Category: 2019 Prayers

God Provides Way Out 

The Corinthian Church had sent
Apostle Paul a list of questions
on marriage, morality, liberty,
worship & resurrection. And Paul
answered them in a way meant
to correct abuses in the church
and to show how important it is
that they live what they believe.

Lord, we will Resist Temptation:
We should not lust after evil things.
Therefore let him who thinks
he stands take heed lest he fall.
No temptation has overtaken
you except what is common to
mankind. And God is faithful; He
will Not let u be Tempted Beyond
what you can bear. But when
you are tempted, He will also
Provide A Way Out so that u can
endure it (1 Cor 10:6,12-13) Amen.

Lord, it is a tough world out there,
with temptations lurking around
everywhere. Whilst U don’t promise
to protect us From temptation,
You clearly do promise Your help
In Resisting temptation when
we face it. Thank you for your
promise that No Temptation
will ever be So Strong that
we can’t stand up against it. Amen.

Lord, thank you for your promise
in 1Cor 10:13 that those who
love God Can Always Escape the
temptation that comes our way.
We trust You O God to keep any
temptation from becoming so
strong that we have to give in.
Lord, Help us to Resist or Flee
from temptation for altho it’s not
always easy to escape temptation,
it is always possible. Amen.

Lord, at times we may feel that
temptation is overpowering or
impossible to resist. But thank
You for Providing A Way Out.
Thank you for Holy Spirit to help
us recognise tempting situations
and show the way to escape.
Help us stay away from every
activity we know that is wrong.
Help us consciously choose
to do only what is right.
Help us O Lord for apart from
You we can do nothing. Amen.

Given the Mind of Christ

Churches aren’t perfect because
churches are full of imperfect pple.
Paul writes to the believers at
Corinth to correct errors in their
public & private behaviour which
are detracting from their witness.
These include factions, immorality
and lawsuits between believers.
And Paul set forth godly guidelines
for conduct consistent with the
grace of God given by Christ.

Lord, we will Seek Your Insight:
What we have received is not the
spirit of the world, but the Spirit
who is from God, so that we may
understand what God has freely
given us. This is what we speak…
in words taught by the Spirit,
explaining Spiritual Realities with
Spirit-taught words (1Cor 2:12-13)
Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to teach him?
But we understand these things,
for we hv the Mind of Christ (v16)

Lord, thank You that You have
given me your Holy Spirit.
Give me spiritual ears to hear &
teach me how to listen to You.
And I need to better understand
grace, forgiveness & eternal You.
Keep me from the distractions
of busyness and Draw me
closer to You each day. Amen.

Lord, when we need insights and
direction or facing challenge,
we tend to seek worldly counsel.
But there is a more reliable and
excellent source of ultimate
knowledge, the Holy Spirit.
Father, thank you for giving us
your Holy Spirit, who lives inside
us when we trust Jesus as Savior.
Holy Spirit, please explain spiritual
realities clearly to me & help me
understand the spiritual blessings
that I have been given. Amen.

Lord, I want to see as You see
and act according to Your vision
within me. I need to know clearly
Your will for only then can I be
confident of doing the right thing.
Lord I am tired of trying to decipher
Your sovereign will. Please plant
Your thoughts within me and
move me as You desire. Amen.

Being Protected & Cared by God

The 2nd book of Psalms (P42-72),
is similar to Exodus, describing
Israel as ruined & then delivered.
These psalms can help us worship
God, pray for rescue, confess sin
and encourage us to trust God.
Psa 55-59 captures King David
during his most difficult days.
Notice David’s frank petitions and
confident trust in God in the wake
of being betrayed (55), broken-
hearted (56) and pursued (57, 59)
Through it all David knows there
is a reward for the righteous and
God judgeth in the earth (68:11).

Dear Lord, we learn from King
David during his most difficult
days, he maintains trust in God.
Lord, knowing you are in control
and knowing You care of us:
We will Lay Hold of Your Word.
We will Cry to You in Trust of You.
We will Wait patiently on You; and
We will Sing of Your Unfailing Love.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, we’ll Lay Hold of Your Word:
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust
in You. In God, I will Praise His
Word, In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear (Psalm 56:3-4).
In the Lord, I will praise His Word.
In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid (Ps 56:10-11).
Lord, when I am afraid, I will trust
in You; and praise You for the
sustaining power of Your Word.
Help me to lay hold of Your Words
to me; for they bring life and peace.
And let my trust in You grow deep
so that I can fulfil the plans You
have for Your kingdom and for me.
And Thanks for Your Word which
inspires & guides me each day. Amen

