Month: March 2021

God My Exceeding Joy (March 9)

Psalms 42-49 are attributed to
the sons of Korah, descendants
of the man who died for his
rebellion against Moses (Num 16).
One part of this family became
the temple doorkeepers (1Chr 9:19)
while another became the singers
and musicians in the temple
(1 Chron 6:31-33, 37).

Praise God My Exceeding Joy:
Vindicate me O God, and plead
my cause… Oh deliver me…
For You are the God of my strength…
Oh Send out Your light and
Your truth! Let them lead me…
Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God, my exceeding joy (El Simchath Gili); and I will praise You,
O God, my God (Psalm 43:1-4).
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
Hope in God; for I shall yet
praise Him, the help of my
countenance and my God (v5).

Lord El Simchath Gili, all that
is on earth belongs to You.
Because of this and more,
You are indeed our exceeding joy.
We praise Your glorious name,
for in Your hand are power & might.
The depth of Your truth is deep and
we find joy in learning new things.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, all things come from
You and are created by You.
Forgive me for seeking joy
in other sources than You.
Pardon me for turning to things
outside of You to seek what
can be found only in You; for
You are the source of my joy.
In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Lord El Simchath Gili, delight me
with that which delights You.
Give me the pleasure of knowing
You more for in You I will find joy.
Help me bring joy to other
people I come into contact.
Give me a sweet spirit radiating
Your love to those around me.
Help me say encouraging and
kind words. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The God of My Life (March 8)

Psalms 42-49 are attributed to
the sons of Korah, descendants
of the man who died for his
rebellion against Moses (Num 16).
One part of this family became
the temple doorkeepers (1Chr 9:19)
while another became the singers
and musicians in the temple
(1 Chron 6:31-33, 37).

Praise be to the Lord of My Life:
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I’ll yet
praise him, my Savior and my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember You…
By day the Lord directs His love,
at night His song is with me –
a prayer to the God of My Life
– El Hayyay (Psalm 42:5-8).

Lord El Hayyay, when it is dark
You light the way and give comfort.
Yet at times I just cannot see the
goodness before me because
my eyes are dulled by darkness.
But in those times, You ask me
to have faith in You and to cling
to Your Word, so that when the
sun rises, I will see the greatness
of Your goodness in my life. Amen.

Lord El Hayyay, sometimes I have
questioned more than I should.
Forgive me for doubting Your heart
when I couldn’t see Your hand or
when Your ways seemed confusing.
Forgive me for not resting in
Your name, El Hayyay, the God
of my life and for trying to be
in charge of my life myself.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen

Lord El Hayyay, open my ears
to hear from You; and soften
my heart to discern Your Spirit.
Help my eyes to recognise when
You are weaving something new
in my life. Help me remember
You are sovereign and nothing
happens to me that doesn’t
first pass through Your hands.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

The Lord My Light

Overview: As David penned
Psalms 25-30, he would have
thought of the multifaceted
character of the God he served.
The Lord is good and upright (25:8),
my light (27:1), my strength (28:7),
King forever (29:10) and
my God (30:2).

All Praise be to Lord My Light:
The Lord (Jehovah) is my light
(ORI) and my salvation, whom
shall I fear? The Lord is the
strength of my life, of whom
shall I be afraid?… Though
an army may encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear; though
war may rise against me, in this
I will be confident (Ps 27:1-3).
I would have lost heart, unless
I had believed that I would see
the goodness of the Lord…
Wait on the Lord; be of good courage.
And He shall strengthen your heart.
Wait I say on the Lord (v13-14).

Lord Jehovah ORI, You are the light
of our life, brightening our path.
Praise You for helping us navigate
through the darkness of this life.
And You Lord will bring us the
light of salvation when we turn
to You with a heart of trust.
Draw people to You Lord so that
they may know and experience
You as the light of their lives. Amen

Lord, how many hours have I spent
trying to figure out my own way?
How often have I called a friend
rather than turn to You in surrender
that You alone are the light,
that You alone know the way.
Forgive me for wasted time and
energy. Forgive me for being so
consumed with my own darkness.
Forgive me for forgetting You are
there as my light & salvation. Amen

Lord Jehovah Ori, sometimes
the decisions I need to make
overwhelms me. I want to make
the right decision, but I can’t
foresee all the consequences
of the choices. Whatever the
decision is, shine Your light
on the path I need to take and
show me which way I should go.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Staying True to the Lord (Mar 7)

Jerusalem… Judea… Samaria…
Now God sets the stage for the
gospel advance to the uttermost
part of the earth. With conversion
of Cornelius, the outreach of the
church is enlarged to include Gentiles
as well. But it takes an unusual vision,
a stubborn vessel (Peter) and
a well-timed visit to breakdown
centuries of deep-seated prejudice.
The enemies of the gospel are also
on the march, as seen in martyrdom
of James and the imprisonment
of Peter – a futile attempt to stem
the growth of the church.

