Month: December 2023

God Is Faithful, Let’s Live For Him

Peter writes to scattered Jewish
Christians who are undergoing
intense persecution for their faith.
God has begotten us again unto a
living hope. So don’t be surprised
when suffering comes your way;
prepare & respond to it correctly.
Purpose to do what is right and
imitate Christ in submissive spirit.
And God will richly reward you
when the trials of life are over.

Lord, we will reflect Your Grace:
Most of all, continue to show deep
love for each other; for Love Covers
a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).
Be hospitable to one another
without grumbling. As each has
received a gift, minister it to one
another as Good Stewards of the
manifold grace of God (v9-10).
If anyone speaks, they should do it
as one who speaks the Very Words
of God so that God may be praised.
If you are reproached for the name
of Christ, blessed are you, for the
Spirit of glory… rests upon you…
Therefore let those who suffer
according to the will of God commit
their souls to Him in doing good,
as to a faithful Creator (v11-14,19).

Lord, I confess a lack of love & need
for Your unfailing love toward some.
Help me to yield to Your Spirit and
experience dear intimacy with You
and Your love for me. May Your
love Lord so fill me that others may
feel splashes from the overflow.
And in those relationships that are
toughest, grant me Your Love which
covers a multitude of sins. Amen.

Lord, sometimes we neglect
relationships & erect boundaries
due to distrust and bitterness.
We also confess of commitment
phobia and sins of the flesh that
block us from Christlike love.
Grateful for the spiritual gifts that
the Holy Spirit has given to us.
Help us to use them well to serve
one another. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, let me declare Your Words,
and let me recognise them in others.
We often ask You to speak to us,
and it only make sense that You
will use people to do so. Help me
to hear Your words in season for me.
And help me Lord speak forth Your
thoughts for Your people graciously.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God’s Eyes On Those Doing Right

Peter writes to scattered Jewish
Christians who are undergoing
intense persecution for their faith.
God has begotten us again unto a
living hope. So don’t be surprised
when suffering comes your way;
prepare & respond to it correctly.
Be sure you are doing what is right.
Imitate Christ in your submissive
spirit toward one another,
and God will richly reward you
when the trials of life are over.

Lord, You Will Hear our prayers:
Finally… Be Like-minded, be
sympathetic, love one another,
be compassionate and humble.
Do not repay evil with evil or
insult with insult. On the contrary,
repay evil with blessing, because
to this you were called so that you
may inherit a blessing (1Pet3:8-9)
For the eyes of the Lord Watch
over those who do right and His
ears are attentive to their prayers,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil (v12).
Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts
and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks
you a reason for the hope
that is in you (v15). Amen.

Lord, You promise blessing for
those who treat others well.
Give me sympathy, love, humility
and a tender heart towards others.
Help us to be like-minded in
majoring on the truly important
things & not quibble over the rest.
Help us to be empathetic and
realise we’re all work in progress &
be patient with one another. Amen

Lord, thank you that You see
my heart and hear my prayers.
Grateful that when You see me,
You see the righteousness of Jesus
in me and not the sinner I was
before I received Him into my life.
Thank You that You not only hear
my prayers, but You also see my
need and will answer the cries
of my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, we may not understand
why those who do the right thing
find themselves in difficult times.
Nevertheless we thank You for
the promise that your eyes watch
over those who do right. Though
we may not always understand
how this promise works itself out,
we can have confidence that
You want to hear from us. And
that we know You God will work it
for our good in the long run. Amen

God Sets You Free In Christ

Peter writes to scattered Jewish
Christians who are undergoing
intense persecution for their faith.
God has begotten us again unto a
living hope. So don’t be surprised
when suffering comes your way;
prepare & respond to it correctly.
Be sure you are doing what is right.
Imitate Christ in your submissive
spirit toward one another,
and God will richly reward you
when the trials of life are over.

Lord,we’ll live as Yr Special People:
But you are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
His own Special People, that you
may proclaim the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness
into His marvellous light (1Pet 2:9)
Live such good lives among
the pagans that…they may see
your good deeds & Glorify God
on the day he visits us (v12).
Live as Free People, but do not
use your freedom as a cover-up
for evil; live as God’s slaves (v16)

Lord, thank You for bringing me
out of darkness into your wonderful
light because of Your mercy.
Thank You for making us Your
people, Your very own possession.
Help me to continually yield to
You so that the life and character
of Christ will be formed in me.
Then others may see Yr goodness
and will be drawn to You. Amen.

