Month: March 2023

God Delivers in response to Prayer

Jehoshaphat knows the key to
spiritual revival in the nation is a
renewed interest in law of the Lord.
He institutes a nation-wide scripture
study program which God blesses
with peace as well as prosperity.
In contrast to his predecessors,
Jehoshaphat manages to make peace with the king of Israel
but becomes entangled in
a war between Israel and Syria.
His reaction to divine rebuke,
his appointment of judges to rule
“not for man but for the LORD” and
his Godward response in the face of
crisis point to the reality of his faith.

Lord, we Seek Your Deliverabce :
Ahab king of Israel said to
Jehoshaphat king of Judah:
Will you join me to attack Ramoth
Gilead? Jehoshaphat replied:
let’s first find out what the Lord says… And the Lord said
Go ahead(2Chron 18:3-5).
Now Ahab said to Jehoshaphat:
As we go into battle, I’ll disguise
myself, but you wear yr royal robes.
When the chariot commanders
saw Jehoshaphat, they turned
to attack him, but Jehoshaphat
cried out and the Lord helped him
& diverted them from him (v29-31)
An Aramean soldier however
randomly shot an arrow at the
Israelite troops & the arrow hit
the king of Israel (2Chr 18:33).

Lord, we are certainly not perfect.
And we note Jehoshaphat, king
of Judah made several errors,
including building an alliance with
Ahab, the wicked king of Israel.
And he asked for a prophet of God
but did not listen when he came.
But one choice Jehoshaphat made
was spot on. Help us Lord to be
like Jehoshaphat even in the heat
of battle to cry out to You. Amen.

Lord, remind us that prayer is
not something that only happens
in the quietness of a moment.
Remind us that taking to You should
be part of every aspect of life,
the battles as well as peace times.
Remind and prompt us to cry
to You in our desperate moments
For protection and deliverance can
often be only a prayer away. Amen.

Lord, help us not merely ask for
Your direction but also to Follow it.
Strengthen my faith so that I will not
give up praying in heat of battle.
For I realise the very next prayer
may be the one to bring deliverance
from the strongholds of the enemy.
Enable me to stand strong in prayer
and worship, giving thanks for Your
presence & delivering power. Amen

God Strengthens the Committed

Following Judah King Abijah’s
military victory over Jeroboam,
king of Israel, King Asa attempts
to duplicate in the spiritual realm.
King Asa removes all traces of
foreign religion from the land and
commands the people to observe
God’s statutes. But toward the end
of his reign, Asa faces a threat from
Baasha (king of Israel) and seeks
an alliance with the king of Syria.
Even on his deathbed he puts his
trust in earthly physicians alone,
rather than in the Great Physician.

Lord, we will Be Committed to You:
Then they entered into a covenant
to seek the Lord with all their heart…
And the Lord gave them rest from
their enemies on every side.
Altho he did not remove the high places
from Israel, Asa’s heart was Fully
Committed to the Lord(2Chr15:12-17
Hanani the seer came to Asa
king of Judah, and said to him:
Because you have relied on the
king of Syria and have not relied
on the Lord your God, therefore
the army of the king of Syria
has escaped from your hand…
For the Eyes of the Lord search
the whole earth to Strengthen
those whose hearts are fully
Committed to Him. In this you have
done foolishly; therefore from now
on you shall have wars(2Chr16:7-9)

Lord, we learnt that decisive
and whole-hearted Commitment
pleases You and results in peace.
Help us Lord to always remember
to pray to You in the good times
as we do in challenging times.
Enable us Lord to always keep
our hearts open to Your high
purpose; and to what You’re doing
in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, I earnestly thank You
for Your promises of blessing.
And I stand on Your promise to
strengthen those who are fully
committed to You for whatever
assignment You have for me.
And I purpose the weaker I feel,
the harder I will lean on You Lord.
And I trust the harder I lean on
You, the stronger I will be. Amen.

Lord, it is so comforting that You
God longs to support us thru the
struggles and challenges we face.
Although we may not yet be fully
committed to You but we want to be.
So Lord, grant us the grace to do
so while we are yielded and still.
Lord, I give You my heart, remold
it after Your will and Your way.
In Jesus’ precious nsme, Amen.

