Month: December 2019

Faith & Patience In Suffering

Just as a human body that fails
to breathe is labelled a dead body,
so too a faith that fails to breathe
us labelled a dead faith. And the
breath of faith in the Christian life
is good works: demonstrating
concern for the poor, controlling
the tongue & building up others.
True faith & good works cannot be
divorced, for your life is the lab in
which your faith is shown to be real.

Lord, we will Keep On Praying:
Be Patient as you Wait for the Lord…
Consider the farmers who patiently
wait for the rains… They eagerly
look for the valuable harvest to ripen.
You too must Be Patient (Jas 5:7-8).
Are there among you Suffering?
They should Keep On Praying
about it. And those who have reason
to be thankful should continually
sing praises to the Lord (Jas 5:13)
The Prayer offered in Faith 
will make the sick person well…
Therefore Confess your sins to
each other and Pray for each
other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man is 
powerful & effective (v15-16) Amen.

Lord, so many of us struggle with
being patient. And You teach us
patience by putting us in situations
where we really have to be patient.
You Lord wants us to learn & grow
in this character trait. And so You
put us in circumstances that push
our patience to the uttermost.
So Lord, help us to take courage
and patiently wait so that You
will reward us in Your time. Amen.

Lord, I want to be a faithful follower
who doesn’t stop praying because 
of delay, setback or even weariness.
For You won’t delay any longer than
is needed to achieve Your purpose.
Empower me to Keep On Praying
until the answers come, to be
continually thankful to You and
bless Your holy name. Amen.

Lord, grateful our righteousness
comes from what You have done.
And we are righteous because of 
Your great sacrifice on the cross.
Help us to Confess our sins not
only to You, but also to each other
so that healing can come to us all.
Thank You for making our prayers
powerful and effective. Amen.

Humbly Drawing Near to God

Just as a human body that fails to
breathe is a dead body, so a faith
that fails to breathe is a dead faith.
The breath of faith in the Christian
life is good works: demonstrating
concern for the poor, controlling
the tongue & building up others.
True faith & good works cannot be
divorced, for your life is the lab in
which your faith is shown to be real.

Lord, we’ll Come & Submit to You:
He gives more grace. Therefore
He says: God Resists the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.
Therefore submit to God. Resist
the devil and he will flee from you.
Draw Near to God and He will
draw near to You (James 4:6-8).
Humble yourselves in the sight of
the Lord & He will lift you up (v10).

Lord, You Resist the proud but show
grace and favour to the humble.
Keep me from being full of myself
and thinking myself better than
or more important than others.
Help me not to blindly keep up
with the Jones and be seduced
to embrace a lifestyle of busyness
and let pride rule over me. Amen.

Lord, thank You for Your grace.
Thank You for dying for my sins and
thank You for being my protector.
O God, my enemy is strong and
sinister; but You are stronger.
Give me the grace to recognise
the attacks of the enemy and the
strength to spurn his sinful offers.
Grant me the will to Submit to You
Lord and to Resist the devil. Amen.

Lord, I want to know You more and
know Your specific will for my life. 
Your Word says You Make Your
heartbeat known to those whose
hearts Draw Near towards You and
to those whose hearts are tender.
And even as I purpose to yield
my heart towards You, share Your
deepest impulses with me. Amen.

Living Out Your Faith

Just as a human body that fails
to breathe is labelled a dead body,
so too a faith that fails to breathe
us labelled a dead faith. And the
breath of faith in the Christian life
is good works: demonstrating
concern for the poor, controlling
the tongue, exhibiting a spirit of
humility and building up others.

Lord, we will Live Out our Faith:
What good is it… if someone
claims to have faith but has no
deeds?.. Faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied By Action, is dead.
But someone will say: You have
faith; I have deeds. Show me your
faith without deeds, and I’ll show u
my faith by my Deeds (Jas 2:14-18)
Abraham believed God, and
God counted him as righteous
because of his faith. He was even
called the Friend of God (v23).

Lord, we realise we are to show
our faith by the good Deeds we do.
Help us Be Obedient in trusting You.
Help us take time to be with you,
studying your Word and praying.
Help us do acts of kindness for
someone. Whilst we may mess up
from time to time, help us learn
from mistakes and move on. Amen.