Lord, I pray that You will enable
me to have a godly character
so that my life will be a Shining
Example of You. Live in me and
live through me so that others,
even the accusers and trouble
makers will be drawn to You and
to the saving knowledge of You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, I am truely Free In Christ;
and this is an amazing truth; but 
I confess I dont always live it out.
Instead of joyful delight in Your
salvation, sometimes I feel barely
making it. Nevertheless, I claim
Your promise that I am free; and
help me Lord not to live as I want
but as You desire. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

God Gives Living Hope & Inheritance

Peter writes to scattered Jewish
Christians who are undergoing
intense persecution for their faith.
God has begotten us again unto a
Living Hope. So don’t be surprised
when suffering comes your way;
prepare & respond to it correctly.
Purpose to do what is right; by
Imitating Christ in your submissive
spirit. And God will richly reward
you when the trials of life are over.

Lord, we Value Our Inheritance:
Praise be to the God…In His Great
Mercy He has given us new birth
into a Living Hope through the
resurrection of Christ from the
dead into an inheritance that
can never perish… (1Pet 1:3-4).
Now for a little while you may have
had to suffer… in all kinds of trials.
These have come so that the
proven genuineness of your faith:
of Greater Worth than gold (v6-7).
Your new life will last forever
because it comes from the eternal
living word of God… The word of
the Lord endures forever (v23-25).

Father, I thank You for the hope
and inheritance that You have
provided by the resurrection of
Your Son and our Saviour Jesus.
I praise You for the boundless
mercy that gave me the privilege of
being born again to a Living Hope.
Thank You for not only giving me
life but also a priceless inheritance
for all Your dear children. Amen.

Lord, help me realise that trials
are meant for my Ultimate Good;
so help me learn to rejoice in You.
Help me to hold on to what You
have promised for the future.
And as I face trials, pray that I will
continually seek Your guidance;
that my character be refined by U
and that U will strengthen my faith.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, when You have given us a
vision, we don’t need to ask about
current circumstances that are
inconsistent with it. Your purposes
are eternal; and Your Words to
us are based in those purposes.
Whatever You tell us will endure;
and we trust them for as long as
it takes to see them come to pass.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

God Urges Living Out Faith

Just as a human body that fails
to breathe is labelled a dead body,
so too a faith that fails to breathe
Is labelled a dead faith. And the
breath of faith in the Christian life
is good works: demonstrating
concern for the poor, controlling
the tongue, exhibiting a spirit of
humility and building up others.

Lord, we will Live Out our Faith:
What good is it… if someone
claims to have faith but has no
deeds?.. Faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied By Action, is dead.
But someone will say: You have
faith; I have deeds. Show me your
faith without deeds & I’ll show you
my faith by my Deeds (Jas 2:14-18)
Was not Abraham… justified
by works when he offered Isaac…
on the altar? Do you see that
faith was working together
with his works, and by works
faith was made perfect (v21-22).
Abraham believed God, and
God counted him as righteous
because of his faith. He was
even called the Friend of God (v23).

Lord, we realise we are to show
our faith by the good Deeds we do.
Help us Be Obedient in trusting You.
Help us take time to be with You,
studying Your Word and praying.
Help us do acts of kindness for
someone. Whilst we may mess up
from time to time, help us learn
from mistakes and move on. Amen.

Lord, You want believers not only
to hear the truth but also to do it.
Grant us grace to love & to serve;
and help us to seek ways of
Living Out Our Faith In You, for
they are evidence of true faith.
Help us to be more obedient;
help us to trust You more; and
draw us closer to You. Amen.

Lord, we want to be Your Friend.
Grant us faith that works
its way outward in our lives.
Grant us faith Lord that will
cause us to do what we believe in.
Help us to be more like You, know
Your purpose & be united with You.
Let our faith and actions draw us
closer to You as a Friend. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in-law wryly

Trusting God thru His Promises

The purpose of James epistle is to expose hypocritical practices and
to teach right Christian behaviour.
True faith & good works cannot be
divorced, for your life is the lab in
which your faith is shown to be real.
For the Lord wants believers not only to hear the truth but also to do it.
And we need the Lord’s grace
and to Live Out our faith in Him.

On Monday, we learn from James 1
that God Urges Persistent Faith.
On Tuesday, we learn from James 2
that God Urges Living Out Faith.
On Wed, we learn from James 3
that God Grants Us Wisdom.
On Thu, we learn from James 4
that God Draws Near to Us.
On Friday, we learn from James 5
that God Answers Prayer of Faith.
On Saturday, we learn from Jas 3-5
that God Urges Staying Connected.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who trust You:
For You urges living out faith
an in fact urges persistent faith;
For You grant us wisdom,
You draw near to us, and
want us to stay connected.
For You truly keep Your promises
and You answer prayer of faith;
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Urges Staying Connected

True faith & good works cannot be
divorced, for your life is the lab in
which your faith is shown to be real.
Dear Lord, we realise You want
believers not only to hear the truth
but also to do it. Grant us grace
to Love You, Draw Close to You
and to Live Out our faith in You.
Help us Seek Wisdom from You;
help us Humbly Submit to You; and
help us Keep On Praying. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Seek & Submit to You:
The wisdom that comes from
heaven is peace loving, gentle at all
times and willing to yield to others.
It is full of mercy and good deeds…
And those who are peacemakers
will plant seeds of peace and reap
a harvest of goodness (Jas 3:17-18)
God resists the proud, but
gives grace to the humble.
Therefore submit to God. Resist
the devil and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God and He will
draw near to You (James 4:6-8).
The prayer offered in faith
will make the sick person well…
Therefore confess your sins to
each other and pray for each
other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man
is powerful and effective (J5:15-16)

