Month: June 2023

Fear God & Make the Most of Life

Thus far the preacher has been
concentrating mainly on problems
of life without seeking explanation.
But the deeper he probes life’s
patterns and perplexities, the more
conclusive becomes the evidence
that points him to the solution:
and that is Fear God. When wisdom
turns to vanity, fear God (Eccl 7:18).
When God’s ways seem uncertain,
fear God (8:12-13). When all is
said and done, fear God (12:13),
for this is the whole duty of man.

Lord, we’ll Make the Most of Life:
Whatever your hand finds to do,
do it with Your might; for there
is no work in the grave…
The race is not to the swift
nor the battle to the strong…
but time and chance happens
to them all (Ecclesiastes 9:10-11).
Let us hear the conclusion of
the whole matter: Fear God
and keep His commandments,
for this is man’s all.
For God will bring every work
into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good
or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14).

Lord, I realise that the race of
faith is not a short sprint but rather
a long race that requires endurance.
And Ecclesiastes 9:11 wisely points
out the race is not to the swift, nor
the battle to the strong. So Lord,
help me to press on and lay aside
every weight to finish well the race.
And grant me strength so that I can
run the race with endurance. Amen.

Lord, we don’t want to learn all
kinds of principles for living well
so that we can appear to be moral
and successful on the world’s terms, but fail to see our need for You.
For we purpose that we will
above all things Fear You Lord,
keep Your commands, share the
gospel and live in the light of it.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray.

Lord, Thank You for Ecclesiastes
that gives advice on living a full life.
For we want to ensure all we have
worked for hasn’t been a mistake.
Solomon’s conclusion is that every
-one’s duty is to Fear & obey God.
For one day we’ve to give account
of how we had lived; and we can’t
give excuses to justify our failures.
Grant us grace Lord to keep Your
values and priorities in line and keep
God first place in our lives. Amen.

Thank God for Work & Retirement

Making sense out of life isn’t easy
as the preacher of Ecclesiastes 
thinks his way through what he 
has seen and experienced in life.
Every enterprise he has undertaken
from acquiring wisdom to amassing
wealth, has ended in emptiness.
In a sudden burst of emotion the
preacher realises that God indeed
appoint the times & purposes of life.
But his insight fades as he focuses
on the futility of life under the sun
and overlooks the One who alone
can put life into a meaningful whole.

Lord, we give thanks in all things:
Every manshould eat & drink and enjoy the good of all his labour
– it is the gift of God (Eccl 3:13).
Do not be rash with your mouth…
Let your words be few…
When you make a vow to God,
do not delay to pay it (Ecc 5:2-4).
It is good and fitting… to enjoy
the good of all his labour in which
he tolls under the sun all the days
of his life which God gives him…
As for every man to whom God
has given… wealth, and rejoice
in his labour – this is the gift of God
For… God keeps him busy with
the joy of his heart (Eccl 5:18-20).

Lord thank You for blessing us
with work in this disruptive age.
Grant us divine wisdom & strength
to solve problem that may crop up.
Help us whatever we do at work that we do it with all our heart unto You.
May the work we do and the way
we do it bring smile to all we come
in contact with and bring You glory.
Grant us grace at workplace. Amen

Lord, Thank You for the gift of
weekend when we can recreate.
Thanks for leave & season where
we are not assigned many tasks
and that’s Your gift of rest to us.
And thanks in times of weariness,
we can find Rest & Strength in You.
For You had said in Isa 30:15:
In returning you shall be saved and
In quietness shall be your strength.
And guard our mouth O God and prompt us to keep our vows. Amen.

Lord, thank You for the opportunity
to step aside from the hustle and
bustle of work and the opportunity
to enjoy a slower pace of life.
Thank You for the way You have
blessed me throughout my busy
working career and pray that You
wont forsake me in my retirement.
May I live the rest of my days in
closer fellowship as I seek to do
Your will in every area of my life.
Open new horizons to serve You
in ways that will bless many and
bring glory to Your name. Amen.

Thank God for Best Friends

Making sense out of life isn’t easy
as the preacher of Ecclesiastes 
thinks his way through what he 
has seen and experienced in life.
Every enterprise he has undertaken
from acquiring wisdom to amassing
wealth, has ended in emptiness.
In a sudden burst of emotion the preacher realises that God indeed
appoint the times & purposes of life.
But his insight fades as he focuses
on the futility of life under the sun
and overlooks the One who alone can put life into a meaningful whole.

Lord, thank You for Threefold Cord:
Two people can accomplish more
than twice as much as one; they
get a better return for their labour.
If one person fall, the other
can reach out and help…
And on a cold night, two under
the same blanket can get
warm from each other.
But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered
by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord cord is not
quickly broken (Eccl 4:9-12) Amen

Father God, we give thanks for
those who mean so much to us.
Those with whom we can talk and
keep nothing back, knowing they wont laugh at our dreams & failures.
Those who by their warning held us
from mistakes we might have made.
Above all we thank for Jesus Christ
Lord of our hearts and Saviour of our souls, in whose name we pray. Amen

Lord, I thank You for the friends
You have brought into my life.
For those who bring joy & laughter.
For those who bring insight to me.
For those who bring comfort & care
For those who bring inspiration
to be what You created me to be.
For those who pushed me to be
more than I would have been
without their encouragement.
And thank You God, the ultimate
giver of all good things. Amen.

