Backgrounder on 1 Samuel 20-23:
David, the king-elect of Israel –
anointed, approved in battle and
awaiting the inauguration of his
reign, is fleeing for his life from
the deranged Saul, the king-
rejected. Saul’s pursuit drives
David to desperate measures
such as eating the forbidden
shewbread at Nob and feigning
insanity at Gath. But scripture
records that David’s confidence
in God never slackens, as frequent
petitions to God for direction
and protection clearly testify.
Lord, we put our Trust in You:
So David escaped from Saul
and went to King Achish of Gath.
But Arhish’s officers weren’t
happy about his being there. Isn’t
this David, the king of the land?
they asked. Isn’t he the one the
people honor with dances singing:
Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands?
David heard these commends
and was afraid of what King Ashish
might do to him. So he pretended
to be insane, scratching on doors
& drooling his beard. King Ashish
said to his men: Must you bring
me a madman? (1 Sam 21:10-14).
I sought the Lord and He heard me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him are radiant;
their faces are never covered
with shame (Psalm 34:4-5). Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Dec 13)”
Backgrounder on 1 Samuel 5-7:
When faith in God wavers, faith
in man-made objects increases.
The people of Israel carry the
ark of the covenant into battle,
confident that its presence will
ensure victory over the Philistines.
Instead they suffer a shattering
defeat in which 30,000 lives were
lost and the ark of covenant is
captured. Upon hearing the news
Eli falls back and breaks his neck.
It remains for Samuel to assume
the reins of leadership and guide
the people back to repentance.
Lord, You are our Mighty Helper:
Samuel said to all of Israel:
If you are really serious about
wanting to return to the Lord,
get rid of your foreign gods…
So Samuel took a young lamb and
offered it to the Lord. He pleaded
with the Lord to help Israel & the
Lord answered. Just as Samuel
was sacrificing the burnt offering,
the Philistines arrived for battle.
But the Lord spoke with a mighty
voice of thunder from heaven and
Philistines were thrown into such
confusion that the Israelites
defeated them…Samuel then took
a large stone and placed it between
the towns of Mizpah and Shen.
He named it Ebenezer (stone of
help) saying thus far the Lord
has helped us (1 Sam 7:3, 9-12). Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Dec 12)”
Backgrounder on 1 Samuel:1-3:
The period of the judges is nearly
at an end. One last judge remains:
Samuel, a man of godly character
and integrity who will guide the
nation from judgeship to kinship.
Samuel is the offspring of barren
woman and the answer to fervent
prayer. And he is consecrated
to the Lord’s service from birth.
Lord, we cast our cares for U Care:
As she continued praying before
the Lord, that Eli watched her
mouth. Now Hannah spoke in
her heart; only her lips moved,
but her voice was not heard.
So Eli thought she was drunk…
But Hannah answered: No my lord,
I am a woman of sorrowful spirit.
I have drunk neither wine nor
intoxicating drink but have poured
out my soul before the Lord…
Then Eli answered: Go in peace
and the God of Israel grant your
petition which you have asked
of Him. And she said: Let your
maidservant find favour in your
sight. So the woman went her
way and ate, and her face was
no longer sad (1 Sam 1:12-18). Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Dec 11)”
Imploring God thro His Promises:
Significance Reinstated (Dec 11)
Dear Friends,
We have done 4 weeks into our
4th series of topical devotion on
Imploring God thro His Promises
following three earlier series on
Adoring God thro Thanksgiving,
Knowing God thro His Names
and Praising God thro Hymns.
Before we continue in the series,
let’s reconsider the significance
of Imploring God on His Promises.
We know the importance of prayer;
and there are so much to pray
about: dreams, hopes & plans.
But often we are held up by our
own doubts: Does God really
care about this request of ours?
How valuable then it is to pray
back to God the very promises
found in His Word. When we
speak God’s very words back
to Him, we no longer wonder
if this is something God cares
about, for He brought it up
in the very first place. Continue reading “Imploring God thro His Promises: Significance Reinstated (Dec 11)”
Jehu, Joash & Dispersion of Israel Worship God & No Other (Prayer Walk thro 2 Kings 9-17)
Backgrounder: Jehu, newly
anointed king of Israel, carried
out his instructions to smite the
house of Ahab that God may
avenge the blood of the prophets.
In the southern kingdom of Judah,
Athaliah usurps the throne and
seeks to secure her position
by killing all the royal offspring.
Only the infant Joash survives,
in time becomes one of the
greatest reforming kings of Judah.
Following the death of Elisha,
Israel’s downward’s spiral
accelerates. In spite of the able
rule of Jeroboam ll, the kings who
succeeds him lead the people
ever deeper into idolatry and
immorality. Not a single one of
the last nine monarchs looks to
God for direction. At last Assyria
captured and dispersed God’s
disobedient people and brought
the northern kingdom to an end.
Dear Lord, You want our undivided
worship and totally abhors idolatry.
We praise You for being In Control
of situations and Thank You
for Rescuing us Upon our Plea.
Help us to give you our Undivided
Heart and there will be no
other gods before You. Amen.
Lord, U are In Control of situations:
The young prophet poured the
oil over Jehu’s head and said:
This is what the Lord the God
of Israel says: I anoint you king
over the Lord’s people, Israel.
