The purpose of the gospel of Matthew is to prove that Jesus
is the Messiah, the eternal King.
Matthew 1-4 introducing the
arrival of the Messiah focuses
on the importance of obedience;
whilst Matthew 5-7 traditionally called the Sermon on the Mount
sees Jesus giving directions
for living in His kingdom.
On Tuesday, we learn from Matt 1
to Praise Immanuel Always with us.
On Wed, we learn from Matt 4
to Thank Lord Jesus for Calling Us.
On Thu, we learn from Matt 5 that
God Blesses those Depend on Him.
On Friday, we learn from Matt 6
that Father God Provides our Needs.
On Saturday, we learn fr Matt 7 to
Thank God for Rewarding Seekers.
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 of our praise
being Immanuel Always with us;
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as You Bless, Provide & Reward us;
For Your partnership calling us
to further the Kingdom of God.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Jesus claimed to be the Messiah,
the king of the Jews. And Matthew
5 to 7 traditionally called the
Sermon on the Mount, essentially
presents His statement of heaven.
Relationship to God (not adherence
to ritual) and our inward attitude
(not outward action) become
the focus of Christ’s message.
Lord, we will Ask, Seek & Knock:
Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find; knock and
the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives;
he who seeks finds; and
to him who knocks, the door
will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8).
If you then, being evil, know how
to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father
who is in heaven give good things
to those who Ask Him (v11).
Without faith it is impossible
to please Him, for he who comes
to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of those
who diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6).
Lord Jesus, thank You for promising
that those who ask receive and
that when we seek, we will find.
Grant me the grace to Persevere,
to Keep On asking, seeking and
knocking until the answer comes.
Grant me the power of Your Spirit,
and strength to Persevere In Prayer
especially when I am in my weakest
moment & felt like giving up. Amen.
Father God, I come to You in faith,
believing in Your Goodness and
that You want to bless Your children.
I Ask that the desires of my heart
be aligned with Your will so that
my prayer will surely come to pass.
And Lord I will keep asking You and
Knock on Your door, and anticipate
it being opened by You. Amen.
Lord, Your Word says it’s impossible
to please God without Faith.
And so we come to You believing
not only You exist but also
believing that You Will Reward
those who diligently seek You.
For the Father desires to give
good things to those who ask Him.
So I will come to You in prayer and
I will Seek Your face, In Jesus’ name.
Father God Provides Our Needs Inspiring song: Seek Ye First
“Seek Ye First” is a hymn written
by Karen Lafferty in the 1970s.
It is based on Matthew 6 about
how God takes care of the birds
of the air; and verse 33: Seek ye
first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness, and all these
things shall be added unto You.
Karen sang Seek Ye First into a tape
recorder, added “hallelujah” decant,
and in her words, “That was it.”
Seek Ye First was included on the
first Maranatha! Music praise album.
As a musicianary with YWAM, Karen
has received more than half of her
support from the publishing royalty
of “Seek Ye First” & the song opens
doors for her all over the world.
Karen says she feels privilege to
have written a tune that is so widely
used, but she carefully credits the
words to their true author: Jesus!
Lord, we Lift Up Our Needs to You:
Therefore I say to you, do not worry
about your life… Look at the birds of
the air, for they neither sow nor reap
nor gather into barns;yet yr heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not of
more value than they? (Mt 6:25-26).
Do not worry saying: What shall
we eat…or What shall we wear?
For the pagans run after these
things and Your Heavenly Father
Knows that You Need them (v27).
But Seek First the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness,
and all these things will be given
to you as well. Therefore Do Not
Worry about tomorrow (v31-34).
Father, You promise and advise us
Not To Worry about basic needs
for You Will Provide them to us.
Grateful I don’t have to be drained
by worry; but I can be consumed
with You Lord and Your kingdom;
for You will take care of my needs.
So, I choose to keep anxiety from
cluttering my heart and instead
purpose to be filled with You. Amen.
