Month: September 2021

Lord of lords Urges Eternal Mindset

Timothy ministered alongside
             Apostle Paul as missionary and
later received the challenging
assignment of pastoring the
church at Ephesus. Paul’s first
letter resembles a manual for
building church leadership.
It also contains many principles
to impact the lives of others.

Lord, we’ll Fight the Good Fight:
Godliness with Contentment is
great gain…We can take nothing
out of (this world). If we have food,
we’ll be content (1 Tim 6:6-8).
Pursue righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, patience, gentleness.
Fight the Good Fight of Faith…
I urge you… that you keep this
commandment until our Lord
Jesus Christ’s appearing… the King
of kings and Lord of lords (v11-15)
Command those who are rich…
to do good… to be generous and
willing to share. By doing this
they will be storing up treasure
for the future so that they may
experience true life (v17-19).

Lord, You want Contentment to be
the virtue and goal for Your people.
Forgive me Lord for the times
when I get discontented with life.
Teach me to focus on all I have,
rather than on the things that I seem
to lack when comparing with others.
Teach me Lord to make connected
relationship with You & others be
priority over material things. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for Your promise
of eternal life in Your presence.
I realise that the road ahead
may not be easy; but I purpose
to hold fast and stay the course.
Help me not grow weary in the
battles I face. Help me to seek
You continually to Fight the good
fight on my behalf. And grant me
faithfulness & perseverance. Amen.

Lord, thank You for all You have
given including material provision.
Keep me from being covetous,
greedy or selfish. Help me find
balance in the stewardship of the
resources You have put in my care.
Show me practical and creative
ways to use the resources to
do good, to bless others and
to further Your kingdom. Amen.

God who Alone Is Wise & Patient

Timothy ministered alongside
with Paul as a missionary and
later received the challenging
assignment of pastoring the church
at Ephesus. Paul’s first letter
resembles a manual for building
church leadership. More generally,
it’s rich in principles for anyone who
wishes to impact the lives of others

Lord, You are Patient towards Us:
This is a faithful saying that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save
sinners (and) display His Immense
Patience as an example for those
who would believe in Him and
receive eternal life (1Tim 1:15-16).
Now to the King eternal, immortal,
invisible, to God who alone
is Wise, be honour and glory
forever and ever (1Tim 1:17).
(May) the prophetic words spoken
earlier…help you fight well in the
Lord’s battles; having Faith and a
good conscience (v18-19). Amen.

Lord, Thank You for showing mercy
and not treating me as my sins
deserve. Just as You are Patient
toward sinners; help me to Be
Patient towards others. Help me
use my testimony to encourage
others to seek Your mercy and
Your grace. For I know that
what You have done on my life,
You will also do for others. Amen.

Lord, with all the distractions
and obstacles coming against us,
it will be difficult to stay on course
following the Master. When the
going gets tough, I’ll purpose to
Hold on to Your Word for my life.
I won’t depart from it, no matter
what contradictions I hear or think.
Help me to keep focused & pursue
the calling You have given. Amen.

Lord, thank You for all that You
have done for us; and out of
gratitude we want to serve You.
But we realise that right beliefs
and right behaviour are critical.
Help us be wholly committed to U;
help us Be Patient as You are; and
help us Hold On in Faith to Your
Word for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen

God of Peace & Faithfulness

Paul has many pleasant memories
of the days he spent with the infant
Thessalonian church. Their Faith,
hope, love and perseverance
in the face of persecution are
exemplary and Paul’s labours
as a spiritual parent to the fledging
church have been richly rewarded.
He encourages the Thessalonians
to excel in their Faith, increase in
their love, and rejoice always even
as God Promises to Sanctify them.

Lord, we want to Do Your Will:
Rejoice always, pray without
ceasing, in everything give thanks;
for this is the Will Of God in Christ
Jesus for you (1 Thess 5:16-18).
Now may the God of peace Himself
Sanctify You completely; and may
your whole spirit, soul and body
be preserved blameless at the
coming of our Lord Jesus (v23).
He who calls you Is Faithful,
who also Will Do it (v24). Amen.