God Answers Bold Prayers

Chronicles give a priestly account
on the history of God’s people,
a sort of divine commentary on
the kingdom period. It carefully
weds the nation’s history with the
active hand of God in Israel’s affairs.
Chronicles centers on the southern
kingdom of Judah. First Chronicles
opens with a lengthy genealogy
tracing the line of David all the way
back to Adam. The genealogies
provide clear evidence of God
at work throughout history,
by selecting a people for Himself
and then protecting a family within
that people to provide leadership.

Lord, we Boldly Seek Your Blessing:
The sons of Judah were Perez,
Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobai.
And Reaiah the son of Shobai
begot Jahath, and Jahath
begot Ahumai (1Chr 4:1-2).
Now Jabez was more honourable
than his brothers, and his mother
called his name Jabez, saying:
“Because I bore him in pain.”
And Jabez called on the God
of Israel saying: “Oh,
that You would bless me indeed
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me &
that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!”
So God granted him what
he requested (1 Chron 4:9-10).

Lord, thank You for putting Jabez
and his bold prayer in scripture.
Thank You Father for loving us
and being accessible to us
as You were to Jabez of Judah.
Thanks for Your good plans and thru
prayer we can appropriate them.
Let me Lord never take the privilege
of prayer for granted; and thank
You for hearing my prayers. Amen.

Lord, I thank You for Your goodness
and all that You’ve been giving me.
I pray for Your continued blessings,
provision, guidance and protection.
I pray Lord that Your presence will
always be with me wherever I go.
Grateful You are pleased to share
Yourself and Your kingdom with me.
Prompt me Lord to give back to You
by helping & blessing others. Amen.

Lord, I will love an easy life, free of
trouble but You don’t promised that.
For Your goal for us is not purely
earthly bliss, but Your glory
brought about thru our maturity.
So give me wisdom and courage
Lord so that I am willing to walk
with You wherever You may lead.
Trust that when I seek You and
Your kingdom, all these things
will also be given to me. Amen.

Trusting God thru His Promises

The purpose of 1 Chronicles is to show King David being placed in
position of authority to embody
the reign of God over his creation.
For David had a heart for the Lord
and led Israel into a glorious season.
On Monday, we learn from 1Chron 4
that God Answers Bold Prayers.
On Tuesday, we learn from 1Chr 14
that God Replies to Our Queries.
On Wednesday, we learn fr 1Chr 17
that God Does More Than Imagined.
On Thursday, we learn from 1Chr 21
that God Is Holy Yet Also Gracious.
On Friday, we learn from 1Chr 28
that God With You Boosts Courage.
On Saturday, we learn from 1Chr 29
that God the Source of Wealth.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who trust You;
for You truly keep Your promises;
for You are gracious and with us;
for You answer bold prayers, and
perform more than imagined. Amen

God Our Source of Wealth (Mar 18)

David ends his life the same way
he began it with humble confidence
in God. In spite of his numerous
accomplishments, David never
let greatness go to his head.
Rather, his final words to Solomon
reflect the same wholehearted
devotion to God that characterised
the young shepherd of Judea.
With the dream of temple entrusted
to his son, and God’s blessings all
around him, David dies in a good old
age, full of days, riches & honor and
Solomon his son reigns in his stead.

Lord, You’re our Source of Wellness:
King David turned to assembly and
said: Because of my devotion to the
Temple of God I am giving all of my
own private treasures of gold and
silver to help in the construction.
This is in addition to the building
materials I have collected for
His holy temple (1 Chron 29:3-6).
Yours O Lord is the greatness, the
power, the glory and the majesty.
Yours is the kingdom O Lord
And You are the exalted over all.
Wealth and honour come from You..
In Your hands are strength & power
to exalt and give strength to all…
We give You Thanks and Praise
Your glorious name (v11-13).
Give to Solomon my son a perfect
heart to keep thy commandments…
and to do all these things… for
which I have made provision (v19).

Father, You make all things great;
and You Lord rule over our life.
You are the source of all good
things – wealth, power and honour.
What do we have Lord that did not
receive from You? That include life.
In appreciation, help us Lord
learn from King David to contribute
towards building of Your church
and furthering Your kingdom. Amen.

