Author: tanahmerah

God Adopts Us As His Children

This epistle is Paul’s manifesto of
justification by faith and the liberty
that produces. Paul directs this
great charter of Christian freedom
to people who are about to forsake
the priceless liberty they possess
in Christ. Certain Jewish legalists
are influencing the believers in
Galatia to trade their freedom
in Christ for bondage to the law.
Paul writes to refute their false
gospel of works & to show the
superiority of justification by faith.

Father God, we Love You:
When the set time had finally
come, God sent His Son, born
of a woman, born under the law,
to redeem those under the law,
that we might receive adoption
to sonship (Gal 4:4-5).
And because you are sons,
God has sent forth the Spirit
of His Son into your hearts,
crying out, “Abba Father!”
So you are no longer a slave,
but God’s child; and since you
are His child, God has made
you also an heir (v6-7). Amen.

Dear God, You are not just the
powerful Creator & righteous Lord,
You are also my loving Father.
And when I go thru hard times,
You care and listen to my pleas,
and will guide, provide & protect.
You are never impatient with me
and never “too busy” for me.
Lord Jesus, I do believe in You;
having accepted as Lord & Savior.
Thank You for saving me. Because
of Your grace and my faith in You,
I’m a child of the living God. Amen.

Lord, in times of severe trials,
I can be bombarded with doubts.
Why is all this happening to me?
I can’t believe a loving God would
let his children go thru such trauma.
And tough times can made me
wonder if I really am Your child.
Thank You for the presence of
Your Spirit, who provides assurance
that I belong to You forever. Amen.

Lord, a key and great truth about
You God is that You are personal.
You want us to know you deeply
and intimately. For You are
our Abba Father, Papa, Daddy.
I can readily come to You anytime
and say: Papa, please help me
with this problem. You are a
personal God; and You promise
to make Yourself real to us. Amen.

God Justifies Us By Faith (Oct 11)

This epistle is Paul’s manifesto of
justification by faith and the liberty
that produces. Paul directs this
great charter of Christian freedom
to people who are about to forsake
the priceless liberty they possess
in Christ. Certain Jewish legalists
are influencing the believers in
Galatia to trade their freedom
in Christ for bondage to the law.
Paul writes to refute their false
gospel of works & to show the
superiority of justification by faith.

Lord, we will Live By Faith:
Did u receive the Spirit by the. works
of the law or by hearing of faith?
Are you so foolish? Having begun in
the Spirit, are you now being made
perfect by the flesh (Gal 3:2-3).
He who supplies the Spirit to you
and works miracles among you,
does He do it by the works of
the law or by the hearing of faith?
Just as Abraham believed God
and it was accounted to him
for righteousness (v5-6).
So then those who are of faith are
blessed with believing Abraham…
No one is justified by the law
in the sight of God is evident, for
the just shall Live By Faith (v9-11).

Father God, I did not receive the
Holy Spirit by the works of the law
but by the hearing of Faith. I am not
so foolish to turn to my own efforts
to justify myself after I’ve admitted
that I can’t and that I need Jesus.
I am not the fool who begins new
life in the Spirit, then turns back
to works for justification. For Jesus
alone makes me perfect. Amen.

Father God does not give me His
Spirit because of the good works
that I do or because I am sinless,
which I am obviously not at all.
He does these things because
I believe in Christ and in His Word
and speaks it in the spirit of faith.
My belief becomes the springboard
for goodness in my life, and not
the works of righteousness. Amen.

Lord, I believe in Your power
to do miracles, and I want to see
the evidence of Your mighty work.
Help me believe fully and expect
great things from You. And Lord
I come to You believing not only
that You exist, but also believing
that You are a rewarder of those
who diligently seek You. Amen.

Christ Jesus Living In Me (Oct 10)

This epistle is Paul’s manifesto of
justification by faith and the liberty
that produces. Paul directs this
great charter of Christian freedom
to people who are about to forsake
the priceless liberty they possess
in Christ. Certain Jewish legalists
are influencing the believers in
Galatia to trade their freedom
in Christ for bondage to the law.
Paul writes to refute their false
gospel of works & to show the
superiority of justification by faith.