Lord, we’ll cry out in Trust of You:
Be merciful to me, O God, be
merciful to me! For my soul trusts
in You; And in the shadow of Your
wings I will make my refuge, until
these calamities have passed by.
I cry out to God Most High, to God
who will fulfil His purpose for me.
He shall send from heaven and
save me… Be exalted, O God,
above the heavens. Let Your glory
be above all the earth (Ps 57:1-5).
Lord, in my distress I cry out to You
for You alone know the depth of
my need. I still choose to trust
and have hope in the fulfilment
of your purposes for my life.
I lay at your feet any pressure to
take matters into my own hands.
For You are able to turn any troubles
into fulfilment of my destiny. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Wait for Your Deliverance:
Deliver me… O my God…
I will wait for You, O You his
Strength; for God is my defense…
But I will sing of Your power;
Yes I will sing of Your mercy…
For You have been my defense
and refuge in the day of my trouble.
To You, O my Strength, I will sing
praises; for God is my defense,
My God of mercy (Ps 59:1,9, 16-17)
Lord, You are my strength,
my place of safety and my help.
Instead of depending on my strength,
I will call on You and wait on You.
Your power and love is unfailing.
Give me the grace to keep trusting
You to work in Your way, in Your time.
May I rest in your powerful arms
and sing of Your mercies each day.
For the joy of the Lord is my strength.
And I will bless Your name. Amen.

Meditating on Psalm Book 2

Whilst the Bible is arranged by
 types of writings, we meditate it
chronologically to get better flow:
Genesis on God’s Plan for creation;
  Job on Sovereignty of God; and
Exodus, Leviticus, Num-Deut on
Deliverance, Holiness         & Obedience.
Then Joshua on Obedient Faith,
Judges on God Restoring Repentant;
Ruth on Faithfulness/Redemption;
1 Sam on Rule of God in our heart;
2 Sam on Consequences of sin; and 
1 & 2 Chronicles on Genuine Worship.

Continuing, the 5 books of Psalms
inspired over period of 10 centuries
 were essentially hymns of worship.
Authored by David and six other
writers and used as the temple
hymnbook,these heart-stirring pleas
and praises capture the essence
of what it means to walk with God.
Each of the five sections bears a
topical likeness  to a book of the
Pentateuch, and each closes with
a running doxology of Praise !!

Whilst the psalms are not organised
 by topic, it’s useful to recognise the
 dominant themes in each section:
Book 1 (Ps 1-41) resembles Genesis
on theme of creation & Redemption.
Book 2 (Ps 42-72) resembles Exodus
on theme of Deliverance & Recovery.
Book 3 (Ps73-89) resembles Levit
 on theme of Worshiping holy God.
Book4 (Ps90-106) resembles Num
 on theme of the Kingdom of God.
 Book 5 (Ps 107-150) resembles Deut
on theme of Praise & Thanksgiving.

Psalms Book 2 are mostly anthems
 and we will meditate on them over
3 weekends in following 5 divisions:
Ps 42-49: Being Still before God
Ps 50-54: Being Cleansed by God
Ps 55-59: Being Protected by God
Ps 60-66:Being Emboldened by God
Ps67-72:Being Strengthened by God

Dear Brothers and Sisters In Christ,
Life can be challenging and we can
face suffering, troubling problems,
and long waiting period. But we don’t
have to face all these alone for the
Almighty, Faithful and Loving God
is With Us and long to hear from You.
Let’s together meditate thro Psalms
which offer many model prayers, 
and learn how to approach our
compassionate God in prayer, Amen.

Being Cleansed & Cared by God

The 2nd book of Psalms (P42-72),
is similar to Exodus, describing
Israel as ruined & then delivered.
These psalms can help us confess
sin, pray for rescue and trust God.
Psa 50-54 have sin and confession
are key themes. David confesses
after his sin with Bathsheba (51);
describes treacherous tongue (52)
and the folly of pursuing evil (53).
Only with God as constant source
of help (54) can we counter the
daily temptations & pitfalls of life.

Dear Lord, thank you for your
lovingkindness and care for us;
as we face the challenges of life.
Help us to turn to You in times of trouble & to put our trust in You.
Help us to Be Grateful.
Help us to Be Repentful.
Help us to Be Fruitful. Amen.

Lord, help us to Be Grateful:
(God said: I don’t need the bulls
you sacrifice; I don’t need the blood
of goats. What I want instead is your
true thanks to God; I want you to
fulfil your vows to the Most High.
Trust me in your times of trouble
and I will rescue you, and you
will give me glory (Ps 50:13-15).
Lord, You are not keen in outward
displays but the condition of my
heart. You have given me much
and I ask U to give one thing more –
a grateful heart, so that I can offer
a sweet sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Help me seek U in times of trouble,
to trust You & even to be thankful.
For in this way I give You glory. Amen

Lord, help us to Be Repentful:
Wash me thoroughly from my
iniquity and cleanse me from
my sin; for I acknowledged
my transgressions, and my sin
is always before me (Ps 51:2-3)
Create in me a clean heart,
O God and renew a right spirit
within me… Restore to me the
joy of your salvation (Ps 51:10-12)
Lord, help me to come to You
immediately at the very first sign
of temptation so that I can stop
any wrong thoughts from turning
into sinful action. For I don’t want
to be seperated from the presence
of Your Holy Spirit. And create in
me a clean heart & restore to me
the joy of Your salvation. Amen.