Lord, though something may not be
that great, You’ve been good to us!
We remember the truth in Jas 1:17
that every good gift is from above;
and wealth & honour come fr You.
Surely You God alone deserve
all our praise and thanksgiving.
For Lord, Yours is the greatness,
the power, the glory & the majesty.
We adore You the One who is over
all things. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Heavenly Father, I thank and praise
You for all that You have given me.
Prompt me Lord to give back to
You with the same heart of praise
I have when I receive from You.
Help me not to value possessions
more than value You and Your word.
Enable me Lord to give the way
You want me to. In Jesus’ name.

God With You Boosts Courage

David ends his life the same way
he began it with humble confidence
in God. In spite of his numerous
accomplishments, David never
let greatness go to his head.
Rather, his final words to Solomon
reflect the same wholehearted
devotion to God that characterised
the young shepherd of Judea.

Lord, we’ll Be Strong & Courageous:
I made the necessary preparations
for building it; but God said to me:
You must not build a temple to honor
my name, for you are a warrior and
have shed much blood(1Chr 28:2-3)
My son Solomon, know God… and
serve Him with a loyal heart and
with a willing mind… Consider now,
for the Lord has chosen you to
build a house for the sanctuary;
be Strong and do it(1Chr 28:9-10).
Every part of this plan, David
told Solomon, was given to me in
writing from the hand of the Lord.
Then David continued: Be Strong
and Courageous, and do the work.
Don’t Be Afraid or discouraged
by the size of the task, for the
Lord God, my God, is With you.
He will not fail you nor forsake you.
He will see to it that all the work
related to the Temple of the Lord
is finished correctly (1Chr28:19-20)

Lord, when You call us to serve,
enable us to hear clearly as David
when U gave him the Temple plans.
Help us to be willing to accept
God’s will when He does not allow
us to serve Him in the way desired.
When we’re disheartened or fearful
be our friend Lord to encourage us.
And when we think we have failed,
give us peace in our hearts. Amen.

Lord, when David was surrounded,
he slept well knowing he plus God
outnumbered an intimidating army.
Lord, while Your presence can turn
situation around, it isn’t automatic.
For it requires us not be discouraged
by the size of the task; it requires
us to be strong and courageous.
Help us be aware of Your Presence
so that we can face our situation
with confidence & trust in You.Amen

Lord, we trust You with the
mountains we face periodically.
They are often overwhelming
but You Lord are infinitely larger.
Help us put more confidence
in You God than in the obstacles.
Lead us Lord into Your Presence,
for that is where we are strong.
And when we experience You are
with us, nothing is impossible. Amen

God Is Holy Yet Also Gracious

David’s greatest dream is to build
a house for God. God makes it
clear through Nathan to David that
only in the lifetime of Solomon will
the dream actually come to fruition.
Though David is not permitted to
build a house for God, God will build
a house and a perpetual dynasty for
David. Through times of faithfulness
and faltering in David’s life, God
remains true to His promise
by preserving the line of David.

Lord, we Repent before You:
David gave orders to Joab…
Take a census: But Joab replied:
Why my lord do you want to do this?
Why must you cause Israel to sin?
But the king insisted (1 Chr 21:2-4)
David said to God: Was it not I
who ordered the fighting men
to be counted? I am the one
who has sinned… O Lord my God,
let Your hand fall upon me and
my family, but do not let this
plague remain in your people (v17).
O LORD… as You have promised
concerning me and my family may
it be a promise that will last forever…
And David built there an altar
unto the Lord, and offered burnt
offerings… and called upon the Lord;
and He answered from heaven
by fire upon the altar (v23-26).

Lord, we find ourselves so easily
justifying actions that are motivated
mainly by pride. And because
we live in a world filled with pride
over what we have accomplished,
it seems normal and not sinful.
Give us Lord eyes to see our pride,
lips willing to confess it, and hearts
that are changed and made clean
by the sacrifice of Your Son. Amen.

