Month: April 2020

Repenting Our Sinfulness

What Hosea pictured with his life
in chapters 1-3, he now prophesies
with his lips in chapters 4-14.
Israel’s gross sin has not escaped
the notice of her Holy God. But
God promises: “I will punish them
for their ways, and reward them
their doings” (Hosea 4:9).

We saw in Hosea 4-6 the moral
and spiritual decay of the nation.
God wanted the people in the
northern kingdom to turn from their
sin and return to worship Him alone;
but they had no desire to please Him
and they persisted in wickedness.
Lord, Thank You for Your love giving
us Your Son to die on the cross and
all praise for resurrection and Spirit
which give us the power over sin.
Lord, we purpose to Know You.
We purpose to Repent; and
we purpose to Be Obedient. Amen.

Lord, we purpose to Know You:
Hear the word of the Lord,
O people of Israel! The Lord had
filed a lawsuit against you saying:
There is no faithfulness, on
kindness, no knowledge of God
in the land. You curse and lie
and kill and steal… Don’t point
your finger at someone else and
try to pass the blame… My people
are being destroyed because
they don’t know me (Hos 4:1-6).
Lord, we pray that we be faithful,
kind and knowledgeable of You.
Help us to cherish those things
that are of lasting value and to
find significance through You.
Help us recognise words that are of
value & what’s not. Open our eyes
so that we’ll change our ways. Amen

Lord, we purpose to Repent:
They do not direct their deeds
towards turning to their God. For
the spirit of harlotry is in their midst,
and they do not know the Lord…
I will take them away and no one
shall rescue. I will return again to
My place till they acknowledge
their offense. Then they will seek
My face; in their affliction they will
earnestly seek me (Hos 5:4, 14-15).
Lord, we realise that deliberately
choosing to disobey You God can
sear our conscience; and each sin
makes the next easier to commit.
Give us each a tender heart and
Steer us as far away as possible
from sinful practices. And when
we fall into sin, grant us the grace
to repent and turn to You. Amen.

Lord, we purpose to Be Obedient:
Let us return to the Lord. He has
torn us to pieces but He will heal us..
After two days He will revive us;
on the third day He will restore us…
What can I do with you Ephraim?
What can I do with you Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
like the early dew that disappears.
Therefore… my judgments flashed
like lightning upon you. For I
desire mercy not sacrifice, and
acknowledgement of God rather
than burnt offering (Hos 6:1-6).
Lord, privileged to be Your children.
Help us Lord not to have fleeting
piety that does not please You
or shallow emotional responses
that do not result in changed lives.
But rather sincere obedience which
reflect loyal love and bring You joy.
Trust You who began a good work in
us will bring it to completion. Amen.

God’s Restoring Love

To Israel, a land steeped in idolatry,
God sends the prophet Hosea.
Just as God foretold, Gomer deserts
her prophet-husband for others –
a painful but graphic depiction of
Israel’s faithlessness in response
to God’s royal love. When Gomer
sinks to the level of a slave, Hosea
is commanded to buy her back,
for she is still his wife. In the same
way the God of Israel pledges
His continuing love for His people,
even though their spiritual adultery
will result in captivity & enslavement
at the hands of the Assyrians.

Hosea was commanded by God to
marry a woman who was unfaithful
in marriage and would cause him
much heartaches. Just as Gomer
lost interest in Hosea and ran after
other lovers,we too can easily affect
our relationship with God when we
pursue desires that don’t include
Him. And when we compromise our
Christian life-styles & adopt ways of
the world we can become unfaithful.
Lord, grateful for Your sacrificial love.
Help us Flee from Bad Influence;
Help us Purpose to Obey You; and
Help us Remember Your Love. Amen

Lord, we will aspire to Obey:
When the Lord began to speak
through Hosea, the Lord said to him:
Go, take to yourself an adulterous
wife and children of unfaithfulness
because the land is guilty of the
vilest adultery in departing from
the Lord. So he married Gomer…
and she conceived and bore him
a son… Gomer had another son.
And the Lord said: Call him Lo-Ammi
for you are not my people and I am
not your God. Yet the Israelites will
be like the sand on the seashore,
which cannot be counted. In the
place where it was said: You are not
my people, they will be called sons
of the living God (Hos 1:2-3, 8-10).
Lord, sometimes Your commands
make no sense at all and the cost
to obey them really unattractive.
Nevertheless help me to obey in
response to Your sacrificial love.
Help me see the lost and hurting
people with Yr heart of love. Amen.

