Author: tanahmerah

God Honours Work of Faith

Paul has many pleasant memories
of the infant Thessalonian church.
Their Faith, love and perseverance
in persecution are exemplary and
Paul’s labours as a spiritual parent
to the church have been rewarded.
He encourages the Thessalonians
to excel in their Faith, increase in
their love, and rejoice always as
they await the return of the Lord.

Lord, we will Keep Faith In You:
We always thank God for all of
you and Pray for you constantly
We remember before our Father
your work produced By Faith,
your labour prompted by love, and
your endurance inspired by hope
in our Lord Jesus Christ (1Ths 1:2-3)
You received the message with
joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of
the severe suffering… In this way,
you Imitated the Lord. As a result,
you have become an example
to all believers in Greece (v6-7).
Your faith toward God has gone out;
how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God;
and to wait for His Son (v8-10).

Lord, I Thank You for the gift of
direct access to You in Prayer.
Help me to model Apostle Paul
who encourages the Thessalonian
believers for their Faith and love.
Bless my loved ones and friends
and draw them into ever
closer relationship with You.
And help me to be faithful in
praying for them regularly. Amen.

Lord Jesus, help us to be like
the Thessalonians in Imitating You
and causing many to believe in You.
Help us Lord to endure suffering
and lead a life of faith in action.
Help us not to be self-centred
but be Christ centred and also
consider the interest of others.
For living for You our Master is
really what we ought to do. Amen.

Heavenly Father, we were created
ultimately to honour You as our Lord.
Exercising Faith helps us do that for
faith is shown by seeking after You;
and Trusting You to see us through
in hard times brings You glory.
Give us sincere heart as well as
the faith that pursues after You.
Help us Lord turn away from idols,
continually serving the living God;
and holding to Faith In You. Amen.

God Supplies All Your Needs;                        What A Friend We Have In Jesus

Joseph Scriven was a man who had
experienced friendship of Jesus thru
a life filled with personal tragedy.
When Scriven was a young man
in Ireland, his fiancée drowned
the evening before their wedding.
Soon after he set sail for Canada;
seemingly destined to live alone
with Jesus as his only close friend.
Scriven never intended to publish
“What A Friend we have in Jesus.”
He wrote the words of the hymn,
which was inspired by Philippians 4,
to accompany a letter to his mother,
who was ill in Ireland. He had no
material resources to send her –
only a reminder the most perfect of
friends, Jesus Himself was nearby;
and God will supply all our needs.

Lord, You Will Provide Our Needs:
Be anxious for nothing but in every
-thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known to God; and the
peace of God which surpasses
all understanding will guard your
hearts and minds (Phil 4:6-7).
I have learned the secret of being
Content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do all this through Him
who Gives me Strength (v12-13).
This same God who takes care of me Will Supply all your Needs from
His glorious riches, which have been given to us In Christ Jesus (v19).

Lord, Enable me to lift up in praise
& worship of whatever facing me.
Help me Lord not to be anxious or
worry about anything but instead
to release them in prayer to You.
Help me to refuse to think of
negative and what-if thoughts.
Help me to bring every concern
before You and leave it at Your feet.
Fill me with Your peace that passes
all understanding so that my heart
and mind will be protected. Amen.

Loving Lord, we praise You for You
are good and deeply care for us.
Grant me the grace to live joyfully
whether I have much or little.
And grant me Lord the grace to
Be Content in all circumstances.
Thank You Lord for promising
that You will give me the strength
I need to follow Your will and join
You in Your work. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, You’re Caring & Thank You for
the promise to Supply all our needs.
This amazing pledge & assurance
makes us feel secure as well as
contented in our journey thru life.
We don’t have to struggle on our
own for the Creator of the universe
covers us. And we’re given access
to You because of what Christ
had done on the cross. Thank You
Jesus for being such a friend, Amen

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!…
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer. Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of the epistle to
the Philippians is to strengthen
the believers by showing them that true joy comes from Christ alone.
Divisions sometimes occur among
believers; but unity will be restored
as they follow servanthood of Christ.
And the purpose for Colossians
is to show that believers have
everything they need in Christ.
With Christ as all in all, Paul also encourages the Colossians to pursue a godly lifestyle, befitting
those who are risen with Christ.

On Monday, we learn from Phil 1
that God Completes Good Work.
On Tuesday, we learn from Phil 2
that God Gives Power to Obey.
On Wed, we learn from Phil 3 that
God Helps In Pressing On to Call.
On Thursday, we learn from Phil 4
that God Supplies All Our Needs.
On Friday, we learn fr Col 1&2 that
God Made Us Complete In Christ.
On Saturday, we learn from Col 3
that God Gives Power For New Life.

