Author: tanahmerah

Spirit of God Gives Insights

Churches aren’t perfect because
churches are full of imperfect pple.
Paul writes to the believers at
Corinth to correct errors in their
public & private behaviour which
are detracting from their witness.
These include factions, immorality
and lawsuits between believers.
And Paul set forth godly guidelines
for conduct consistent with the
grace of God given by Christ.

Lord, we Seek Your Insight:
I thank my God… that you were
enriched by Him in… all knowledge…
God, no eye has seen, no ear heard,
no mind has conceived what You
have prepared for those who love
You, but You have revealed it to us
by Your Spirit. The Spirit teaches
us all things, even the deep things
of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 9-10).
What we have received is..the Spirit
who is from God, so that we may
understand what God has freely
given us. This is what we speak…
in words taught by the Spirit,
explaining Spiritual Realities
with Spirit-taught words (v12-13).
Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to teach him?
But we understand these things,
for we have the Mind of Christ (v16)

Lord, as I bring issues before You
and consider the circumstances,
I see evidence of Your leading.
As I consider my convictions and
as I think about the things people
are saying, I can sense Your voice.
As I meditate Scripture each day,
they lead me to see Your direction.
When I take all these together, I get
a sense of how You’re leading me.
Confirm Lord the inner impression
with Your Secrets and peace. Amen.

Lord, when we need insights and
direction or facing challenges,
we tend to seek worldly counsel.
But there is a more reliable and
excellent source of ultimate
knowledge, the Holy Spirit.
Thank You Father for giving us
the Holy Spirit who lives inside us.
O Spirit, do make clear spiritual
realities to me and enable me to
make the correct decision. Amen.

Lord, let me see as U see to enable
me to act according to Your vision.
And I also need to know clearly
Your will for only then can I be
confident of doing the right thing.
Lord, it is really very challenging
to decipher Your sovereign will.
Plant Your thots in me & move me
as You desire; for Your Word says:
we have the mind of Christ. Amen.

Holy Spirit Helps in our Distresses

Paul anticipates questions arising
fr hearing gospel of grace. If God’s
grace is free, then am I free to sin?
If I am free from the law, then can
I ignore the ethical demands of
the law? Paul has no illusions that
becoming a Christian means the
end of your troubles. But the life
-giving Spirit provides confidence,
for victorious Christian living
in the storms of everyday life.

Lord, help us Pray with Your Spirit:
There is… no condemnation to
those who are in Christ Jesus,
who walk according to the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of Life
In Christ has made me free from
the law of sin and death (Rom 8:1-2)
Those who are controlled by the
Holy Spirit think about things that
please the Spirit… (And) if the
Holy Spirit Controls your mind,
there’s life and peace (v5-6).
The Spirit Helps us in our weakness.
We do not know what we ought to
pray for, but the Spirit Intercedes
for… the saints in accordance with
the will of God. And we know that…
God Works for the Good of those
who love him, who have been called
according to His purpose (v26-28).

Lord Jesus, No Condemnation are
two of the most beautiful words.
Yet sometimes they are hard to
believe, hard to really take hold of.
For sometimes I may be quick
to blame others for the problem,
but deep down I condemn myself.
Help me Lord to live in the reality
of the freedom that comes from
Your grace and be at peace. Amen.

Father God, let Your Spirit Control
my heart so that I experience peace.
Direct my thoughts even as I yield
my mind to You Lord each day.
Lead me Lord to think of things that
please You; and guard my mind from
anything that is contrary to Yr ways.
Thank You Lord for setting me free
from sin & death through the power
of Your life-giving Spirit. Amen.

Holy Spirit, help me in my weakness
by interceding for me and thru me.
You know the will of the Father
and You know what to pray for.
Guide & teach me Lord especially
when I have exhausted all words.
Help me to communicate to God
my deepest thoughts, feelings,
fears and doubts, so that my
prayers are pleasing to Him. Amen

Trusting God thru His Promises

The purpose of the apostolic letter
of Romans is to introduce Paul as
well as to give a sample of his key
message before he arrives in Rome.
On Monday, we learn from Rom 1
that there’s Power of God in Gospel.
On Tuesday, we learn from Rom 3
that God Liberates Us from Sin.
On Wed, we learn from Rom 5
that God Uses Trials for Good.
On Thursday, we learn from Rom 8
that Spirit Helps in our Distresses.
On Friday, we learn from Rom 12
that God Transforms & Renews Us.
On Saturday, we learn from Rom 15
that God Imparts Confident Hope.
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 there’s power in the gospel;
for You not only free us from sin
but also renew and transform us;
for You use trials for good, impart
confident hope & help in distresses.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Spirit Imparts Confident Hope

For 11 chapters Paul has set forth
the doctrine of the Christian faith.
The balance of his letter moves
into the practical outworking of
that faith. For every assignment,
there is a enablement from God:
Serve one another using the gifts
God gave you; be subject to higher
authorities; be sensitive to needs
of weaker brothers; be united
in purpose & have mind of Christ.

