Month: June 2018

Living Our Christian Calling
(Prayer Walk thro Eph 1-3)

Backgrounder: The Ephesians
had unlimited spiritual wealth at
their disposal, yet they lived as
spiritual paupers. So Paul wrote
to encourage them to claim
their heavenly resources. Only
then could they draw on them for
their earthly walk. And In Christ,
Christians are endowed with every
spiritual blessing as well as adoptn,
redemption, inheritance and power.

Lord, thanks for giving wonderful
spiritual blessings to Your body.
Praise U for being not just Creator
and Sustainer but also head of
the church. Because You Christ is
central to everything, help us place
our priorities under Your control.
Lord, Enlighten Your Plans to us &
Help us Be Your Workmen, even
as we Adore Your Great Love. Amen
Continue reading “Praying thro Ephesians (Jun 30)”

Preview on Ephesians

We have been Chronologically
covering the Bible phase by phase.
We start the Gospels, with Jesus
presented as the Servant in Mark,
the Perfect Son of Man in Luke,
Israel’s Messianic King in Matthew
and the Son of God in John gospel.
We have also covered Acts which
chronicles Growth of the Church.
Then Paul urges the Galatians to
live by Faith alone, Thessalonians
to Serve ahead of second coming,
the Corinthians to live Rightly and
to the Romans Justification by Faith

Next, we continue into Ephesians,
who had unlimited spiritual wealth
at their disposal, yet they lived as
spiritual paupers. So Paul wrote
to encourage them to claim their
heavenly resources & draw on them
for their earthly walk. In the 1st half
of his letter, the apostle outlines
the heavenly wealth – adoption,
redemption, inheritance & power.
In 2nd half, he shows the practical
applications of those doctrines.
Paul made it clear – believers are
not to have merely an earthly view
for God has given to us His riches.
Continue reading “Preview on Ephesians (Jun 30)”

God Overflows You With Hope

Backgrounder on Romans 12-16:
What u believe affect how u behave
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:
Therefore receive one another
just as Christ also received us…
May the God of Hope fill you with
all joy and peace as you trust
Him so that you may Overflow
with Hope by the power of the
Holy Spirit (Rom 15:7, 13). Amen.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 29)”

God Will Transform You

Backgrounder on Romans 12-16:
What u believe affect how u behave
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, we will 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) Amen
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 28)”

Holy Spirit Helps In Your Distresses

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:
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 (Rom 8:26-27). 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(28)Amen
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 27)”

God Uses Problems to Shape You

Backgrounder on Romans 3-5:
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 expectn
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.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 26)”

Merciful God Frees You From Sin

Backgrounder on Romans 1-3:
Paul begins by describing the
helpless condition of humanity. A
rebellious nature has led to rejectn
of the Creator & worship of creation
God in turn has permitted the
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 (R3:23).

Lord, we’re Grateful for Your Mercy:
All have sinned; all fall short of
God’s glorious standard. Yet now
God in his gracious kindness
declares us Not Guilty. He has
done this through Christ Jesus,
who has Freed us by Taking Away
our sins. For God sent Jesus to
take the punishment for our sins..
We are made right with God
when we believe that Jesus
shed his blood, sacrificing his
life for us (Rom 3:23-25). Amen.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 25)”

Practice of Righteousness
(Prayer Walk thro Rom 12-16)

Backgrounder: What you believe
will always affect how you behave.
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 has given you; be subject
to the higher authorities, using
the Savior’s attitude of love and
submission; be sensitive to the
needs of weaker brothers in
matters of conscience; be united in
purpose, having the mind of Christ.

Lord, thanks for Paul’s practical
guidelines for believers in R12-16.
Help us not only just merely know
the gospel; but also let it really
transform our lives and let You
impact every aspect of our lives.
Lord, help us be Living Sacrifice;
help us be Instrument of Peace &
grant us Joy, Peace & Hope. Amen
Continue reading “Praying thro Romans (Jun 24)”

New Life, New Nature & Freedom
(Prayer Walk thro Rom 6-11)

Backgrounder: Paul anticipates
the questions that will arise from
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. Rather it may
be only the beginning! But the life
-giving Spirit provides confidence,
and intercession for victorious
Christian living in the storms
and complexities of everyday life.

Lord, thank you that because You
have given us New Life, we can be
certain that sin’s power is broken.
Thank you that because you have
given us New Nature, we can see
ourselves as unresponsive to
the old power & alive to the new.
Thank You that because You have
given us New Freedom, we can
commit ourselves to obey Christ.
So Lord, help us Freely Serve You;
help us Pray with Your Spirit; and
help us Share the Gospel. Amen.
Continue reading “Praying thro Romans (Jun 23)”

God Is Always Near You

Backgrounder on Acts 16-18:
Paul’s second missionary journey
begins with a new companion
– Silas. The team soon doubles
in size as Timothy and Luke are
added. Initially given a warm
reception in Philippi, Paul & Silas
soon experience flogging and
imprisonment for disrupting the
profitable soothsaying business.
But God uses even this to bring
a jailer and his family to salvation.

Lord, You Are Always Near Us:
God decided beforehand when
(nations) should rise and fall, and
He determines their boundaries.
His Purpose was for the nations
to Seek After God and perhaps
feel their way towards Him and
find Him – though He Is Not Far
from any one of us. For In Him
We Live and move and have
our being (Acts 17:26-28) Amen.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 22)”