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 Praise
as God Gives Power to Obey and
Helps Us In Pressing On to Call.
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as God Completes Good Work
as well as Supplies All Our Needs.
For You Made Us Complete In Christ
as well as Give Power for New Life.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Gives Power For New Life;                       Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Helen Lemmel was already a noted
Christian singer on a day in 1918
when a missionary friend handed
her a tract called “Focused”. It said:
“Turn your eyes upon Him,
look full into His face & you will
find that the things of earth will
acquire a strange new dimness.”
Suddenly, she said later, I was
singing in my soul the chorus,
putting word to word to make
rhyme and note to note to make
melody. Later that year, the hymn,
which was also inspired by Col 3,
was published in London and
became a favourite at Keswick
Convention around the world.
Yes, Turn our eyes upon Jesus,
for He will empower our lives!

Lord, we’ll Seek Things Above:
Since you have been raised
to new life with Christ, set your
sights on the realities of heaven,
where Christ sits in the place
of honour at God’s right hand.
Think about the things of heaven,
not the things of earth. For you
died to this life and your real life is
hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:1-3)
Put on the new man who is renewed.
Put on tender mercies, kindness,
humility, meekness, longsuffering;
bearing with one another, and
forgiving one another… But above
all these things, put on love (v10-14)
Let the message about Christ in all
its richness, fill your lives. Counsel
each other with all the wisdom
He gives. Sing spiritual songs
to God with thankful hearts (v16).

Father, help me seek things which
are above and not things on earth.
Help me trust in the realities of Your
kingdom and see with eyes of faith.
Lord Jesus, fill my mind with eternal
thoughts and help me live effectively
as an influencer in Your kingdom.
And Holy Spirit, make me new for
only You can empower the life I am
meant to live. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Lord, grant me the grace to put
to death vices like anger & critical
language and put on Your virtues.
Help me Lord to be tender hearted,
merciful & forbearing towards others
Help me to love and be forgiving
just as You have loved & forgive me.
Help me to recognise and discern
what is worthy of confrontation
and correction; and what I should
just graciously let it go. Amen.

Lord, we want to be filled with truth
of Christ & to live purposeful lives. 
We can be confused as the world
is full of lies and unholy agendas. 
Help us Lord to know You more
as we fill our hearts and minds
with Your words & spiritual songs.  
And may our hearts and spirits
be more sensitive to Your Voice
and Your Will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

O soul, are you weary & troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free…
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth
will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory & grace…
His word shall not fail He promised
Believe Him, and all will be well;
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell. Amen.

God Made Us Complete In Christ

All is not well in Colosse.
A heresy that Jesus Christ is
neither central nor supreme
is undermining the church.
Paul’s response to these
false teachings is two-fold.
First, he upholds Christ as the
preeminent Head of the church
Next, he speaks out against the
rituals and man-made regulations
which typify worship at Colosse.

Lord Jesus, were Complete In You:
We…(ask) God to fill you with the
Knowledge of His Will through all
spiritual wisdom & understanding
that u may walk worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing Him, being fruitful
in every good work and increasing
in the knowledge of God(Col1:9-10)
Everything was created through
Him and for Him. He existed
before anything else & He holds
all creation together. And He is
the head of the body, the church..
that in all things He may have
the preeminence (Col 1:16-18).
In Christ the fullness of God lives
in a human body, and you are
Complete through your union
with Christ, who is the head of all
principality & powers(Eph 2:9-10)

Lord, I pray for the people You’ve
put in my life and on my heart.
Fill them with wisdom and under-
standing and the knowledge of
Your Will so that they will stay
on the path You have for them.
I pray they will learn to hear Your
voice and come to know You
better, so that they can have
a closer walk with You. Amen.

Lord, You created me for Your
divine purpose; so help me be all that You created me to be and to do.
Dear Jesus, I adore You not only
for Your sacrificial love, but also condescending to live in & thru me.
Help me Lord to live in such a way
that I let You have the preeminence
in all things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord Jesus, You are so completely
great and awesome! How can it be
that You have chosen to live in me?
And yet You have. Help me to
fully trust You, knowing that You
are in control of all situations;
for power & victory is in Your hand.
And that You are using everything
that happens in my life to show me
that I am Complete In You. Amen.

God Supplies All Your Needs;                        What A Friend We Have In Jesus

PJoseph Scriven was a man who had
experienced friendship of Jesus thru
a life filled with personal tragedy.
When Scriven was a young man
in Ireland, his fiancée drowned
the evening before their wedding.
Soon after he set sail for Canada;
seemingly destined to live alone
with Jesus as his only close friend.
Scriven never intended to publish
“What A Friend we have in Jesus.”
He wrote the words of the hymn,
which was inspired by Philippians 3,
to accompany a letter to his mother,
who was ill in Ireland. He had no
material resources to send her –
only a reminder the most perfect of
friends, Jesus Himself was nearby;
and God will supply all our needs.