Lord, thank You for making Your
divine wisdom available to us
through your indwelling Holy Spirit.
Thank You for Your wisdom that
is peace-loving, gentle, merciful
and willing to yield to others.
Thank You for providing Your
wisdom each day as I abide in You.
Show me what to do in difficult
situations that I am facing; for
I need your view of things. Amen.

Lord, keep me from being full
of myself, thinking myself better
or more important than others.
And Lord Help me not to worry
about keeping up with others.
Help me to humbly submit to You
and draw near to You each day;
for You show favour to the humble.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, grateful our righteousness
 comes because You have done
 everything perfectly. And we are
 seen as righteousness because
of Your   great sacrifice on the cross.
 Help us    to confess our sins not
 only to You, but also to each other
 so that healing can come to us all.
Thank You for making our prayers
 powerful & effective. Amen.

God Answers Prayer of Faith

Just as a human body that fails
to breathe is labelled a dead body,
so too a faith that fails to breathe
is labelled a dead faith. And the
breath of faith in the Christian life
is good works: demonstrating
concern for the poor, controlling
the tongue & building up others.
True faith & good works cannot be
divorced, for your life is the lab in
which your faith is shown to be real.

Lord, we will Keep On Praying:
Be Patient as you Wait for the Lord…
Consider the farmers who patiently
wait for the rains…They eagerly look
for the valuable harvest to ripen.
You too must Be Patient (Jas 5:7-8).
Are there among you Suffering?
They should Keep On Praying
about it. And those who have
reason to be thankful should
continually sing praises to the Lord.
Is anyone among you sick? Let him
call for the elders of the church,
and let them pray over him (v13-14).
And the Prayer offered in Faith
will make the sick person well…
Therefore Confess your sins to
each other and Pray for each
other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man
is powerful and effective (v15-16).

Lord, so many of us struggle with
being patient. And You teach us
patience by putting us in situations
where we really have to be patient.
You Lord want us to grow this trait;
and so You put us in circumstances
that push our patience to the limit.
So help us Lord to take courage
and patiently wait so that You
will reward us in Your time. Amen.

Lord, I want to be a faithful follower
who doesn’t stop praying because
of delay, setback or even weariness.
For You won’t delay any longer than
is needed to achieve Your purpose.
Empower me to Keep On Praying
until the answers come; & lead me
to be continually thankful to You
and bless Your holy name. Amen.

Lord, grateful our righteousness
comes from what You have done.
And we are righteous because of
Your great sacrifice on the cross.
Help us Lord to Confess our sins not
only to You, but also to each other
so that healing can come to us all.
Thank You for making our prayers
powerful and effective. Amen.

God Draws Near to Us (Dec 7)

Just as a human body that fails to
breathe is a dead body, so a faith
that fails to breathe is a dead faith.
The breath of faith in the Christian
life is good works: demonstrating
concern for the poor, controlling
the tongue & building up others.
If you think you have faith but there
is no demonstration of that faith in
your life, then your faith is worthless.
True faith & good works cannot be
divorced, for your life is the lab in
which your faith is shown to be real.

Lord, we’ll Come & Submit to You:
Do you not know that friendship
with the world is enmity with God?
The Spirit who dwells in us
yearns jealously. But He gives
more grace. Therefore He says:
God Resists the proud, but gives
grace to the humble (Jas 4:4-6).
Therefore Submit to God.
Resist the devil and
he will flee from you (v7).
Draw Near to God and
He will Draw near to You.
Cleanse your hands…
and purify your hearts…
Humble yourselves
in the sight of the Lord and
He will lift you up (Jas 4:8-10).

Lord, You Resist the proud but show
grace and favour to the humble.
Keep me from being full of myself
and thinking myself better than
or more important than others.
Help me Lord not to be seduced
to embrace a busy lifestyle
or to let pride reign over me.
For I purpose to be a friend of
God and not of the world. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for Your grace;
thank You for dying for my sins and
thank You for being my protector.
Although my enemy is strong and
sinister; but You God are stronger.
Give me discernment to recognise
the attacks of the enemy and the
strength to spurn his sinful offers.
Grant me the will to Submit to You
Lord and to Resist the devil. Amen.

Lord, I want to know You more and
know Your specific will for my life.
Your Word says You Make Your
heartbeat known to those whose
hearts Draw Near towards You and
to those whose hearts are tender.
And even as I purpose to yield
my heart towards You Lord, share
Your deepest heartbeat with me.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.