You are to destroy the family of
Ahab, your master. In this way,
I will avenge the murder of my
prophets & all the Lord’s servants
who were killed by Jezebel…
Dogs will eat Ahab’s wife Jezebel…
Jehu saw her at the window and
shouted: Who is on my side?
And two or three eunuchs looked
out at him. Throw her down!
Jehu yelled. So they threw her
out of the window… But when
they went out to bury her, they
found only her skull, her feet and
her hands (2Kings 9:6-10, 32-35)
Lord, Jezebel dishonourable death
shows You judges the unrepentant
wicked. It also shows we can
put our trust in You for You are
in control of situations. Amen.
Lord, You Rescue Upon Their Plea:
Jehoahaz did evil & made Israel sin.
Then the Lord delivered them into
the hand of the kings of Syria.
Jehoahaz pleaded with the Lord
and the Lord heard his prayer.
The Lord could see how terribly
the king of Syria was oppressing
Israel. So the Lord raised up
a deliverer to rescue the Israelites
from the tyranny of the Syrians.
Then Israel lived in safety again
as in former days (2Kings 13:2-5)
Lord, we thank you that your ear
is opened to the cry of yr children
and that U will act on our behalf.
And we don’t have to hesitate to
cry out to U for help in our lives.
Thank you that you listen to my
prayers and that you answer not
according to my goodness but
according to your grace & mercy.
Help me not be discouraged
from coming to you in prayer
including my own sense that I’m
undeserving of Yr blessing. Amen
Lord, U expect Undivided Heart:
In the ninth year of King Hosea’s
reign, Samaria fell and the people
of Israel were exiled to Assyria.
The disaster came upon the nation
of Israel because the people
worshipped other gods, sinning
against the Lord their God… They
feared the Lord, yet they served
their own gods, according to the
rituals of the nations from among
whom they were carried away…
They do not fear the Lord,
nor do they follow the law and
commandment which the Lord
had commanded the children of
Jacob (2 Kings 17:6-7, 33-34).
Lord, keep us from ever having
a divided heart. I don’t want to
weaken my allegiance to You
by showing any allegiance to
the false gods of this world.
Help me to stay in close touch
with you through constant prayer.
And unite my heart with yours
so that it never strays. Amen.
Dear Lord, You want our undivided
worship and totally abhors idolatry.
We praise You for being In Control
of situations and Thank You
for Rescuing us Upon our Plea.
Help us to give you our Undivided
Heart even us we purpose there
will be no other gods before You.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
I will have no other gods before You
Only U will reign as my heart’s King
I will have no other gods before You
I will put You first in everything.
With all my heart,
With all my mind
With all my soul,
With all my strength
I worship You
Backgrounder: The downward
spiral begun in 1 Kings accelerates
as one bad king after another
accedes to the throne. Standing
in the path of this downward trend
are prophets who speak for God.
Elisha, the great miracle worker
of God, performs no fewer
than eight miracles: providing
an “oil well” for a destitute,
giving new life for a dead boy,
making poisoned stew harmless,
multiplying bread for hungry crowd,
curing a leprous army captain,
making an ax head defy gravity,
reading mind of an enemy king,
enabling servant to see angels of
God & closing eyes of the enemy.
In each case, God’s power at
work in the individual shows His
readiness to do the same in the
nation He has called His own.
Dear Lord, Elisha’s mighty miracles
showed that You God controls
events of everyday life. Help us
to listen, follow and obey You by
Thinking from Your Divine angle,
Adopting a Humble Attitude,
Looking from Eyes of Faith and
Sharing the Good News. Amen. Continue reading “Praying thro 2 Kings (Dec 9)”
Dear Friends,
As the Bible is not chronological,
to have a better understanding of
the context of each Biblical book,
we have been covering the Bible
by time sequence, phase by phase.
It also deepens our insight on the
development of the mega themes.
We begin with the 5 books of Laws
(from Genesis to Deut) by Moses
to appreciate the Redemptive
Plan of God for mankind as well
as the poetry book of Job (which
occurs in the time of Genesis) to
understand the sovereignty of God. Continue reading “Praying thro 2 Kings (Dec 9)”
Backgrounder on Judges 6-8:
Gideon, Israel’s fifth judge, receives
severe God’s call while hiding in a wine-
press secretly threshing wheat.
Midian’s oppression is indeed
and Gideon is God’s man
to lead the people in throwing off
that yoke of bondage – a task
Gideon is not anxious to accept!
But once convinced of his calling
through two miraculous signs,
Gideon leads a humble army of
300 men, equipped only with
torches and trumpets, in a stunning
victory against the mighty Midianite
forces. Israel’s weapons and
unusual battle plan leave no room
for doubt: The victory is the Lord’s. Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Dec 8)”
Backgrounder on Josh 22-24:
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 that
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 final address in which
he gives the people an altimatum:
Choose you this day whom ye will
serve… as for me and my house,
we will serve the Lord (J24:15). Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Dec 7)”
Backgrounder to Joshua 6-8:
Joshua employs a textbook
strategy for military victory:
Divide and conquer. He attacks
the middle of the country first,
dividing the enemy forces in half,
before mopping up resistance
among the isolated troops in the
south and north. His stunning
victory at Jericho shows the
importance of following God’s
direction down to the smallest
detail, no matter how trivial
they seem to be, proving
Obedience Brings Victory.
