Category: 2019 Prayers

Lord of Holiness & Mercy

God’s people, a major force among
the Gentiles since days of Joshua,
now find themselves under Gentile
domination. But even world powers
don’t rise or fall without the consent
of almighty God. In a remarkable
collection of prophetic glimpses,
Daniel sets forth both the near
and distant future of God’s
chosen people; a future filled with
purifying judgment and blessing.

Holy Lord, we Come to You for Mercy:
But we have Sinned & done wrong.
We have rebelled against You
and scorned Your commands…
We have refused to listen to
Your… prophets (Daniel 9:5-6).
Now, our God, hear the prayers and
petitions of Your servant… We do
not make requests of You because
we are righteous, but because of
Your Great Mercy (Dan 9:17-18).
Seventy weeks are determined
for your people and for your holy
city… to make an end of sins,
to make reconciliation for iniquity,
to bring in everlasting righteousness
and to anoint the Most Holy (D9:24).

Lord, Daniel was an exceptional man
but even him had offended U God.
So in Daniel’s prayers, he took
responsibility for the sins that
he and his people had committed.
Help us Lord to learn from Daniel
not deny our faults but admit them.
Help us to be honest with You God,
confess our sins; so that we can
feel clean, relieved and prepared
to serve You forgiven. Amen.

Lord, I come to You not because
I am worthy but because You are.
You are full of mercy; and I need
Your mercy to be extended to me.
I need help with all things, but
especially with certain situations.
I thank You Lord that Your help
isn’t dependent upon my good
works, but upon Your goodness,
love and grace. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, let Your holiness manifest
itself in us; and may it transform
our thoughts, speech and actions.
You have purchased us our purity
at such a great cost; & we don’t
want it to be wasted in our lives.
Help us honour You in all we do
& help us focus on Your holiness.
And empower us to live a life
that is set apart to You Lord.
In Jesus’ gracious name, Amen.

Our God: The Ancient of Days

Backgrounder to Daniel 7-12:
The first half of Daniel’s book
centers around the prophet’s
personal adventures; the second
half focuses on his prophetic visions.
God’s people, a major political
and military force among the
Gentiles since the days of Joshua,
now find themselves under
Gentile domination. But even world
powers do not rise or fall without
the consent of almighty God.
In a remarkable collection of
prophetic glimpses, Daniel sets
forth both the near and distant
future of God’s chosen people –
a future filled with purifying
judgment and blessing.

Lord, we worship as You Reign:
Daniel had a dream as he lie in bed…
I watched as thrones were put in
place and the Ancient One sat down
to judge. His clothing was as white
as snow, his hair like purest wool.
He sat on a fiery throne & a river of
fire was flowing from His presence…
O Son of Man, You will come with
clouds of heaven. In the presence
of the Ancient of Days, You will be
given dominion and… a kingdom,
so that people of every nation…
will worship U (Dan 7:1, 9-10, 13-14)

Lord Jesus, we Praise You for taking
on human form to accomplish light,
life and liberation. All people will
eventually worship You someday.
We worship You Lord today for
You are our health and salvation.
And we choose to worship You
for You keep Your promises of lovingkindness. In Jesus’ name.

O Heavenly Father who has always
cared, provided and protected Your
children in all the ages, to You in
reverent awe our hearts are bowed.
O Lord Jesus, our Saviour and
Prince of Peace; to You we owe
with gratitude for blessed assurance
and the peace that still prevails.
O Holy Spirit, our Comforter
and Enabler, to You we owe the quickening power that gives peace and increase in all that we do. Amen.

Ancient of Days, who sittest
throned in glory,
To Thee all knees are bent,
all voices prayed;
Thy love has blessed the wide
world’s wondrous story
With light and life since
Eden’s dawning day.
O Triune God, with heart
and voice adoring,
Praise we the goodness
that doth crown our days;
Pray we that Thou will
hear us still imploring
Thy love and favour,
kept to us always.

