Month: January 2020

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou My Vision is an anonymous
Irish hymn from the eighth century.
It is 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 a goal, we gain a long term
perspective that helps us see today’s
disappointments as trivial when
compared to the heavenly Vision.

Lord, we will Seek Your Vision:
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!
I will bless the Lord who Guides me;
even at night my heart Instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before
me; Because He is at my right hand
I shall not be moved (Psa 16:5-8).

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.
Father, I bless You as the Lord
who guides and instruct me by
day and by night. Teach me to hear
Your instructions; and help me to
always step into Your will. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for everything
that You have blessed us with
as well as our inheritances.
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 gratitude, I purpose to seek
Your kingdom. Help me 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.

Be Obedient & Forgiving

Luke provides a full account of
the arrest, trial and crucifixion of
the Son of Man. He describes the
plot of Judas, the warm fellowship
of the Last Supper, the mental
anguish at Gethsemane, the tragic
denial by Peter, the miscarriage
of justice at the trials & the brutal
agony of the Roman execution.
But the dark days give way to
the first Easter morning when
angels announce: He’s risen.

Lord, thank You for Luke’s account
of Your arrest, trial, crucifixion and
resurrection that show obedience
to Father’s will & deep love for us.
Lead us choose the Father’s will;
for to love You is to Obey You.
Help us Forgive others and not
focus whether they deserve it. And
Fill us with Your Power so that we
can be effective witnesses of You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord Jesus, help us to Obey You:
Father if You are willing, please take
this cup of suffering away from me.
Yet I want Your will, not mine. Then
an angel appeared & strengthened
Him. He prayed more fervently and
He was in such agony of spirit that
His sweat fell to the ground like
great drops of blood (Lk 22:41-44)
Lord, Thanks for following Father’s
wishes that night at Gethsemane.
Help me Lord Jesus to choose
the Father’s will in my life as well.
Lord, just as we share in Your joy,
we may sometimes need to be
reminded to share in suffering; for
Your plan for me may not be easy.
And help me remember that to
love you is to obey you. Amen.

Lord, help us to Forgive others:
There were…two others, criminals,
led with him to be put to death.
And when they had come to the
place called Calvary, there they
crucified Him, and the criminals,
one on the right hand and the
other on the left. Then Jesus said:
Father, forgive them for they
do not know what they are doing.
And they divided up his clothes
by casting lots (Luke 23:32-34).
Lord, You are simply praiseworthy,
willingly forgiving the unforgivable.
Help me to a forgiving person and
to forgive others the way You do.
For I can’t forgive the unthinkable
without You enabling me to do so.
Help me take focus off whether
people deserve to be forgiven and
focus to be more like You. Amen.

Lord, Fill us with Your Power:
Then Jesus said: It was necessary
for the Christ to suffer and to rise
from the dead the third day, and that
repentance and remission of sins
should be preached…And you are
witnesses of these things. Now
I will send the Holy Spirit, just as
my Father promised. But stay here…
until the Holy Spirit comes and fills
you with power (Luke 24:46-49).
Lord Jesus, thank you for the
promise of empowerment of the
Spirit to be Your effective witness.
Holy Spirit, thank You for indwelling
and for filling me with Your power.
Lord, let my prayers be pleasing to
You as your Spirit leads me to pray
in light of Your promises. Amen.

Join Christ to Seek the Lost

It is now in the final week of Jesus’
earthly life. In the city of Jerusalem,
there’s excitement of the feast days
– some preparing to welcome a King,
while others preparing for execution.
Jesus draws battle lines by driving
the money-changers fr the temple.
From then on, the religious leaders
double their efforts to trap Him.
Though His hour of anguish draws
near, Jesus continues the activities
that have characterised His ministry:
teaching, healing and affirming.

Lord Jesus in the final week of
Your earthly ministry, You willingly
submit to Father’s will for Your
ultimate sacrifice on the cross.
And You persisted to prepare Your
disciples to continue Your work.
Help us Lord to also Seek the Lost.
Help us to Remember & Honor You.
Help us to Remain Watchful. Amen.

