Month: June 2024

Christ Jesus Is the Solid Rock

Rejection in His hometown of
Nazareth causes Jesus to shift
to Capernaum where He ministers
for two years. There Christ calls
12 men to be His travelling companions. And there by
the shores of Galilee He begin
to prepare them for ministry
He will soon entrust to them.

Lord,we purpose to Do What U Say:
Now it came to pass in those days
that He went out to the mountain
to pray, and continued all night in
prayer to God. And when it was day,
He called His disciples to Himself &
fr them He chose twelve whom He
also named apostles (Luke 6:12-13).
Then He lifted up His eyes
towards His disciples and said:
Blessed are the poor, for yours is
the kingdom of God (Luke 6:20). 
(Jesus said): Why do you call me
Lord, Lord, when you don’t do what
I say?… I will show you what it’s
like when someone comes to me,
listens to my teaching and then
follows it. It is like a person building
a house who digs deep and Lays
the Foundation on Solid Rock…
Anyone who hears and doesn’t obey
is like a person who builds a house
without a foundation (Lk 6:46-49).

Lord, we realise because of the
importance of the choice of the
Twelve disciples, You spent the
night in prayer with the Father.
For our hearts the lesson is clear:
Because we never know the
ultimate effect of major decisions,
Much prayer is needed before
the die is cast. Help us Lord to
be poor in spirit so that we can
claim the kingdom of God. Amen.

Lord, my heart is already Yours
considering what You have done
and I surrender once again to You.
My heart wants to accept Your will
and to do what You want me to.
But Lord, please share it with me
clearly; for only then will I have
the confidence that You are with
me in the challenge and dare to
undertake it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, You are leading me to lay
down my life daily. You say some
difficult things but also promise
great blessings for doing them.
Lord, I have to admit Your words
don’t always make sense to me.
And I am afraid to follow some of
them fully. But I do trust that You 
want my life to weather any storm.
Anchor me to the rock as I purpose
to follow You more closely. Amen.

Christ Cares for the Lost & Needy

Luke introduces the ministry of
Jesus with three preparatory events:
the ministry of His forerunner
John the Baptist, His baptism by
John and His temptation by Satan.
Rejection in His hometown of
Nazareth causes Jesus to move
to Capernaum where He ministers
for two years. There Christ calls
12 men to be His companions. And
 there by the shores of Galilee He
begins to prepare them for ministry
He will soon entrust to them.

Lord, You Care for the Lost & Needy:
Jesus said: Now go out where it is
deeper & let down your nets. Simon
answered: Master, we’ve worked
hard all night and haven’t caught
anything. But because you say so,
I will let down the nets. When they
had done so, they caught such
a large number of fish…Then
Jesus said to Simon: From now
on You will catch men (Lk 5:4-10)
Later… Jesus saw a tax collector
named Levi sitting at his tax
collector’s booth. Follow me and
be my disciple, Jesus said to him.
So Levi got up, left everything,
and followed Him (Luke 5:27-28).
Healthy people don’t need a doctor
– sick people do. I have come to
call sinners to turn from their sins,
not to spend my time with those
who think they are already good
enough (Luke 5:31-32). Amen.

Lord, let us learn from Simon Peter
where obedience to Your voice
opens our lives to Your miraculous
work and receive Your blessing.
Open our ears Lord to hear Your
voice in our current circumstance.
Help us learn from the prophet
Samuel and say with him: Speak
for Your servants are listening. Amen

Lord, sometimes when I look at
someone, all I can see is who he
is now & his need for huge change.
But Lord You are indeed sovereign
and Your call cannot be resisted.
Help us Lord to befriend sinners,
and give us heart of compassion
for those hurting and lost in sin,
so that we can reach out to them
effectively in time of opening. Amen

Lord, thank You for shedding light
to show us that we need You the
Great Physician to heal our wounds.
Thank You Lord for calling us to
repent and come to You and for
Your tender mercies in our lives.
Give us Your heart for those who
are hurting, sick & lost in sin, just
as Your heart reaches out to us
in our time of greatest need. Amen

Christ the Saviour of the Nations

Dr Luke – physician, historian
and writer of the longest gospel
account clearly states his purpose
for writing in the opening verses:
That thou might know the certainty
of those things thou has instructed
He begins with details surrounding
the miraculous birth of John the
forerunner and Jesus the Messiah.