Lord, we will Flee Bad Influence:
I will fence her in with thornbushes.
I will block the road to make her lose
her way. When she runs after her
lovers, she won’t be able to catch
up with them. She will search for
them but not find them (Hos 2:6-7).
Lord, I ask You to build a hedge of
thorns around my family to separate
them from influence not ordained
by You. I pray that those who are
a bad influence will lose interest
and flee and that we would lose
interest in them as well. May that
hedge of thorns defend against
any contact with those who are
out of Your will. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, we’ll Remember Your Love:
The Lord said to me: Go show your
love to your wife again, though she…
is an adulteress. Love her as the
Lord loves the Israelites, though
they turn to other gods… so I
bought her for fifteen shekels
of silver… Then I told her: You are
to live with me… You must not be…
intimate with any man (Hos 3:1-3).
Lord, grateful that You are so eager
to forgive and to restore Your people.
Grateful that we have so much to
gain from being reconciled to God,
yet it is Christ who paid the price.
Grant us the grace for renewed
commitment to love You even as
died for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prophets to Northern Kingdom

As the Bible is arranged by genre, to
enhance understanding of context
we’re covering it by time sequence.
We begin with the 5 books of Laws
to appreciate the Redemptive Plan
of God for mankind and Job (which
occurs in the time of Genesis) to
understand the sovereignty of God.

In Phase 2, we meditated on Joshua
to 2Samuel & 1 Chronicles up to King
David: the high point of Israel history
and poetry book of Psalms where
we learn to pray and praise God.
Then continuing in United Kingdom,
we go to reign of King Solomon in
1 Kings & cover wisdom poetry of
Proverbs, Song of Songs and Eccl.

In P3 2Kings, the next century sees
the decline of two nations indifferent
to God’s laws. In Israel, 19 wicked
  kings in succession led the people
even further from God & Israel finally
went into captivity by Assyrians.
To the south, Judah survives 150
years longer; but corrupt leadership
brings 70 years of exile in Babylonia.

Continuing Phase 3, we focus next
on the prophets to northern kingdom
with dual themes of repentance and
judgment: “Shape Up or Ship Out.”
But each prophet spoke to unique
contemporary situation. So for
Hosea, the message is God’s love
for adulterous Israel; and for Amos,
God’s people ripe for punishment.
And for Jonah, the message is God
Loves the Gentiles; and in Nahum,
it’s doom of Nineveh for its brutality.

Hosea prophesies to a corrupt and
idolatrous Israel from his experience.
Instructed by God to marry harlot
Homer, Hosea finds mirrored in his
domestic life an accurate portrayal
of unfaithfulness of God’s people.
Drawing a striking parallel from his
marriage and his wife’s defection,
Hosea carries God’s message:
The wickedness of Israel will bring
swift tragedy and certain calamity.
However, though God’s love must
discipline, it will surely restore. His
love desires the best for His beloved.

Amos: Externally, the northern
kingdom was marked by flourishing
business; but internally the nation’s
condition was grim. Idolatry, greed,
injustice, hypocrisy, oppression
and arrogance indicated a growing
malignancy of deep-seated sin.
Amos, a farmer by trade, dons the
mantle of a prophet to make God’s
message crystal clear to those who
had grown lax in luxurious living:
Repent or Perish. For judgment are
soon to break over God’s people.

Jonah called by God to warn
the Assyrian city of Nineveh of
impending destruction. However,
the brutal Assyrians are Israel’s
bitter enemies, and Jonah both
fears and despises them. Instead
of heading to Nineveh, Jonah sets
sail in the opposite direction. A storm
ensues, Jonah is tossed overboard
and is swallowed by a great fish.
After three days the fish deposits
Jonah on dry land. Jonah then goes
to Nineveh & preaches as God had
instructed. When the people repent,
Jonah’s resentment grows until God
teaches him a lesson in compassion.