Lord, we purpose to Live For You:
Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law but by faith
in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we
must be justified by faith in Christ
and not by the works of the law;
for by the works of the law
no flesh shall be justified (Gal 2:16)
For through the law I died to the
law so that I might Live For God.
I have been crucified with Christ;
it is no longer I who live, but
Christ Lives In Me; and the life
which I now live in the flesh
I Live By Faith in the Son of God,
who Loved Me and Gave Himself
for me (Galatians 2:19-20). Amen.

Lord Jesus, thank You that I have
been justified by Faith in You.
And thank You Lord for enabling
me to Live By Faith this life. For
I have been crucified with Christ
and so I no longer live, but You
Christ Lives in me. May the truth of
Your Word enable me to Trust You
so that all You are may dwell in me.
Grant me the grace to live joyously
because of my Faith in You. Amen.

Lord Jesus, thank You for loving
me and giving Yourself for me.
Thank You for Your desire to live
through me and enable me to
Live For You. What a wonder
that You Lord would take up
residence in my life. In gratitude,
I purpose to Live For You God.
And set me free to serve You
with all my heart and soul. Amen.

Lord Jesus, thank you for Your
great sacrificial Love for us. Thank
You that You died for us to pay for
sin’s penalty. Thank You for living
in us to purify us from sin’s power.
Teach me to Live by Confidence
In You instead of confidence in me.
Let the old ways of my flesh
die daily so that I can find new
resurrection life in You. Amen.

God Grants Approval thru Gospel

• Backgrounder: This epistle has
 been called the charter of Christian
 liberty.   It is Paul’s manifesto of
 justification by faith and the liberty
 that produces. Paul directs this 
great charter of Christian freedom
 to people who are about to forsake
 the priceless liberty they possess
 in Christ. Certain Jewish legalists
 are influencing the believers in
 Galatia to trade their freedom
 in Christ for bondage to the law.
 Paul writes to refute their false
 gospel of works and to show the 
superiority of justification by faith.

Lord, we will Seek Your Approval:
Grace… and peace from God the
Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
who gave Himself for our sins,
that He might deliver us from
this present evil age (Gal 1:3-4).
I marvel that you are turning away…
from Him… to a different gospel (v6)
If anyone preaches any other
 gospel than the one you welcomed,
 let God’s curse fall upon that 
person. Obviously I’m not trying
 to be a people’s pleaser! No, I am
 trying to please God. If I were 
still trying to please people, I would
   not be Christ’s servant (Gal 1:9-10)

Thank You Father God and
Thank You Lord Jesus for
granting us grace and peace.
Thank You Lord Jesus for giving
Your life for our sins, just as
Father God planned to rescue us
from this evil world. Thank You
Lord Jesus for coming to my rescue
when I could not save myself.
All glory to God forever & ever.Amen

Lord Jesus, I desire to live as Christ’s
 servant and not as a people pleaser.
 And I realise that I can’t seek approval 
of others even as I live for You Lord.
     It is Your Approval that I seek,
 for that is the one approval that really counts.
 Help me Lord to speak and act
with boldness & love as I serve You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Comforts & Delivers Us

Paul opens his second epistle
to the Corinthians the same way
he began his first by establishing
his authority and documenting the
source of his revelation. He then
praises God for what He has done
for Timothy & him. In contrast to
the old covenant which condemned
the glorious new covenant sealed
in Jesus’ own blood, makes
God’s ministers bold & effective
in calling people to repentance.

Lord, Your Promises are Secure:
All Praise to God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ… He comforts
us in all our troubles so that
we can comfort others. When
others are troubled, we will be able
to give them the same comfort
God has given us (2 Cor 1:3-4).
We should not trust in ourselves
but in God… who delivered us from
so great a death and… we trust
that He will still deliver us (v9-10).
As God is faithful, our word to
you was not Yes and No… For
all the promises of God In (Christ)
are Yes and in Him Amen (v18-20).

Lord, Thank You for the times
You have comforted me. I know
that You have comforted me so
that I can do the same for others.
This world is full of people who
are hurting. Make me sensitive
to those I meet who need Your
touch of comfort. Keep me an
open vessel through which Your
love and comfort can flow. Amen.