God Rules over all kingdoms

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

Lord, praise be the King of kings:
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 4:3).
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 U alone.
Thank U for reassuring knowledge
that You are in control of every area of my life. I can truly confess with my whole heart, through the words that Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed, “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. Amen.

The Most High God (May 25)

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.

All Praise be to El Elyon:
Look! he answered: I see four
men loose, walking in the midst
of the fire; and they are not hurt,
and the form of the fourth is like
the Son of God. Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of
the blazing furnace and shouted:
Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego,
servants of the Most High God
(El Elyon), Come here! So
Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego
came out of the fire (Daniel 3:26).

Lord El Elyon, thank You for
showing us time and again that
You are over all, and delivering us
from the snares of the enemy.
You hold the power in Your hand
to keep the flames of life’s trials
from scorching us; and You have
the power to save. We will not
fear what man can do, for You
are El Elyon, the Most High God,
and You Lord are for us. Amen.

Lord El Elyon, we may tremble
when life’s troubles surrounds us,
whether in work, finances or
health through worry or fear.
Yet You Lord are El Elyon, Most
High God and knows everything.
Forgive us for looking only at
what we can see, things that
seem so certain to harm us
rather than looking at You.

Lord El Elyon, we ask You manifest
Your might more & more each day.
Too often we look to ourselves
when we get into difficulties;
and so often we become fearful.
Help us look to You; for You are
not only Creator God, but also
Elyon Most High. Grant us power
when we feel faint; increase
our strength when we are weak;
and help us wait upon You. Amen.

God of Kings & Revelation

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 U
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 (Daniel 2:47).

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
& U are willing to reveal them to us.
For no eye has seen,no ear has heard
& no mind has imagined what God
has prepared for those who love Him.
For Your Spirit searches out all things
and shows us God’s deep secrets.
So Lord, Reveal to us those things
which only You are custodian. Amen.

A Sanctuary for His People

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, You Provide Your People Sanctuary as well as 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 (Ezek 11:19-20).

Lord, thank You that You are
my Sanctuary 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 Ps 139:
that I can never get away
from Your Presence… and that
Your hand will guide me & Your
strength will support me. Amen.

Lord, I pray You will fill me with
Your love; and keep my heart
from wandering away from You.
Make my heart Lord 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 need healing.
Help us to live as we should. Amen.

Liberty & Freedom In Christ

Backgrounder: This epistle is
essentially Paul’s manifesto of
justification by faith. Paul directs
this charter of Christian freedom
to people who are about to forsake
the priceless liberty they possess
in Christ. Certain Jewish legalists
are influencing the believers in
Galatia to trade their freedom
in Christ for bondage to the law.
Paul writes to refute their false
gospel of works & to show the
superiority of justification by faith.

Lord, thank You that faith in Christ
brings about true freedom from
sin and from futile attempt to be
right with God by keeping the law.
It also frees us to serve Christ
out of gratitude, which results in
living purposeful & fulfilling lives.
Lord, Grant us grace as we purpose
to Live as Your Grateful Children,
to Move into Your Freedom and
to Not Lose Heart in service. Amen

Lord, we will be Grateful Children:
God sent his Son to redeem those
under the law, that we might
receive adoption to sonship.
Because you are sons, God sent
the Spirit of His Son into our
hearts, crying out Abba Father!
So you are no longer a slave,
but God’s child; and since you
are His child, God has made you
also an heir (Gal 4:4-7). Amen.
Lord, Thank you for revealing
yourself to me and saving me.
Because of your grace and my
faith I am a child of the living God.
In times of trial, I am bombarded
by doubts; and tough times can
make me wonder if I’m Your child.
Thank you for the presence of
Your Spirit who provides assurance
that I truly belong to You. Amen.