By the time Nahum comes on the
scene Nineveh is even more wicked
than it had been during the time
of Jonah about 100 years earlier.
The repentant spirit of the people
and the revival that stemmed from
Jonah’s visit is gone. Now a terror
to the entire world, the fortress city
of Nineveh seems impenetrable.
But God will no longer overlook the
city’s horrible sins, and He sends
Nahum to deliver the message of
impending destruction. The entire
Assyrian empire will be destroyed
and the mighty city of Nineveh
will be gutted by a raging fire.

We Are Channels Only

Channels Only was written by
English Mary Maxwell (1837-1915).
The meaning of channel was a
waterway, like the English Channel.
So how are we to be channels?
We are conduits for the living
water of Christ. The Spirit flows
within us and through us to others.
We know the channel is not the
source of the water it carries.
And we do not create goodness
or power; for we merely receive
it and just channel it forward.
Let the gospel flow freely
thro us in all that we say & do.

Lord, Make us Be Your Channel:
In a wealthy home some utensils
are made of gold and silver, and
some are made of wood and clay.
The expensive utensils are used
for special occasions, and the
cheap ones are for everyday
use. If you keep yourself pure,
you will be a special utensil for
honourable use. Your life will
Be Clean & you will Be Ready for
the Master to Use You for every
good work (2Tim 2:20-21).

Lord, You desire & want to use me
for Your purposes to do big things.
And Thank You for allowing me
to participate in Your eternal plan.
I realise Lord that only if I am clean
will You choose to work through me.
Show me Lord the failures or wrong
choices that I need to see, admit
& turn from. For I want to Be Clean;
I want to Be Used by You; and
I want to Be Your Channel. Amen.

Lord, make us a channel of Your
peace: Where there is hatred,
let us bring Your love; where there
is injury, Your pardon; and where
there’s doubt, true faith in You…
Make us a channel of Your peace:
Where there’s despair in life,
let us bring hope; where there
is darkness only light, and
where there’s sadness ever joy…
Oh Master, grant we may never
seek so much to be consoled
as to console; to be understood
as to understand; to be loved
as to love with all our soul. Lord,
make us Channels Only. Amen.

How I praise Thee, precious Savior,
That Thy love laid hold of me; Thou
hast saved & cleansed & filled me
That I might Thy channel be…
Channels only, blessed Master,
But with all Thy wondrous pow’r
Flowing thro’ us, Thou can use us
Ev’ry day and ev’ry hour…
Emptied that Thou shoulders fill me
A clean vessel in Thy hand;
With no pow’r but as Thou givest
Graciously with each command…

Onward Christian Soldiers

Onward, Christian Soldiers is a
19th-century English hymn written
by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865.
Whitmonday is a great day for
school festivals in Yorkshire, and
one Whitmonday it was arranged
that our school should join its forces
with that of a neighboring village.
I wanted the children to sing when
marching from one village to the
other, but couldn’t think of anything
suitable. So, I sat up at night to write
something myself and “Onward,
Christian Soldiers” was the result.

Lord, we will Endure & be Faithful:
Therefore, Endure suffering along
with me, as a good soldier of
Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get
tied up in the affairs of civilian
life, for then they cannot please
the officer who enlisted them.
Follow the Lord’s rules for doing
His work, just as an athlete either
follow the rules or is disqualified
and wins no prize. Hardworking
farmers are the first to enjoy the
fruit of their labour (2Tim 2:3-6).
Click PrayerThots.com to see full.

Lord, apostle Paul urges us to have
the mindset of a soldier for we
wrestle not against flesh & blood.
And the good news is that You
Lord as general of the army had
said we should be of good cheer
for You have conquered the world.
So, we look unto You Jesus the
author & finisher of our faith. And
we claim victory in Your Name.Amen

Lord, Onward Christian Soldiers
urges disciples to remain faithful
following You despite challenges
including the corona pandemic.
Help us be Courageous, and God
will see us through no matter what;
for victory is certain in the Lord!
And when the going gets rough,
prompt us to sing this hymn,
lifting our hands for help and
looking to You Jesus. Amen.

Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
Christ, the royal Master,
leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
see his banner go!
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!!!
Like a mighty army
moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
where the saints have trod;
We are not divided;
all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
one in charity… Amen.

We Want to Pass It On…

Kurt Kaiser was born in 1934
in Chicago. While known for his
youth musicals, Kaiser composed
more than 60 hymn texts & tunes,
the most famous is “Pass It On.”
In 1969, Kaiser collaborated on a
musical: Tell It Like It Is” written to
get young people involved in church.
On a Sunday night I was sitting by
the fireplace, and it occurred to me
it only takes a spark to get a fire
going & the rest came very quickly.
My wife suggested that I should
say something about shouting
it from mountain tops, and that
ended up in the third verse.
Pass It On gained traction in
congregation when it appeared in
Hymns for the Living Church (1974)
& the song appeared in 10 hymnals.

Lord, we’ll Pass On the Gospel:
My son, Be strong in the grace
that is in Christ Jesus. And
the things that you have heard
from me among many witnesses,
commit these to faithful men
who will be able to teach others
also. You therefore must endure
hardship as a good soldier of
Jesus Christ (2Tim 2:1-3). Amen.

Lord Jesus, help us not to be
ashamed of You; but remember
that You have not given us a
spirit of fear, but of power & love.
Empower me to speak boldly as I
proclaim the mystery of the gospel.
Give me Your compassion for
the lost and help me to see their
true condition, and to be moved
with love to reach out to them.
Send us as laborer into yr harvest.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Lord, Fill me with the power of
Your Holy Spirit so that we can
be effective witnesses for You.
Pray that the fruit of the Spirit:
love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control
would be evident in my life.
Cause your light to shine before
others so that they may see my
good works and give You glory.
Open doors for me to share Your
Good New, soften their hearts
and enable me to share it with
respect and gentleness. Amen.

Lord, It only takes a spark
To get a fire going.
And soon all those around
Can warm up in its glowing.
That’s how it is with God’s love
Once you’ve experienced it.
You spread His love to ev’ryone
You want to pass it on…
I wish for you my friend
This happiness that I’ve found.
You can depend on Him
It matters not where you’re bound.
I’ll shout it from the mountain top
I want my world to know.
The Lord of love has come to me
I want to pass it on. Amen.

I Know Whom I Have Believed

As a POW during the American
Civil War, Daniel Whittle read the
Bible his mother had given him
and he committed his life to Christ.
After the war, in which he lost
his arm in battle, Whittle was
promoted to major and became
a successful businessman.
In 1873 he began preaching in
evangelistic services and for a
quarter century he led revivals
throughout the United States.
Whittle penned this hymn in 1883
thinking back to questions he had
asked during his imprisonment.
There were many things he didn’t
know but he certainly know Jesus.

Lord, we put our Trust In You:
I was appointed a preacher, an
apostle and a teacher of Gentiles.
That is why I am suffering here
in prison. But I am not ashamed
of it, for I know the one in whom
I trust, and I am sure that He
is able to guard what I have
entrusted to Him until the day
of His return (2 Tim 1:11-12).

Father, there’s much I don’t know;
but what matters is that I know
Jesus Your Son, gave His all
to ransom me from my sins.
I don’t know if I will meet Him in
the air or I will cross over at the
time of death. But I know His
Spirit will guide & hold my hand.
All I need, Your hand will provide,
and all that I entrust to You will be
safely guarded until that day that
I find my resting place with U. Amen

Lord, we pray for our loved ones
to be saved, it is not always in
the sweetest of circumstances
that our prayers are answered.
Yet the story of Daniel Whittle
reminds us the light of Christ
permeates in the darkness. Lord,
we know You have allowed the
Corona pandemic for the good of
creation & lead people to turn to
You. Let Your Spirit reach the hearts
of humankind to reveal Your love
and salvation to those whose hearts
are weary and worn of sin. Amen.

