Month: January 2021

Knowing God thru His Names

The purpose of Genesis is to
record God’s creation of the
world and His desire to have a
people set apart to worship Him.
This week we understand God
better thru His revelation of Himself
of various names, mostly related to
His ability to meet needs of people.
On Tuesday, we learn from Gen 1
that our God is the Strong Creator.
On Wed, we learn from Gen 2
that our God Jehovah is Relational.
On Thursday, we learn from Gen 14
that our God is the Lord Most High.
On Friday, we learn from Gen 16 that
our God is the One Who sees us.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

The God Who Sees Me (Jan 8)

Genesis 15-17 describes the
Abrahamic covenant as it was
given, confirmed and symbolized.
God’s promises to Abraham are
given in great detail, confirmed
with a unilateral treaty, repeated
and established by the sign of
circumcision. But as the years pass
with no evidence of fulfilment,
Abraham acts in foolish impatience.
The result is a son, Ishmael, who
will forever cause the heartbreak
of his father, constantly reminding
Abraham of the price of his unbelief.

Praise be to El Roi Who Sees Me:
Then the angel of the Lord told her,
“Go back to your mistress and
submit to her.” The angel added,
“I will increase your descendants so
much that they will be too numerous
to count.” The angel of the Lord
also said: You are now pregnant
and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael, for
the Lord has heard of your
misery… (Hagar) gave this name
to the Lord who spoke to her:
You are the God who sees me
(El Roi) for she said: I have seen the
One who sees me (Genesis 16:10-13)

Lord El Roi, when Hagar sat alone
and afraid in the desert, You made
Yourself known as the God who sees.
I praise You because You are not
a distant God who sits far off, and
isolated from those You have made.
Instead You see me, You are with
me and You care. Thank You Lord
for Your attentiveness to me and
for Your willingness to reveal
Yourself as the God who sees. Amen

El Roi, when I feel alone & forgotten,
please forgive me for neglecting
to acknowledge You. Forgive me
for grumbling when I don’t see
the One who sees me. Help me
to remember that You are there.
Yes, You are the God who sees
me in whatever situation I’m facing.
Pardon me failing to see God who
sees me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Lord El Roi, You see; and I ask You
to act on my behalf when You see
me being wronged unfairly. I ask
You to defend and vindicate me
when You see me accused unjustly.
I ask You Lord to see the diligence
and tenacity of my heart and open
doors for me that only You can open.
You see my heart and I pray now
what Nehemiah prayed long ago:
Remember me with favour. Amen.

The Lord God Most High (Jan 7)

Genesis 12-14 describe God’s call
of Abram to leave his home in Ur
and travel to a distant & unspecified
new land. Abram faces many
potential distractions along the way:
the death of his father in Haram,
a severe famine and the worldly
pursuits of his nephew Lot. But
God is looking for a man of faith
who will trust Him completely
to keep His promises. For Abram
& his descendants, those promises
include receiving a great name,
becoming a great nation and
experiencing great blessing
in the face of impossible odds.

All Praise be to Jehovah El Elyon:
Abram said to the king of Sodom:
I have raised my hand to the
Lord God Most High (Jehovah
El Elyon), the Possessor of
heaven and earth, that I will
not take anything that is yours,
lest you should say: I have made
Abram rich (Gen 14:22-23).

Jehovah El Elyon, we praise and
thank You for being not only the
Most High God but also the Lord.
And Thank You Lord for dwelling
in our life and being our friend.
Thank You we can pray directly
to You, the God who is above all.
Manifest Your kingdom rule as
You demonstrate Your power
and might above all. Amen.

Jehovah El Elyon, I confess I like
to call the shots in my own life.
I forget that You are the Lord God
Most High & choose to pretend I am.
Forgive me when I fail to recognise
You in Your rightful place & honour
You as the Lord God Most High.
Forgive me when I don’t trust that
You know what’s best and what will
advance Your Kingdom in long run.
Forgive me for making choices apart
from Your divine perspective. Amen.

