Month: July 2024

God Strengthens & Directs Us

Isaiah’s prophecies begin to focus
on the approach of the Assyrians.
Ephraim (northern kingdom) reels
like a drunkard, oblivious to the
danger & falsely confident in Egypt
to deliver her in time of trouble.
Ariel (Jerusalem, symbol of the
southern kingdom) stands next
in line for judgment if her citizens
follow Ephraim’s sorry example by
relying upon Egypt for protection.

Lord, You Strengthen & Direct Us:
This is what the Sovereign Lord
says: In repentance & rest is your
salvation, in quietness and Trust
is your Strength (Isaiah 30:15).
The Lord longs to be gracious
to you; therefore He will rise
up to show you compassion.
Blessed are all Who Wait for Him…
He will be very gracious to you
at the sound of your cry; When He
hears it, He will answer you (v18-19)
Whether you turn to the right
or to the left, your ears will
hear a voice behind you saying:
This is the Way, Walk in it (v21).

Lord, forgive me for trusting
in anyone or anything but You.
Give me wisdom to see a satisfying
life is possible only when I look to U.
Sensitive my spirit to Your voice; for
I have set my heart to listen to You.
And I set aside my anxieties, plans
and impatience to hear from You.
So in my quietness, be my Strength;
& grant me grace to Trust You.Amen

Lord, thanks for being true & faithful
and that You are Waiting to show me
love and compassion. Forgive me
for looking elsewhere for help; and
acting as though I am in charge.
Lord, You reward those who seek
You and I want to turn to You.
Give me Lord the resolve, courage
and the tenacity to Wait for You.
And Strengthen my faith to see
Your faithfulness in my life. Amen.

Lord, Your Will is a place of safety
for me and I need to know I need am
headed in the right direction.
Speak to me Lord about Your Will
so that I can aspire to walk in it.
Help me hear Your voice telling me
what to do, how to do, when to do,
especially on important decisions.
For I long to hear from You Lord:
Walk this way; walk in it. Amen.p

God Shelters Us from Storm

In Isaiah 24-27, Isaiah steps back
to survey the landscape and
what he sees causes him to respond
in jubilation. Earth and heaven
experience God’s sifting judgment.
The redeemed ones, vindicated
at last, break forth in spontaneous
song, exalting the Lord. Though
downcast, the people of God now
have something worth singing about
refuge, deliverance and ultimate
triumph in the Holy One of Israel.

O Lord, You are my God.
I will exalt You, I will praise Yr name,
For You have done wonderful things.
You planned them long ago, and now
You hv accomplished them (Isa 25:1)
For You have been a strength to
the poor, a strength to the needy
in his distress, a refuge from the
storm, a shade from the heat (v4).
You, Lord God, will swallow up death
forever, and You will wipe away
the tears from every face; You will
remove the reproach of Your people
from the earth. And it will be said
in that day: Behold, this is our
God; we have waited for Him and
He will save us. This is the LORD;
we have waited for Him;
we will be glad and rejoice
in His salvation (Isaiah 25:8-9).

Lord, You truly do wonderful things;
bringing to my mind the good You
have caused in my life, so that I can
fully praise and honour Your name.
I humbly thank You for being our
refuge, for protection and silencing
the mean people around me.
And thank You Lord for all that
You plan to accomplish through
me for Your kingdom. Amen.

Lord, by faith I make You my Shelter,
accept Your protective presence and
receive all other blessings You offer.
Grow my faith O Lord to be as
big as the gifts You want to give.
And after experiencing You Lord,
I will declare to everyone those
wonderful things You have done.
I love & adore You Lord for You’re
more precious than anything. Amen

Lord, Your word affirms that
we will rise from death and that
death is not the end of existence.
We praise You because You are
the resurrection and the life; and
those who believe in You’ll never die,
at least not in the ultimate sense.
Thank You Lord for the hope of
the gospel; for because of You,
death has indeed lost its sting.
In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

Lord Almighty Provides Your Needs

In the face of trouble and anguish,
Isaiah proclaims a note of hope.
The people that walked in darkness
have seen A Great Light (Isa 9:2).
There is coming a Child whose very
names instil hope and confidence.
Though shadows of judgment
darken the horizon, the redeemed
ones can sing, for the ultimate
victory is already assured.

Lord, You’re Everything We Need:
Time of darkness will not go on
forever… The people who walk in
darkness will see A Great Light…
For God will break the chains
that binds His people…
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given…
And His name will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
… He will reign over His Kingdom,
establishing and upholding it…
The Passionate Commitment
and zeal of the Lord Almighty will
guarantee this! (Isa 9:1-7) Amen.