Father, You are All-Knowing and
therefore You Know all our needs.
Praise You for Knowing everything
about us and every detail of our situation; for nothing surprises You.
For Your Word says You Know
our needs and Will Provide them.
And so we can live peacefully and cheerfully each day when we keep
Your kingdom as key concern. Amen
Loving Father, Thanks for caring
for us, including being our Provider.
Lead me to regularly Seek You First,
trust Your gracious promise and
keep from worrying about the future. Guide me into the right perspective
and not worry over issues beyond
my control. Help me Lord to see the difference between needs & wants;
and transform my inner being. Amen
Backgrounder on Matthew 5-7:
Jesus claimed to be the Messiah,
the king of the Jews. And this
section traditionally called the
Sermon on the Mount, presents
His statement of heaven.
Relationship to God (rather than
adherence to ritual) and inward
attitude (not outward action)
become the focus of His message.
Lord, we will Depend on You:
Blessed are the Poor in spirit
(and realise their need for Him)
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…
Blessed are the Meek,
for they shall inherit the earth…
Blessed are the Merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
(Matthew 5:3, 5, 7). Amen.
Lord, the kingdom of God belongs to those who realize they are incapable of providing spiritually. It’s in our weakness that God meets
us & displays Your power clearly. So Lord, I freely admit that apart from You, I am empty and weak. Let my emptiness & helplessness gives You room to fill me with
Your abundant blessings. Amen.
Lord, thank You for dealing with Your people gently, even though You are supreme, holy and just. I want to be a person of principle and also a person of gentleness. Realising my short comings, help me Be Meek & mild tempered. For people who have power in their thoughts & can control that power will be able to guide others into God’s wisdom, gently plod them do good & inherit blessings. Amen.
Lord, You are so merciful.
Thank You for not giving us
the eternal death we deserve but
instead You give us life in Christ.
To be truly right with You God,
help me to extend mercy to the
undeserving people in my lives.
Teach me to be lavish in willingness
to overlook wrongs & to bless those
who don’t deserve blessing. Amen.
Cecil Alexander (1818-1895) was
the wife of a parish minister in an
impoverished area of North Ireland.
She loved the people. From one
house to another she went. She
especially loved children and most
of her hymns were written for them.
“Jesus Calls Us” was one of the
few hymns she wrote for adults.
She wrote the hymn to accompany
sermon her husband was preaching
about the calling of Peter & Andrew
by Jesus on the shores of Galilee.
Lord, we purpose to Follow You:
One day as Jesus was walking
along the shore of the Sea of Galilee,
he saw two brothers – Simon, also
called Peter, and Andrew -throwing
a net into the water, for they fished
for a living. Jesus called out to them:
Come follow me, and I will show
you how to fish for people. They
immediately left their nets and
followed Him (Matthew 4:18-20).
Going on from there, He saw
two other brothers, James… and
John… in the boat with Zebedee
their father mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately
they left the boat and their father
and followed Him (v21-22).
And Jesus went about all Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom
& healing all kinds of sickness (v23).
Lord, You call us to turn away from our own selfish interests, to take up our cross and to follow after You. Grant us grace to trust You even if the path is difficult to see or heading in a direction we will not choose. Help us see with eyes of faith rather than from our human point of view. Teach us to follow without fear for You are with us, leading the way. Grant us grace to say “Yes” when You come calling “follow me”. Amen
Lord, You are always making this challenge to us: “Follow Me.” But to follow You will also mean bearing the cross and being willing to die to our own ambitions, our own strengths & make way for God to work thro us. But in gratitude of all that You Lord had done for us, make us hear Your call to follow You. Grant us grace to give our hearts in obedience, so that we serve and love Thee best of all. Amen.
Jesus calls us; o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless sea; Day by day his sweet voice sound Saying, “Christian, follow me.” In our joys and in our sorrows, Days of toil and hours of ease, Still He calls, in cares & pleasures, Christian, love me more than these. Jesus calls us– by Thy mercies, Savior, may we hear Thy call; Give our hearts to Thine obedience, Serve & love Thee best of all. Amen.
