Author: tanahmerah

Rock of Ages We Can Rely On

Converted while Dublin University
Augustus Toplady decided to
prepare for ministry as a preacher.
While travelling along the gorge of
Barrington Combe in Mendip Hills
Toplady was caught in a storm.
Finding shelter in a gap in the
gorge, he was struck by the title
and scribbled the initial lyrics.
Toplady then wrote Rock of Ages
in 1775 to conclude a magazine
article in which he emphasised man
thru their own efforts could never
satisfy the eternal justice of God.

Lord, we Come to You Our Refuge:
I Wait Quietly before God,
for my victory comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my
salvation, my fortress where
I will never be shaken (Ps 62:1-2).
My soul wait silently for God,
for my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my
salvation; He is my defense;
I shall not be moved. Trust
in Him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to Him,
for God is our refuge (v5-8).
Power O God belongs to You;
Mercy O Lord is Yours (v11-12).

Lord, I lift my eyes to You, my Rock,
my salvation and my fortress.
Quiet my heart to wait on You, for
my hope is in You. Help me to wait
for You Lord in the storm of life.
Let my confidence not be shaken
by what circumstances may
say or what my mind may think.
Thank You that my confidence rests
on the One who is the Rock & that
You will never be shaken. Amen.

Lord, grateful for the confidence
and security that You long to hear
from me & comfort me of my pain.
You understand all the thoughts
of my heart better than I do myself.
And You Lord invite me to Pour
Out My Heart to You. And so I will.
Show me where I am carrying
burdens U don’t intend me to bear.
And I trade my heavy burden for
the lighter load that You offer. Amen.

Lord, Rock of Ages cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee.
Let the water and the blood
Fr Thy wounded side which flowed.
Be of sin the double cure
Save from wrath & make me pure…
While I draw this fleeting breath
When my eyes shall close in rest.
When I rise to worlds unknown
And behold Thee on Thy throne.
Rock of Ages cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee. Amen.

God Bears Burdens & Gives Rest
Inspiring song: Reach Out to Jesus

Reach Out to Jesus was written
by composer Ralph Carmichael;
born 1927 Illinois the son of a
Pentecostal minister. He attended
Southern California Bible College
and led several groups that
blend jazz, gospel songs and hymns.
Billy Graham Evangelistic Assocn
invited him to score the music
for a film in 1951, leading to a long
association and 20 more films.
Carmichael founded Light Records
and has come to be known as the
Father of Contemporary Xian Music.
He was inducted into the GMA
Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1985;
as well as the National Religious
Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame in 2001.
Reach Out to Jesus was released
by Elvis Presley on his 1972 album,
for which he won a Grammy Award.
The song likely inspired by Ps 55.

Lord, we give our Burdens to You:
Please listen and answer me,
for I’m overwhelmed by troubles…
My heart is in anguish…
O how I wish I had wings
like a dove; then I would fly
away and Rest (Psalm 55:2-6).
As for me, I will call upon God,
and the Lord shall save me.
Evening, morning and noon
I Cry Out in distress, and
He shall Hear my voice (v16-17).
Cast Your Burdens to the Lord,
and He will Take Care of you;
(for) He shall never permit
the righteous to be moved…
(And) I will trust in You (v22-23).

Lord, like David, I need to bring
my burdens and distress to You.
Forgive me when I complain to
others but dont bring my troubles
to You, the one who can actually
do something about them.
Hear O Lord my desperate cries;
and come to my help from the
burdens of the cares of this world.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, I do want my problems
solved and my troubles removed.
So, I will turn my eyes to You, call
upon Jesus & You will answer me.
I will lift my voice to You Lord
and You shall rise in my defense.
Enable me to find Rest in You,
to discover security in You, for
You are my Rock and Rest. Amen.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Bearing
my Burdens & providing a way for
me to walk in freedom from worry.
Forgive my attempts to do every
-thing myself instead of accepting
Your invitation to carry my load.
Teach me Lord to live close to You
and not carry burdens on my own.
Instead I will Reach Out to Jesus
and Cast my Cares on You. Amen.

The Everlasting God Guides & Leads
(All the Way My Saviour Leads Me)

‘Jesus doeth all things well.’ It wasn’t
easy for Fanny Crosby to believe
that. When she was only six weeks
old in 1820, she lost her sight
because of a doctor’s error.
This particular hymn was written
on a day when Fanny needed five
dollars and didn’t know where she
would get it. She prayed about it
and a few minutes later a stranger
came to her door and handed her
that exact amount. She was amazed
at the Lord’s marvellous answer
to her simple prayer. She wrote:
It is sometimes wonderful the way
the Lord leads me, inspired by Ps48.