Lord Jesus, we claim Isaiah 9:6 that
says: Nothing will stand in Your way;
& nothing is outside Your authority.
We pray for resilience in hard times;
for we know that it is through trial
that people grow and mature. But in
Your mercy, don’t test beyond what
we can bear. And grant us grace
to live in peace and favour of break-
through for a new season. Amen.

Lord Jesus, You are our Prince of
Peace. Help us learn to rest in You,
to draw near to You in good times
and bad. Thank You for the promise
of deliverance & victory over trials.
In tough times teach me Lord to
look to You and to lean on You.
And make me a good example
of Your supernatural peace;
for You are my Peace. Amen.

Lord, help me to join You at work
to further Your Kingdom on earth.
Help me display Your character
as well as demonstrate Your way.
Teach me Lord to trust in Your zeal
for my life and to know that Your
purposes cannot be stopped.
Expand Lord Your kingdom in me;
and let me feel Your passion for
me and for Your purposes. Amen.

Immanual God With Us

Isaiah’s national call for repentance
is so urgent that even his personal
call and commission to prophetic
office must wait until chapter 6.
The task set before Isaiah is an
unenviable one, for God promises
from the start that the people will
be spiritually deaf & nearsighted.
But armed with confidence in his
Immanuel, Isaiah begins to declare
harsh words from on high in the
courts and palaces of Judah.

All Praise be to Immanuel:
The Lord spoke again to Ahaz
saying: Ask a sign for yourself
from the Lord your God…
Then Isaiah said: Hear now, you
house of David! Is it not enough
to try the patience of men?
Will you try the patience of my
God also? Therefore the Lord
Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, a virgin will be with child
and bear a son, and she will call
his name Immanuel (Isa 7:10-14)

Lord, forgive us for seeking signs
as indications of Your direction
and as a basis for our faith in You.
We realize that You God intends
to nurture in us a faith and a trust
that don’t require external support.
Help us develop the kind of faith
that rests solely on Your character,
especially that of your Faithfulness.
But Lord in Your tender mercies,
please do not test us beyond
what we are able to bear. Amen.

Lord Immanuel, God with us.
The perfect being – the Creator of
all things, chose to dwell among us.
Lord, You are fully God but also
fully man & You took on the sin of
all humanity to offer us salvation.
You the Lord of lords and the King
of kings – the humble King,
who came to reveal the heart and
character of Father to us. Amen.

Lord ,strengthen Your followers
to live lives that reflect Your glory
& point people to U as God with us.
May Your name spread in such
a way as to draw people to You.
May we experience You more
fully and intimately each day.
May You not be to us a distant God,
but truly know You as God with us.
And May I know You as Immanuel,
God with me. In Jesus’ name. Amen

God Reveals & Calls You                           Inspiring Here I Am Lord !!

When The United Methodist Hymnal
was published in 1989, one of the
most popular hymns was Here I Am,
Lord by Daniel Schutte (born 1947).
Many Protestants are unaware that
this hymn expresses Roman Catholic
renewal music resulting from the
Second Vatican Council (1962-65).
The hymn was inspired by
Isaiah 6:8: I heard the voice of
the Lord saying: Whom shall
I send; and who will go for Us?
Then I said: Here am I, send me.
Schutte received his master of
divinity degree in 1979 at Jesuit
School of Theology in Berkeley.
Following graduation,Schutte served
as director of liturgy at Marquette
Univ (1982-86) and entered parish
ministry in two Milwaukee parishes.

Lord, we offer our lives to You:
In the year that King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne,
high & lifted up… And one seraphim
cried to another… Holy, holy, holy is
the Lord of hosts; the whole earth
is full of His glory… The posts of the
door was shaken… and the house
was filled with smoke (Isa 6:1-4).
So I said: Woe is me… Because I am
a man of unclean lips, and I dwell
in midst of people of unclean lips.
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of Hosts. Then one of
the seraphim flew to me, having in
his hand a live coal from the altar.
And he touched my mouth with it
and said: Your iniquity is taken
away. And your sin purged (v5-7).
Also I heard the voice of the Lord,
saying: Whom shall I send.
And who will go for US. Then
I said: Here am I, send me (Isa 6:8).

Lord, we praise You that You are
Sitting on the Throne. And by faith
I proclaim that You reign over all.
You are In Control and everyone
and everything is subject to You.
When my faith is weak and I am
tempted to despair, because
of challenges, remind me that
You are still in charge. Give me
a fresh vision of Your kingship
over the whole world. And I ask
for Your protection for all mankind
& especially Your children. Amen.

Lord, as I sense Your holy presence,
I am aware of my own unworthiness.
That makes me even more grateful
for how much You sacrificed for us,
so that I can come to Your throne to
find mercy & grace in time of need.
Touch me and purify me, and help
me to separate myself from all that
is unholy and unpleasing to You.
And help me have a tender heart
to respond positively to Your plan
so that I’ll do the good works that
You have prepared for me. Amen.