I know not why God’s wondrous
grace to me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own…
But I know whom I have believed
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day!!!
I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart…

Grant Us Wisdom & Courage Lord

God of Grace was written in 1930 by
Harry Fosdick for the dedication of
Riverside Church in New York City.
The hymn was written while the
US was in the Great Depression
between the two world wars.
Fosdick championed social gospel
& recognized the plight of the poor
during the Industrial Revolution.
The hymn is essentially a petition:
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage.
The appeal to God concludes each
stanza with the effect of a refrain.

Lord, grant us Power & Courage:
Therefore… stir up the Gift of God
which is in you thro laying of hands…
For God has not given us a spirit
of fear, but of power & of love and
of a sound mind..Don’t be ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord…
but share with me in the sufferings
for the gospel according to the
Power of God (2Tim 1:6-8). Amen.

Father, thank You for the gifts,
talents & passion implanted in us.
Prosper us Lord we ask of You,
in all that we put our hands to.
May our hearts be filled with
Your love, our lips with gentle,
helpful words, and our hands
with kind and unselfish deeds.
May Your Holy Spirit in all things
direct and rule our minds & hearts.
In Jesus’mighty name we pray.Amen

Father God, thank You for the Gift
of the Holy Spirit and thank You
for the Spirit’s presence in our life.
Empower us Lord to overcome sin
and as we face challenges in life.
Thank You Lord for giving us
the Power to overcome fear.
Show us where fear is holding us
back so that we can press forward
into the victory You have for us.
Grant us wisdom & grant us courage
for the living of these days. Amen.

God of grace and God of glory,
On your people pour Your Power;
Crown Your ancient church’s story,
Bring its bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour…
Cure Yr children’s warring madness
bend our pride to Your control;
shame our wanton, selfish gladness
rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
lest we miss Your kingdom’s goal,
lest we miss Yr kingdom’s goal.Amen

God of Justice & Faithfulness

Hezekiah perhaps the best king
in Judah’s history, is succeeded
by Manasseh, possibly the worst!
Manasseh’s 55-year reign of terror
sends the nation into a stupor from
which it will never fully recover. Even
godly King Josiah with his crusade
for righteousness is powerless to
reverse the wicked trends in Judah.
After Josiah’s death, there can be
no escaping the consequences
of Judah’s idolatry and immorality.
God’s judgment came in the form
of Nebuchadnezzar and the armies
of Babylon. Judah, who had refused
to learn from the sad example
of her northern sister Israel, now
experiences the same calamities:
distruction, deportation and exile.
But then You’re Faithful to Covenant.

Lord, we are Open for Renewal:
Then king (Josiah) called together
all the elders of Judah & Jerusalem.
He went up to the temple of the Lord
with… all the people… He read in
their hearing all the words of the
Book of the Covenant, which had
been found in the temple of the Lord.
The king… renewed the covenant…
to follow the Lord and keep his
commands, regulations & degrees
with all his heart and all his soul…
Then all the people pledged them-
selves to the covenant (2Kgs 23:1-3)
Lord, the Word of God should cause
us like King Josiah, to take action
soonest to reform our lives and
bring them into harmony with
God’s will. So Lord, I ask You
to reveal those areas in my life
where I need to do a clean-up.
Shine Your Holy Spirit into those
places and help me to honour
You with my whole life. Amen.

Lord, we want to Obey than Rebel:
Zedekiah reigned 11 yrs in Jerusalem.
He did evil in the Lord’s sight… So
the Lord in his anger finally banished
the people of Jerusalem & Judah fr
His presence & sent them into exile.
Then Zedekiah rebelled against the
king of Babylon (2Kgs 24:18-20).
So… Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon marched against Jerusalem
with his whole army… Then the city
wall was broken through and the
whole army fled at night… the king
was captured… They pull out his
eyes, bound him with shackles and
took him to Babylon… Imperial
guard came to Jerusalem… set fire
to the temple… royal palace and all
the houses of Jerusalem (2K25:1-9)
Lord, we realise the destruction
of Jerusalem was due to Judah’s
refusal to acknowledge You God.
You are after heart of worship not
caring for external & symbolic acts.
Help us to live in constant humility &
cultivate renewal of our lives. Amen.

