PrayerThots Devotional

God Shows Direction & Gives Joy
Inspiring Hymn Be Thou My Vision

Backgrounder on Psalms 13-18:
In contrast to the fate of the
fool who denies God’s existence
(Ps 14) many blessings accrue
to the one who serves God with
a whole heart: joyfulness (Ps 13),
fellowship w God(Ps 15), direction &
satisfaction(P16), preservation(P17)
& confidence in facing future (Ps18).
Be Thou My Vision is an anonymous
Irish hymn from the eighth century;
filled with various titles for God.
The word Vision is used to indicate
not only what we focus on but also
what we strive for. As we strive
for the goal, we gain a long term
perspective that helps us see
today’s challenges as trivial when
compared to the heavenly Vision.

Lord, we Receive Inheritance & Joy:
Lord, You alone are my inheritance,
my cup of blessing. You guard all
that is mine. The land you have
given me is a pleasant land. What
a Wonderful Inheritance (Ps 16:5-6)
I will bless the Lord who has
given me counsel; my heart also
instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the Lord always before
me; because He is at my right
hand I shall not be moved (v7-8).
You will not leave my soul in Sheol…
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of Joy.
At Your right hand are pleasures
forevermore (Psa 16:10-11). Amen.

Lord, enable us to walk in the reality
that You are our promised cup
of blessing and true inheritance.
Grant us understanding of the riches
of the inheritance, including faith,
hope & love that You have given us.
Lead us leave a rich inheritance
of faith and love to those
who come after us. For that’s
the way to live successfully. Amen.

Father, I bless You as the Lord
who guides and instruct Your
people by day and by night.
Teach me to hear Your instructions;
and help me step into Your will.
Lord, as I Patiently wait upon You,
let Your Spirit guide my heart.
Download Your truths, show me
solutions to problems, and open
my mind to Your ideas. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for everything
that You have blessed us with.
Help us to be contented with our
portion and station in life as well
as the situation we find ourselves.
We trust You are in control; and
You will never leave nor forsake us.
In Your presence, there’s fullness
of Joy; and help me Lord to make
Be Thou indeed be my Vision. Amen

Lord, Be Thou my Vision,
O Lord of my heart.
I ever with Thee and
Thou with me Lord.
Thou my best thought,
by Day or by Night.
Waking or sleeping,
Thy presence my light…
Riches I heed not,
nor man’s empty praise.
Thou mine inheritance,
now and always.
Thou and Thou only,
the first in my heart.
Still be my Vision.
O Ruler of all. Amen.

All but one of Psalms 7-12,
begins with a cry of lament:
“O Lord my God,” “O Lord,””Lord.”
These short but potent songs
express the psalmist’s desire
that justice prevail (Psalm 7),
that the wicked be brought low
(Psalm 9-10), and that God’s holy
name be exalted (Psalm 8,11-12)

Lord, You are Our Refuge:
I will praise You O Lord,
with my whole heart; I will tell
of all Your marvellous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High (Psalm 9:1-2).
The Lord is a refuge for the
oppressed, a stronghold in times
of trouble. Those who know
Your name will trust in You,
for You Lord have never forsaken
those who seek You (v9-10).
Have mercy on me Lord!
Consider my trouble… That I
may tell of all Your praise… I will
rejoice in Your salvation (v13-14).

Lord Most High, I lift up Your name
in praise for You are my salvation
and for Your marvellous works.
Thank You Lord for Your strength;
and thank You God for providing
a place to run to in times of need.
You provide a way out of troubles
where there seems to be no way.
In You alone I find my stronghold
to which I run for safety. Amen.

Lord, we pray for those who don’t
know You as their stronghold, the
one to provide them help and hope.
Draw them with Your loving care;
and show them that in the midst
of their trials that You are there
for them, ever ready to provide
a shield against the storms of life.
Help me Lord share of Your love
and make me a witness of Your
hope to those in need. Amen.

Lord, fill me a spirit of faith and
I will look to You in every way.
I will Bless Your name forever
and I will Trust You at all times.
For Lord You are My Shield,
My Strength My Portion,
Deliverer… My Shelter,
Strong Tower… My Very Present
Help in time of need. Amen.

God Hears When We Call

The first six psalms form a fitting
introduction to the entire Psalter.
In them you will learn the
importance of meditating
on God’s Word (Psalm 1),
acknowledging the Lord as King
(Psslm 2), and constantly being
devoted to prayer in gospel
in good times and in bad (Ps 3-6).