I, the Lord of sea and sky
I have heard My people cry
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save.
I who made the stars of night
I will make the darkness bright
Who will bear My light to them
Whom shall I send?
Here I am Lord; Is it I Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night
I will go Lord; If You lead me
I will hold Your people in my heart!

Christ Jesus Paid It All

What do u do when pastor rambles
on too long? Elvina Hall wrote a
hymn (1865). Seated in the choir
at the Monument Street Methodist
Church Baltimore, she wrote the
stanzas on the flyleaf of the hymnal.
The composer of the well-known
tune was John Crape, the organist
and choir director of the church.
He had called the tune “All to
Christ I Owe”. It was the pastor
George Schrick who put the words
and tune together, and she added
the chorus to fit with his tune title.

Lord, Grateful You Make Us Clean:
Even though you make
many prayers, I will not hear,
your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves, make yourselves
clean… Cease to do evil, learn
to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke
the oppressors (Isa 1:15-17).
Come now, and let us reason
together, says the Lord,
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18).
If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
But if you refuse & rebel, you shall
be devoured by the sword (v19-20).

Lord, what an amazing promise
that You are willing to cleanse
any and every kind of sin. No act is
too awful, too big, too outrageous.
Even that sin, that unspeakable
thought, motive & act is forgiveable.
What an incredible Saviour You are!
Thank You for dealing fully and
finally with our sins. Thank You for
forgiveness in Christ’s name, Amen.

Lord, we’re grateful for Your Grace.
Nothing stains quite as sin, for
it not only leaves a stain in our
heart but a residue in our minds.
By Your grace You don’t just forgive
our sins, You banish them; the stain
is removed & the guilt taken away.
We are fully clean by Your grace.
O what joy Your grace gives us
merciful God! We can never really
thank You and praise You enough.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, Thank You that You do not
see my sins, rather You see me
righteous because of the work of
Your precious son, Jesus Christ.
Thanks for Your loving kindness &
I want to eat the good of the land.
Help me reason with You & really
appreciate Your love and mercy.
Help me follow the Holy Spirit
so that I will remain obedient. And
Help me have deep gratitude to
You for Jesus Paid It All. Amen.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Christ Seeks & Saves the Lost

It is now in the final week of Jesus’
earthly life. In the city of Jerusalem,
there’s excitement of the feast days
-some preparing to welcome a King,
while others preparing for execution.
Jesus draws battle lines by driving
the money-changers fr the temple.
From then on, the religious leaders
double their efforts to trap Him.
Though His hour of anguish draws
near, Jesus continues the activities
that have characterised His ministry:
teaching, healing and affirming.

Lord, we will also Seek the Lost:
Then Zacchaeus said to the Lord:
Look, I give half of my goods to
the poor; and if I’ve taken anything
from anyone by false accusation,
I restore fourfold. Jesus responded:
Salvation has come to this home…
And I the Son of Man, have come
to seek and save those like him
who are lost (Luke 19:8-10).
The multitude of disciples began
to rejoice and praise God: Blessed
is the King who comes in the name
of the Lord! Some Pharisees…
said: Teacher, rebuke Your followers
for saying things like that! (Jesus)
replied: If they kept quiet,the stones
would burst into cheers (v39-40).
Jesus entered the Temple & began
to drive out the people selling
animals for sacrifices. He said:
The Scripture declare: My Temple
will be a house of prayer (v45-46).

Lord, You reached out to Zacchaeus
even when others despised him.
Thank You Lord for seeking and
saving all those who are lost.
Open our eyes to the despised that
we might see them and reach out.
Help us to look beneath the surface
to the person created in Your image.
Help us have burden for the lost and
befriend those seeking You. Amen.

Lord, thank You for tender mercies
and great sacrificial love for us.
Grateful for the Holy Spirit and
Your Word that teaches & guides us.
We just cannot be quiet and keep
our love for You hidden within us.
Just as Your disciples called out
Your name, we will also praise You
for we serve a really amazing and
wonderful Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Lord, You want Your church to be
a people of prayer; and not just
supplication, but also adoration,
confession and thanksgiving.
Forgive us for being distracted
and neglecting prayer in both
our personal and community life.
Restore us to spiritual awakening
and grant us a heart of prayer for
the lost; for people need the Lord.
In Christ’s name for His glory. Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of the gospel of Luke
is to present an accurate account of
the life of Christ and to present Him
as the perfect human and Savior.
This week, we see Christ modelling
compassion, care & faithfulness;
and the importance of sharing the gospel & furthering kingdom of God.