Lord, it is always Your Will for me
to be joyful and pray often & give
thanks to You in all circumstances.
Help me remember to do Your Will
even when I don’t see yet answers
to prayers as I would like it to be.
For no matter what is happening
in my life, I know Your Will is good
and that You are in control. Amen.

Lord God of peace, do Your holy
work of Sanctification within me.
I want to honour You with my life;
and I want to resist sin each day.
But at same time, I confess some
thing within me is attracted by evil;
so Keep me Lord to be blameless.
Give me a deep love for You and
the zeal for Your glory that will
surpass any impure passion. Amen.

Lord, I sincerely feel that my deepest
longings simply will be fulfilled.
I have brought them to You to do as
You please. Use them to accomplish
Your purposes; and I’m believing that
You will get me where I need to go.
I am now fully available to work
out the calling You have for me.
I know Lord that You are faithful
and that You will do it. Amen.

Keep Faith with Living & True God

Paul has many pleasant memories
of the infant Thessalonian church.
Their Faith, love and perseverance
in persecution are exemplary and
Paul’s labours as a spiritual parent
to the church have been rewarded.
He encourages the Thessalonians
to excel in their Faith, increase in
their love, and rejoice always as
they await the return of the Lord.

Lord, we will Keep Faith In You:
We always thank God for all of
you and pray for you constantly.
We remember before our Father
your work produced By Faith,
your labour prompted by love, and
your endurance inspired by hope
in our Lord Jesus Christ (1Ths 1:2-3)
You received the message with
joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of
the severe suffering… In this way,
you imitated the Lord. As a result,
you have become an example
to all believers in Greece (v6-7).
Your faith toward God has gone out…
how you turned to God from idols
to serve the Living and True God;
and to wait for His Son (v8-10).

Lord, I Thank You for the gift of
direct access to You in Prayer.
Help me to model Apostle Paul
who encourages the Thessalonian
believers for their faith and love.
Bless my loved ones and friends
and draw them into ever closer
relationship with You Lord.
And help me to be faithful in
praying for them regularly. Amen.

Lord Jesus, help us to be like
the Thessalonians in Imitating You
and causing many to believe in You.
Help us Lord to endure suffering
and lead a life of faith in action.
Help us not to be self-centred but
instead be Christ centred and also
consider the interests of others.
For living for You Lord our Master is
really what we ought to do. Amen.

Heavenly Father, we were created
ultimately to honour You as our Lord. 
Exercising Faith helps us do that for
Faith is shown by seeking after You.
And Trusting You to see us through
in hard times brings You glory.
Give us sincere heart as well as
the faith that pursues after You.
Help us give up “idols” but instead
begin to serve You God. Amen.

God who Supplies Your Needs

Despite adverse circumstances,
Philippians is an encouraging
letter in the midst of persecution.
Paul rejoices especially the church’s
steadfast testimony for the gospel.
Though that testimony is threatened
by divisions in the church, Paul is
confident unity will be restored as
they imitate the humility of Christ.
And Apostle Paul urges contentment
for God Will Supply all our needs.

Lord, You Will Provide Our Needs:
Be anxious for nothing but in every
-thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known to God; and the
peace of God which surpasses
all understanding will guard your
hearts and minds (Phil 4:6-7).
I have learned the secret of being
Content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do all this through Him who
Gives me Strength (Phil 4:12-13).
This same God who takes
care of me Will Supply all your
Needs from his glorious riches,
which have been given to us
in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19). Amen.