Lord, we want to be Your Friend.
Grant us faith that works
its way outward in our lives.
Grant us faith that will cause
us to do what we believe in.
Help us to be more like You, know
Your purpose & be united with You.
Let our faith and actions draw us
closer to You as a Friend. Amen.

Lord, You want believers not only
to hear the truth but also to do it.
Grant us grace to love & to serve;
and help us to seek ways of
Living Out Our Faith In You, for
they are evidence of true faith.
Help us to be more obedient;
help us to trust You more; and
draw us closer to You. Amen.

Persevering Through Trials

Apostle James shows how true
faith produces doers of the Word
and will bear fruit in actions & deeds.
James offers many tests for genuine
faith: It endures trials, obeys the
Word, harbours no prejudice,
controls the tongue, is separated
from the world & resists the devil.
Above all, faith waits patiently
for the coming of the Lord.

Lord, we will Persevere thro trials:
Consider it pure joy whenever You
face trials because the testing of
Your faith produces Perseverance.
Let perseverance finish its work
so that you may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything.
If any of you Lacks Wisdom,
he should Ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding
fault, and it will be given to him.
But when he asks, he must Believe
and Not Doubt (Jas 1:2-6). Amen.

Lord, grant me the hallmark of my
faith be the ability to face troubles
with Your perspective in mind.
Grant me Lord the ability to
face troubles with Your grace.
Help me to hold on to Your promise
so that when my faith is tested,
Endurance has a chance to grow,
and I will be Complete In You. Amen

Lord, thank You that Your Word
promises that You will give
wisdom to us when we ask for it.
So I Ask For Wisdom, for I know
true wisdom comes only from You.
Help me to be wise in daily decision
especially when I must act quickly.
Help me to know what to do & what
not to do in any situation. Amen.

Lord, we note in Your Word that
when we ask, we must Believe
and Not Doubt. So help me Lord
not to be double-minded, but
to set my mind fully on You Lord.
And even as I choose to believe,
I trust that You will keep me from
error, guide me into truth and
I will be Complete In You. Amen.

Praising God Wholeheartedly !!

Sometimes it’s easy to praise God
by recalling the past (135-136);
at other times memories of the past
produce more pain than praise (137).
But even times of trouble can be
cause for Praise (138) as you think
about the unceasing presence
of Your omnipotent God (139).

Lord, You are worthy of our whole-
hearted Praise for You’re not only
mighty but also good, merciful,
faithful and caring omnipresent.
Lord, we’ll Revere In Your Love;
we’ll Abide In Your Presence and
we’ll Hold to Your Promises. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Revere In Your Love:
Who remembered us in our lowly
state,for His mercy endures forever.
And rescued us from our enemies,
for His mercy endures forever;
Who gives food to all flesh,
for His mercy endures forever.
O give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures(Ps136:24-26)
Lord, the blessed reality is Your
faithful love towards us. Were it not
for Your faithful love, we will have
no hope. We see in this psalm what
divine love looks like: the rescue of
redemption, the rest of provision,
the warm of being remembered.
Your faithful love endures forever.
Let me never lose sight of Your
great enduring love for me. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Hold to Your Promises:
I will Praise U with my whole heart…
I bow before Your holy temple
as I worship. I will give thanks
to Your name for Your unfailing
love and faithfulness, because
Your promises are backed by
all the honour of Your name.
In the day when I cried out,
You answered me & made me
bold with strength (Ps 138:2-3).
Lord, thank You for backing
Your promises by the honour of Your
holy and mighty name! And thank
You for unfailing love & faithfulness.
Help me move forward under
Your direction in the light of
Your unfailing promises. Amen

Lord, we’ll Abide In Your Presence:
O Lord, You have searched me
and You know me. You perceive
my thoughts from afar. You are
familiar with all my ways. For
there is not a word on my tongue,
but behold, O Lord, You know it
altogether. Where can I go from
Your Spirit? Or where can I flee
from Your presence? (Ps 139:1-7).
Lord, You know everything about
me and You still love me. You know
my thoughts and my mistakes, and
You still call me Yours. Thank You
that You are always with me,
guiding, comforting & restoring me,
and I am never alone. You know me
better than I know myself. Help me
to know You better too. Amen.