Lord, we will Follow Your Leading:
Great is the Lord, and greatly
to be praised (Psalm 48:1).
In the city of our God,
God makes her secure forever.
O God, we meditate on Your
unfailing love as we worship
in Your temple. As Your name
deserves, O God, You will be
praised to the ends of the earth.
Your strong right hand is filled
with victory (Psalm 48:8-10).
He is our God forever and ever.
And He will Guide us
until we die (Psa 48:14).

Lord Jesus, Thank You for being
our Savior, for caring & leading us.
You will never abandon us because
of Your Unfailing Love. In You, we are
secure with You as our defender.
And You will be our guide even
to the end and usher us to our
eternal and blissful presence.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, I ask thee for wisdom
for You are the great and wise
Everlasting God. I ask for the
ability to slow down and focus
my thoughts on You each day.
And help me use my life to further
Your kingdom for Your glory,
for the good of others & for the
fulfilment of my destiny. Amen.

All the way my Savior leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who thru life has been my guide.
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well,
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well. Amen.

God Is Our Refuge, Inspiring the hymn: Be Still My Soul

In midst of the psalmist’s troubles,
the Lord said: Be Still and know
that I am God. These words spoke
to Katharina von Schlegel in the
turbulent times of post-Reformation
Germany. A century after Luther’s
reforms, Central Europe was racked
by the Thirty Years’ War. In the
darkness of that time, God raised
up the Pietist movement, which
stressed personal holiness, charity,
missions and music. Today’s hymn
was penned by the leading woman
of the Pietist movement and also
a canoness of a women’s seminary.

Lord, You are our Refuge:
God is our Refuge and Strength,
an Ever-Present Help in times
of trouble. So, we will not fear,
when earthquakes come and
Mountains crumble into the sea;
though waters roar & be troubled,
though the mountains shake
with its swelling (Psalm 46:1-3).
The Lord of hosts is with us;
God… is our refuge… Come behold
the works of the Lord (v7-8).
BE STILL and know that I am God…
I will be exalted in the earth!
The Lord of hosts is with us (and)
God is Our Refuge (Ps 46:10-11).

Lord, Your Word says You are ever
Ready To Help in times of trouble.
Forgive us for the times when
we act as though You don’t exist.
Teach us to pull back from troubles
and instead focus on You. We don’t
have to fear, no matter what we face.
For every moment that we breathe,
You are Our Strength. And though
our life may be shaken to its core,
You are still Our Refuge. Amen.

Father, when things in my life are
falling apart, help me experience
You Lord as My Firm Foundation.
Guide me Lord as I entrust
my mountains over to You.
Help me Lord to Be Still In You,
trust You and give me rest in You.
Let me know You’re With me, no
matter how difficult the situation.
Let me Experience You as a Very
Present Help in trouble. Amen.

Be Still my soul !
The Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently
the cross of fear and pain.
Leave to thy God
to order and provide;
In every change
He Faithful will remain.
Be Still my soul! thy best,
thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways
leads to a joyful end. Amen !!

God of My Life Worthy of Longing

As the Deer is a well-known hymn
song written by Martin Nystrom
in 1984. He was a school teacher in
Seattle who went to Bible College at
Dallas Christ for Nations Institute for
summer term. I was challenged by
a roommate at CFNI to go on a fast
and to reading the Bible and prayer.
On the 19th day of the fast, I was
at the piano trying to write a song,
when I noticed a Bible on the music
stand of the piano open to Psalm 42.
My eyes fell on the first verse of that
chapter: As the deer panteth after
the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee… After reading the verse I began to sing its message.

Lord, we Hope & Remember You:
As the deer pants for streams of
water, so I long for You, O God.
I Thirst for God, the living God…
Why am I discouraged? Why is
my heart so sad? I will Put My
Hope in God! I will Praise Him
my Saviour & my God(Ps 42:1-5)
O my God, my soul is cast down…
therefore I will remember You…
I will say to God my Rock: Why
have You forgotten me? (v6, 9).
Why am I discouraged?
Why so sad? I will put my Hope
in God! I will praise Him again
-my Saviour and my God! (v11).