Lord, we’ll Seek & Wait Upon You:
Simeon…eagerly expected the
Messiah to come and rescue
Israel… When Mary and Joseph
came to present Jesus to the
Lord, Simeon took the child in
his arms and praised God saying:
Lord now I can die in peace !
As promised me, I have seen
the Saviour you have given to
all people. He is a light to reveal
God to the nations (Lk 2:25-32).
Anna, a prophet never left the
Temple but stayed worshipping
God… She came along just as
Simeon was talking with Mary &
Joseph, and she began praising
God. She talked about Jesus to
everyone who had been waiting
for the promised King to come
and deliver Jerusalem (v36-38).

Lord, thank You for being a light
to reveal God so that more people
can know and worship our Father.
Thanks Jesus for coming on earth to
be our Saviour & bringing us out of
darkness into Your marvellous light.
Help me Lord to shine Your light
so that everyone around will
be drawn to You. And help us
like Simeon to accomplish Your
purpose and live our destiny. Amen.

Lord, help me to let go of
my divided desires and
be wholly devoted to You.
Capture and renew my heart
to regularly wait upon You.
And let the eyes of my heart
be awakened to see You Lord
and to rejoice in You each day.
For You are indeed worthy of
all praise and adoration. Amen.

Lord, praise and worship draw us
close to You and opens our ears
to Your voice. For when we spend
time adoring You in gratitude and
praise, our hearts merge with Yours.
Father, I appreciate Your goodness
and all that You have done for me.
I pour my adoration to You Lord;
and let me enjoy Your goodness
and seek Your heart above all else.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Overcomes the Impossible

Dr Luke – physician, historian and
writer of the longest gospel account
clearly states his purpose for writing
in the opening verses of his book.
That thou might know the certainty
of those things thou has instructed
(1:4). He begins with the details
surrounding the miraculous birth
of two remarkable boys: John the
forerunner, and Jesus the Messiah.

Lord, we will Believe Your Word:
The angel said: Do Not be afraid,
Zacharias, for your prayer is heard;
your wife will bear you a son,
and you shall call his name John…
But behold you will be mute until
the day these things take place
because u did Not Believe my words
which will be fulfilled (Lk 1:13-20)
The angel said: Behold you will
conceive in your womb and bring
forth a Son and shall call His name
Jesus… For with God nothing
will be impossible. Then Mary
said: Let It Be to me According
To Your Word (Luke 1:31-38).
You are Blessed Because You
Believed what the Lord would do
what He said (Luke 1:45). Amen.

Lord, there may be difficulties in
our lives that have lingered for So
Long that they seems impossibilities.
But then when the Almighty God
is involved, nothing is impossible.
For nothing is too difficult for You;
& You prefer to work in impossible
situations where Your attributes &
power are most visibly displayed.
Lord, help us not be discouraged
by the Long unyielding situations.
Help us Lord to endure the long
periods requiring faith & patience.
Help us to Wait and believe for
nothing is impossible with U. Amen.

Lord, even when things does
not make sense, remind me that
Your Word is the ultimate truth.
Even when my faith is weak
and hidden, Your promises can
bring it to pass out of hiding.
I embrace Your promises, though
they may seem impossible because
You are the God who can create
new things out of nothing. Amen.