Going thro Dark Days Yet Hopeful

Ps 120-134 are Songs of Ascents
sung by pilgrims on way to Jerusalem
& concern people who are in journey:
Blessing for the righteous (Ps 128)
and judgment for the wicked (129)
are waiting at the journey’s end.
And though there may be Dark
Nights along the way (130), the quiet
soul will Find Hope in the Lord (131).
In the sanctuary of God (132, 134)
and among the people of God (133)
there is strength for each new day.

Lord, we learn from the songs of
adsents that there may be Dark
Nights along the journey of life.
But there is reason to Be Hopeful;
as long as our hope is in the Lord.
For we know U Lord will rescue us
as surely as dawn follows night.
Lord, grant us grace & mercy for:
We will Quieten before You;
We will Follow & Fear You; and
We will Wait Upon You. Amen.

Lord, we purpose to Fear You:
Blessed is every one who Fears
the Lord, who walks in His ways.
When u eat the labor of your hands,
you shall be happy and it shall be
well with you. Your wife shall be
like a fruitful vine, and your children
like olive plants (Psalm 128:1-3).
Lord, bless our families even as
we purpose to fear You and follow
Your ways. They may be hurting
and need to know You and Your
plan for them. Draw their hearts
to You and give them faith so that
they can experience the richness
of life You promise to those who
Fear You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, we will Wait Upon You:
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in His word I do hope…
O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord, there is mercy,
and with Him is abundant
redemption (Psalm 130:5-7).
Lord, I need Your limitless strength
so that I can keep going even
in the midst of difficult times.
For the only way to experience
Your strength is to Wait On You.
Reward my persistent waiting;
for I look to You Lord as the light
that breaks the darkness in my life.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, we will Quieten before You:
Lord, my heart is not proud;
(and) my eyes are not haughty.
I don’t concern myself with matters
too great or awesome for me.
But I have stilled & quieted myself…
Yes, like a small child is my soul
within me. O Israel, put your hope
in the Lord now & always (Ps 131:1-3)
Lord, You are dependable & faithful
& U are calling us to childlike trust.
I come to You in humility & ask You
to Quieten my heart & busy mind.
Lead me to rest in You, depend on
You and trust fully in You. Help me
to leave all my burdens with You and
enjoy being in Your presence. Amen.

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Hebrews closes with an appeal for 
a persevering Faith that relies on
 the promises of God. Writing to
 an audience whose actions were
being shaped by pressure from
 the world, the author urges the
kind of Faith-inspired walk that 
characterised so many OT saints.
Being so convinced of God’s
 Faithfulness, they ordered their
lives according to His Word. Follow
their commendable example and
Walk By Faith; and not by sight!

Lord, help us Endure the Race:
Since we are surrounded by
so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight and
the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us Run With Endurance
the race that is set before us,
Looking Unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for
the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross (Heb 12:1-2).
For consider Him who endured
such hostility from sinners…
Lest You Become weary and
Discouraged in your souls (v3).

Lord, we purpose to Run the Race
with Endurance depending on You
who initiates and perfects our faith.
The journey may be difficult; but
my longing is to hear Your voice
and purpose to follow after You.
As You live Your life within me,
let my spiritual ears open up and
my heart softens towards You God.
And may You live fully, deeply,
boldly in my total being. Amen.

Father, I want to Keep My Eyes
On Jesus, my Saviour and Master.
Grant me the grace to consciously
turn my eyes away from problems
and the many things of this world.
And help me focus on the one upon
whom my faith depends from start.
Open up my ears to Your voice and
Soften my heart towards You to live
closely, deeply & boldly in U. Amen.

Dear Jesus, we note the suffering,
humiliation and physical pain You
endured to do the Father’s will.
The struggles we endure to follow
U are real & we can get discouraged.
It takes discipline to pray and study
God’s Word on a regular basis. And it
takes commitment to say no to sinful
desires and say yes to good works.
Holy Spirit, when I feel discouraged,
remind me to stay focused on Jesus
& grant me strength & grace. Amen.

God Will Reward Faithfulness

Hebrews closes with an appeal for
a persevering Faith that relies on
the promises of God. Writing to
an audience whose actions were
being shaped by pressure from
the world, the author urges the
kind of Faith-inspired walk that
characterised so many OT saints.
Being so convinced of God’s
Faithfulness, they ordered their
lives according to His Word. Follow
their commendable example and
Walk By Faith; and not by sight!

