Month: July 2019

Listen & Follow the Good Lord !!

The psalms of Asaph (Psa 73-83)
conclude with six testimonies to
the greatness and faithfulness of
the God of Israel. He has kept His
promises in the past (P78) which
is a comforting reminder in the face
of an uncertain future (P79-80).
God is there (Ps 81) and is not
silent (P82-83) when it comes to
overthrowing idols and enemies.

Lord, we will Listen & Follow You:
You Cried to me in trouble, and
I Saved you; I answered out of
the thundercloud and Tested
your faith when there was no
water at Meribah (Psalm 81:7).
The Lord said: Open your mouth wide
and I Will Fill it with good things (v10)
Oh, that my people wd Listen to me!
Oh, that Israel would Follow me,
walking in my path… And with
honey from the rock I would have
satisfied you (Psa 81:13-16). Amen.

Lord, we note the Israelites Accused
You at Meribah for forgetting to
take care of their needs. Likewise
at times I have been so unworthy
to have complained against You.
I may have grumbled about my
circumstances and wondered
whether I’ve forfeited Your favour.
But Lord I am exactly the kind of
person Your mercy was meant for.
As I Cry out to You, won’t You let
me Hear & See Your answers. Amen

Lord, You are the good shepherd and
has promised we shall not be in want.
Forgive me for thinking too small.
And Fill me with hope and faith
for everything You want to give,
whether they be big or small,
looks possible or impossible,
conventional or extraordinary.
For You are the God who gives
and says good things. Amen.

Lord, help us not only wanting to
hear from You but to Listen to You.
Help us not to be skeptical and
passive hearers but willing listeners.
I know You Lord value discernment
but You value trust even much more.
You urge me in Your word to walk
by faith and not by sight. And so
I purpose to commit to Listen intently
and fill me with Your holy boldness
to act on what I hear from You. Amen.

God Is Your Shelter & Strength !!

In Psalms 73 to 77 by Asaph,
those who ignore God will find
their path slippery and their
prosperity short-lived (P73 & P75).
By contrast, those who order their
lives according to God’s Word will
discover hope in the midst of havoc
(P74) and resources to face every
situation in life victoriously (P76-77).

Lord, U are Our Strength & Shelter:
Whom have I in heaven but You?
I Desire You more than anything
on earth. My health may fail and
my spirit may grow weak, but God
remains the Strength of my heart;
he is mine forever (Ps 73:25-26).
But as for me, how good it is to
Be Near God! I have made the
Sovereign Lord my Shelter, and
I will tell everyone about the
wonderful things you do (v28).

Lord, I want to Experience You
in fresh ways so that I can truly
say that I Desire You more than
anything. You and you alone are
the Strength of my heart. And I
am thankful you are mine forever.
Nothing can separate me from
your love. Open my eyes and
grant me fresh vision to constantly
see Your love for me. Amen.

Lord, You are the Strength of my
heart, and deep inside I know
I can rely on You in any situation.
Although I may face threats to my
health, finance, safety & security
in this world, but that isn’t my life
for You are. O Sovereign Lord,
Be Near Me! Help me to abide in You
and to stay anchored in You. Amen

Lord, by faith I make U my Shelter.
I also accept Your Presence and
receive all other blessings U offer.
Grow my faith to be as big
as the gifts You want to give.
And having experienced You,
I will declare to everyone, what
wonderful things you do for me.
I love and adore You, for You are
more precious than anything. Amen

God Bears Burdens & Gives Rest

Psalms 55-59 capture the
emotions of King David during
some of his most difficult days.
Notice David’s frank petitions and
confident trust in God in the wake
of being betrayed (P55), broken-
hearted (P56) & pursued (P57,59)
Through it all David knows there
is reward for the righteous and
God judges in the earth (P58:11).

Lord, we give U Burdens for Rest:
Please listen and answer me, for
I’m overwhelmed by my troubles..
O how I wish I had wings like a
dove; then I would fly away & Rest
(Psa 55:2,6). Evening, morning
and noon I Cry Out in distress,
and He Hears my voice (v17).
Give Your Burdens to the Lord,
and He will Take Care of you (v22)

Lord, like David, I need to bring
my distress to You. Forgive me
for the times I complain to others
but do not bring my troubles
to You, the one who can actually
do something about them. Lord,
do hear my desperate cries and
come to my aid from the burdens
of the cares of this world. Amen.