Lord, here is my worry and here
is my need. I give them to You,
and ask You to calm my anxious
heart and quiet my racing thoughts.
Help me refuse to think of what-ifs
thoughts; but Center them on Christ
Jesus, His power and sufficiency.
Because I belong to You Lord, I know
that Your peace will guard my heart
and mind. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, Thank You that You are
the God who provides my needs.
Grant me the grace to live joyfully
whether I have much or little.
And grant me Lord the grace to
Be Content in all circumstances.
Thank You for promising that
You will give me the strength
I need to do Your will. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for the promise
to Supply all our needs. That
wonderful guarantee & assurance
enables us to feel secure and
contented in our journey thru life.
For we don’t have to struggle
on our own for the Creator of the
universe covers us. And we are
given access to You because of
what Christ did on the cross. Amen

God Is Able & Will Keep Us

Alarmed by the presence of
false trenching, Jude (who was
the brother of James) exhorts
believers to stand firm for the truth.
He ends his short epistle with
a series of urgent commands:
Remember Christ’s words,
remain in God’s love and seek
to remove erring brothers from
the fiery danger of their ways.

Father, U are Able & Will Keep Us:
Beloved, build yourselves up on
your most holy faith and pray in
the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves
in God’s love… Be merciful to
those who doubt, snatch others
from the fire and save them…
All glory to God, who Is Able
to Keep You from stumbling,
and who will bring you into His
glorious presence innocent of sin
and with great joy. All glory to Him,
who alone is God our Saviour,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Yes, glory, majesty, power
and authority belong to Him,
in the beginning, now, and
forevermore (Jude 20-25). Amen.

Father, as I can be tempted towards
despair, grant me steadfastness
and assurance to persevere in faith.
As sometimes I have felt bitterness
towards situations and people,
increase my understanding & love.
Grant me Lord also the concern
and compassion for those in need.
And at times when I’m fainthearted,
increase my hope and grant me
the solid assurance of the future
to rise above fear. In Jesus’ name.

Father, You are powerful & loving;
and You can keep us from stumbling.
You’re the God who not only saves us
but also never leaves or forsakes us.
You will lead us step by step until
You bring us into Your presence.
And You’re Able to bring good out of
evil & keep everything that we have
committed until the day we see You.
For You Lord are the God whose
promises we can count on. Amen.

Father, Thank You for the great gift
of salvation thru Christ our Lord.
Glory to You the one who is able to
keep me from stumbling and bring
me into Your glorious presence
blameless and with great joy!
Help me Lord to depend on Your
keeping power and strength as
You work within me to please You.
All glory, majesty, power and
authority belong to You from
beginning, now & forever. Amen.

Living in the Truth

In 2 John, the apostle urges
balance in Christian life, standing
firm in the faith and obey God
by loving Him and one another.
In his third letter, apostle John
commends Gaius for hospitality
& love of the truth and Demetrius
for serving the church faithfully.
But John rebukes Diotrephes
for gossip and arrogant attitude.

Lord, we will Live in the Truth:
How happy I was to meet some
of your children and find them
living according to the truth,
just as the Father commanded.
And now I urge you..that we should
love one another (2 John 1:4-5).
I am praying that all is well with you
and that your body is as healthy as
I know your soul is. Some brothers
recently returned and make me
very happy by telling me about
your faithfulness and that you
are living in the truth (3Jn 1:2-3).
Dear friends, you are doing a good
work for God when you take care
of the travelling teachers… even
though they are strangers to you…
They have told the church here
of your friendship & loving deeds…
We ourselves should support them
so that we may become partners
with them for the truth (3Jn 5-8).

Lord, we can teach our children
well, take them to church and
build good foundation of faith;
but only You God can change
their heart to be fully Yours.
Thank You Lord that every time
we pray, the Spirit is activated
and God’s heart-changing power
is released. As we pray for our
children, may their lives be covered
by the grace & love of Christ. Amen

Lord, l lift up all those in ministry,
those in training & church leaders
for their task can be challenging.
Minister to them, protect them and
wrap Your arms around their families.
Help me to be a blessing rather
than a burden; and help me to
faithfully practice what I believe.
Help me Lord to be a bright spot in
the ministry of the church by living
in the truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, move us to show Your love
to those in need and be hospitable
to fellow church members,
Your workers and missionaries.
Because of our individualistic and
self-centred society, there are also
many lonely people who wonder
if anyone cares their well-being.
Lead us Lord to such lonely people
so that we can show him or her
that You care for them. Amen.