Lord, help me not to focus on the
problem & be afraid like Zacharias;
but instead learn to take courage
like Mary focusing solely on You.
I rembrace Lord Your promises like
Mary & rest the weight of my soul
circumstance on Your sure word.
For after all You are the God of
the impossible and I rest in You.
And Lord I look forward to receive
the blessing through Believing You
and Be Complete in You. Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The path to intentional discipleship
is to grow towards spiritual maturity
by nurturing key disciple attitudes.
So for past 2-3 years, we had been
Seeking God thru biblical prayers;
and Trusting God thru His Promises.
And for the past six months; we’ve
been Adoring God through Thanking
Him for what He has done for us
and Praising Him for who He is.

From the earliest days of the church,
the singing of hymns and spiritual
songs has been an integral part
of Christian worship. It is a means
for believers to express praise to
their Creator and Saviour. And it’s
also a way for us to communicate
with God using more than words.
For it enables us to pour out the
grateful feelings of the heart and
to express commitment to God.

We are meditating through the Bible,
which is organised by genres:
Laws, History, Poetry and Prophets…
Before we continue into Prophets,
for variety sake we will have the
third Gospel interlude in Luke.
But here’s the key thots over the last
10 weeks from five books of Poetry
which encourage us to seek God.
Apr 21: God Is In Control (Job 16/19)
A28: God Promises Fruitfulness(Ps1)
May 5: Lord Shepherd Cares (Ps 23)
M12: Everlasting God Guides (Ps 48)
M19: God My Strength/Shelter (P73)
M26:Thank God for Benefits(Ps 103)
Jun 2: God’s Word Directs (Ps 119)
Jun 9: God Loves Enduringly(Ps136)
J16: Lord Directs Our Plans (Prov 16)
J23: God’s Timing the Best (Eccl 3)
Navigation: Click PrayerThots.com
Scroll to Calendar, Select mth & day.

Eccl 3God’s Timing Is the Best

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;
and in Your mercy, 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 perfect, just as
everything You do is perfect. Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of Ecclesiastes is
to spare future generations the
bitterness of learning through
their own experience that life
is meaningless apart from God;
while that of Song of Songs is to
tell of the love between a couple,
to affirm the sanctity of marriage
and picture God’s love for His pple.

On Monday, we learn from Eccl 3 that God’s Timing Is the Best.
On Tuesday, we learn from Eccl 4
to Thank God for Best Friends.
On Wed, we learn from Eccl 5 to
Thank God for Work & Retirement.
On Thu we learn from Eccl 9 that God Desires Us Make Most of Life.
On Friday, we learn fr Song of Songs 1-4 that God Fosters Love In Us.
On Sat, we learn from Song of Songs
5-8 that God Models Faithfulness.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You are Sovereign and Your Timing is the Best, and that You
Desire us to make Most of Life;
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as You Provide us with Best Friends;
as well as Work and Retirement;
For You are worthy of our Praise
even as You Foster Love in us
and Model Faithfulness to us.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Models Faithfulness to us

Song of Songs is a wedding song
honouring marriage. For it tells
of the love between a bridegroom
and his bride to affirm the sanctity
of marriage; as well as to picture
God’s faithful love for His people.
God created sex and intimacy, and
it’s good within bounds of marriage.
A husband and wife honor God
when they love & enjoy each other.

Father, Thanks for Your gift of love
thru Christ & for sending the love
of our life. You are a Faithful God
and You want us to Be Faithful.
Help us to Be Passionate;

help us to Be Appreciative;
help us to Be Devoted. And grant
us Lord in so doing, reflect the love
that comes from You God. Amen.

Lord, help us to Be Passionate:
Shulamite: I slept but my heart was
awake. Listen! My lover is knocking:
Open to me, my sister, my darling…
My lover thrust his hand through
the latch-opening; my heart
began to pound for him. I arose
to open for my lover (Song 5:2-5).
Lord, we are people with passions,
and deep desires. Whatever can
stoke our fires gets our attention.
Lead us like beloved whose heart
is awake to the calling of her lover.
For when our hearts are awake, we
are tune to whispers & suggestions.
Stir our passion Lord for You;
deepen our desire for Your voice;
and awaken our heart to every
Word from Your mouth. Amen.