Matthew begins his gospel with
the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
Whilst Genesis traces the creation
of the universe and man, Matthew
now shows that the advent of
Jesus inaugurates a new creation.
From the call of Abraham, God
has been moving to accomplish
His great redemption plan. Jesus
the prophesied Messiah, fulfills
the OT promises in every facet of
His life: birth, boyhood and baptism.
Lord, You are With Us Always:
An angel of the Lord appeared
to (Joseph) in a dream, saying…
Do not be afraid to take Mary your
wife, for that which is conceived
in her is of the Holy Spirit.
She will bring forth a Son and
you shall call His name Jesus,
for He will save His people
from their sins (Matt 1:20-21).
So all this was done that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken by
the Lord thro the prophet saying:
Behold the virgin shall be with
child and bear a Son and they shall
call His name Immanuel, which is
translated: God With Us (v22-23).
(Jesus’ said): Go therefore and
make disciples… teaching them
to observe all things that I have
commanded you; and lo, I am
With you Always (Matt 28:19-20).
Lord, You’ve come to bring peace,
to be love, to be nearer to us.
You have come, to bring life,
to be light, to shine brighter in us.
Oh Emmanuel God with us.
Our Deliverer, You are Savior;
In Your presence we find
our strength over everything.
Our redemption God with us,
You are God With Us. Amen.
Lord, help me see what is already
true: that You are a constant
companion throughout the day.
Remind me You are not far away
but that You are nearby with me.
Grant me holy imagination that
Father is looking into my heart
with love; that Jesus is sitting
beside with a smile and that the
Spirit is hovering over me. Amen.
Lord Jesus, You clearly promised
Your disciples in Matthew 28:20
that You will be with them always.
Although busyness and activities
often disconnect me from others,
it will never separate me from You.
Your promise is reliable in a world
where most promises are not.
Thank You Lord for the permanent
nature of Your promise. Amen.
The path to intentional discipleship
is to grow towards spiritual maturity
by nurturing key disciple attitudes.
So for the past two years, we had
been Seeking God in biblical prayers
especially when facing challenging
times; and Trusting God for His
goodness, might and faithfulness
for He is trully a covenental God.
And for the past one month; we’ve
been Adoring God through Thanking
Him for what He has done for us
and Praising Him for who He is.
From the earliest days of the church,
the singing of hymns and spiritual
songs has been an integral part
of Christian worship. It is a means
for believers to express praise
to their Creator and Saviour. And it’s
also a way for us to communicate
with God using more than words.
For it enables us to pour out the
grateful feelings of the heart as well
as to express commitment to God.
We are meditating through the Bible,
which is organised by genres:
Laws, History, Poetry and Prophets…
Before we continue into History,
for variety sake we will have the
first Gospel interlude in Matthew.
But here’s the key thoughts from
the five books of Laws; which
provide instruction to the Israelites
in their relationship with God.
J8: Almighty God El Shaddai(Gen17)
J15: The Lord My Banner (Ex 17)
J22: Jesus Paid It All (Lev 16)
J29: Praise God Our Rock (Dt 32)
Navigation: Click PrayerThots.com
Scroll to Calendar, Select mth & day.
With the covenant reestablished
and the nation poised at Jordan
River, Moses completes his
duties as leader of God’s people
by commissioning Joshua as his
successor with a sober warning.
To help the people remember
his message of life, Moses
records his final words as a song.
Lord, we proclaim You’re Our Rock:
Then Moses spoke in the hearing
of all the assembly of Israel
the words of this song (Deut 31:30)
Hear O earth words of my mouth
for I proclaim the name of the Lord:
Ascribe greatness to our God.
He is the Rock. His work is
perfect; and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is He (Dt 32:1-4).
Is He not your Father, who
bought you? Has He not made
you and established you? (v6).