Lord, we realise that Your way
of teaching us to rely on You God
more fully may mean that we will
be having only You to rely on.
And that’s terribly uncomfortable,
for most of us have been taught
since young to be more self-reliant.
But we still ask You to teach us
what it means to rely more fully
on You instead of ourselves. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for Your great
and precious promises! Thank You
for reminding us that Jesus is the
“Divine Yes”, the affirmation of all
Your promises. Help me to sense
and experience Your love behind
every promise even as I trust in You.
Help me Lord pray with confidence
because I trust that not one of Your
promises will fail. Amen & amen!

Trusting God thru His Promises

The purpose of 2nd Corinthians
is to affirm Paul’s ministry, defends
his authority as an apostle and to refute the false teachers in Corinth.

On Monday, we learn from 2Cor 1
that God Comforts & Delivers Us.
On Tuesday, we learn from 2Cor 3
to Reflect Spirit of the Living God.
On Wed, we learn from 2Cor 4
that Holy Spirit Empowers In Trials.
On Thursday, we learn from 2Cor 5
that God Made Us New Creation.
On Friday, we learn from 2Cor 10
that God Provides Spiritual Armour.
On Saturday, we learn from 2Cor 12
that God Strengthens In Weakness.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who trust You:
for You truly keep Your promises;
and You comfort & deliver us;
for You made us be new creation,
and help us reflect the living God;
for You empower us in trials,
strengthen us in weakness &
provide us spiritual armour.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

God Strengthens In Weakness

Paul defended his ministry by
showing how individuals can be
reconciled to a loving God. And he
pleads with the Corinthian church
to be reconciled to him as their
spiritual father. In his final words,
Paul draws upon his authority as
an apostle to exhort the rebellious
to repent so that his approaching
visit can be a time of rejoicing.

Lord, we will be Enabled by You:
Three different times I begged
the Lord to take (my thorn in the
flesh) away. Each time He said:
My grace is all you need.
My power works best in weakness.
So now I am glad to boast about
my weaknesses, so that the power
of Christ can work through me.
That’s why I take pleasure in
my weaknesses, hardships and
troubles that I suffer for Christ.
For when I am weak, then I am
strong (2 Cor 12:8-10). Amen.

Lord, I have plenty of weaknesses
to give You. You know all my
frailties that keep me feeling
insufficient. But You are my
sufficiency and my strength.
I depend on You; and I surrender
my frailties to You. And please
step into my gaps & weaknesses
with Yourself and Your help. Amen

Lord, You promise in Your Word
that Your power works best in
our weaknesses. So Lord work in
and through my all weaknesses.
I am thankful and grateful that
I don’t have to be perfect
so that I can be useful to You.
So help me trust in Your strength;
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, teach me the art of looking
to You God instead of being
just immersed at my problems.
Remind me Lord that anything
of lasting value in my life is really
because of You and not me; for 
Power & success come from You.
And give me eyes of faith that
I may press on even when I feel
being overwhelmed. Amen & amen.

God Provides Spiritual Weapons

Paul defended his ministry by
showing how individuals can be
reconciled to a loving God. And
he pleads with the Corinthian
church to be reconciled to him
as their spiritual father. In his
final words, Paul draws upon
his authority as an apostle to exhort
the rebellious to repent so that
his approaching visit can be a time
of rejoicing rather than rebuke.

Lord, we’ll use Yr mighty weapons:
We are humans but we don’t wage
 war with human plans & methods.
We use God’s mighty weapons,
not mere worldly weapons to
knock down the Devil’s strongholds.
 With these weapons we break
down every proud argument that
keeps people from knowing God.
With these weapons we conquer 
their rebellious ideas & teach them
to obey Christ (2Cor 10:3-6) Amen.