Lord, Hear me when I Call You:
Answer me when I call, O God of
my righteousness (Elohe Tsadeki)!
You have relieved me in my
distress; Be gracious to me
and Hear my prayer (Psalm 4:1).
How long… will You turn my glory
to shame?… But know that the
Lord has set apart for Himself
him who is godly; The Lord will
Hear when I call to Him (v2-3).
You have put gladness in my heart..
I will both lie down in peace
and sleep; for You alone O Lord
make me dwell in safety (v7-8).

Lord Elohe Tsadeki, thank You for
the power of Your righteousness
for from You flow might & strength.
Your righteousness also brings
about the beauty we see in one
another in acts of kindness and love.
All these flow from You for goodness
stem from the core of who You are.
And so You Lord will be gracious
to me when I call upon You. Amen.

Lord, grateful that I am a child
of Yours set apart for Your glory
and that You will hear my prayers.
Show me Lord if there’s anything in
my life that would become a barrier
between me and You such that
my prayers will go unanswered.
Help me to have the peace, knowing
You have heard my prayers and will
answer in Your way & Yr time. Amen

Lord, thank You for setting apart
each of us to know You and for
answering when we call on You.
Grant me joy in Christ and peace
in Your presence even before
a turnaround or harvest comes.
And grant me to lie down in peace
and sleep, for You keep me safe.
For You know my every thought,
You see each tear that falls, and
You Hear me when I call. Amen.

God Promises Fruitfulness

The psalms written mostly by
David, over a period of 6 centuries
and used as the temple hymnbook,
capture the essence of what it
means to walk daily with God.
The first six psalms form a fitting
introduction to the entire Psalter.
In them you learn the importance
of meditating on God’s Word (Ps 1),
acknowledging the Lord as King(P2)
and constantly being devoted to
prayer in good times & bad (Ps 3-6).

Lord, we’ll Delight in Your Word:
Blessed is the man who walks
not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stands in the path of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law
of the Lord, and in His law he
meditates day and night (Ps 1:1-2).
He shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water,
that brings forth its Fruit
in its season, whose leaf also
shall not wither; and whatever
he does shall prosper (Ps 1:3).
For the Lord knows (and approves)
the way of the righteous (v6).

Father God, more than anything,
I want to make You Lord happy.
And I want to do and be all that
You planned when You created me.
It’s Your counsel I want to follow,
Your side Lord I want to be on and
Your behaviour I want to imitate.
Help me Lord to Continually Think
of You and Your Word so that
I may experience Your joy. Amen.

Lord, I want to have this kind of
blessed life & this kind of happiness.
So I pray that You Lord will
cause me to recognise the wicked
and refuse to follow their leading.
Pray I will refuse to join in with those
who mock what’s precious to You.
And pray that the Scriptures will
increasingly become the controlling
influence in my life. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, give me the desire to read
Your Word and to meditate on it
day and night. Let me eat deeply
from Your Word & make me wise.
Cause me to Delight in Doing Your
will and that’s what I purpose to do.
Most of all, empower me to Do
what it says and Transform me
and the circumstance so that
I will bear fruit that lasts. Amen.

God In Control of the Situation
Inspiring Song: My Redeemer Lives

In Job 16-19, Job agonises over
his situation. Whilst his three friends
explain that he must be suffering
because of some terrible sins,
Job argues that he hasn’t sinned
enough to deserve such suffering.
Job 19:25-26 inspired praise song
My Redeemer Lives which was
released by Hillsong in year 1999.
The song says Jesus rescued our
soul; taking the shame and pain we
feel; and helping us in our problems.
Christ has risen from the grave and
we celebrate for My Redeemer lives!

Lord, we’ll Put out Trust in You:
Then Job spoke: I have heard
all this before. What miserable
comforters you are! Won’t u ever
stop your flow of foolish words?
I could say the same things if
you were in my place. I could
spout off criticisms against you
…but that not what I would do.
I would speak in a way that
helps you. I would try to take
away your grief (Job 16:1-5).
Then Job spoke again: How long
will you torture me? You are
trying to use my humiliation as
evidence of my sin (Job 19:1-5).
For I know that my Redeemer Lives,
& He shall stand at last on the earth;
My flesh may be destroyed, yet from
this body I Will See God (v25-26)

Dear Lord, help us from the painful
experience of Job how to be a true
friend and Encouraging Comforter.
Lord, whilst we sometime cannot
understand troubles that befall us
we know You’ve awesome power,
& You’re In Control of the situation.
Help us Lord never doubt You but
have unwavering faith like Job
that Our Redeemer Lives. Amen.