Lord, satisfy this relentless Thirst
for You. Quench it with streams
of Your wisdom and inspiration.
Let Your words fulfill my deepest
desires; for I need You desperately.
Lord, I want to Connect with the
deepest part of Your Spirit in the
depths of mine; and let me hear
clearly the sound of Yr voice. Amen

Lord, I bring the places of my soul
where I am downcast over to You.
For You are my Hope; You are my
salvation and I will Hope in You.
I purpose to trust and not be afraid;
and I have no good reason to fear;
for You Lord are my strength.
Send Your grace to help me,
that I may glorify You openly. Amen.

Lord, as the deer panteth for the
water, so my soul thirsts after You.
I love our relationship Lord, but
I am not content with remaining
as it is. Cause my soul to want and
long to have even more of You.
Satisfy this thirst for You Lord.
Quench it with gushing streams
of Your wisdom and inspiration.
And let Your Words & my prayers
fulfil our deepest desires. Amen.

The Lord My Shepherd Cares

This 17th century Scottish hymn
is a paraphrase of David’s original.
This version was often sung and
so the wordings became more
familiar than the Bible text itself.
This text of the hymn comes from
Francis Rous, a member of the
British Parliament. Rous’ Psalter
was authorised by the Westminster
Assembly, which also created the
Westminster Confession of Faith.

Lord, You Provide, Guide & Protect:
The Lord is My Shepherd,
I Lack Nothing and have
everything I need (Psalm 23:1).
He lets me rest in green meadows;
He Leads me besides peaceful
streams. He Renews my strength
He Guides me along right paths,
bringing honour to His name (v2-3).
Even when I walk through the
dark valley of death, I will not be
afraid for You are close beside me.
Your rod and Your staff Protect
and comfort me (Psalm 23:4).

Lord, the Shepherd of my soul,
praise & thank You for Your Care.
You are not just my Creator and
my God; You are not just the King
and the Judge of the universe. For
You are my Shepherd & I’m blessed
for because of You, I Lack Nothing.
Keep me from complaining; and
keep me from fear and worry; for
You’ll Provide all my needs. Amen.

Lord Shepherd, it is comforting
to know that I am not alone in
the journey of life. Thank You
that You are ever so vigilant,
Guiding and watching over me.
And thank You that You love to
lead me to “peaceful streams”.
Help me to respond to Your sweet
small voice, stay close to You;
and I will gladly Follow You. Amen.

Lord Shepherd, You faithfully
feed, guide and above all Protect
Your flock with Your very life.
Lord, You are always close by,
You protect & comfort us, and
You protectively watch over us.
Merciful Lord and dear Shepherd,
in my darkest moments when I’m
very afraid and I cry out to You,
extend Your hand to hold my hand.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

Psalms written mostly by David
capture the essence of what it
means to walk closely with God.
And just as Genesis tells how mankind was created, fell into sin
and was then promised redemption,
many of the psalms in book 1
(Psalms 1-41) discuss humans as
blessed, fallen & redeemed by God.

On Monday, we learn from Psa 23
that the Lord My Shepherd Cares.
On Tuesday, we learn from Psa 27
that the Lord Abide with Me.
On Wed, we learn from Psa 31
that God of Truth Leadeth Me.
On Thursday, we learn from Ps 32
that the Lord My Hiding Place.
On Friday, we learn from Psalm 33
that Creator God’s Plan Stands Firm.
On Sat, we learn from Psalm 34
that God Delivers Us From Affliction.

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 of our Thanks
as You Care, Abide and Lead us;
For You are worthy of our Praise
as You are Our Hiding Place;
For Your Plan for us Stands Firm
and You Deliver us from affliction.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

God Delivers Us From Affliction Inspiring “Let Us Exalt His Name”

Psalms 31-36 show how Proper
Perspective can help you face
any circumstance. It can bring
you from gloom to glory (Ps 31),
from failure to deliverance (Ps 32),
fr false security to secured trust(33)
from Affliction to Adoration (Ps 34),
from persecution to praise (Ps 35),
and from darkness to light (Ps 36).

Lord, You Deliver When We Seek:
I Sought the Lord & He heard me
& Delivered me from all my fears…
The angels of the Lord
encamps all around those
who fear Him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord
is good, Blessed is the man
who Trusts in Him… Fear the Lord…
Those who Seek the Lord shall not
lack any good thing (Psalm 34:4-10)
The eyes of the Lord are on the
righteous and His ears are open
to their cry… The righteous cry out,
and the Lord Hears and Delivers
them out of their troubles (v15-17).
The Lord is near to those who
have a broken heart, and saves
such as have a contrite spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the
righteous, but the Lord delivers
him out of them all (v18-19).