Lord, I do want my problems
solved and my troubles removed.
But from the crushing weight of
my burdens, I turn my eyes to U.
I entrust my perplexity to You.
Enable me to Find my Rest in You,
to discover a place of security
in your everlasting love. You are
my only rock and only Rest.Amen

Lord Jesus, thank you for Bearing
my Burdens & providing a way for
me to walk in freedom from worry.
Forgive my attempts to do every
-thing myself instead of accepting
your invitation to carry my load.
Teach me how to live so close to
You that I never try to carry my
burdens on my own. Instead I will
Cast my Cares on U Lord. For What
a Friend we Have in Jesus. Amen

Be Still for God Is Your Refuge

The 2nd book of Psalms (P42-72),
is similar to the book of Exodus,
as many of these psalms describe
Israel as ruined & then recovered.
These psalms can help us pray for
rescue, confess our sin & trust God.
Psa 42-49 are attributed to sons
of Korah, who served as singers
and musicians in the temple.

Lord,Thank U for Being My Refuge:
God is our Refuge and Strength,
an Ever-Present Help in times
of trouble. So, we will not fear,
when earthquakes come and
Mountains crumble into the sea;
though waters roar & be troubled,
though the mountains shake…
BE STILL and know that I am God…
I will be exalted in the earth!
The Lord of hosts is with us (and)
God is Our Refuge (Ps46:1-3,10-11)

Lord, Your Word says U are always
Ready To Help in times of trouble.
Forgive me for the times when
I act as though You don’t exist.
Teach me to pull back fr troubles
and instead focus on You. I don’t
have to fear, no matter what I face.
For every moment that I breathe,
You are My Strength. And though
my life may be shaken to its core,
You are still My Refuge. Amen.

Lord, when everything in my life
seems to be on the verge of
crumbling and falling apart,
help me to experience You as
My Firm Foundation. For though
You’re the Mountain Mover, You
also hold creation steady in the
palm of Your hand. Guide me as
I entrust my mountains to U, my
solid, ever faithful Father. Amen.

Lord, my heart may worry for though
You’re on Your throne, but I don’t
know what You are going to do.
Help me Be Still in You, trust You
and give me rest in You. Let me
know You are With me in every
circumstance, no matter how
difficult or even traumatic. And
let me Experience You as a Very
Present Help in trouble. Amen.

Thirsting For God & Hoping In God

Psalms 42-49 are attributed to
the sons of Korah, descendants
of the man who died for his rebellion
against Moses in Numbers 16.
One part of this family became
the temple doorkeepers (1Chr 9:19)
while another singers & musicians in the temple (1 Chr 6:31-37).

Lord, we Thirst & Hope In You:
As the deer pants for streams of
water, so I LONG for You, O God.
I Thirst for God, the living God…
Why am I discouraged? Why is my
heart so sad? I will Put My Hope
in God! I will Praise Him again – my
Savior & my God (Ps 42:1-6). Amen.

Lord, satisfy this relentless Thirst
for You. Quench it with streams
of Your wisdom and inspiration.
Let Your words fulfill my deepest
desires; for I need You desperately.
Lord, I want to Connect with the
deepest part of Your Spirit in the
depths of mine. And let me hear
clearly the sound of Your voice. Amen

Lord, I bring the places of my soul
where I am downcast over to You.
For You are my Hope; You are my
salvation and I will Hope in You.
I will trust and not be afraid.
I have no reason to fear; for
You are my strength. And Lord,
send Your grace to help me,
that I may glorify U openly. Amen.

Lord, l praise You that You are
Emmanuel – God With Us in every-
thing we experience as we walk
thro this broken and hurting world.
Help me to be Your hands and feet
today, Your words of comfort and
encouragement to those who
need to know “where You are”
in their times of deep need. Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a5pZkLWZv-E

Be Weary of What Seemed Right

Thematically Judges 17-21 provide
a fitting conclusion to the book of
Judges. What happens to a nation
when “every man does that which
is right in his own eyes.” The grisly
details of gross idolatry (J17-18)
and gross immorality (J19-21) show
total disregard for the Word of God.
When at last Israel’s conscience is
pricked by a shocking letter to the 12
tribes, the response is brutal outrage.

Lord, we note despite the efforts
of Israel’s Judges, the people still
would not turn wholeheartedly to U.
They all did whatever they thought
was best for themselves, resulting
in the spiritual, moral and political
decline of the nation. Lord we learn
our lives will likewise fall into decay
unless we live by Your guidelines.
Grant us grace Lord as we purpose
to only Worship You, to Inquire of U
and to Follow Your Direction. Amen.

Lord, we will only Worship You:
Micah had a shrine and made an
ephod and household idols; and
he consecrated one of his sons who
became his priest… Micah said to
him: Be a priest to me be I will give
you ten shekels of silver per year a
suit of clothes & your sustenance…
So Micah consecrated the Levite &
the young man became his priest.
Then Micah said: Now I know that
the Lord will be good to me since I
have a Levite as priest (Jdgs 17:5-13)
Lord, we will do what is right in
God’s eyes and not what seems
right within culture of society.
We purpose not to have idols but
instead worship You out of gratitude.
And we will seek your kingdom and
righteousness, knowing that You
will bless us accordingly. Amen.