Lord, thanks for providing resources
including Word of God and Prayer
which are “God’s mighty weapons.”
And thank You that our arsenal are
more powerful than Satan’s & open
the way for God’s spirit to work.
 Help us use these spiritual weapons
 effectively as we trust in Your power. 
Remove the mountains in our lives &
 make the impossible possible. Amen

Lord, praise You for the power 
of Your Word. For it can penetrate
 hearts in ways no amount of
 human reasoning and philosophy
     can. Trust that Your Word will speak
 to the hearts of even the most
 atheistic people for You have 
promised that Your Word will
achieve its purpose of telling 
the world the truth. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for Your weapons
 of warfare, which are mighty and 
supernatural. Teach me to wield
 them as I stand against the enemy.
 Strengthen me even as I Intercede 
for others. Lord, I pray that You 
will demolish the devil’s dark
 strongholds and establish Your 
kingdom of truth and light. Amen.

God Made Us New Creation In Christ

Paul opens his 2nd epistle to the
Corinthians by establishing his
authority & source of his revelation.
He then praises God for what
He has done. In contrast to the
old covenant which condemned,
the glorious new covenant sealed
by Jesus’ own blood, makes
God’s ministers effective in
calling people to repentance.

Lord, we are Your Ambassadors:
God… has given us the Spirit
as a guarantee… Therefore
we are always confident…
We live by faith, not by sight…
We make it our point to please Him…
For we must all appear before the
judgment seat of God that each
one may receive… according to
what he has done (2Cor 5:5-10).
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ
he is a New Creation; old things
have passed away; behold all things
have become new (2 Cor 5:17).
God… has given us the ministry of
reconciliation. God was reconciling
the world to Himself in Christ, not
counting people’s sins against them.
And He has committed to us the
message of reconciliation. We are
therefore Christ’s ambassadors,
as though God were making
His appeal through us (v18-20).

Father, Thank You for giving us
the Spirit as a guarantee, so that
we can always be confident.
Praise You for being wise judge and
reigning over affairs of this world.
God, what a sobering thought that
nothing is hidden from Your sight.
Grant us the grace to walk faithfully
and to do what’s pleasing to You.
And trust Lord that You will restore
what the locusts had taken. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for giving me new
life – a rich life that will never end.
Thank You Lord because I am
in Christ, the old me is gone
and I am empowered not to sin.
For because of You Lord,
I have become a brand new
person; and I have the capacity
to change and grow into the image
of Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Father God, through Christ You
forgive sins and bring sinners back
into relationship with Yourself.
Thank You Lord for drawing me to
Yourself and saving me eternally.
You have given the gospel to me
so that I might share it to others.
As Your appointed ambassadors,
make us Lord to be bolder and
more engaging to those who
don’t yet know You. In Jesus’ name.

Holy Spirit Empowers In Trials

Paul opens his 2nd epistle to the
Corinthians by establishing his
authority & source of his revelation.
He then praises God for what
He has done. In contrast to the
old covenant which condemned,
the glorious new covenant sealed
by Jesus’ own blood, makes
God’s ministers bold & effective
in calling people to repentance.

Lord, we will Tap to Your Power:
This light & power that now shine
within us is held in our weak bodies.
So everyone can see that our
glorious power is from God and
not our own. We are pressed on
every side by troubles but we are
not broken. We are perplexed but
we don’t give up and quit… God
never abandons us (2Cor 4:7-9).
And since we have the same
Spirit of Faith… we also believe
and therefore speak (2Cor 4:13).
Our present troubles won’t last very
long. Yet they produce for us an
immeasurably great glory that will
last forever! So we don’t look at
the troubles we can see right now;
rather we look forward to what we
have not yet seen. For the troubles
will soon be over; but the joys to
come will last forever (v17-18) Amen

Lord, Thank You for designing me
to be a clay jar with an amazing
treasure inside. Although the
circumstances may press me
down, You never abandon me.
May others see Your power and
light through my life. And may 
You be glorified in my weakness in
this earthen vessel that I am.Amen

Lord, I recognise opposing forces
and troubles can press me down.
Restore my hope in You O Lord and
help me take my eyes away from
problems as I wait patiently on You.
Grant me the faith, courage and
perseverance to keep following
after You. I want to keep going Lord
to do Your will and have an eternal
impact on those around me. Amen

Lord, focus my eyes clearly on the
eternal, for that will put my present
troubles into a proper perspective.
Help me to see You as You are,
to perceive You with my spirit
and not just with my mind.
And help me Lord to realise that
You are in me and I am in You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.