Lord,we’ll move into Your Freedom:
We are not children of the slave
woman, obligated to the law.
We are children of the free women,
acceptable to God because of our
Faith. It is for Freedom that Christ
has set us Free. Stand firm
then, and do not let yourselves
be burdened again by a yoke
of slavery. (Gal 4:31-5:1). Amen.
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving
Your life so that I can be set free
from the yoke of slavery to the
enemy of my soul. Help me not
become entangled by bondage
for which You died to set me free.
Help me stand firm in the freedom
You have secured for me. Amen.

Lord, we will Not Lose Heart:
And let us not grow weary while
doing good, for in due season we
shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Therefore, as we have opportunity,
let us do good to all, especially to
those who are of the household
of faith (Galatians 6:9-10) Amen.
Lord, thank U for teaching me in
my weariness that I can do nothing
apart from You. I give myself to U
for You are my life, my strength
and my salvation. As I purpose
not to lose heart, grant me the
power of Your life to restore joy.
And renew my vision to keep
doing your will & to do good. Amen

http://worshiptogether.com/songs/jesus-we-celebrate-your-victory/

Living For Jesus By Faith (May 22)

Backgrounder: This epistle has
been called the charter of Christian
liberty. It is Paul’s manifesto of
justification by faith and the liberty
that produces. Paul directs this
great charter of Christian freedom
to people who are about to forsake
the priceless liberty they possess
in Christ. Certain Jewish legalists
are influencing the believers in
Galatia to trade their freedom
in Christ for bondage to the law.
Paul writes to refute their false
gospel of works & to show the
superiority of justification by faith.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your
loving kindness and grace to us.
Our acceptance by You God
comes by believing in Christ alone.
Through the lessons from Gal 1-3,
Help us to Seek Your Approval;
Help us to Live For You; and
Help us to Live By Faith. Amen.

Lord, we will Seek Your Approval:
If anyone preaches any other
gospel than the one you welcomed,
let God’s curse fall upon that
person. Obviously I’m not trying
to be a people’s pleaser! No, I am
trying to please God. If I were
still trying to please people, I would
not be Christ’s servant (Gal 1:9-10)
Lord, I desire to live as Christ’s
servant & not as a people pleaser.
I realise that I can’t seek approval
of others even as I live for You.
It is Your Approval that I seek,
the approval that really counts.
Help me to speak and act with
boldness & love as I serve U. Amen.

Lord, we will Live For You:
I have been crucified with Christ;
it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life
which I now live in the flesh
I Live By Faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself
for me. (Galatians 2:20).
Lord, I have been crucified
with Christ and You live in me.
Thank You for loving me and
giving Yourself for me. Thank You
for Your desire to live through me
and enable me to Live For You!
Set me free to serve You with all
my heart and soul. May the truth
of Your Word give me the vision
to trust You with all that I am
so that all You are may dwell
in me. And may I live joyously
because of my faith in You. Amen

Lord, we will Live By Faith:
Did u receive the Spirit by works
of the law or by hearing of faith?..
He who supplies the Spirit to you
and works miracles among you,
does He do it by the works of
the law or by the hearing of faith?
Just as Abraham believed God
and it was accounted to him
for righteousness… No one is
justified by the law in the sight
of God is evident, for the just shall Live By Faith (Gal 3:2-11).
Lord, I believe in Your power
to do miracles, and I want to see
the evidence vof Your mighty work.
Help me believe fully and expect
great things from You. And
I come to You believing not only
that pYou exist, but also believing
that You are a rewarder of those
who diligently seek You. Amen.

to Gal-Eph-Phil-Col (May 22)

To enhance understanding biblical
context we had been meditating
scripture by time sequence:
OT1: Five Books of Laws & Job
OT2: Conquest to United Kingdom,
including Psalms & Wisdom Poetry.
OT3: Divided Kingdom, Exile, plus
Post-Exilic period & the Prophets.
Then gospels ending John where
we learnt Jesus Christ as Son of God
& believing we have life in His name.
Acts records fulfilment of Jesus’
Commission as Spirit-transformed
disciples spread the gospel. In
Romans, Paul gives a sample of his
message before he arrives in Rome.
And First and Second Corinthians,
Living for Christ in corrupt society.