He kept (you) as the apple
of His eye (Deut 32:10).
Lord, I lift my eyes to You, my solid
rock, my refuge and my salvation.
Help quieten my heart to wait on U
in the storm for my hope is in You.
Let my confidence not be shaken
by what circumstances may say
or my mind may think. Thank You
that my confidence rests on You,
the One who is the Rock and that
You can never be shaken. Amen.
Lord, Thank You for providing
stability and for being our rock,
and the God of our salvation.
Lord, we enter each day with the
intention to trust in You. Yet when
the winds blow & the waves rise,
we may forget looking at You.
Lord, as my rock be my stability
when things are not quite stable.
Help me focus on You; for Lord
You are unshakable and You are
my solid rock. In His name, Amen.
Father God, You are my solid Rock,
that cannot be shaken, my safe
refuge & shelter from storms of life.
Lord Jesus, You are my Rock; and
because U overcome, I’ll overcome
as You are for me and You are the
same yesterday, today, and forever.
Spirit, help me remember to find
security in the Father and the Son,
who are my Rock & sure foundation.
And I place my future into Yr Hands
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
The purpose of Deuteronomy is
to remind the people of what God
had done and encourage them
to rededicate their lives to Him.
Moses stresses holiness as a way
of life and reminds the people of
the necessity of obedience to God.
Whether possessing the land, defeating the enemy, or simply enjoying life in a new homeland, God’s people must exhibit complete
obedience to His commands.
On Monday, we learn from Deut 2
to Thank God for His Provision.
On Tuesday, we learn from Deut 3
to Praise Adonai Lord Who Rules.
On Wed, we learn from Deut 7
to Praise God for His Faithfulness.
On Thursday, we learn from Deut 30
to Thank God for His Restoration.
On Friday, we learn from Deut 32
to Praise God for Being Our Rock.
On Saturday, we learn fr Deut 33
to Praise God for Being Our Shield
& Leaning On the Everlasting Arms.
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 of our praise
being Adonai who Rules & our Rock;
For You are worthy of our thanks,
as You Provide and Restore us;
For Your Faithfulness and being
our Shield so that we can always
lean on Your everlasting arms.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Praise God For Being Our Shield: Leaning On the Everlasting Arms
Music teacher AJ Showalter
dismissed his class one day in 1887
and returned home in Alabama.
There he found letters from two
former students, each with a similar
story: both had lost their wives.
Showalter began writing letters of
condolence. The scripture that came
to mind was from Deuteronomy,
the assurance of God’s “everlasting
arms” supporting us. Then he wrote
a third letter to Elisha Hoffman
to write a hymn on that theme.
Hoffman responded quickly
with three stanzas and
Showalter supplied the music.
With God’s arms beneath us and
His love surrounding us, we can find
strength even in sorrowful situatns.
Lord, we seek Yr Everlasting Arms:
There’s no one like the God of Israel.
He rides across the heavens
to help you, across the skies
in majestic splendour.
The eternal God is your refuge and
His Everlasting Arms are under u…
Then Israel shall dwell in safety…
Happy are you O Israel!
Who is like you, a people
saved by the Lord, the shield
of your help (Deut 33:26-29).
Lord, there is no one like You; for
You will ride across the heavens
in majestic splendour just to
help us when we cry out to You.
Let us experience You as our refuge
and sense Your Everlasting Arms
of protection and love holding us.
And we adore and praise You for
Your faithfulness & mighty power.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Lord, You are almighty & You are
my safe refuge from the storm.
Help me to find rest in You for
the battle belongs to You Lord.
No matter whether the battles
are with finances, relationships,
health or obedience, I know that
because of Your presence in my life,
I’ll not face those challenges alone.
For I depend on Your Everlasting
Arms and strength, not mine. Amen
What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms;
What a blessedness,
what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.
Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.
What have I to dread,
what have I to fear,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,
I have blessed peace
with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
