Month: August 2020

Be Still Before God (Aug 4)

The 2nd book of Psalms (Ps 42-72)
is similar to the book of Exodus,
as many of these psalms describe
Israel as ruined and 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 You are ever
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.

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

God Expects Justice & Integrity

Jeremiah 4-6 paints word picture
of the coming Babylonian invasion.
You can almost hear the hoofbeats
of the horses, the war cries of the
invading Chaldeans, the screams
of anguish from God’s people
as they experience the deadly consequences of their rebellion.
For Judah pursues every kind of loathsome act & proud indulgence.

Jeremiah addresses God’s people
as they head towards exile. Jeremiah
began preaching in the reign of
Josiah as the king ushered reform.
But in less than one generation,
this was all swept away. Spiritual
compromise and complacency
were order of the day & God looked
in vain for a person in Jerusalem
who stood for justice & godliness.
Help us Lord learn from Jeremiah
even as he brings forth Your Word.
Lord, we Confess our Shortcomings;
Lord, we Grasp Your Emotions; and
Lord, we Respond to Your Pleading.
In precious name of Jesus we pray.

Lord, we Respond to Your Pleading:
For thus says the Lord to the
people of Judah and Jerusalem,
surrender your pride and power.
Change your hearts before the
Lord or My anger will burn like
an unquenchable fire because
of all your sins (Jeremiah 4:3-4).
O my soul! I am pained in my very heart… The sound of the trumpet,
the alarm of war. Destruction
upon destruction is cried…
For My people are foolish,
they have not known Me… They
are wise to do evil, but to do good,
they have no knowledge (v19,22).
Lord, we hear Your repeated plea
for Your people to mend their ways.
We can see that You punish only
reluctantly and only as a last resort.
Help us Lord to appreciate Your
compassionate love that You even
send Your Son to die in our place.
Help us share the gospel even as
You hold back judgment. Amen.

Lord, we Confess our Shortcomings:
Let me fear You Lord my God,
who gives autumn and spring rains
in season and who assures us
of the regular weeks of harvest.
My wrongdoings keep me from
experiencing Your blessings,
and my sins deprive me of
the good (Jeremiah 5:24-25).
Lord God, I bring my sins to You…
Spare me the bondage of habitual
sin and the aftermath of regret.
Let the tenderness of Your mercies
incline me towards Your virtues.
And let the pleasures found in You
dwarf all lesser pleasures. Amen.

Lord, Fill us with Your Emotions:
To whom shall I speak and give
warning that they may hear?
Indeed their ear is uncircumcised
and they cannot give heed.
Behold the word of the Lord is
a reproach to them; they have no delight in it. Therefore I am full of
the fury of the Lord (Jer 6:10-11).
Lord, fill me with Your feelings,
regardless of what they are.
Help me love what You love,
rejoice over Your joys and be
angry at whatever angers You.
Shape my heart & let my prayers
and actions flow from what
You have put within me. Amen.

Warnings on Idolatry & Indifference

For centuries, prophets had come
to God’s people with the ultimatum:
Shape up or God will ship you out
in judgment. But their message
falls on deaf ears and stony hearts.
At last it is time for God to show
His words are no idle threat.
For their idolatry and indifference,
the people will reel in judgment
at the hands of the Babylonians.

Dear Lord, we note Your warning
on Disobedience of Your commands
and Indifference to Your values.
Help us Lord learn from Jeremiah
even as he brings forth Your word.
Help us to Submit to Do Your Will.
Help us purpose Not to have idols.
Help us Repent and Return to You.
In the precious name of Jesus. Amen

Lord, we Submit to Do Your Will:
The Lord said to me: “Do not say:
I am only a child.” You must go
to everyone I send you to and
say whatever I commanded you.
Do not be afraid of their faces for
I am with you to deliver you. Then
the Lord reached out his hand and
touched my mouth & said: Now I put
my words in your mouth (Jer 1:7-9).
Lord, I do not want to make
excuses for not doing Your will.
But I may feel inadequate to do
the things You are calling me to do.
Yet I don’t want fear to keep me
from doing it. For I want to depend
on You Lord to do it through me.
So I pray You will put words in
my mouth so that I can intercede
by the power of Your Spirit. Amen

Lord, we purpose not to have idols:
Has a nation ever changed its gods?
But my people have exchanged
their Glory for worthless idols.
Be appalled at this, O heavens
and shudder with great horror,
declares the Lord. My people
have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me, the spring
of living water, and have dug their
own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water (Jer 2:11-13).
Lord, though we may not worship physical idols like Baal, but idolatry
is still much alive today as in past.
For instance, we can be held captive
by materialism and hedon pleasure.
Help us Lord not to let material
things and our enjoyment of them
not take precedence over You.
Help us to put You first and never
to take You for granted. Amen.