Lord, Thank You for book of Acts
recording the growth of the church,
aided by the power of Holy Spirit.
We see the purposes of God at work
through any challenge or opposition.
And the disciples were obedient
though somewhat unwillingly at first.
We read of believers who spread
the faith wherever persecution
forced them to flee (Acts 11:19).
And individuals stood out bravely
at great risk to themselves (12:2-4).
Help us Lord to rely on Your strength
as we remain obedient to Your cause.
Help us Lord Tune In to Your Plan.
Help us Stay True to Your Purpose.
Help us Tap On to Your Power. Amen

Lord, we’ll Tune In to Your Plan:
The next day as Cornelius’
messengers were nearing the city,
Peter went up to the flat roof to pray.
It was about noon, and he was
hungry. But while lunch was being
prepared, he fell into a trance.
He saw the sky open and
a large sheet was laid down.
In it were all sorts of animals and
birds… Then a voice said: If God
says something is acceptable,
don’t say it isn’t (Acts 10:9-15).
Lord, it is such a privilege to come
to Your presence and hear from You.
Open my eyes and ears to what
is on Your heart uniquely for me.
Speak clearly for what You want to
say is sometimes hard to understand.
And give me a heart of obedience to
what U want to impress on me. Amen

Lord, we’ll Stay True to Your Purpose:
When (Barnabas) arrived and
saw this evidence of God’s
blessing, he was filled with joy,
and he encouraged the believers
to stay true to the Lord (Acts 11:23).
For he was a good man, full
of the Holy Spirit and of faith.
And a great many people were
added to the Lord (Acts 11:24).
Father God, let us hear Your
encouragement often and give me
opportunities to share with others.
Let us be an expression of the
goodness, kindness & gentleness
of Your heart. Teach us Lord to
exert gracious influence on those
we come in contact and releasing
the sweet savour of Christ. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Tap On to Your Power:
(Herod) arrested Peter during
the Passover celebration and
imprisoned him, placing him
under the guard of four squads…
Herod’s intention was to bring Peter
out for public trial after the Passover.
But while Peter was in prison,
the church prayed very earnestly…
Suddenly, there was a bright light
in the cell, and an angel of the
Lord stood before Peter… And
the chains fell off (Acts 12:3-7).
Lord, thank You for Your wonder-
working power. We were once
locked in a prison of darkness
to Your truth and light. Thank You
for shining the light of Your truth
into our heart & freeing us from sin.
Use us to share the truth about
Your great power with others
who need to know the true
freedom in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Enduring Testing Times (Mar 6)

Jesus had made it clear before
His ascension that the gospel was
for both the Jew and the Gentile.
But two years after the Commission,
only Jerusalem heard the good news.
In Acts 8, persecution hits,
scattering all but the apostles
into Judea and Samaria. Phillip
extends his witness to Africa thru
the conversion of a visiting dignitary.
And Saul experiences a confrontation
with the risen Lord on the road
to Damascus which transforms
him from Saul the Antagonist
into Paul Missionary to the Gentiles.

Lord, Thank You for Acts which
records the growth of the church,
aided by the power of Holy Spirit.
Almighty God, You can work
thru any challenge or opposition.
Help us to seize opportunities
that opposition brings about.
Help us Seek to Hear You;
Help us Seek Your Will; and
Help us Encourage Others. Amen

Lord, we Seek to Hear You:
An Angel of the Lord said to Philip:
Go south down the desert road…
So he started out and he met
the treasurer of Ethiopia…
The Holy Spirit said to Philip:
Go over and walk along beside
the carriage. Philip ran over and
heard the man reading from the
prophet Isaiah… Beginning with
this same Scripture, Philip told
him the Good News about Jesus.
(Acts 8:26-27, 29-30, 35).
Lord, forgive me for the ways I may
have limited hearing Your voice.
Holy Spirit, I want to hear You
as clearly as Philip did; and to be
able to follow Your instructions.
Help me Lord to broaden my
reception to hear You clearly.
Speak powerfully through me and
give me the faith to respond to
what You’re speaking to me. Amen

Lord, we will Seek Your Will:
The Lord told (Ananias): Go to
the house of Judas on Straight
Street and ask for a man from
Tarsus named Saul for he is praying..
Go for he is a chosen vessel of
Mine to bear My name before
Gentiles & the children of Israel…
Immediately he preached Christ
in the synagogues that He is
the Son of God (Acts 9:11-20).
Lord, You appeared to Saul and
blinded him to get his attention
and do a miraculous turnaround
in his life. In same way, You may
sometimes allowed me to get
to a dark place in my life where
I cannot see without Your help.
At those times, help me to do so
Paul did and pray fervently so that
my spiritual sight can be restored
and Your Will Be Done. Amen.