Lord, we will Directly Inquire of You:
He told them what Micah had done
for him and said: He has hired me
and I am his priest. Then they said
to him: Please inquire of God to
learn whether this journey will be
successful. The priest answered:
Go in peace. Your journey has
the Lord’s approval (Jdgs 18:4-6).
Lord, I purpose to turn to You for
all wisdom, direction and guidance.
Where I must seek advice from
another person, help me to know
when that person speaks from
godly knowledge and when this is
not the case. Help me to always test
the input of others with Your Word.
For I want You to be my ultimate
source for all knowledge. Amen.

Lord, we will Follow Your Direction:
The people said: why there should be
one tribe missing in Israel?(Jdgs 21:3)
The Israelite assembly sent a peace
delegation to remnant of Benjamin…
And 400 women of Jabesh-gilead
were given to them as wives. But
there were not enough women for
all of them (v13-14). So the men of
Benjamin… kidnapped the women
who took part in the celebration…
In those days Israel had no king,
so the people did whatever seemed
right in their own eyes (v23-25).
Lord, we note during time of Judges,
the people of Israel experienced
great trouble because everyone
became their own authority and
acted based on their own opinions.
Lord, we realise our standards and
convictions come from God’s Word.
Help us Lord to do what is right
in Your eyes and not ours. Amen.

Lessons from Samson & Philistines

Even before his birth, Samson’s
destiny is clearly announced. He is
to be separated unto the Lord for
a divine mission, requiring him to
abstain from certain defilements.
Miraculous in his birth and equipped
with supernatural strength for the
task of delivering Israel fr Philistine
domination, Samson Instead spends
much of his life violating his Nazirite
vow. Because of his lack of self-
control, he loses his secret, his hair,
his strength, his sight & eventually his
life; but not before God uses him in
a mighty way to avenge the Israelites
of their Philistine oppressors.

Dear Lord, we hallowed You for You
are the sovereign and good God
with a perfect plan for Your people.
We note that Samson despite his
shortcoming, was listed among
the Hall of Faith in Hebrew 11 by
standing on the promises of God.
And so failures in our life need not
disqualify us from God’s service.
Help us to grow up in faith and not
merely grow old in our walk with You.
Help us learn lessons from Samson’s
life and put them to work in our life.
Help us Bring our Confusion to You.
Help us Trust You Work for Good.
Help us Call Upon You for Help. Amen

Lord, we bring our Confusion to You:
Again the Israelites did evil in the
eyes of the Lord,so the Lord delivered
them into the hands of the Philistines
for forty years… Maniah of the
Danites had a wife who was sterile…
The angel appeared to her and said:
you are going to conceive and have
a son. See that you drink no wine…
& that u do not eat anything unclean.
No razor may be used on his head,
because the boy is to be a Nazirite,
set apart to God… and he will begin
the deliverance of Israel (Jdgs 13:1-5)
Lord,thanks for being compassionate
and gracious, having a good plan for
Your people & never giving up on us.
There are many things about You
and Your promises that are beyond
our understanding. But that doesn’t
mean they are not true. It just mean
we need to bring them to U in prayer,
in Trust and Wait upon You. Amen.

Lord, we Trust You Work for Good:
(Samson’s) father & mother objected:
Isn’t there even one woman… among
all Israelites you could marry? They
asked. Why must you go to the pagan
Philistines to find a wife? But Samson
told his father: Get her for me!…
His father and mother didn’t realise
the Lord was at work in this, creating
an opportunity to work against
the Philistines (Judges 14:3-4).
Lord, when we consider our own
sinful inadequacies, we find comfort
we can’t always see the full picture
of what You are doing. We praise You
for being sovereign over our lives;
and that You can cause even foolish
choices to work together for good.
We choose to trust You’re working
in ways we can’t yet see. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Call Upon You for Help:
Now the Philistines gathered to offer
a great sacrifice to Dagon their god.
They said: Our god has delivered
into our hands our enemy. Then
Samson called to the Lord; O God
Strengthen me, just this once that
I may with one blow take vengeance
on the Philistines. And he pushed
with all his might and the temple
fell.So the dead that he killed at
his death were more than he had
killed in his life (Judges 16:23-30).
Lord, thank you that’s never too late
to call on the Lord and that you are
ready to hear and restore to right
relationship. All Praise that You God
are bigger than all our failings and
limitations. Let Your purposes for
Your people be accomplished. Amen

Delight & Trust in the Lord !!