Lord, You Will Provide Our Needs:
Be anxious for nothing but in every
-thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known to God; and the
peace of God which surpasses
all understanding will guard your
hearts and minds (Phil 4:6-7).
I have learned the secret of being
Content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do all this through Him
who Gives me Strength (v12-13).
This same God who takes care of me Will Supply all your Needs from
His glorious riches, which have been given to us In Christ Jesus (v19).

Lord, Enable me to lift up in praise
& worship of whatever facing me.
Help me Lord not to be anxious or
worry about anything but instead
to release them in prayer to You.
Help me to refuse to think of
negative and what-if thoughts.
Help me to bring every concern
before You and leave it at Your feet.
Fill me with Your peace that passes
all understanding so that my heart
and mind will be protected. Amen.

Loving Lord, we praise You for You
are good and deeply care for us.
Grant me the grace to live joyfully
whether I have much or little.
And grant me Lord the grace to
Be Content in all circumstances.
Thank You Lord for promising
that You will give me the strength
I need to follow Your will and join
You in Your work. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, You’re Caring & Thank You for
the promise to Supply all our needs.
This amazing pledge & assurance
makes us feel secure as well as
contented in our journey thru life.
We don’t have to struggle on our
own for the Creator of the universe
covers us. And we’re given access
to You because of what Christ
had done on the cross. Thank You
Jesus for being such a friend, Amen

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!…
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer. Amen.

God Helps In Pressing On to Call          Inspiring ‘All to Jesus I Surrender’

Van De Venter (1855-1939) was
a teacher by profession and artist
at heart. After evangelistic meetings,
friends saw his gift in counselling &
urged him to become an evangelist.
For five years he wavered between
his love for art and God’s calling
to evangelistic ministry. He later
recalled: “I surrendered all. I became
an evangelist and discovered deep
in my soul a talent unknown to me.”
A few years later, Van De Venter
remembering that decisive moment
and wrote the hymn ‘I Surrender All’
inspired largely by Philippians 3:7-9.

Lord, we will Focus on the Call: 
But what things were gain to me,
these I’ve counted loss for Christ.
Everything else is worthless when 
compared with the infinite value
 of Knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…
yes to know the power of His
resurrection and participation
in His suffering (Phil 3:7-10).
I am focusing all my energies on
this One Thing: Forgetting the past
and Looking Forward to what lies
ahead, I press toward the goal;
for the prize of the upward Call
of God in Christ Jesus (v13-14).
For our citizenship is In Heaven,
from which we eagerly wait for
the Saviour… who will transform
our lowly body that it be conformed
to His glorious body (v20-21).

Dear Jesus, You are Lord of my life
and I purpose to hold nothing back.
I surrender to You the promises
I’ve kept & those I’ve failed to keep.
I surrender my entire life to You;
the past, present and the future.
I surrender my emotions, fears
and insecurities for I belong to You.
Receive my will and all that I have;
for I purpose to Surrender All.
Grant me Your grace, for apart
from You I can do nothing. Amen.

Lord, help me to Keep my Eye On
the Goal, where You’re beckoning
me upward and onward to Jesus.
Keep me from being distracted by
the past; wrong choices & sins that
hv been washed in blood of Christ.
Grant me grace and strength not to
turn back, knowing You’re in control
and promise to meet my needs.
And help me keep my eyes fixed
on the eternal prize – unending life
in Your glorious presence. Amen.

Lord, I praise and Thank You for
giving me eternal life & listing me
among the residents of Heaven.
Though this current life is filled
with trouble and challenges,
I know I am only passing through.
Help me to Seek You First and
stop worrying about tomorrow.
Grant me an Eternity Mindset
so that I can endure the temporal
difficulties that come my way.Amen

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live…
I surrender all, I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all…
All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me…Amen.

God Gives Power to Obey 

Philippians is a joyful letter,
written by Paul from a prison cell
in Rome to the church he founded
on his second missionary journey.
Despite adverse circumstances,
Philippians is an encouraging letter
in the midst of persecution. There
is much for Paul to rejoice about
especially the church’s steadfast
testimony for the gospel.

Lord, we’ll work out sanctification:
If there is any (encouragement) from
being united w Christ, if any comfort
from His love, if any fellowship of
the Spirit, if any affection & mercy,
fulfill my joy by being likeminded,
having the same love, being of
one accord, of one mind (Phil 2:1-2)
Don’t be selfish. Be humble, think
of others as better than yourself.
Don’t think only about your own
affairs, but be interested in others
too…Your attitude should be the
same that Christ Jesus had (v3-5).
Continue to work out your
salvation with fear and trembling,
for it is God Who Works in you
to Will and to Act in order to fulfill
His good purpose (Phil 2:12-13).