Jehovah El Elyon, show me how
to live in a way that will advance
Your will and agenda on earth.
And when I face with difficulties,
help me to remember that You are
Lord over all and that You care.
Help me to simply trust You.
Show me this truth again and
again as I look to You to meet my
every need. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Strong Creator God (Jan 5)

Overview: The first two chapters
of the Bible begin at “the beginning”.
Chapter I gives a concise overview
of the progress of creation event,
climaxing in the creation of man.
Chapter 2 takes a zoom-lens look
at day six. There the details emerge
of how God’s image-bearers were
created – man from the dust of
the ground and woman from his rib.
The stage is set, the characters
are in place, the drama can begin.

All Praise and honour be to Elohim:
In the beginning God (Elohim)
created the heavens & the earth.
The earth was without form and
void; and darkness was on the face
of the deep. And the Spirit of God
was hovering over the face of the
waters. Then God said: Let there be
light & there was light (Gen 1:1-3).
Then God said: Let the waters
under the heavens be gathered
together into one place and let the
dry land appear; and it was so (v9).
Then God said: Let the earth bring
forth the living creature according
to its kind… and it was so (v24).

Lord Elohim, You are the Strong
Creator God. By Your strong arm
the ocean depths came about
and the mountains arose.
Your great imagination gave
the elephant its long trunk and
the leopard its beautiful spots.
We praise You for the greatness
of Your creative ingenuity & adore
You for the fullness of Your power.
And we honour You Lord for indeed
You alone had made all things. Amen

Elohim Creator God, forgive us
for often being too busy and
not stopping to be awed by the
masterpiece of Your creation, like
the gentle breeze & chirping birds.
Forgive us for sometimes doubting
where we should have trust You.
We have not always seen You in
the light of Your greatness; and
sometimes we make You seem
much smaller than You truly are.
For that, we are truly sorry. Amen.

Elohim, create great things for me
to walk in. Create positions where
You merge my passion, experience,
skills and interests together so that
I can fulfil the calling U have for me.
Create in my heart a purity that is
peaceful and appealing to those
around me. Give me all that
I need to live out the path You
have planned & guide me into it.
Thank You Lord Elohim, for being
the Strong Creator God. Amen.

Launch of New Series (Jan 5)

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 the past three years, we’ve been
meditating two themes each year
to form disciple attitudes including:
Imploring God thru His Promises;
Seeking God thru Gospel Truths;
Adoring God thru Thanksgiving;
Hearing God thru His Word;
Praising God thru Classic Hymns &
Experiencing God thru Obedience.
Following a query from dear friend
and industry associate David Gerald,
sensed the Spirit leading that for
the next 12 months we will meditate
on Knowing God thru His Names.

In the Bible, God reveals Himself by
various names, mostly related to His
ability to meet needs of His people.
So, the people of God in the Bible
call on the Name of the Lord for
deliverance, victory, protection,
provision and many other things.
What’s true for God’s people then
is true for God’s people today too!
Whatever our present need,
God is the one who can meet
that need. And to call on God’s
Name in prayer is to appeal to
that aspect of His character that
relates to our particular need.

Most of the biblical Names of God
originates in the Old Testament and
we’ll include Hebrew transliteration
and English translation for sense.       The entire Holy Trinity: Father, Son Jesus & Holy Spirit will be featured.
The structure of the respond prayers is modelled after the Lord’s Prayer &
will be based on the Acronym ACS:
Adoration including praise and
thanksgiving; Confession and
Supplication including intercession.
Pray that these scriptural prayers
will encourage you and help you
commune with Abba Father. Amen.

Experiencing God thro Obedience

The current series on Experiencing
God through Obedience is perhaps
the main focus of discipleship.
We position to encounter God’s
presence through learning to seek
God’s voice, deepening our trust in
Him and ultimately thro Obedience.
Before moving to the next series,
let’s pause to reflect our learning.
We spent 4 months on OT from laws,
Israel history, Wisdom and Prophets
and another 4 months on NT through
the gospels and apostolic letters.