Lord, we will Repent & Return to You:
Go and give this message to Israel.
This is what the Lord says: O Israel,
my faithless people, come home
to me again, for I am merciful.
I will not be angry with you forever.
Only acknowledge your iniquity
that you have transgressed…
Return O backsliding children,
says the Lord; for I am married to you… And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will
guide you with knowledge and understanding (Jeremiah 3:12-15).
Lord, we realise sin makes You angry.
However, that doesn’t mean You
will hammer us for every infraction.
For we note in scripture that U God
warned Your people many times,
remaining patient for years,
hoping for Your people to repent.
Hence, we will run to You, admit
wrongdoing; and You will forgive
and will forget Your anger. Amen.

Final Hour Prophet to Judah

As the Bible is arranged by genre,
to enhance understanding context
we’re meditating by time sequence.
OT1A: Genesis
OT1B: Poetry Book of Job
OT1C: Life of Moses (Exo to Deut)
OT2A: History to David (Josh-1Chr)
OT2B: Five Books of Psalms
OT2C: 1 Kings & Wisdom Poetry
OT3A: 2 Kings & Prophets
OT3B: 2 Chronicles & Prophets
OT3C: Return From Exile & Prophets

2 Chronicles spans four centuries of
Judah’s history from glory days of Solomon to end of Babylonian Exile.
Moving to prophets, Isaiah’s ministry
spans reigns of four kings of Judah
(722-681BC) stressing holiness
of God and coming of the Messiah.
Then five minor prophets to Judah
including Obadiah (840BC) and
Joel (830) as well as Micah (735-10)
Zephaniah (630) & Habakkuk (607).
Next, Jeremiah (written 627 BC).

On the time clock of history, Judah
is only minutes away from destruction
as God calls Jeremiah to the task
of preaching repentance to an
affluent, self-satisfied people.
Jeremiah challenges his countrymen
to recognise their errors and repent.
However, Judah’s response is not
repentance but rejection.For more
than 40 years, this sinful nation
remains deaf to Jeremiah’s repeated
warnings until at last it is too late.
The Babylonian army arrives;
vengeance falls and God’s justice
and holiness are finally vindicated.

We cover Jeremiah over 6 weekends
under the following seven divisions:
Jer 1-3: Call of Jeremiah
Jer 4-15: Judah’s Faithlessness
Jer 16-20: Prophet & Potter
Jer 21-25: Last Chance for Judah
Jer 26-29: Conflicts of Jeremiah
Jer 30-33: Consolation fr Jeremiah
Jer 34-45: Consistency of Jeremiah
J46-52:Fall of Babylon & Jerusalem
Lord, thro Jeremiah You are calling
God’s people to turn from their sins
and back to You. Grant us grace to submit to God let You rule in our life.
In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Experiencing God thro Obedience

This week we learn the importance
of Seeking God, Being Still, Grateful, Hoping in Him to position ourselves
in order to encounter His presence.
On Monday, we learn from Psalm 42
to Hope In God and Remember Him.
On Tuesday, we learn from Psalm 46
to Be Still Before God in challenges.
On Wed, we learn from Psalm 66
to Not Cherish Sin in our hearts.
On Thurs, we learn from Psalm 91
to Dwell in the Presence of God.
On Friday, we learn from Psalm 103
to Count our Manifold Blessings.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.
Click PrayerThots.com to see full.

Counting Your Blessings (Aug 7)

In Psalm 103, the psalmist urges
you to count your blessings. And
Psalm 98-102 provide plenty of
ideas to help you do just that by
focusing on the many things for
which you should be thankful:
your salvation (Ps 98) answered
prayer (Ps 99), God’s Goodness and
Mercy (Ps 100), God’s justice and
holiness (Ps 101) and God’s care
when you are downcast (Ps 102).

Lord, You Bless Your People:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
Forget Not All His Benefits – who
forgives all your sins and heals
all your diseases… who satisfies
your desires with Good things
so that your youth is renewed like
the eagles (Ps 103:2-5). The Lord
is Merciful & Gracious, slow to
anger & abounding in mercy (v8).
The Lord is like a father to his
children, tender & Compassionate
to those who fear Him. For He
knows how weak we are (v13-14).

Lord, You are worthy of praise,
for You do countless Good things
for Your children. Forgive us for
the times we fail to acknowledge
Your many blessings in our lives.
Forgiveness, healing, rescue,
love and mercy, You indeed fill our lives with undeserved blessings.
Teach us Lord the wonderful habit
of counting our blessings. Amen.