Knowing God thru His Names

Apostle Paul’s purpose of writing
Ephesians is to strengthen believers
in their faith by explaining the nature of the church, the body of Christ;
while for Philippians is to explain
true joy comes from Christ alone;
and for Colossians that believers
have everything they need in Christ.
This week we understand God better
thru knowing His attributes, mostly
related to His ability to meet needs.
On Monday, we learn from Eph 1
of Spirit of Wisdom & Revelation.
On Tues, we learn from Eph 2 that
the Chief Cornerstone Empowers.
On Wed, we learn from Eph 6
that God Provides Spiritual Armor.
On Thursday, we learn from Phil 4
that God Supplies Your Needs.
On Fri, we learn from Col 2 that
we’re Complete In Lord of All Powers.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

Complete In Lord of All Powers

All is not well in Colosse.
A heresy that Jesus Christ is
neither central nor supreme
is undermining the church.
Paul’s response to these
false teachings is two-fold.
First, he upholds Christ as the
preeminent Head of the church.
Next, he speaks out against the
rituals and man-made regulations
which typify worship at Colosse.

Lord Jesus, we’re Complete In You:
As you have received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so walk in Him, Rooted
and built up in Him & established
in the faith… abounding in it
with thanksgiving (Col 2:6-7).
In Christ the fullness of God lives
in a human body, and you are
Complete through your union
with Christ, who is the head of
all principality and powers (v9-10)
He Cancelled the record of the Charges against us… And He has
taken it out of the way, having
nailed it to the cross. Having
disarmed principalities & powers…
triumphing over them (v14-15).

Father God, You are worthy
of a heart that overflows
with thanksgiving toward You.
When I think of all You’ve done
and put it proper perspective,
I am filled with deep gratitude
for Your mercy and generosity.
Help me to stay Connected and
Rooted In You, remembering always
to express Thanks to You. Amen.

Father, it’s hard for me to grasp
that there are absolutely no
barriers between us for You
Cancelled all charges against us.
Let that truth sink into my heart,
and help me live by it gratefully.
You have paid an enormous price
to enable our intimacy. Prompt
me don’t to waste the opportunity
to experience You each day. Amen

Lord Jesus, You are so completely
great and awesome! How can it be
that You have chosen to live in me?
And yet You have. Help me to
fully trust You, knowing that You
are in control of all situations.
And that You are using everything
that happens in my life to show
me that I am Complete In You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Supplies Your Needs

Despite adverse circumstances,
Philippians is an encouraging
letter in the midst of persecution.
Paul rejoices especially the church’s
steadfast testimony for the gospel.
Though that testimony is threatened
by divisions in the church, Paul is
confident unity will be restored as
they imitate the humility of Christ.
And Apostle Paul urges contentment
for God Will Supply all our needs.

Lord, You Will Provide Our Needs:
Be anxious for nothing but in every
-thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known to God; and the
peace of God which surpasses
all understanding will guard your
hearts and minds (Phil 4:6-7).
I have learned the secret of being
Content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do all this through Him who
Gives me Strength (Phil 4:12-13).
This same God who takes
care of me Will Supply all your
Needs from his glorious riches,
which have been given to us
in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19). Amen.

Lord, here is my worry and here
is my need. I give them to You,
and ask You to calm my anxious
heart and quiet my racing thoughts.
Help me refuse to think of what-ifs
thoughts; but Center them on Christ
Jesus, His power and sufficiency.
Because I belong to You Lord, I know
that Your peace will guard my heart
and mind. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, Thank You that You are
the God who provides my needs.
Grant me the grace to live joyfully
whether I have much or little.
And grant me Lord the grace to
Be Content in all circumstances.
Thank You for promising that
You will give me the strength
I need to do Your will. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for the promise
to Supply all our needs. That
wonderful guarantee & assurance
enables us to feel secure and
contented in our journey thru life.
For we don’t have to struggle
on our own for the Creator of the
universe covers us. And we are
given access to You because of
what Christ did on the cross. Amen