Lord, we give You all our anxieties  
over our finances, work, health or
relationships & look to You for help.
Do a deep work in my heart on
those things that strike fear in me.
I lay these burdens and worries
before You Lord and ask You
to exchange my fear for faith.
Thank You Lord for Your promise
to answer me when I call on You,
to free me from fear & shame and
to make me radiant with joy. Amen.

Lord, it’s such a comfort to know
that Your eyes watch over us and
Your ears hear our cries for help.
Grateful for hearing my cries and
rescuing when I am crushed in spirit.
You are close to the broken-hearted
and to those who are in dire straits.
Praise You for the hope and courage
Your promises give me when I am
facing difficult circumstances. Amen

Lord, You comfort me when I am
brokenhearted & my spirit crushed.
Though I am faced with troubles
of many kinds, but You Lord
will deliver me out of each one.
Through it all I stand secured;
for I am a redeemed child of God!
And grateful there is absolutely
no condemnation for me, for I have
taken refuge in You Lord. Amen.

Creator God’s Plan Stands Firm            Inspiring This Is My Father’s World

Maltbie Babcock (1858-1901)
was an athlete. When he was
pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church in Lockport New York,
he would run out in the morning
to the brow of the hill two miles
away & look over at Lake Ontario.
Before he left, he would tell his
church staff: I am going out to
see my Father’s world. Babcock
loved athletics & nature as well as
music. So it was not strange that
he should write a hymn extolling
God’s handiwork in nature. The
hymn: This is My Father’s World
was inspired also by Psalm 33.

Lord, we Stand In Awe of You:
The word of the Lord Holds True
& we can Trust everything he does…
The earth is full of the goodness
of the Lord (Psalm 33:4-5).
The Lord merely spoke, and
the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
and all the stars were born.
He assigned the sea its boundaries…
Let the whole world fear the Lord.
And let everyone stand in awe
of him. For He spoke and
it was done; He commanded
and it stood fast (Psa 33:6-9).
The Lord’s plans stand firm forever;
His intentions can never be shaken.
(Psalm 33:11). Amen and amen.

Lord, Your Word must be handled
differently from other information;
for we trust the source of the word.
Help me Lord to live as someone
who is anchored in Your reality,
never moving from Your truth
or questioning Your promises.
Thank You for the assurance that
You’ll lead me & promise me with
rock-solid & absolute truth. Amen.

Lord, thank You that we are not
helpless victim of circumstances.
For we can affect the outcomes
of our situations thru prayer and
following Your gracious leading.
Scripture says You merely speak
and the universe is created. So,
speak words of power into our life;
speak words of fulfilment so that
we truly live the abundant life. Amen

Lord, believing You created the
world means You rule the world.
The truth that God spoke & it was
done also means You’re in control
of the circumstances of our lives.
Lord I take comfort that You are
working everything together for
good according to Your purpose.
And Lord let me ne’er forget
that this is my Father’s world,
that Your plans stand firm, and
that You’re the Ruler yet. Amen.

The Lord My Hiding Place

Psalms 31-36 show how a proper perspective can help you face any tough circumstance; and can bring you from gloom to glory (Ps 31); from failure to deliverance (Ps 32); fr false security to secured trust(33) from affliction to adoration (Ps 34); from persecution to praise (Ps 35); and from darkness to light (Ps 36).

Lord, You Are My Hiding Place:
Blessed is he whose transgression
is forgiven, whose sin is covered…
When I kept silent,
my bones grew old through
my groaning all the day long…
I acknowledged my sin to You…
And You forgave… my sin.
For this cause everyone who is
godly shall pray to You (Ps 32:1-6)
You are My Hiding Place;
You protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs
of Deliverance (Psalm 32:7).
The Lord says: I Will Guide you
along the best pathway for your life.
I will Watch over you… (And)
he Who Trusts in the Lord,
mercy shall surround him (v8-10).

Lord, I am blessed for You have
forgiven all of my transgressions.
And You have eliminated every
sin that was set to my account.
I am so blessed because my
heavenly Father does not count
any of my sin against me and
has given me a spirit where
deceit cannot be found.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, You promise that You will
Guide Your people along the
best pathways for their lives.
Thank You for Your assurance
of direction and protection.
So, Guide me Lord day by day;
and give me the strength to step
out with courage and faith
as I sense Your leading. Amen.

Lord, Thank for Your assurance
of direction and protection,
that Your unfailing love will
surround those who trust You.
Lord, You are My Hiding Place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance.
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You; I will trust in You…
Let the weak say I am strong
In the strength of the Lord
I will trust in You. Amen.