From Genesis, we see Abraham’s
Obedience in Trusting God though
he didn’t have all the answers; so
he went Not Knowing Where; and
sacrificed Issac Not Knowing How
he be father of nations (Gen 12&22)
From life of Moses, we see in the Red
Sea crossing that the Israelites have
to Move Forward to experience the
mighty deliverance of God (Exo 14).
The Israelites were protected from
a harsh desert elements by Following
the cloud (Num 9); and Moses
challenged them to Obey the Lord in
order to receive ublessings (Deut 30)

Israel history begins with the call to
Joshua to Be Courageous to receive
the inheritance, to obey the law and
to claim the presence of God (Josh1)
David killed the mighty Goliath was
because he Remembered God
helped him to kill the lion (1Sam 17)
And then by Inquiring of the Lord,
he won great victories repeatedly
against the Philistines (1Chron 14).
King Jehoshaphat by Seeking the
Lord for help in 2Chron 20 won a
great victory against the combined
armies of Moab, Ammon & Syria.

In the Wisdom literature, David
Sought the Lord and was delivered
from all his fears; and blessed is the
one who Trust in Him (Ps 34:4, 8).
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble…
We just need to Be Still and Know
that He is God (Ps 46:1 & 10).
Solomon urges in Prov 2:1-5: If you
receive my words…If you search for
her as for hidden treasures, then you
will understand the fear of the Lord.
Fear God and keep His commands,
for this is man’s all (Eccles 12:13).

And moving to the Prophets,
those who Wait on the Lord shall
renew their strength (Isa 40:31).
And the Lord has plans to give you
hope and a future… Seek Me and
Find Me, when you search for me
with all your heart (Jer 29:11-13).
Rid yourselves of all the offences
you have committed, and get a new
heart and a new spirit (Ezek 18:31).
The vision is yet for an appointed
time… Wait for it because it will
surely come… (For) the just shall
live by his Faith (Habakkuk 2:3-4).

Moving to NT starting with Gospels,
Go & Make Disciples of all nations…
teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded u (Mt28:19-20).
Have Faith In God. For… whoever
says to this mountain: Be removed
and does Not Doubt in his heart,
But Believes that those things
he says will be done, he will have
whatever he says (Mk 11:22-24).
The Son of Man has come to Seek &
Save those… who are Lost (Lk 19:10)
I am the vine; you are the branches.
If You Remain In Me and I in you,
you will bear much fruit; apart from
Me you can do nothing (John 15:5).

Then Letters: When God promised
Abraham that he would become
the father of many nations,
Abraham believed Him… even
though such a promise seemed
utterly impossible (Romans 4:17).
All the promises of God in Him are
Yes and in Him Amen (2Cor 1:20).
Be anxious for nothing but in every
-thing by prayer… let your requests
be made known to God; and the
peace of God… will guard your
hearts and minds (Phil 4:6-7).
He who calls you Is Faithful,
who also Will Do it (1Thess 5:24).
Let us… Come Boldly to the throne
of Grace that we may obtain mercy
& find grace in time of need(Heb4:16)
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 & complete
not lacking anything (James 1:2-6)

And here’s the listing of Thought for
the Week over the last eight months:
To access, Navigation as follows:-
Click PrayerThots.com
=> Scroll to Calendar
=> Select Month of 2020
=> Click Day of the Month

Torah Law (Wk1-3: Genesis – Deut)
May28: Test of Obedience(Gen22)
Jun 5: Following Cloud Exp(Exo 40)
Jun12: Choosing to Obey (Deut 30)

History (W4-9: Joshua-Nehemiah)
Jun15: Be Courageous (Joshua 1)
Jun25: God Is Our Deliverer (1Sam17)
Jun29: Seek His Kingdom (1 Kgs 4)
Jul 7: Inquire of the Lord (1Chr 14)
Jul 16: Seek God for Help (2Chr 20)
Jul23: Open Heart to God (Neh 2)

Wisdom (W10-12: Psalms – Eccl)
Jul30:Seek Lord’s Deliverance(Ps34)
Aug 4: Be Still Before God (Ps 46)
Aug10:Seek God & Fear Him(Prov 2)

Prophets (W13-16: Isaiah – Hab)
Aug19: Wait Upon the Lord (Isa 40)
Aug27: Hold On to God’s Plan(Jer 29)
Sep 1: Repent of Sins/Offences(Ez18)
Sep 10: Wait Upon God (Hab 2-3)

Gospels (W17-22: Matthew – Acts)
Sep18: Make Disciples (Matt25/28)
Sep25: Have Faith Not Doubt (Mk 11)
Oct 2: Seek the Lost (Luke 19-21)
Oct 7:Nourished by Obedience(Jn4)
Oct14: Abide In Christ (John 15)
Oct21: Watch Divine Encounter (A9)