Lord, we trust You Will Reward: 
 Faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). But
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 (11:6).
By faith Moses chose rather to
suffer afflictions… than to enjoy
the passing pleasures… for he
looked to the Reward (v24-26).

Lord, we need confidence in what
we hope for and assurance about
what we do not see. For Satan will
cast doubt & fear. So I claim Eph6:16
that You give me the shield of faith.
Teach me to obey even when I can’t
sense the desire to do what’s right.
Give me new desire as well as
new power to live as I should.
Wean me from excuse that I am
too weak; for Your strength is
sufficient for whatever I face. Amen

Lord, give me faith to trust You even
when the way is dark & uncertain.
Empower and strengthen me
to believe that You are who You
say You are in the Scriptures.
And that You will respond and
Reward those who Seek You.
For I purpose to Live By Faith in
Christ Jesus who truly loved me
and gave His life for me. Amen.

Lord, You promise future glory
to those who suffer in the present
for their faithfulness. Give me Lord
the courage to stand for Your cause.
Protect me from wrong and shallow
ways of thinking. I don’t want to
suffer; but I also don’t want to miss
Your blessing or the chance to
bring You honour. Amen & amen.

God Gives Assuring Covenant

The writer of Hebrews highlighted
the superiority of Christ by pointing
out the heart of the human problem
is the problem of the human heart.
The old covenant was inadequate
for it was unable to deal permanently
with sin. But God’s new covenant
written in Christ’s blood makes full
provision for the forgiveness of sins.

Lord, we receive Better Covenant:
 He is the one who mediated for
us a far Better Covenant with God,
based on better promises (Heb8:6)
This is the new covenant I will make
… on that day, says the Lord: I will
 put my laws in their minds so they
will understand them, and I will
 Write Them on their hearts so they 
will  obey them. I will be their God,
and they will be my people (v10).
…For all Shall Know Me, from the
least to the greatest (v11). Amen.

Lord, I embrace Your revelation
in scripture; and let me experience
what’s said in Your written words.
I claim every benefit of the Better
Covenant. I want to clearly know
Your will and to be Your people.
You treasure my company; and so
keep our two-way communication
thro reading Your Word & prayer
refreshing each day. Amen.

Father, thank You for lifting me to
intimacy with You through Jesus.
Thank You for the freedom and
rest to realise that through the
new covenant in Christ Jesus
I am enabled to obey Your words.
Empower me to cling to You O Lord
and Write Your Words in my heart.
Open my eyes to see Your great
work in those who believe. Amen.

Father God, You promise I Can
Know You – not just theoretically,
but through the experience of
a genuine relationship with You.
I really want that. And my prayer
is that You would become more
and more real to me as I turn my
thoughts and heart towards You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God In Control on the Throne

God spoke in times past through
the prophets, but He has reserved
the declaration of His glory for
His Son. By His death, Jesus lifts
mankind into the family of God.
Because of His perfect humanity,
Jesus is qualified to serve as High
Priest for sinful mankind. And He
will bring His people into eternal rest.

Lord,we Approach with confidence:
The word of God is… powerful…
piercing even to the soul and spirit
and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intent of the heart (Heb 4:12).
Let us hold fast our confession. For
we do not have a High Priest who
can’t sympathise with our weakness
but was in all points tempted as we
are yet without sin. Let us therefore
Come Boldly to the throne of
Grace, that we may Obtain Mercy
and Find Grace to help in time
of need (Heb 4:14-16). Amen.

Lord, breathe Your Words into me.
Don’t just teach me Your truth,
fill me with it. Let it shape me
in every way so that I can hear
Your voice in it. Lord, I invite You
to sharply and decisively divide
my own thoughts from Yours and
distinguish Your voice within me.
And let Your Words burn powerfully
in my heart and mind. Amen.

Lord, thanks for facing temptations
and problems and thus understand
our challenges and weaknesses.
Thank You for pouring out Your
life on the cross, for rising again
and reigning at the right hand of
the Father. Your throne is a place
of grace for Your people, where
we can receive Your mercy and
help when we most need it. Amen.

Lord Jesus, thank you that You
understand my weaknesses,
for You have been tempted in
every way and yet did not sin.
Because You understand my
struggles, I know I can come to You
and receive mercy. And help me
approach You with confidence,
knowing that You will help me
in my time of need. Amen.