On Mon, we learn from Lk 10 that God Gives Authority to Witness.
On Tues, we learn from Lk 11 that
God Answers Persistent Prayers.
On Wed, we learn from Luke 14
that Christ Models Compassion.
On Thursday, we learn from Luke 17
that Christ Urges Faith & Gratitude.
On Friday, we learn from Luke 19
that Christ Seeks & Saves the Lost.
On Saturday, we learn from Luke 22
that Christ Cares for His Disciples.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You are worthy to be Praised
as You Give Authority to Witness
as well as Seek & Save the Lost;
For You are Worthy of our Thanks
as You Christ Models Compassion
as well as Cares for His disciples;
For You Urge Faith & Gratitude as
well as Answer Persistent Prayers.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Christ Cares for His Disciples

Backgrounder to Luke 22-24:
Luke provides a full account of
the arrest, trial and crucifixion of
the Son of Man. He describes the
plot of Judas, the warm fellowship
of the Last Supper, the mental
anguish at Gethsemane, the tragic
denial by Peter, the miscarriage
of justice at the trials & the brutal
agony of the Roman execution.
But the dark days give way to
the first Easter morning when
angels announce: He’s risen.

Lord, we will be In Your Presence:
Then Jesus & the 12 apostles sat
together at the table. Jesus said:
I have looked forward to this hour
with Deep Longing, anxious to eat
this Passover Meal With You before
my suffering begins (Lk 22:14-15)
And the Lord said: Simon Simon!
Satan has asked for you,
that he may sift you as wheat.
But I have prayed that
your Faith May Not Fail. (v31-32).
(Jesus prayed): Father if you are
willing, please take this cup of
suffering away from me. Yet I
Want Your Will, not mine. (v41-42)

Lord Jesus, You’ve done so much
for us; yet sometimes we think
we have nothing to offer You.
The thought that You Long for my
friendship is quite overwhelming
and You have given me so much.
Grateful that You want to be with me
& I also love to be in Your presence.
Draw me Lord to devote a portion of
each day to commune with U. Amen

Lord Jesus, I pray my Faith Will
Not Fail when I am put to the test.
Help me Lord to resist doubt
and fear so that my foundation
will be built solidly in Christ
and therefore will not crumble.
Enable me to be a person who
can strengthen the faith of others
because my Faith In You is strong.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

O Jesus, thanks for obeying Father’s
wish that night at Gethsemane.
Sometimes we need to be reminded
that we shld share in Your suffering
just as we like to share in Your joy.
Realise Lord the road You choose
for me will not always be easy.
Help me remember that to love You
is to obey You; and help me Choose
the Father’s Will in my life. Amen.

Christ Seeks & Saves the Lost

It is now in the final week of Jesus’
earthly life. In the city of Jerusalem,
there’s excitement of the feast days
-some preparing to welcome a King,
while others preparing for execution.
Jesus draws battle lines by driving
the money-changers fr the temple.
From then on, the religious leaders
double their efforts to trap Him.
Though His hour of anguish draws
near, Jesus continues the activities
that have characterised His ministry:
teaching, healing and affirming.

Lord, we will also Seek the Lost:
Then Zacchaeus said to the Lord:
Look, I give half of my goods to
the poor; and if I’ve taken anything
from anyone by false accusation,
I restore fourfold. Jesus responded:
Salvation has come to this home…
And I the Son of Man, have come
to seek and save those like him
who are lost (Luke 19:8-10).
The multitude of disciples began
to rejoice and praise God: Blessed
is the King who comes in the name
of the Lord! Some Pharisees…
said: Teacher, rebuke Your followers
for saying things like that! (Jesus)
replied: If they kept quiet,the stones
would burst into cheers (v39-40).
Jesus entered the Temple & began
to drive out the people selling
animals for sacrifices. He said:
The Scripture declare: My Temple
will be a house of prayer (v45-46).

Lord, You reached out to Zacchaeus
even when others despised him.
Thank You Lord for seeking and
saving all those who are lost.
Open our eyes to the despised that
we might see them and reach out.
Help us to look beneath the surface
to the person created in Your image.
Help us have burden for the lost and
befriend those seeking You. Amen.

Lord, thank You for tender mercies
and great sacrificial love for us.
Grateful for the Holy Spirit and
Your Word that teaches & guides us.
We just cannot be quiet and keep
our love for You hidden within us.
Just as Your disciples called out
Your name, we will also praise You
for we serve a really amazing and
wonderful Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Lord, You want Your church to be
a people of prayer; and not just
supplication, but also adoration,
confession and thanksgiving.
Forgive us for being distracted
and neglecting prayer in both
our personal and community life.
Restore us to spiritual awakening
and grant us a heart of prayer for
the lost; for people need the Lord.
In Christ’s name for His glory. Amen.