Letters (W23-32: Romans-Revelatn)
Oct27: Living Life of Faith (Rom4-5)
Nov 5: Love One Another (1Cor 13)
Nov 9: Hold to God’s Promises(2C1)
Nov19:Live In Unity & Humility(Eph4)
Nov 26: Trust God for Needs (Phil 4)
Dec 2: Seek the Will of God (1Ths 5)
Dec 9: Be Eternal Mided (1Tim 6)
Dec14: Be Courageous (Heb 3-4)
Dec21:Living Out Your Faith(Jas1-2)
Dec28: Go Back to First Love (Rev2)

Go Back to Your First Love

John writes to the seven churches
in Asia Minor to address their
scriptural need. Each message
begins with the expression:
I know thy works; each contains
a promise: to him that overcometh;
each concludes with the warning:
He that hath ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches.
In short, John sends words of
reproof and reassurance from
Jesus Christ, the Alpha & Omega.

Lord, we’ll Come Back to First Love:
I know all about the things you do.
I have seen your hard work and
your patient endurance… But
I have this complaint against you.
You don’t love Me or each other
as you did at first! Look how far
you have fallen from your first love!
Turn back to Me again (Rev 2:2-5)
To him who overcomes I will give…
a white stone and on the stone
a new name written (Rev 2:17).
As many as I love, I rebuke & chasten.
Therefore be zealous and repent.
Behold I stand at the door & knock.
If anyone hears My voice and opens
the door I’ll come in to him(R3:19-20)

Lord, I confess been doing a lot
for You; but have somewhat ease
the simple devotion of loving You.
Grateful You are ever calling me
back to intimacy with You; with
Your arms open wide to receive me.
Help me to once again abandon
myself to You, to experience Your
unfailing love for me, and to live in
pure devotion to Your heart. Amen.

Lord, You do give people new names
including Simon/Peter & Saul/Paul.
For those who felt defined by their
past baggage, this is good news.
For the name You give will not be
based on something we can earn.
It will be rooted in Christ’s identity
and reflect who we were created to
be: children of God with inheritance
in the kingdom for eternity. Amen.

Lord, we will Draw Near to You;
For You are always near and
always desirous of our attention.
Forgive me for the times I ignore
or push You to the edges of my life;
for You deserve the central place.
Whenever I hear You calling and
knocking, help me to open myself
to You so that we can enjoy intimacy
together. Draw me Close to U. Amen

Rallying the Workers (Jan 3)

Like the earlier reconstruction
efforts under Zerubbabel and Ezra,
Nehemiah’s rebuilding corps faces
opposition both from without and
within. As the walls begin to rise,
so does opposition from leaders
in surrounding provinces. For each
problem, Nehemiah seeks and
finds a God-honouring solution.
Ridicule is handled with prayer;
threats of violence are dealt with by
preparation; discouragement is met
with example of faith in God’s power.

After the work began, Nehemiah
faced scorn, slander and threats
from enemies as well as fear,
conflict and discouragement from
his own workers. Although these
problems were tough, they did
not stop Nehemiah from finishing
the work. When difficulties come,
there is a tendency for conflict and
discouragement to set in. We must
recognise that there are no triumphs
without troubles. When problems
arise, we must face them squarely
and press on to complete God’s work
Lord, we will Withstand Challenges;
Lord, we will Watch & Pray; and
Lord, we will Support One Another.

Lord, we will Withstand Challenges:
When Sanballat heard that we were
rebuilding the wall, he became
angry and was greatly incensed.
He ridiculed the Jews and said:
What are those feeble Jews doing?..
Hear us O our God for we are
disposed. Do not cover up their guilt
or blot out their sins from their sight,
for they have thrown insults in the
face of the builders. So we rebuilt
the wall till all of it reached half
its height, for the people worked
with all their heart (Neh 4:1-6).
Lord, we realise when doing Your
work that ridicule may follow as well.
Teach us what to do and give us
grace and power to fulfil the same.
May we never forget to pray for
more things are accomplished
by prayer than we realise. Amen.