Lord, we will also Seek the Lost:
Then Zacchaeus said to the Lord:
Look, I give half of my goods to
the poor; and if I’ve taken any thing
from anyone by false accusation,
I restore fourfold. Jesus responded:
Salvation has come to this home…
And I the Son of Man, have come
to Seek and save those like him
who are Lost. (Luke 19:8-10).
Lord, U reached out to Zacchaeus
even when others despised him.
Thank You for Seeking and saving
those who are Lost. Open our eyes
to even the despised that we might
see them and reach out. Help us
to look beneath the surface to the
person within, created in Yr image.
Help us have burden for the lost &
befriend those seeking You. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Remember & Honor U:
Then He began to tell this parable
A certain man planted a vineyard,
leased it and went away for a long
time… I’ll send my cherished son.
Surely they will respect him. But
when the farmers saw his son,
they said: Let’s kill him and get
the estate. So they murdered him…
The owner will destroy those farmers
and give the vineyard to others…
The stone which the builders
rejected Has become the chief
cornerstone? (Luke 20:9-17).
Father, I won’t forget what Your Son
Jesus has done for me. You sent
Him to earth & He was dishonoured.
But I purpose to honour him & not
take for granted His sacrificial love.
Father, thanks for not giving up on
me; even when I fail to listen, You
draw me back to You. In gratitude,
I will further Your kingdom. Amen.

Lord, we will Remain Watchful: 
And there will be signs in the sun,
in the moon & on the earth distress
of nations, with the sea roaring…
Then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with…great glory.
But take heed to yourselves,
lest your hearts be weighed down…
If you do, the final day will suddenly
catch you like a trap. Watch out and
keep praying…and the Son of Man
will be pleased with u (Lk 21:25-36)
Lord, Help us remain Watchful of
Your second coming, not to fall into
careless living; or allow anxieties
to burden us; but instead remain
focussed on the assignments that
God has prepared for each of us.
Open our eyes to those seeking You;
and sow seeds of kindness to earn
goodwill to share the gospel. Amen.

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Robert Robinson (1735-1790)
had always been prone to wander.
Apprenticed to a barber at 14, he
spent more time playing with friends
than cutting hair. And as a wild youth
he came to repentance. He became
a pastor and wrote a few hymns.
Come Thou Fount was written in
1757, inspired possibly by 1 Sam 7.
Later in life he wandered from the
Lord and felt he could not return.
But he met a lady in a coach who
shared the hymn Come Thou Fount
to him. He replied: I’m the unhappy
man who wrote the hymn years ago
and I would give a thousand worlds
to enjoy the feelings I had then.”
She responded by telling him:
“Sir, the ‘streams of mercy’ are
still flowing.” And he repented.

Lord, we’ll Remember Your Help:
Then Samuel cried out to the
Lord for Israel, and the Lord
answered him… And the men of
Israel went out of Mispah and
pursued the Philistines and drove
them back as far as below BethCar.
Samuel then took a large stone
and placed it between the
towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah.
He named it Ebenezer (which
means “the stone of help”), for
he said: Up to this point the Lord
has helped me (1Sam 7:9-12) Amen.

Lord, I praise You because You are
a God who hears and answers us.
Just as You answered and moved
on behalf of Israel as they battled
their enemies, You’ll move & work
today on behalf of Your people.
Thank You for calling all of Your
people to pray and seek Your help
in these days. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Father, thanks for streams of mercy
that call for songs of loudest praise.
We yearn to be able to erect our
Ebenezer like Samuel & testify of You.
But Lord, we are human, and like
Robertson we are prone to wander.
Cause us to always remember the
Lord has helped us & be grateful.
So, here’s my heart; take & seal it;
seal it for Your courts above. Amen.

Lord, Thou fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wondering from the fold of God.
He, to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood.
Lord, I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by Thy help I come.
Let Thy goodness like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander Lord I feel it;
prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above. Amen.

God of Grace & God of Glory

Harry Emerson Fosdick, one of
the leaders of the liberal Protestant
movt in the 1920s and 1930s, was
denounced by many conservatives,
some of whom now sing the hymn
he wrote. In 1930, when the new
building for the Riverside Church
in New York City was dedicated,
this hymn was sung as dedication.
It is a prayer of dedication that can
be uttered any day. And the prayer
of our hearts should constantly
be “Grant us wisdom, grant us
courage, for the facing of his hour.”

Lord, Grant us Wisdom & Courage:
Study this Book of Instruction
continually. Meditate on it day and
night so you will be sure to obey
everything written on it. Only then
will you prosper and succeed in
all you do. This is my command –
be strong and courageous!!
Do not be afraid or discouraged.
For the Lord your God is with you
wherever you go (Jos1:8-9) Amen.