Lord of grace and wisdom, I want
to make the Father truly happy.
Help me to live in harmony with
my Christian brothers and sisters,
by loving them, and by working
together with one mind & purpose
to bring more people to Christ.
Grant me success in this important
endeavour. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, work in me the desire
to please You rather than to
impress others. Forgive me for
my selfishness and for focussing
on my life, my needs & problems.
Help me Lord to care more about
others as well as their needs too.
And help me to have a servant’s
heart so that You can truly do
Your work through me. Amen,

Lord, grateful You are at work
within me to fulfil Your purpose.
Help me to do what is right
and to obey with reverence.
Help me to hold on in faith, and
new power to live as I should.
Wean me from the excuse that
“I am too tired”, “I am too weak”
For Your strength is sufficient
to fulfill Your good purpose. Amen

God Completes Good Work

Philippians is a joyful letter, written
by Paul from a prison cell in Rome
to one of the churches he founded
on his second missionary journey.
Despite Paul’s adverse situation,
Philippians is an encouraging
letter in the midst of persecution.
There is much for Paul to rejoice
about: the Philippians’ repeated
financial assistance, the hope of
visiting the Philippian believers soon,
and the church’s steadfast
testimony for the gospel.

Lord, You’ll Complete Good Work:
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy because of
your partnership in the gospel…
Being confident of this, that He
who Began a good work in you
Will Carry it on to Completion until
the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:4-6).
That you may be able to discern
what is best and may be opure and
blameless until the day of Christ,
filled with fruit of righteousness
that comes through Christ (v9-11)

Lord, I am eternally linked to You
by grace through faith & I am part
of Your body for You are the head.
Thank You Lord that my needs
are fully met in You. Forgive me
for the times when I think and act
as though You are not enough.
For You will bring to completion
the good work that You began.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, I praise You for Your great
salvation; for You not only took
away sin, but also gave me a new
nature that longs to please You.
Continue Lord Your work in me;
for there’s still much rough edges
and glad You do not give up on me.
Look forward Lord to the day when
Your work in me will be complete &
I’ll be blameless for Your glory. Amen

Lord, please help us to grow
spiritually as well as understand
what that really matters in life.
Help us not chase after things that
doesn’t matter. But instead we’ll
focus on our relationship with You
and on growing to be more like You.
Grant us the faith and the strength
so that You’ll realize in us the ideals
You have taught us to cherish. Amen

God Grants Gifts for Unity;                              Blest Be the Tie That Binds

Blest Be the Tie That Binds
John Fawcett was ordained as a
Baptist minister and began ministry
at a poor church in Wingate England.
The small congregation could only
afford to pay him a minimal salary.
After seven years of ministry,
Fawcett received offer from affluent
Carter’s Lane Church in London.
As he was saying his farewells
and saw the tears on the faces
of his people, he decided to stay.
Inspired by Eph 4, Fawcett wrote
this hymn for the congregation at
Wingate. He recognised the bond
of love he knew there was worth
more than any material wealth. For
being united with Christ means we
are to treat one another as family.

Lord, Unite & Bind us together:
Live a life worthy of the calling you
have received. Be humble & gentle…
Be patient with each other, making
allowance for each other’s faults
because of Your love (Eph 4:1-2).
Make every effort to keep
yourselves united in the Spirit,
binding yourselves together
with peace. For there is one body
and one Spirit, just as you have
been called to one glorious hope
for the future. There is one Lord,
one faith, one baptism, and
one God and Father (v3-6).
To each of us grace was given…
And He gave some to be apostles,
some prophets, some evangelists
and some pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints
for the work of ministry, for the
edifying of body of Christ (v7-12).

Lord God, help me accept human
imperfection in others and myself;
for we are all sinners in Your sight.
Help us to be more patient with
each other making allowance for
each other’s faults & weaknesses.
Help us to develop a right view
of others despite their annoying
faults and non-saintlike conduct.
Help us pray for serenity to accept
things we could not change. Amen.

Lord, Help us keep unity of Spirit
in lowliness of heart and gentleness.
Let differences in our backgrounds,
experiences and personalities,
not divide us but instead enrich us.
Help us make every effort to keep
the unity of the Spirit and protect it.
Bind us Lord together in love for
You made us one body & one spirit.
Teach us to appreciate and love one
another and live together in peace.
Lord blest the tie that binds! Amen.

Father, You have appointed
for me apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors and teachers
to prepare me for works of service.
They are Your gift to the church to
build me up towards unity of faith
with all the saints, in the knowledge
of Christ Jesus, so that I may
become mature and attain the full
measure of Christ in my life. Amen.

Lord, Blest be the tie that binds
Our heart in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above…
Before our Father’s throne
We pour our ardent prayers; Our
fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
Our comforts and our cares…
We share each other’s woes,
Our mutual burdens bear,
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear. Amen.