Lord, You are Merciful & Gracious,
full of unfailing love. I ask You to
reveal this in my life in these days.
Grateful for revealing Your wondrous
attributes to me in Your Word.
As I read it, continually open my
eyes to who You really are so that
my prayers will rest on the solid
foundation of Your character.
And may my prayers have power
because they are based on
the truth about You Lord. Amen

Lord, in Your mercy, do not leave
us exposed to lack or danger.
Remember we are weak and
we can get easily discouraged.
Please do not test us too long,
beyond what we are able to bear.
Instead encourage us with ready
manifestation of Your presence.
Strengthen us in the spirit when
we are deeply discouraged. And
Help us see Your Compassion and
loving kindness toward us. Amen.

Dwell In God’s Presence (Aug 6)

Altho the authors of most of Psalm
90-97 are unknown, the object
of their worship is well known:
the God of eternity (P90),
the God of Protection (P91),
the God of greatness (P92),
the God of majesty (P93),
the God of vengeance (P94),
the God of salvation (P95),
the God of glory (P96) and
the God of holiness (97).

Lord, we Seek Your Presence:
He who dwells in the secret place
of the Most High shall abide
under the Shadow of the Almighty.
He shall cover you with His
feathers and under His wings
you shall take refuge. His truth
shall be your Shield…(Ps 91:1-4).
Because you have made the
Lord who is my refuge, even the
Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you, nor shall
any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you… Because he has set
his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him… He shall call upon Me; and I will answer him (v9-11, v14-15)

Lord, Thank You that in the midst of
life’s storms, I have Your Protection
when I come and dwell with You.
In facing stormy situation, You are
greater than any worry I may have.
As a mother bird shelters her
young, You will cover me with
Your wings and Shelter me.
Keep me safe and be a Shield
and Shelter for me, for my life
is in Your very hands. Amen.

Lord, Thank You that in Your
mysterious and powerful ways,
You Send Your Angels around
us to protect Your people in
their journeys through life.
And so I will look to You as my
refuge and shelter so that I will
live in freedom in the Spirit and
not fear, no matter what I face.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, all Your promises are true
and Your children are held safe
in the palm of Your very hand.
Grateful that Your strong shadow,
reliable refuge, safety shield and
ministering angels watch over us
and Protect us wherever we go
even as we abide and trust in You.
And because we set our love on U, we can count Your deliverance.
In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen

Don’t Cherish Sin In Our Heart

Psalms 60-66 are essentially
psalms of lament; as evidenced
by the cry “O God” (60, 61, 63–65)
in which the psalmist stands upon
the promise of God in the face of
defeat, discouragement and deceit.
Through it all the psalmist finds that
God is praise-worthy refuge (62,66)

Lord, we will Not Cherish Sin:
You O God have Tested us; You
have Refined us as silver (Ps 66:10)
If I had Cherished Sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened and
heard my voice in prayer. Praise
be to God, who has not rejected
my prayer or withheld His love
from me. (Psalm 66:18-20).
Search Me O God and know my
heart; try me & know my anxieties
And see if there is any wicked way
in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting (Ps 139:23-24) Amen.

Father God, season of testing
can be hard and really painful.
But Lord Purify me well; and let
my faith endure the testing time.
Remind me that You are always
with me every step of the way.
And please help me Lord to
understand Your ways and not
mistrust You when circumstances
seem to contradict You. For You
Lord are always working out Your
best purposes for my life. Amen.

Lord, I purpose to Not Entertain Sin
in my heart. I want my heart to be
right before You so that You will
always hear my prayers & answer it.
I don’t do everything perfectly,
so I ask by the power of Your Spirit
You will enable me to keep my
heart pure and my hands clean.
Thank You Lord for loving me and
helping me to do what is right
in Your sight. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, I ask You to Search My Heart
and Shine Your light on my sin.
Forgive me for I am crying out
to You for help. Thank You for
hearing me, answering the cry
of my heart and continuing to
show Your unfailing love in my life.
For Lord I don’t want sins to lie on
my shoulders that bear me down;
but rather place them in Christ
the Lamb of God. In Jesus’ name

Be Still Before God (Aug 4)

The 2nd book of Psalms (Ps 42-72)
is similar to the book of Exodus,
as many of these psalms describe
Israel as ruined and 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 You are ever
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.

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

Hope In God & Remember Him

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 Chron 6:31-37).

Lord, we Hope & Remember 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 Saviour and my God…
O my God, my soul is cast
down within me; therefore
I will remember You (Ps 42:1-6).
I will say to God my Rock: Why
have You forgotten me? (v9).

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,
for I need to know Your Will. 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 Rock and my strength.
Lord, in Your grace and mercy,
grant me Your favour & deliverance that I may glorify You openly. Amen

Lord, in this psalm You have given
me words not just to speak to You
or say about You; but words I can
preach to myself in time of need.
And so when I’m deeply discouraged,
when I can’t see the way forward
and when my emotions are telling
me that nothing good is ahead,
I will speak to my own soul, saying,
I’ll put my hope In You God. Amen.

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