Lord, we will Encourage Others:
When Saul arrived in Jerusalem,
he tried to meet with the believers
but they were afraid of him…
Then Barnabas brought him
to the apostles and told them
how Saul had seen the Lord on
the way to Damascus. Barnabas
also told them what the Lord
had said to Saul and how he boldly
preached in the name of Jesus
in Damascus (Acts 9:26-27).
Lord, I want to be an encourager
like Barnabas. Help me Lord
to see others with Your eyes.
Give me the vision to see the
potential You’ve deposited in them.
Fill me with courage to stand with
those who are in trouble & need help.
Make me a bridge of encouragement
fr Yr heart to hearts of others. Amen

Knowing God thru His Names

The purpose of Psalms is to provide
poetry for the expression of praise,
worship and confession to God.
Psalms Book 1 is similar to Genesis
as these psalms discuss humans as
blessed, fallen & redeemed by God.
This week we understand God better
thru His revelation of names, mostly
related to His ability to meet needs.
On Monday, we learn from Psalm 24
about The Lord Mighty In Battle.
On Tuesday, we learn from
Ps 27 about The Lord My Light.
On Wednesday we learn from
Psalm 29 about God of Glory.
On Thursday, we learn from
Ps 31 about Lord God of Truth.
On Friday, we learn from
Ps 32 about My Hiding Place.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

My Hiding Place (March 5)

Psalms 31-36 show how a proper
perspective can help you face
any circumstance; and can bring
you from gloom to glory (Ps 31)
from failure to deliverance (Ps 32),
fr false security to secured trust(P33)
from affliction to adoration (Ps 34),
from persecution to praise (Ps 35)
and from darkness to light (Ps 36).

Lord, You Are My Hiding Place:
When I kept silent,
my bones grew old through
my groaning all the day long…
For this cause everyone
who is godly shall pray to You…
You are My Hiding Place;
You protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs
of Deliverance (Psalm 32:3-7).
The Lord says: I Will Guide you
along the best pathway for your life.
I will Watch over you… (And)
he Who Trusts in the Lord,
mercy shall surround him (v8-10).

Lord, Thank You for giving us
security in midst of insecurity,
peace in the storm of life, and
a Hiding Place in Your safe arm.
Thank You for Your promise
that Your unfailing love will
surround those who Trust You.
And they who dwell in the shelter
of the Most High will rest in the
shadow of the Almighty. Amen.

Lord, You promise that You will
Guide Your people along the
best pathways for their lives.
Thank You for Your assurance
of direction and protection.
So, Guide me Lord day by day;
and give me the strength to step
out with courage and faith as
I sense Your leading. Amen.

Lord, You are My Hiding Place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
Let the weak say I am strong
In the strength of the Lord
I will trust in You. Amen.

Lord God of Truth (March 4)

Overview: A proper perspective
can help you face any circumstance
and can bring you from gloom
to glory (Ps 31), from failure
to forgiveness (Ps 32), from false
security to confident trust (Ps 33),
from affliction to adoration (Ps 34),
from persecution to praise (Ps 35)
from darkness to light (Ps 36).

Praise be to Jehovah El Emeth:
In You, O Lord I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness…
Deliver me speedily; Be my rock
of refuge, a fortress of defense
to save me… For You are my rock
and my fortress; Therefore,
for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me…
Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have ransomed & redeemed
me, O Lord, God of Truth
Jehovah El Emeth (Psa 31:1-5).

Jehovah El Emeth, truth comes
from You and we are incapable
of discerning truth without You.
Grateful that Your truth is readily
available to us in Your Word.
Thank You for enabling us to
discern Your truth from what
the world tries to paint as truth
but is a lie. Thank You Lord for
empowering us live out Your truth.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord El Emeth, have mercy
on us for seeking to undermine
Your truth with world wisdom.
We don’t always let Your truth
run through our thoughts but
rather choose to worry or listen
to our own perspective over Yours.
Your Word is truth, yet we have
neglected to memorise Your
promises & hide them in our heart.

Lord Jehovah El Emeth, my desire
is to live according to Your truth.
And yet I struggle at times during
adversity or trials when walking
in faith and truth seems so hard.
Help me trust You and always put
Your perspective above my own.
Give me discernment of situation
and wisdom to walk in Your ways.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.