Lord, I see in Your word the
terrible consequences of pride.
I don’t want to experience those
consequences in my life, and not let
my family suffer because of my sin.
Reveal any pride in me so that
I can confess and repent of it.
And help me Lord to always have
a humble and contrite heart. Amen.

Lord, through David’s successes
and his failures, we learn the
importance of giving our whole
heart to You God and letting
You be the focus of our lives.
We entrust our dreams to You
Lord as You fulfil Your perfect plan.
We purpose to walk in Your way; and
we Repent when we fail You. Amen.

God Does More Than Imagined

Backgrounder: David’s greatest
dream is to build a house for God.
Though David is not permitted
to build a house for God, God
will build a house for David –
a perpetual dynasty and kingdom.
In peacetime and war, through times
of faithfulness & faltering in David’s
life, God remains true to His promise
by preserving the line of David.

Lord, we trust Your Will is Better:
King David went in and sat
before the Lord and prayed:
Who am I O Lord God, and
what is my family that You have
brought me this far (1Chr 17:16).
Lord, let the promise You have
made concerning Your servant and
his house be established forever.
Do as You promised so that it will
be established & that Your name
will be great forever. Then men
will say: The Lord Almighty, the
God over Israel, is Israel’s God!
And the house of Your servant
David will be established
before You (1Chr 17:23-24).

Lord, Your ways are higher than
mine; and You have plans for
me that I cannot even fathom.
Yet it is easy to bask in successes
and forget it is You who bless me.
Loving Lord, lead me tell someone
about the goodness of You. And
Help me to lift Your name high
for all to see. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, we confess disappointment
when our prayers are not answered
the way we wanted them to be.
But I realise my greatest blessing
will come about because of
Your will being done in my life.
For what You’ve for me is far greater
than what I can imagine for myself.
Forgive me Lord for those times
I did not trust that to be true. Amen.

Lord, help us when we sense
You are saying no to our prayer,
not to focus on the disappointment
over not having our will be done.
For if we do that, we may miss the
joy of something much better that
can come about if God’s will is done.
For God’s will is much better than
anything we can imagine. Amen.

God Replies to Our Query (Mar 14)

The ark of covenant is mentioned
more than 40 times in Chronicles;
and the events surrounding the
journey of the ark to Jerusalem
consume 3 full chapters in 13-15.
The lesson is clear: The right action
must be done with the right motives
and carried out in the Right Way.
When the ark is at last installed
in Jerusalem, David then leads
the people in national celebration.

Lord, we’ll Inquire & Hear from You:
The Philistines had arrived in the
valley of Rephaim and raided it.
So David ASKED God: Should
I go out to fight the Philistines?
Will You hand them over to me?
The Lord replied: YES, go ahead.
I will give you the victory.
So David and his troops went
to Baal-perazim and defeated
the Philistines there (1Chr 14:9-11)
But after a while, the Philistines
returned and raided the valley again.
And once again David ASKED God
what to do. DO NOT Attack them straight on, God replied. Instead,
circle around behind them and
attack them near the balsam trees.
When you hear a sound like
marching feet in the tops of the
balsom trees, attack (v13-15).
So David DID what God commanded
and he struck down the Philistine
army all the way fr Gibeon to Gezer.
So David’s fame spread everywhere
and the Lord caused all the nations
to fear David (1 Chron 14:16-17).

Lord, I ask You concerning the
situation I am facing for I don’t
want to run ahead of Your plan.
Lead me follow David’s example to
seek Your wisdom first in the matter.
For only then can I be truly sure
that I will be following Your plan.
Guide my actions O Lord by Your 
wisdom & Your instruction. Amen.

Lord, You know everything whilst
I don’t know the answer to the 
questions of what, how and when.
So Lord I need to learn to Seek Your
advice in life’s important decisions.
Lead me down the path to recovery
into a life of purpose and destiny.
Rescue me Lord from turmoil and
lead me to regularly ask questions
beginning with:Should I Lord. Amen

Lord, pray that I will always inquire
of You first before taking action.
For I can’t assume that just because
You had instructed in a certain way
before, that You want the same way
each time with a similar situation.
And I don’t want to mistakenly think
of having all the answers when only
You have all the answers to life.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.