Lord, we witness Your Faithfulness:
Gedaliah took an oath to reassure
them and their men. Do not be afraid
of the Babylonians officials, he said.
Settle down in the land and serve
the king of Babylon and it will go
well with you (2 Kings 25:24).
In the 37th year of the exile of
Jehoiachin king of Judah in the
year Evil-Merodach became king
of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin
from prison… He spoke kindly to
him and gave him a seat of honour
higher than those of the other kings
who were with him in Babylon. So
Jehoiachin for the rest of his life
ate regularly at king’s table (v27-30)
Lord, the release of Jehoiachin king
of Judah & given a place of honour
in the Babylonian palace points to
restoration the prophets promised.
Lord fact that You do not forget
Your covenant is encouraging.
With Your faithfulness our future
is secure in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Trust & Obey the Lord !!

Taking the throne of Judah at the
young age of 25, Hezekiah soon
establishes himself as a reformer
par excellence by destroying
all traces of heathen worship.
Choosing to put his trust in God
rather than in armies and horses,
Hezekiah often finds himself on
his knees. In response to the king’s
prayers, God strikes 185,000
Assyrians dead and extends King
Hezekiah’s life an additional 15 yrs.
But the king’s godly influence and
reforms scarcely outlive him as
his son Manasseh introduces
abominable practices once again,
returning the nation to its pagan
ways and downward spiritual slide.

We learnt from 2 Kings 18-20 the
character qualities of Hezekiah who
was likely the best king of Judah:
He did that which is right in
the sight of the Lord (18:3);
He trusted in the Lord (18:5);
He followed the Lord (v6);
The Lord was with him (v7).
And when challenges beset him,
he ran to the Lord who helped him.
Lord, help us to be like Hezekiah
who trusted and obeyed You.
Help us in the challenges that we
face including Coronavirus situation.
We Seek You for Deliverance;
We Seek You for Protection;
We Seek You for Healing. Amen.

Lord, we Seek You for Deliverance:
Then the Assyrian king’s chief of
staff told them to give this message
to Hezekiah: This is what the great
king of Assyria says: What are
you trusting in that makes you so
confident?… What god of any nation
has ever been able to save its people
from my power? So what makes
you think that the Lord can rescue
Jerusalem from me (2Kgs 18:19,35).
Lord, I am trusting in You, the God
who saves Your people. You love
to deliver Your own. So I ask You
to rescue us from the power of
the evil one. Show Yourself strong
in the world by Your saving power!
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, we Seek You for Protection:
When King Hezekiah heard their
report, he tore his clothes and
put on sackcloth and went into
the Temple of the Lord to pray. And
he sent the palace administrator,
the court secretary, and the leading
priests, all dressed in sackcloth, to
the prophet Isaiah… They told him:
This is what King Hezekiah says:
This is a day of trouble… Pray for
those of us who are left(2Kgs 19:1-4)
Lord, help me to remember to run
to You when I need help. Help me
to swallow my pride and ask others
to pray for me when circumstances
seem overwhelming or even before
they get to that point. And thank
You God for the peace that You
give when we run to You. Amen.

Lord, we Seek You for Healing:
In those days Hezekiah became
ill and was at the point of death.
Prophet Isaiah went to him and said:
Thus says the Lord: Put your house
in order because u are going to die…
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall
and prayed to the Lord: Remember
O Lord how I have walked before
You faithfully and with wholehearted
devotion and have done what is
good in Your eyes.’ And Hezekiah
wept bitterly (2 Kings 20:2-3).
Lord, You are my Healer & Deliverer.
In times of sickness or affliction,
I pray You would remember me
and heal me from anything that
would threaten to diminish or end
my life. Help me to be able to serve
You longer and ever more effectively
and not succumb to the plans of
the enemy. Remember me with
Your health and wholeness. Amen.