Lord, help us to Be Appreciative:
Shulamite: I am my beloved’s;
and my beloved is mine…
Beloved: O my love, you are…
beautiful… (and) lovely… Turn
your eyes away from me, for they
have overcome me (Song 6:3-5).
Father, help me to see the best in
others especially my spouse; and
to compare myself only to Jesus.
Everyone needs to feel appreciated
now & then; and giving compliments
is something that I am not good at.
Help me show appreciation by giving
compliments especially to spouse.
And I purpose to tell others what
the Lord has done in my life in order
to renew my love for Him. Amen.

Lord, help us to Be Devoted:
Shulamite: I am my lover’s, the one
he desires. Come my love, let us
go out into the fields and spend
the night among the… flowers.
Let us get up early and go out
to the vineyards. And there I will
give you my love (Song 7:10-13).
Shulamite: Love flashes like fire,
the brightest kind of flame. Many
waters cannot quench love; neither
can rivers drown it (Song 8:5-7).
Lord, as a marriage matures, grant
us greater freedom on who takes
the initiative to boost relationship.
Help us be devoted to our spouse
and let passionate love continues
in order to cement commitment.
And in so doing, reflect the perfect
love that comes from You God.Amen

God Fosters Love In Us (June 21)

Song of Songs is a wedding song
honouring marriage; and the most
explicit statements on sex in the
Bible can be found in this book.
Hence, it has been often criticised
because of its sensuous language.
The purity of love represented
here is needed as distorted attitudes
about love and marriage abound.
God created sex and intimacy, and
they are holy & good when enjoyed
within the bounds of marriage.
For husbandand wife honor God
when they love & enjoy each other.

Lord, thanks for Your gift of love
and a delight for all our senses;
Help us to Please Each Other;
help us to Affirm Each Other; and
help us Be Devoted to Each Other.
And in so doing, reflect the perfect
love that comes from You God; and
affirm Your perfect will in marriage.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, help us Please Each Other:
Shulamite: Kiss me again & again
for your love is sweeter than wine…
The king is lying on his couch,
enchanted by the fragrance of my
perfume. My lover is like a sachet
of myrrh lying between my breasts.
Young Man: How beautiful you
are my beloved… Young Woman:
What a lively sight you are my love.
My beloved is mine and I am
his (Song 1:1, 12-16 & 2:16).
Lord, You created love as a gift
to us & a delight for all our senses.
Help us Lord to seek to please each
other and encourage by expressing
the beauty of our spouse. Amen.

Lord, we Commit Each Other:
Shulamite: One night as I lay in bed,
I yearned deeply for my lover, but
he did not come. So I said to myself:
I will get up now and roam the city,
searching for him in all the streets…
But my search was in vain…
A little while later I found him.
I didn’t let him go until I had brought
him to my childhood home, into
my mother’s bedroom, where
I had been conceived (Sol 3:1-4).
Lord, we are challenged by the
passion of the Shulamite woman
who went to great length to search
for her love and to hold on to him.
Pray for Christian married couples
that God will protect their vows
to each other. Pray that Christian
marriages with God’s help can be
strong & characterised by passion.
For Lord, You want our marriage to
stand for commitment, communion,
faithfulness and permanency. Amen.

Lord, Help us Affirm Each Other:
You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you…
You have ravished my heart…
A garden enclosed is my sister,
my spouse… You are a garden
fountain, a well of flowing water
streaming down (Song 4:7-15).
Lord, help us communicate love
and express admiration in words
and action that enhance marriage.
Fill me Lord afresh with Your Spirit
so that when I am with anyone,
they will sense Your presence. And
Make me like a well of Refreshing
water flowing out to others. Amen.

God Desires Us Make 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.