Lord, help me learn from the
painful experience of Job not
to sermonise, accuse, criticise,
or even talk for sake of talking to
someone who is in pain and grief.
Help me instead to put myself
in the other person’s place,
offer help and encouragement,
thereby Be A Comforter. Amen.

Lord, whilst sometimes just
like Job, we could not explain
troubles that beset us, we will
purpose not to forget You God.
Whatever happens, like Job we’ll
purpose to Trust You’re In Control,
Trust You will never forsake us &
Trust You God in Your kairos time
will come as a redeemer. Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of the book of Job is
to demonstrate God’s sovereignty
and the meaning of true faith.
It also addresses the question:
“Why do the righteous suffer?”
This week we see that even in
challenging times we can still
thank and praise God for He is
good, merciful, trustworthy, all-
knowing and in control of things.

On Monday, we learn from Job 1/2
that God Watches In Tough Times.
On Tuesday, we learn from Job 4-7
that God Is Merciful and With Us.
On Wed, we learn from Job 16/19
that God In Control of the Situation.
On Thursday, we learn from Job 23
that God’s Tests Meant for Good.
On Friday, we learn from Job 38
that God Knows What’s Best for us.
On Sat, we learn from Job 40/42
that All-Knowing God Is Trustworthy.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You are Trustworthy and that
You Watch over us in tough times;
For You are worthy of our Praise
as You are Merciful, With Us as
well as In Control of the Situation;
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as You Know What’s Best & that
Your Tests are Meant for Good.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

All-Knowing God Is Trustworthy

Instead of answering Job’s
questions directly, God asks Job
a series of questions that no human
can possibly answer adequately.
In response, Job humbles himself
and recognises God’s ways are best.
God rebukes the three friends for
adding to Job’s suffering by their
false assumptions and criticisms.
Job’s material possessions and
family are restored and he receives
even greater blessings than before.

Lord, we put our Trust in You:
The Lord said to Job: Do you still
want to argue with the Almighty?…
Then Job replied… I am nothing…
I have said too much already.
I have nothing more to say.
Then the Lord spoke to Job out
of the storm: Would you discredit
My justice? Would you condemn
Me to justify yourself? Do you
have an arm like God’s (Job 40:1-9)
Then Job replied to the Lord:
I know that You can do anything
and no one can stop You. You ask:
Who is this that questions My
wisdom with such ignorance?
It is I. And I was talking about
things I did not understand.
I take back everything I said
and I sit in dust and ashes to
show my repentance (Job 42:1-6).
When Job prayed for his friends,
the Lord restored his fortunes.
In fact, the Lord gave him twice
as much as before (v10-13).

Lord, Your answer to Job shows You
are in control & Only U Understand
why the good are allowed to suffer.
We realize Lord that regardless
of what we think is fair, You will
still do what You Know is best.
We confess we cannot question
Your fairness or ability to perform.
And we submit and give You Lord
the chance to reveal Your greater
purpose in Your way & time. Amen.

Lord, when Job was down and
nothing else was left, he still had
God and that was enough for him.
Help us Lord to accept what
You allow to happen in our lives.
Help us to love You regardless
of whether You allow blessing
or suffering to come to our lives.
Help us maintain a humble posture,
not to question Your wisdom; and
Put Our Trust wholly in You. Amen.

Lord, in our fallen world, suffering
may come to good and bad alike.
Knowing You are in control, we
will not question Your sovereignty.
Whilst we don’t know the reasons
for the trial, we Trust You God
with our unanswered questions
and turn to You for strength.
For those who Persist Trusting
In You, knowing You are God,
will be rewarded and be complete
In You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God Knows What’s Best
Instead of answering Job’s
questions directly, God asks
Job a series of questions that
no human can possibly answer.
Job humbles himself and responds
by recognising God’s ways are best.
God rebukes the three friends for
adding to Job’s suffering by their
false assumptions and criticisms.
Job’s material possessions and
family are restored & he receives
even greater blessings than before.

Lord, we’ll Not Question Yr Wisdom:
Then the Lord answered Job:
Who is this that questions my
wisdom with such ignorant words?
I have some questions for you and
you must answer them (Job 38:1-3)
Where were you when I laid
the foundations of the earth?…
Do you know how its dimensions
were determined?.. Who defined
the boundaries of the sea (v4-8).
Have you… commanded the morning
to appear & cause the dawn to rise?
Where does the light come from and
where does the darkness go(v12,19)
Who sends the rain that…
makes the tender grass spring up?
Where does the dew come from?…
Can you ensure proper sequence
of the seasons?… Do you know
the laws of the universe and
how God rules the earth? (v27-33).