Lord, grant that my spouse and I
may have understanding love for
each other and be filled with trust.
Grant us Lord the grace to live with
each other in peace and harmony.
May we bear each weaknesses and
grow from each other’s strengths.
Help us forgive each other’s failings
and grant us patience and kindness.
May the love that brought us together grow steadily over time
and bring us closer to You. Amen.

God’s Timing Is Best (June 19)

Making sense out of life is not easy.
And this is the problem facing the
preacher as he thinks through what
he has seen and experienced in life.
Every thing he has undertaken
from acquiring wisdom to amassing
wealth has ended in emptiness.
In a sudden burst of emotion the
preacher realises God does indeed
appoint the Times & purposes of life.

Lord, we will Wait for Your Timing:
For everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose
under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
A time to be born & a time to die…
A time to weep & a time to laugh…
A time to keep and a time to
throw away… A time to keep silence
and a time to speak (v2-7).
He has made everything beautiful
in its time. He has also set eternity
in the hearts of men; yet they
can’t fathom what God has done
from beginning to end… There is
nothing better for men than to be
happy and do good while they live.
That everyone may eat and drink
and find satisfaction in all his toil –
this is the gift of God (v11-13).

Lord, You’re sovereign & do things
at Your time to achieve Your plan,
including moulding our character.
Pray for grace not to extend the
gruelling waiting time. Enable me
be honest to recognise inner flaws.
In Your mercy Lord, remove defects
that keep me trapped in self will.
Grant me a character makeover so
that I can represent You well. Amen.

Lord, as human beings, we have a
keen sense of having the right time
in sharing advice or exciting news.
But when it comes to talking to God,
we tend to expect You to answer our
prayers or reveal Yr Will right away.
Waiting is hard and we don’t always
know how to interpret the rhythm of
our dialogue. Grant us patience to
wait & watch for Your words. Amen

Lord, I realise Your Timing is not
the same as mine. I want all the
answers to my prayers right now;
but You want me to be patient
and wait on You. So I lay down
my concerns before You Lord and
leave the outcome in Your hands.
Help me to rest in the knowledge
that Your timing is really perfect,
just as everything You do is perfect.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

The Lord Directs Our Plans

Backgrounder on Proverbs 14-17:
Nowhere is wisdom more essential
than in community relationships.
A heart attitude controlled by
the fear of the Lord is the key to
proper response towards others.
To promote peace with others,
commit to godliness in motives
and thots, tongue & temper as
well as plans, paths and pursuits.

Lord, You will Direct our Plans:
People may be pure in their
own eyes, but the Lord examines
their motives. Commit to the Lord
whatever you do, and He will
establish your plans (Prov 16:2-3).
When the ways of people please
the Lord, He makes even their
enemies live at peace with them…
We can make our plans, but the
Lord determines our steps (v7-9).
He who heeds the word wisely
will find good, and whoever trusts
in the Lord, happy is he (v20).

Lord, You want us to submit our
plans to You for approval before
we act; for in this way, we show our
love for You and submission to You.
Forgive us that sometimes we make
plans without consulting You God
for we simply want our own way.
Grateful You are so keen in my life
that I can talk to U whenever I want.
Thank You Lord for helping me to
set plans and establish them. Amen.

Loving Lord, we thank You God
that You are always carefully
managing the details of our life.
Your purpose always prevails,
even though we’re prone to forget
that & may make our own plans.
But then the Lord determines
and directs the steps of the godly
towards a good outcome. Amen.

Lord, we tend to like to throw the
dice, taking control of things and
looking to You as our last resource.
Lord, we often go to You because
we really have nowhere else to go.
But in Your mercy, cause us to learn
that the storms of life has driven us,
not upon the rock, but to goodness.
Help us Lord to Heed Your Word
and Trust wholly in You. Amen.

Trusting God thru His Promises

The purpose of Proverbs is to
teach people how to attain wisdom,
discipline and prudent life as well as
how to do what is right; in short how
to apply divine wisdom to daily life.
On Monday, we learn from Prov 3
that in the Lord we put our Trust.
On Tuesday, we learn from Prov 8
that God Rewards Seekers of Him.
On Wed, we learn from Prov 15
that God Hears & Gives His Word.
On Thu, we learn from Prov 16
that the Lord Directs Our Paths.
On Friday, we learn from Prov 23
that God Gives Hope for the Future.
On Sat, we learn from Prov 30
that God Is Wise and Brilliant.
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 wise and trustworthy;
for You hear us, give hope for future,
direct our paths & reward seekers.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray…

God Is Wise & Brilliant (Jun 17)

It’s rare to hear anyone admit
to ignorance but Agur does that.
Yet with his questions about nature,
he leads the reader to understand
something of God’s brilliance
in contrast to the limits of
human understanding.