Lord, I pray that every time I read
Your Word, You will teach me all
I need to know. Help me understand
Your truth & speak to me specifically
about how each passage relates
to my life and the lives of others.
Help me to meditate on Your Word
and take steps of obedience so that
I can live in Your perfect will and
prosper as U have promised. Amen.

Lord, I can feel overwhelmed often
But I know a glimpse of You radically
change my perspective. Thank You
for Your promise of being with me
no matter what happens. Please
overshadow my fears and worries
with Your strength. Help me be
strong and courageous in every
challenge that I may face. Amen.

God of grace and God of glory,
On Thy people pour Thy power;
Crown Thine ancient Church’s story
Bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage,
For the facing of this hour (2)
Cure Thy children warring madness;
Bend our pride to Thy control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom goal.Amen

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 situations.

Lord, we seek Your Everlasting Arms:
There is 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 you… 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, 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

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.

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.

Nearer My God To Thee

Sarah Adams had to say farewell
often. Her mother died when she
was only five. At 32, as an actress
in London’s Richmond Theatre, she
bid farewell to stage due to failing
health. When Adam’s pastor asked
her and her sister to prepare a
hymnal, the two responded with
62 new tunes. As the sisters were
finishing their work, their pastor
told them he was planning a sermon
about Jacob’s dream of a ladder
ascending to heaven and needed
an appropriate hymn; Adams soon
completed Nearer My God to Thee.

Lord, we Come Nearer to Thee:
Jacob found a stone to rest his
head against and lay down to sleep.
He dreamed of a stairway that
reached…up to heaven. And he saw
the angels of God going up and
down the stairway (Gen 28:11-12)
The Lord said… the land on which
you lie I will give to you… Behold,
I am with you and will keep you…
I will not leave you until I have done
what I have spoken to you (v13-15)
Jacob rose early in the morning
and took the stone that he had put
at his head, set it up as a pillar and
poured oil on top of it. He named
that place Bethel which means
house of God (v18-19). Amen.

Lord, thank You for this hymn
that draws me to You my Maker.
As I grow older, I find I want to be
nearer to You and this hymn assures
me God is nearer than I can imagine.
As I draw near to God, You draw
near to me. Your light exposes me
but at same time,Your love comforts
and brings hope of Your will. Amen.

Lord, through the trials of life,
You God wants to be nearer to me.
Help me to recognise Your presence
in ordinary & extraordinary places
and help me to have eternity in view.
Some are weary to sing this hymn
because they say it’s a funeral song.
But that’s not so for true believers
in Christ, for Phil 1:21 says: For me
to live is Christ & to die is gain.Amen

Lord, Nearer my God to Thee,
nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross
that raiseth me;
Still all my song shall be,
nearer my God to Thee,
Nearer my God to Thee,
nearer to Thee.
There let the way appear
steps unto heav’n;
All that Thou sendest me
in mercy giv’n;
Angels to beckon me
nearer my God to Thee,
Nearer my God to Thee,
nearer to Thee. Amen.

Jehovah Jireh My Provider

Backgrounder: In Genesis 22,
Jehovah-jireh or Yahweh Yireh
was a place in the land of Moriah.
It was the location of the binding
of Isaac, where God told Abraham
to offer his son Isaac as a burnt
offering. Abraham named the
place after God provided a ram
to sacrifice in place of Isaac.
The song Jehovah Jireh My Provider
was composed by Merla Watson
in 1974 & published under Universal.

Lord, You Will Provide Our Needs:
And Abraham stretched out his hand
and took the knife to slay his son.
But the Angel of the Lord called…
Do not lay your hand on the lad…
for now I know that you fear God,
since you have not withheld Your
son, your only son from me. Then
Abraham lifted his eyes and looked,
and there behind him him was a ram
caught in its thicket by its horns.
So Abraham went and took the ram
and offered it up for a burnt offering
instead of his son. And Abraham
called the name of the place: The
Lord Will Provide (Gen 22:10-14).

Jehovah Jireh, my provider, thank
You for health, finances, housing,
food, love; ultimately come from You.
Even at those times when I have
experienced lack, You have come
through to meet my needs and
bless me to let me know You care.
And even for difficult trials, they
strengthen my spiritual muscles
and draw me closer to You. Amen.