Lord, help us to Be Fruitful:
I am like an olive tree, thriving
in the house of God. I trust in
God’s unfailing love forever & ever.
I will praise U forever because You
have done it. And in the presence
of Your saints I will wait on Your
name, for it is good (Ps 52:8-9).
Lord, I want not just to survive but
to thrive like Your servant David.
Just as olive trees produce fruit,
let my life produce fruit not only
of perseverance and trust in God,
but also of joy and your presence
in my life. Pray for grace that all
can see that You are good. Amen.

Spirit Gives Confident Hope

For 11 chapters Paul has set forth
the doctrine of the Christian faith.
The balance of his letter moves
into the practical outworking of
that faith. For every assignment,
there is a enablement from God:
Serve one another using the gifts
God gave you; be subject to higher
authorities; be sensitive to needs
of weaker brothers; be united
in purpose & have mind of Christ.

Lord,fill us with Joy, Peace & Hope:
Such things were written in the
Scriptures long ago to teach us…
Jesus Christ has become a servant
to the circumcision for the truth
of God, to confirm the promises
made … May the God of Hope fill
you with all joy and peace as you
trust Him so that u may Overflow
with Hope by the power of the
Holy Spirit (Rom 15:4, 9-13). Amen.

Lord, it is difficult to be peaceful
when facing difficult situations.
I need and want to overflow with
confident hope; and I appropriate
Apostle Paul’s prayer as my own.
As I continue to believe in You
and trust You, fill me with Your
peace, keep me happy and let me
overflow with hope through the
power of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Spirit, I love Your Word, but I need
it to be personalised. Pour it deep
into my heart like a spiritual injection
the truth that I really need to hear.
Lord my abounding joy and peace,
I especially need You in this season
as I work on a recovery program
and perceive how I can best serve
You with my life. Teach me to trust
You more, so that I can rest more
joyfully and peacefully in You. Amen.

Lord, it’s a pretty grim world out
there, full of self-centred people
and news of gloom and doom.
And prolonged trials can also
cause us to doubt. Fill me to
overflowing with Hope as I turn
my heart to You. Fill me with hope
& restore me even as I trust in You.
Help me to take my eyes off the
heavy problems as I hope in You
and wait upon You to act. Amen.

Called to Be Living Sacrifice

For 11 chapters Paul has set forth
the doctrine of the Christian faith.
The balance of his letter moves
into the practical outworking of
that faith. For every assignment,
there is an enablement from God:
Serve one another using the gifts
God gave you; be subject to higher
authorities; be sensitive to needs
of weaker brothers; be united
in purpose & have mind of Christ.

Lord, we want to Be Transformed:
Give your bodies to God. Let them
be a Living Sacrifice… When you
think of what he has done for
you, is this too much to ask?
Don’t copy the behaviour and
customs of this world, but let God
Transform you into a new person
by changing the way you think.
Then you will Know what God
wants you to do, and you will know
how good and pleasing & perfect
His will really is (Rom 12:1-2). Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer (Rom 12:12). Amen

Lord, I don’t really know what
these days will hold, but I offer
myself to You as a Living Sacrifice.
Fill me with Your spirit of love, joy,
peace and patience. Renew and
transform my mind with your truth.
Gently make me a new person, and
show me what You want me to do,
the person You want me to minister.
And all glory be unto You. Amen.

Lord, help me to understand the difference between what You
desire and what the world offers. Teach me not apply the behaviours and customs of this world but rather
Be Transformed into a new person.
As I seek to follow You, let me know
Your will. And help me stay on the
right track as I purpose to take
small steps of faith each day. Amen

Lord, make and mould me to be a
person after Your heart like David.
Teach me to be a prayer warrior
who is always faithful to pray.
Move me from someone who prays
sporadically; to one so filled with
joy and hope that I anticipate great
things resulting from each prayer.
Help me have such great faith that
I keep praying & never give up.Amen

No Condemnatn for those In Christ

Backgrounder on Romans 6-8:
Paul anticipates questions arising
fr hearing gospel of grace. If God’s
grace is free, then am I free to sin?
If I am free from the law, then can
I ignore the ethical demands of
the law? Paul has no illusions that
becoming a Christian means the
end of your troubles. But the life
-giving Spirit provides confidence,
for victorious Christian living
in the storms of everyday life.