Next, Paul’s letter to the Galatians
doesn’t open with his usual greeting
of praise and prayer for the saints.
There is an emergency at hand!
The Galatians have listened to
false teachers who have come into
the church teaching that salvation
in a mixture of works and grace.
Paul warns the believers about
the bondage this type of deception
brings and exhorts them to return
to the freedom that is theirs in Christ.
He goes on to show that it is in
the Spirit, not the flesh, that the
Christian life is successfully lived.

The Ephesians had unlimited
spiritual wealth at their disposal,
yet they lived as spiritual paupers.
So Paul wrote to encourage them
to understand and claim their
heavenly resources. Only then
could they draw on them for their
early walk. In the first half of
his letter, the apostle outlines
the heavenly wealth – adoption,
redemption, inheritance & power.
In the second half he shows the
practical application of those
doctrines. Paul made it clear –
believers are not to have merely
an earthly viewpoint. For God
has given to us His riches.

In Philippians, Paul is a prisoner
in Rome. In spite of his difficult
circumstances, he remains joyful
and writes to commend the
Philippians for their faithfulness
and to challenge them to make
Christ the center of their experience.
Jesus’ life and ministry, described
in 2:6-11, is the life pattern all
believers must follow so that
their faith might become evident
to others. Paul acknowledges
that divisions sometimes exist
among believers but is confident
that unity will be restored as they
imitate the servanthood of Christ.

Paul is imprisoned in Rome when
he receives word that heretical
doctrines are threatening the
church at Colosse. To refute
the spiritually lethal combination
of eastern mysticism and Jewish legalism, Paul reestablishes
the truth of the gospel and demonstrates the supremacy
of Christ. As Lord of all, Jesus
Christ is the giver of salvation and
sufficient for every need. No rituals
or legalistic practices are needed.
Since Christ is all in all, Paul
encourages the Colossians
to pursue a godly lifestyle befitting
those who are risen with Christ.

The Lord Is There Jehovah Shammah

Jeremiah closes his book with a
mighty sweep of prophetic judgment.
Moving from west to east, Jeremiah
shows that the God of Israel rules
in the affairs of people everywhere:
from Egypt to Elam, Damascus
to Edom. For their wicked idolatry
and staunch refusal to acknowledge
the one true God, Judah’s neighbours
would fall to enemy armies, showing
that no nation is big enough to flaunt
God’s justice and get away with it.

Praise be Jehovah Shammah:
This is the land which you shall
divide by lot as an inheritance
among the tribes of Israel, and these
are their portions, says the Lord…
These are the exits of the city…
the gates of the city shall be
named after the tribes of Israel…
The city shall be 18,000 cubits
round about; and the name of
the city from that day shall be
The Lord is there (Jehovah
Shammah) – Ezek 48:29-31, 35.

Jehovah Shammah, my finite
mind cannot comprehend You
in all Your majesty seated there
in the new Jerusalem – the
place of Your dwelling. You are
my closest friend, and I praise
You for all of Your greatness.
And thank You for preparing
a place where we will dwell
with You for eternity. Amen.

Lord, cause my heart to fully feel
the godly sorrow I should feel
when I offend you. U are Jehovah Shammah, there in the place
of my eternal home, and yet
I dismiss you so easily in my
daily life here. Forgive me for
feeling You aren’t close enough
to give me the love I need as I navigate through this world. Amen

Jehovah Shammah, we ask You
to help us know that everything is
going to be okay as we go thru it
this month. The challenges we
face are sometimes too much
for us to bear. May we call on
Your name as a reminder that
You have gone before us and
are already resting where we
will one day be in Your presence.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dlxytJR5tGU