Lord, we will Watch & Pray:
The walls of Jerusalem were
beginning to be closed, that they
became very angry. And all of
them conspired together to attack
Jerusalem and create confusion.
But we prayed to our God and
posted a guard day and night
to meet this threat (Neh 4:7-9).
Lord, help me to be watchful
in prayer so that I am always aware
of what I am supposed to be doing;
and understand what I am not
supposed to be doing. Help me
to pray without ceasing so that
I can stand guard agst every plan
of the enemy against me. Amen.

Lord, we will Support One Another:
When our enemies heard that
we were aware of their plot and
that God had frustrated it, we all
returned to the wall… From that day
on, half of my men did the work
while the other half were equipped
with spears, shields, bows & armour…
Those who carried materials did
their work with one hand and held
weapon in the other, and each of
the builders wore His sword at
his side as he worked… Wherever
you hear the sound of the trumpet,
rally to us there. Our God will
fight for us (Nehemiah 4:15-20).
Lord, Learnt from Nehemiah that
teamwork was crucial to complete
the wall. So he organised the
workers together to support each
other as a team; half the men
worked while the other stood guard.
It is also reassuring to know warning
will be issued when needed & that
ready help will be coming. Amen.

Be Partners In Rebuilding (Jan 2)

A rebuilt temple stands in Jerusalem,
but only crumbled walls surround
the Holy City; meaning there
are still much work to be done.
For the task of rebuilding the city
walls, God raises up Nehemiah
to lead the third & last expedition
of Jewish returnees from Persia.
In spite of stiff opposition to the
reconstruction efforts, Nehemiah
and his band of bricklayers
complete the job in only 52 days.

Although the Jews completed the
temple in 516 BC, the city walls
remained in shambles for next 70 yrs.
These walls represented protection
and beauty to the city of Jerusalem.
They were also desperately needed
to protect the temple from attack
and ensure continuity of worship.
God put the desire to rebuild
the walls in Nehemiah’s heart,
giving him a vision for the work.
As we recognise deep needs in
our world, God can give us vision
and desire to build. With that vision,
we can mobilize others to pray
and put together an action plan.
Lord, we’re Stirred by Your Spirit,
Lord, we Open our Heart to You,
Lord, we Count Cost & Rally People.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray.

Lord, we’re Stirred by Your Spirit:
When I heard these words, I wept
for many days; I was fasting and
praying. And I said: O Lord, God
of heaven, the great and awesome
God who keeps his covenant of
unfailing love with those who love
Him and obey His commands,
listen to my prayer! Look down and
see me praying night and day for
Your people Israel. I confess that we
have sinned against You (Neh 1:4-7)
Lord, I purpose that my heart be
gripped by the things that grip
Your heart for Your purposes.
Make me sensitive to the stirring
of Your Spirit and the sound of
Your voice. And when I have sought
Your will and direction, make me
willingly, eagerly and even joyfully
participate in Your plan. Amen.

Lord, we Open our Heart to You:
The king asked: How can I help you?
With A Prayer to God of heaven,
(Nehemiah) replied: If it please
Your majesty… send me to Judah
to Rebuild the city (Neh 2:4-5).
Lord, we note Nehemiah covered
the whole process of Rebuilding
Jerusalem In Prayer; praying for
his people for four months; and
breathing a brief prayer to You God
before saying the request to king.
Hear our prayers just as You did
Nehemiah’s in building defences.
As we surrender the church to You
Lord, manifest Your restoring power.
As You God prove Yourself mighty,
may You receive much glory. Amen.

Lord, we Count Cost & Rally People:
So I came to Jerusalem and was
there three days…. I told no one
what my God Had Put In My Heart
to do… And I went out by night… and
Viewed the walls which were broken..
Then I said to (the leaders): Come Let
Us Build the wall of Jerusalem… And
I Told Them of the hand of God and
also of the king’s words. So they said:
Let’s rise up and build(Neh 2:11-18)
Lord, help me sort out the burdens
in my heart whether they all Yours;
and Lead me to fulfil the purposes
You Have Placed within my heart.
Help us get accurate information,
assess the situation, do careful
planning and then Share the mission.
Help us Lord to confront challenges
with Trust in God and constructive
action for Your name sake. Amen.