Jehovah Jireh, forgive me for
many times I have looked to
something else as my source
when You alone are my provider.
Everyone else is merely resource,
yet I still go elsewhere for what
only You Lord can provide.
Let me see You on mountain-top
of my struggles. Come through
for me as You did in providing
Abraham’s sacrifice. Amen.

Jehovah Jireh My provider
His grace is sufficient
For me, for me, for me
Jehovah Jireh My provider
His grace is sufficient For me
My God shall supply all my needs
According to His riches in glory
He will give His angels
Charge over me
Jehovah Jireh cares for me,
for me, for me
Jehovah Jireh cares for me. Amen.

Praising God thro Classic Hymns

We have been utilising Scripture 
        to   form prayers so that we learn
        to think as God thinks; and pray
   within His will thus pleasing Him.
For 2019, we mediated thro the Word
 on Thanking God & Hearing God. 
   And we begin the first full week of
the new decade with our new series
on Praising God thro Classic Hymns.

From the earliest days of the church,
the singing of hymns has been an
integral part of Christian worship.
In the book of Acts we find Paul
and Silas praying and singing
hymns to God (Acts 16:25) while
chained in the Philippians jail.
And it was the Apostle Paul who
urged believers to “sing psalms
and hymns… to the Lord” (Eph 5:18)

But the tradition of singing in worship
is older than Paul & the early church.
Many centuries earlier, Moses and
His sister Miriam led the nation of
Israel in song after their miraculous
escape through the Red Sea. And
it was King David who composed
numerous psalms expressing both
personal and corporate praise.
And centuries later translations
of the psalms inspire English hymns,
and from there to the rest of world.

Hymn singing is a means for all
believers to express praise to their
Creator and Saviour. It is a way for
all of us to communicate with God
using more than just words. For
it allows us to pour out the grateful
feelings of the heart. So friends,
let’s join the chorus of believers
throughout history as you express
praise and commitment to God.
We’ll be covering 100 classic hymns,
sharing the story behind the hymns,
the scripture that inspires lyrics,
besides prayer response. Look for it!

Be Faithful & Prayerful Disciples

With His gaze fixed in Jerusalem 
    Band the consummation of his
  earthly ministry, Jesus intensifies
     His final training of the disciples.
 Stewardship is the central theme for
the disciples will soon be entrusted
with the message of the gospel.
Jesus outlines the duties of a servant
and underscores importance of
prayer that is persistent & humble.

Lord, thanks for lessons in Lk13-18
where U intensify training of the 12.
Help us be Compassionate to those
in need and have passion for the lost.
Help us Be Faithful Stewards.
Help us Look to You with Faith.
Help us Pray Persistently.
                    We seek your enabling so that we
can be Your worthy disciples. Amen

Lord, we will Be Faithful Stewards:
  Use your worldly resources to
    benefit others and make friends…
Unless you are Faithful in Small
Matters, you won’t be faithful in
large ones… (So), if you have not
been Faithful in the unrighteous
mammon, who will commit to your
trust the true riches? (Luke 16:9-11)
Lord, help me to be a Faithful
     person, one who keeps my word.
Help me to live life by your Word
 rather than by the way of society.
  Help me to be a faithful steward
doing the work You call me to do. 
  Help me to Be Faithful in the Small
Things as worship before You. Amen.

Lord, we will Look to You with Faith:
And the apostles said to the Lord:
Increase our faith. So the Lord said:
If You had faith even as Small
 as a mustard seed, You could say
to this mulberry tree: May you be
 uprooted and thrown to the sea, 
and it          would obey you (Luke17:5-6)
Lord, Your Spirit will give us the
necessary faith and we need just
 to act upon it. Help us to pray
 with perseverance, trusting You
to move even things that look
 immovable      and impossible.
For faith come from looking at
 God and not at the mountain.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, we will Pray Persistently:
          One day Jesus told his disciples
 a story to show that they should
 always pray and never give up…
There was a widow; and she came
to the judge, saying: Get justice for
me from my adversary… And shall
God not avenge His own elect who
 cry out day & night to Him(Lk18:1-7)
Lord, sometimes in prayer, we may
feel like the widow, being ignored.
 Help us Lord to be like the widow
 to keep knocking in spite of how
 discouraged we may feel. For
 prayer is not overcoming God’s
 reluctance but laying hold of His will. And we’ll find our Father has
 indeed heard. For Lord You are
cour hope and our salvation. Amen.