Lord, we will Pray with Your Spirit:
There is No Condemnation for those
who are In Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).
The Spirit helps us in our weakness.
We do not know what we ought to
pray for, but the Spirit intercedes
for us with groans that words
cannot express. He who searches
our hearts… intercedes for the
saints in accordance with the
will of God (v26-27). And we know
that in all things God Works for
the Good of those who love Him,
who have been called according
to His purpose (Rom 8:28). Amen.

Father, forgive me for the times
that I wrongly think You want
to punish me for my failures.
For Jesus took my punishment
and gave me His righteousness.
Because of that You Lord see me
as perfect and precious. Help me
to better understand Your grace
and mercy so that I might be
more gracious and merciful. Amen.

Lord, No Condemnation are two
of the most beautiful words in
the world. And yet some days
they are hard for me to believe,
hard for me to really take hold of.
On one hand, I may be quick some
time to blame others for the problem
but deep down I condemn myself.
Help me Lord to live in the reality
of the freedom that comes from
Your grace and be at peace. Amen.

Holy Spirit, help me in my weakness
by interceding for me and thro me.
You know the will of the Father
and You know what to pray for.
Guide me and teach me especially
when I have exhausted all words.
Help me to communicate to God
my deepest thoughts, feelings,
fears and doubts, so that my
prayers are pleasing to God. Amen

Lord, thank you for the Spirit’s
help in difficult times and the
Spirit’s intercession for me when
I am overwhelmed by trouble.
In the middle of intense trials and
great pain, we often can’t pray.
We don’t know what to say; and
don’t have the strength to muster
the right words. And I trust You
to take my distress & work things
out for my Ultimate Good. Amen.

God Uses Problems For Good

After painting humanity’s sorry
condition, Paul turns to God’s
merciful solution. Jesus’ death on
the cross has paid sin’s penalty and
satisfied God’s righteous demand.
To the one who in faith accepts
Jesus’ payment, God stamps
across the debt of sin: Paid in Full.
That is justification. Its basis is
the work of Christ; its means is
the grace of God; its requirement
is faith in God and His promise.

Lord, we Allow Problems Shape us:
We can rejoice when we run into
trials, for they help us to Endure.
And endurance develops strength
of character in us, and character
strengthens our confident expection
of salvation. And this expectation
will Not Disappoint us. For God
loves us dearly (Rom 5:3-4).
We can rejoice because of what
Jesus has done for us in making
us Friends of God (v11). Amen.

Lord, You want me to Trust You
in the hard times. But rejoicing
isn’t natural for me, so make it
my supernatural response to
pressures & difficulties in my life.
Lord, I surrender and allow myself
to be Molded & Shaped by trials.
And teach me to Endure so that
my faith will grow steadily and
get stronger over time. Amen.

Lord, I place my Hope in You.
I trust that You are working on
my behalf, no matter how difficult
the circumstances become.
For I believe that You won’t just
put me through trials; but that
You also plan joys for me too.
Please fill me Lord with Hope
– the kind that comes from Your
Spirit and cannot disappoint. And
help me live in that Hope. Amen.

Father, I rejoice in my relationship
with You God all because of what
Jesus Christ has done for me.
Having an intimate relationship
with Jesus also enable me have
an eternal perspective about
anything that may happen to me.
I gratefully praise you for the
joy such a Friendship brings.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gt-OouIx8Lk

Gospel Is Power of God At Work

Paul begins by describing the
helpless condition of humanity. A
rebellious nature has led to rejection
of the Creator & worship of creation.
God in turn permitted sinful nature of
human beings to express the fullness
of its corruption and the whole
human race stands helpless before
God. Truly, all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God.

Lord, we will Share the Gospel:
I am not ashamed of this Good News
about Christ. It is the power of God
at work, saving everyone who
believes… This Good News tells us
how God makes us right in his sight.
This is accomplished from start to
finish by faith. As the Scriptures say:
It is through faith that a righteous
person has life (Rom 1:16-17).

Father, I know that You have sent
Jesus into this world. Through Him
I have been declared righteous
and I am freed from the penalty
and the power of sin. He has done
for me what no other could ever do.
Enlarge my appreciation & affection
for Jesus and for Your gospel.
And may I share it to others. Amen.

Lord, what a treasure I have in Your
gospel. For the gospel promises
that the power of God will do for me
what I can’t possibly accomplish.
What Christ has done means that
my sins are forgiven, that I have a
right standing with God; and that
the power of God is at work to
produce the righteous life He
desires. So enlarge my gratitude
towards Your gospel so that I live
a life that is worthy of it. Amen.

Lord, thank You for the good news
that You have made a way for us
to be made right with You and
have peace with You. This truth,
this gospel has the power to change
everything. So we ask that this
power go to work deep in us. May
this good news of righteousness
provided to us in Christ transform
our interactions and expectations.
Work in us and thro the good news
towards those yet to know U. Amen.