily activities
of the Son of Man. Luke records
the healings with careful attention
to detail as befitting a physician.
And those documented miracles
become the proof of Jesus’ claim
to a doubting John the Baptist and
a faithless & perverse generation.
As He preaches and heals, Jesus
patiently prepares His disciples
to carry on in His absence. The
cost is steep, but the goal of saving
lives eternally makes it worthwhile.

Lord, we will Respond to Your Word:
The seed is the word of God…
The rocky soil represents those
who hear the message with joy.
But their roots Don’t Go Very Deep.
They wilt when testing blow…
But the good soil represents
people who Hear God’s message,
Cling to it and steadily produce
a huge harvest (Luke 8:11-15).
Pay attention to How You Hear.
To those who listen to my teaching,
more will be given. But for those
who are not listening, even what
they think they understand will be
taken away from them (Lk 8:18).
(Jesus) got into the boat with His
disciples and said: Let Us Cross
over to the other side of the lake…
And they awoke Him saying:
Master Master we are perishing…
He rebuked the wind and raging
waves. Then he asked them:
Where Is Your Faith? (v22-25).

Lord, I want to Receive Your Word,
apply it and be obedient to You.
If my heart is hard, soften it with
Your love. If my roots aren’t deep,
enrich the soil. Deliver me Lord
from being consumed with the
cares and pleasures of this world.
And bring forth by Your Spirit
a great harvest in my life. Amen.

Lord, You know how much I want
more understanding of Your will.
If I have neglected Your teaching
in any way, help me turn toward You
and restore my spirit to a position
of understanding and growth.
Open my heart to hear and to
follow everything that You say.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, thank You that inherent
in the storms of life is Your
promise of peace; not peace
that is the absence of trouble but
peace that eclipse circumstances.
Help me to remember Your Words
and Incline my heart to Yours Lord,
that I may experience more of
Your peace in the storm I face.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of the gospel of Luke 

is to present an accurate account of 

the life of Christ and to present Him

as the perfect human and Savior.

This week, we see the dependability

of our powerful and loving God & the

importance to Seek & Follow the Lord.

On Monday, we learn from Luke 1

that God Overcomes the Impossible.

On Tuesday, we learn from Luke 2

that Christ the Saviour of the Nations.

On Wednesday, we learn from Luke 5 

that Christ Cares for the Lost & Needy.

On Thursday, we learn from Luke 6

that Christ Jesus Is Our Solid Rock.

On Friday, we learn from Luke 8

that the Lord’s Word to be Responded. 

On Saturday, we learn from Luke 9

that the Lord’s Voice to be Followed.

Let us humble ourselves and pray

and seek His face. Help us O God 

be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:

For You are worthy to be Praised

as You Overcome the Impossible

and that You are our Solid Rock;

For You are Worthy of our Thanks

as You are the Saviour of Nations

and You Care for the Lost & Needy; 

For Your Word is to be Responded 

and Your Voice is to be Followed.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord’s Voice to be Followed

Preaching, healing and disciplining
that summarises the daily activities
of the Son of Man. Luke records
the healings with careful attention.
And those documented miracles
become proof of Jesus’ claim to
a faithless & perverse generation.
As he preaches and heals, Jesus
patiently prepares His disciples
to carry on in His absence. The
cost is steep, but the goal of saving
lives eternally makes it worthwhile.

Lord, we’ll Hear & Follow You:
Then Jesus said to them: If anyone
desires to come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his
cross daily and follow me. For
whoever desires to save his life
will lose it, but whoever loses his life
for My sake will save it (Lk 9:23-24)
As He prayed, the appearance of
His face was altered and his robe
became white and glistening…
And a voice came out of the
cloud saying: This is My beloved
Son. Hear Him (v29-35).
Then Jesus said to another:
Follow me… But he said: Lord,
I will follow You, but let me first 
go and bid farewell who are at
my house. But Jesus said to him:
No one having put his hand to
the plow, and looking back is fit
for the kingdom of God (v59-62).

Lord, we realise to follow You,
we must submit our wants and
desires to Yours. We must stop
serving ourselves & start serving U.
Lord, the call to total commitment
and priority may be challenging.
But we know You will accompany
the call with divine confirmation
so that we’ll have the necessary
faith to act upon it. Amen.

Lord, we will join You in ministry
to further the kingdom of God.
Help us to befriend sinners and
give us heart of compassion
for those hurting and in need.
Help us readily receive Your Word,
apply it and be obedient to You.
Strengthen our trust in You for
everything is possible if we believe.
As we offer ourselves to be used
by You, multiply the resources
for Your purposes. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, forgive me when I have put
my own priorities in front of Yours.
I may have treated You more like
a servant or an equal rather than
my Master and Sovereign King.
Enable me Lord to answer Your
divine call and make no excuses.
And though my track record of
doing that maybe rather spotty,
I ask for Your help & strength to be
a disciple You can count on. Amen.

Lord’s Word to Be Responded

Preaching, healing and disciplining
that summarises the daily activities
of the Son of Man. Luke records
the healings with careful attention
to detail as befitting a physician.
And those documented miracles
become the proof of Jesus’ claim
to a doubting John the Baptist and
a faithless & perverse generation.
As He preaches and heals, Jesus
patiently prepares His disciples
to carry on in His absence. The
cost is steep, but the goal of saving
lives eternally makes it worthwhile.

Lord, we will Respond to Your Word:
The seed is the word of God…
The rocky soil represents those
who hear the message with joy.
But their roots Don’t Go Very Deep.
They wilt when testing blow…
But the good soil represents
people who Hear God’s message,
Cling to it and steadily produce
a huge harvest (Luke 8:11-15).
Pay attention to How You Hear.
To those who listen to my teaching,
more will be given. But for those
who are not listening, even what
they think they understand will be
taken away from them (Lk 8:18).
(Jesus) got into the boat with His
disciples and said: Let Us Cross
over to the other side of the lake…
And they awoke Him saying:
Master Master we are perishing…
He rebuked the wind and raging
waves. Then He asked them:
Where Is Your Faith? (v22-25).

Lord, I want to Receive Your Word,
apply it and be obedient to You. 

If my heart is hard, soften it with 

Your love. If my roots aren’t deep, 

enrich the soil. Deliver me Lord 
from being consumed with the
cares and pleasures of this world.
And bring forth by Your Spirit 
a great harvest in my life. Amen.

Lord, You know how much I want
more understanding of Your will.
If I have neglected Your teaching
in any way, help me turn toward You
and restore my spirit to a position 

of understanding and growth. 

Open my heart to hear and to 

follow everything that You say. 

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, thank You that inherent
in the storms of life is Your
promise of peace; not peace
that is the absence of trouble but
peace that eclipse circumstances.

Help me to remember Your Words

and Incline my heart to Yours Lord,
that I may experience more of
Your peace in the storm I face.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.