Lord, we will Put Trust in You:
I am too ignorant to be human,
and I lack common sense. I have
not mastered human wisdom
nor do I know the Holy One.
Who holds the wind in his fists?
Who wraps up the oceans? Who
has created the whole world? Tell
me if u know! Every word of God
is pure; He is a shield to those who
put their trust in Him (Prov 30:2-5)
Lord, we will Be Contented:
O God, I beg two favours from You…
First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty
nor riches! Give me just enough
to satisfy my needs. For if I grow
rich, I may deny You and say:
“Who is the Lord?” And if I am
too poor, I may steal & thus insult
God’s holy name (Prov 30:7-9).

Lord, thank You for Proverbs 30
that contains wise words on
Gratitude to God for protection
and providing all that we need.
You’re the key to Wisdom for there’s limit to human understanding.
Help us to Apply Your Truth;
Help us to Put Trust In You;
Help us to Be Contented; and
Grant us Wisdom & Courage. Amen.

Lord, who holds the wind and the
oceans? It is You Almighty God!
You still the wind with Your voice.
You orchestrate the changing
of the seasons. And it is You who
created me and give me purpose
in life. Look into my heart & make
me a willing instrument in Yr hand
trusting You. For it is not about
our abilities, it’s all about You God
who does great things. Amen.

Lord, thank You that You care for
us and that You are Jehovah Jireh,
the one who provides all our needs.
Help us to be contented with what
You give us so that we do not fall
into temptation & dishonour U God.
For our materialistic culture creates
dissatisfaction with what we have.
Help us Lord to depend on You 
rather than in constant pursuit of
saving and spending more. Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hc7_GLCRLkIkttl

God Gives Hope for the Future

The final 11 chapters of Proverbs
contains sound counsel for those
in positions of authority. And Prov
22-24 contain wise counsel for
anyone in position of responsibility
including parents and pastors.
Leaders need to know God’s
precepts if they are to direct
their charges into God-honouring
paths of conduct and character.

Lord, You promise Hope for Future:
Do not let your heart envy sinners
but always be zealous for the fear
of the Lord. There is surely a future
hope for you, and your hope will
not be cut off (Proverbs 23:17-18).
Hear… and Be Wise; and guide your heart in the Way (v19).
Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and
understanding (v23). Amen.

Lord, grant me Your revelation
and flood my heart with Your light
that I need. Help me to see not
just my present trouble but the
future You have planned for me.
Your Word assures me that
those who Hope in the Lord
will have a wonderful future.
Grant me Lord the faith to cling to
Your promise; and in Your mercy
let it come to fruition. Amen.

Lord,thank You that You’ve planned
a future and a hope for my life.
Because of Your power and Your
faithfulness, I know that nothing
in my life is outside Your control.
Let my hope be firmly grounded
in Your unchanging character.
Draw me to seek You earnestly;
and lead me to submit to Your
Way and will for my future. Amen.

Lord, I pray that You grant me
wisdom so that I will have a life
of peace, blessing and happiness.
Give me also wisdom that brings
guidance, protection & confidence.
I pray to have the wisdom that
saves me from evil and enables
me to make the right decisions.
Along with that, help me to live
with understanding and discipline
which bring glory to You. Amen.

The Lord Directs Our Plans

Backgrounder on Proverbs 14-17:
Nowhere is wisdom more essential
than in community relationships.
A heart attitude controlled by
the fear of the Lord is the key to
proper response towards others.
To promote peace with others,
commit to godliness in motives
and thots, tongue & temper as
well as plans, paths and pursuits.

Lord, You will Direct our Plans:
People may be pure in their
own eyes, but the Lord examines
their motives. Commit to the Lord
whatever you do, and He will
establish your plans (Prov 16:2-3).
When the ways of people please
the Lord, He makes even their
enemies live at peace with them…
We can make our plans, but the
Lord determines our steps (v7-9).
He who heeds the word wisely
will find good, and whoever
trusts in the Lord, happy is he…
We may throw the dice but the Lord
determines how they fall (v20,33).

Lord, You want us to submit our
plans to You for approval before
we act; for in this way, we show our
love for You and submission to You.
Forgive us that sometimes we make
plans without consulting You God
for we simply want our own way. 
Grateful You are so keen in my life
that I can talk to U whenever I want.
Thank You Lord for helping me to
set plans and establish them. Amen.

Loving Lord, we thank You God
that You are always carefully
managing the details of our life. 
Your purpose always prevails,
even though we’re prone to forget
that & may make our own plans.
But then the Lord determines
and directs the steps of the godly
towards a good outcome. Amen.

Lord, we tend to like to throw the
dice, taking control of things and
looking to You as our last resource.
Lord, we often go to You because
we really have nowhere else to go.
But in Your mercy, cause us to learn
that the storms of life has driven us,
not upon the rock, but to goodness.
Help us Lord to Heed Your Word
and Trust wholly in You. Amen.