Psalms is not only a book of praise;
it is also a book of practical counsel.
And in the last 5 chapters of Book 1
written by David, u learn how to deal
with fretfulness (Psa 37) and failing
strength (Psa 38-39); as well as
how to rest in God’s faithfulness
(Psa 40) and rightly respond to
a friend’s unfaithfulness (Psa 41).

Lord, we’ll Delight & Trust in You:
Trust in the Lord… do good;
and feed on His faithfulness.
DELIGHT yourself also in the Lord,
and He Shall Give you the desires
of your heart. COMMIT your way
to the Lord, TRUST also in Him,
and He shall bring it to pass.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently
for Him… Do not fret, it only
causes harm… But those who
Wait on the Lord, they shall inherit
the earth (Ps 37:3-9). Amen.

Lord, help me to Delight in You;
to centre my heart in knowing U
more & loving U more day by day.
Grant me grace so that my heart
Desires You above everything else.
Help me to discover that there is
fullness of joy in your presence.
And stir up holy passion within me
so that the things I want most are
the things U want to give me. Amen

Lord, help me Commit my way
to You. Give me wisdom to sort
the precious from the worthless.
Give me the knowledge of you
that causes me to cling to You.
Fashion my heart that it reflects
yours more each day. Mold me
into your likeness so that You are
the desire of my heart. Amen.

Lord, You promise to help me
if I will Trust You. It goes against
our old sinful nature to wait
on Your leading and to rely on
Your strength. The tendency is
to get busy in our own strength,
make it happen and push ahead.
Lord, change me to Trust You more,
be willing to be still in the soul to
listen to You & Wait on You. Amen.

Trust Word of Truth & Power

Psalms 31-36 show how a proper
perspective can help you face
any circumstance; and can bring
you from gloom to glory (Ps 31),
from Failure to Forgiveness (Ps32),
from false security to Trust (Ps33),
from affliction to adoration (Ps34),
from persecution to praise (Ps35)
and from darkness to light (Ps36).

Lord, we Trust Your Word of Truth:
The word of the Lord Holds True
& we can Trust everything he does..
The earth is full of the goodness
of the Lord. By the Word of the
Lord the heavens were made…
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all… stand in awe of Him.
For He Spoke, and it Was Done;
He commanded, and it stood fast…
The Lord’s plans stand firm forever;
His intentions can never be shaken.
(Psalm 33:4-11). Amen and amen.

Lord, Your Words must be handled
differently from other information.
Though we can’t be fully confident
of our interpretations, we can
wholly trust the source of the word.
Help me Lord to live as someone
who is anchored in Your reality,
never moving from Your truth
or questioning Your promises.
Thank You for the assurance that
You’ll lead me & promise me with
rock-solid & absolute truth. Amen.

Lord, thank You that we are not
helpless victim of circumstances.
But we can affect the outcomes
of our situations thro prayer and
following Your gracious leading.
And just as scripture says You
merely speak and the universe
is created, speak words of power
into our life. Speak words of change
words of fulfilment and words of
destiny so that we can truly live
the abundant life. Amen and amen.

Lord, believing You created the
world also leads us to the truth of
Your providence in ruling the world
The truth that God spoke and it
was done means U are in control
of the circumstances of our lives.
And thanks be to God that He
is working everything together
for good for us according to His
purpose. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God Cares For Those Who Pray

Psalms 31-36 show how a proper
perspective can help you face
any circumstance; and can bring
you from gloom to glory (Ps 31),
from Failure to Forgiveness (Ps32),
from false security to trust (Ps33),
from affliction to adoration (Ps34),
from persecution to praise (Ps35)
and from darkness to light (Ps36).

Lord, we Seek You for Assistance:
When I kept silent, my bones grew
old through my groaning all the
day long… For this cause everyone
who is godly Shall PRAY to You…
You are My Hiding Place; You
Protect me from trouble & surround
me with songs of Deliverance…
The Lord says: I Will Guide you
along the best pathway for yr life.
I will Watch over you… (And) he
Who Trusts in the Lord, Mercy
shall surround him (Psa 32:3-10).

Lord, Thank You for giving us
security in midst of insecurity,
peace in the storm of life, and
a Hiding Place in Your safe arm.
Thank You for your promise
that your unfailing love will
surround those who Trust You.
And they who dwell in the shelter
of the Most High will rest in the
shadow of the Almighty. Amen.

Lord, You promise that you will
Guide your people along the
best pathways for their lives.
Thank you for your assurance
of direction and protection.
So, Guide me Lord day by day;
and give me the strength to step
out with courage and faith as
I sense your leading. Amen.

Lord, You are My Hiding Place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
Let the weak say I am strong
In the strength of the Lord
I will trust in You. Amen.