Lord, just as we don’t understand
Your creation, it’s challenging
to understand God’s purposes.
And bitterness over suffering can
limit understanding of Your ways.
Help us to trust You regardless
of whether You allow blessing
or suffering to come to our lives.
For it is not our job to question
You the sovereign and good God,
but to simply worship You. Amen.

Lord, grateful that You are a
personal God and I can pour out
my hurts and frustrations to You.
Help me learn to question Yr works
without criticising Your wisdom.
For we know You’re always good,
no matter how things may appear.
Your goodness may be obscured
due to our limited perspectives.
So help me Lord to see and hear
the truth behind the scenes. Amen.

Lord, Hide me now Under Yr wings
Cover me Within Your mighty hand.
When oceans rise & thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm.
Father You are king over the flood
I will be still and know you are God.
Find rest my soul In Christ alone
Know His power In quietness & trust.
When oceans rise & thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm.
Father You are king over the flood
I’ll be still & know You are God.Amen

God’s Test Meant for Good .
As Job agonises over his situation,
his three friends explain that
he must be suffering because
of some terrible sin he committed.
They try to persuade Job to repent
of his sin. When Job argues that he
hasn’t sinned enough to deserve
such suffering his friends respond
with even harsher accusations.

Lord, we’ll Keep to Your Way:
Then Job answered and said:
Even today my complaint is bitter…
Oh that I knew where I might
find Him… I would present my
case before Him (Job 23:1-4).
But He knows the way that I take;
when He has tested me, I shall
Come Forth As Gold… I have
Kept His Way… I have treasured
the words of His mouth (v10-12).
Whatever He wants to do, he does.
He’ll Do for me all he has planned.
He Controls my destiny (v13-14).

Lord, You love to speak to Your
people; but sometimes, like in Job,
You maintain long silences and
that can be rather uncomfortable.
For You are tuning our ears to Your
voice & teaching us to wait on You.
Lord, when I cannot really sense
Your presence or hear Your voice,
keep me drawing me towards You.
Give me the patience & persistence
to keep seeking Your face. Amen.

Lord, I praise You for faithfulness
& for knowing the way that I take.
Thank You that when I have been
tested, I will Come Forth As Gold.
Lord, it’s painful not to hear Your
voice & wonder where You’ve gone;
but my eyes are still fixed on You.
Let me not waste the pain Lord;
instead use it to draw me deeper.
And show me treasures of Your
ways and Your kingdom. Amen.

Lord, You control my destiny
and I fully trust in Your goodness.
So fill my vision with hope, which
is the expression of Your goodness.
You have given me promises,
and offered hope, even when
I can’t see all the way ahead.
Help me Lord to walk in the good
purposes You have planned for me.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God In Control of the Situation

Backgrounder to Job 15-19:
Job agonises over his situation.
His three friends explain that
he must be suffering because of
some terrible sin he committed.
They try to persuade Job to repent
of his sin. When Job argues that he
hasn’t sinned enough to deserve
such suffering his friends respond
with even harsher accusations.

Lord, we’ll Put out Trust in You:
Then Job spoke: I have heard
all this before. What miserable
comforters you are! Won’t u ever
stop your flow of foolish words?
I could say the same things if
you were in my place. I could
spout off criticisms against you
…but that not what I would do.
I would speak in a way that
helps you. I would try to take
away your grief (Job 16:1-5).
Then Job spoke again: How long
will you torture me? You are
trying to use my humiliation as
evidence of my sin (Job 19:1-5).
For I know that my Redeemer Lives,
& He shall stand at last on the earth;
My flesh may be destroyed, yet from
this body I Will See God (v25-26)

Dear Lord, help us from the painful
experience of Job how to be a true
friend and Encouraging Comforter.
Lord, whilst we sometime cannot
understand troubles that befall us
we know You’ve awesome power,
& You’re In Control of the situation.
Help us Lord never doubt You but
have unwavering faith like Job
that Our Redeemer Lives. Amen.

Lord, help me learn from the
painful experience of Job not
to sermonise, accuse, criticise,
or even talk for sake of talking to
someone who is in pain and grief.
Help me instead to put myself
in the other person’s place,
offer help and encouragement,
thereby Be A Comforter. Amen.

Lord, whilst sometimes just
like Job, we could not explain
troubles that beset us, we will
purpose not to forget You God.
Whatever happens, like Job we’ll
purpose to Trust You’re In Control,
Trust You will never forsake us &
Trust You God in Your kairos time
will come as a redeemer. Amen.