Lord, fill us with Joy, Peace & Hope:
For whatever things were written
before were written for our learning,
that we through the patience
and comfort of the Scripture
might have Hope (Rom 15:4).
Jesus Christ has become
a servant to the circumcision
for the truth of God, to confirm
the promises made (Rom 15:8).
May the God of Hope fill you
with all joy and peace as
you trust Him so that you may
Overflow with Hope by the power
of the Holy Spirit (Rom 15:13).

Father, it’s difficult to be peaceful
when facing difficult situations.
I need and want to overflow with
confident hope; and I appropriate
Apostle Paul’s prayer as my own.
As I continue to believe in You
and trust You, fill me with peace,
and let me overflow with hope
thru the power of Your Spirit. Amen.

Lord Jesus, it’s a pretty grim world
out there, and prolonged trials
can also cause us to doubt.
Fill me Lord to overflowing with
Hope as I turn my heart to You.
Fill me with hope and restore
me Lord even as I trust in You.
Help me take my eyes off the
challenge but focus in Your promise
and wait upon You to act. Amen.

Spirit, I love Your Word, but I need
it to be personalised. Pour it deep
into my heart Your rhema Word
the truth that I really need to hear.
Fill me Lord with joy and peace,
as I perceive how I can best serve
You with my life. Teach me to trust
You more, so that I can rest more
joyfully and peacefully in You. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcKxZzWKezUfFMsAUSiMY8A?feature=emb_ch_name_ex

God Transforms & Renews Us

What u believe affect how u behave.
For 11 chapters Paul has set forth
the doctrine of the Christian faith.
The balance of his letter moves
into the practical outworking of
that faith. For every assignment,
there is an enablement from God:
Serve one another using the gifts
God gave you; be subject to higher
authorities; be sensitive to needs
of weaker brothers; be united
in purpose & have mind of Christ.

Lord, we Consecrate our being to U:
Give your bodies to God. Let them
be a Living Sacrifice… When you
think of what He has done for you,
is this too much to ask? (Rom 12:1)
Don’t copy the behaviour and
customs of this world, but let God
Transform you into a new person
by changing the way you think.
Then you will Know what God
wants you to do, and you will
know how good and pleasing
and perfect His will really is (v2).
Let love be without hypocrisy… Be
kindly affectionate to one another…
fervent in spirit, serving the Lord…
continuing steadfast in prayer(9-12).

Lord, I don’t really know what
these days will hold, but I offer
myself to You as a living sacrifice.
Fill me with Your spirit of love, joy,
peace and patience. Renew and
transform my mind with Your truth.
Make me to be a new person, and
show me what You want me to do,
the person U want me to minister.
And all glory be unto You. Amen.

Lord, help me grow closer to You.
Help me understand the difference
between what You desire and
what the world offers. Teach me
not to apply the behaviours and
customs of this world but Be
Transformed into a new person.
As I seek to follow You, let me know
Your will. And help me stay on the
right track as I purpose to take
small steps of faith each day. Amen

Lord, do Your transforming work
in me through Your Word that I may
learn to know Your heart desires.
Give me the mind of Christ so that
I will be able to make wise decisions
that will also be pleasing to You.
Guide me in Your way and by
Your Word to embrace Your will.
And work in me Lord not only to will
but to do Your good pleasure. Amen.

Holy Spirit Helps in our Distresses

Paul anticipates questions arising
fr hearing gospel of grace. If God’s
grace is free, then am I free to sin?
If I am free from the law, then can
I ignore the ethical demands of
the law? Paul has no illusions that
becoming a Christian means the
end of your troubles. But the life
-giving Spirit provides confidence,
for victorious Christian living
in the storms of everyday life.

Lord, help us Pray with Your Spirit:
There is… no condemnation to
those who are in Christ Jesus,
who walk according to the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of Life
In Christ has made me free from
the law of sin and death (Rom 8:1-2)
Those who are controlled by the
Holy Spirit think about things that
please the Spirit… (And) if the
Holy Spirit Controls your mind,
there’s life and peace (v5-6).
The Spirit Helps us in our weakness.
We do not know what we ought to
pray for, but the Spirit Intercedes
for… the saints in accordance with
the will of God. And we know that…
God Works for the Good of those
who love him, who have been called
according to His purpose (v26-28).

Lord Jesus, No Condemnation are
two of the most beautiful words.
Yet sometimes they are hard to
believe, hard to really take hold of.
For sometimes I may be quick
to blame others for the problem,
but deep down I condemn myself.
Help me Lord to live in the reality
of the freedom that comes from
Your grace and be at peace. Amen.

Father God, let Your Spirit Control
my heart so that I experience peace.
Direct my thoughts even as I yield
my mind to You Lord each day.
Lead me Lord to think of things that
please You; and guard my mind from
anything that is contrary to Yr ways.
Thank You Lord for setting me free
from sin & death through the power
of Your life-giving Spirit. Amen.

Holy Spirit, help me in my weakness
by interceding for me and thru me.
You know the will of the Father
and You know what to pray for.
Guide & teach me Lord especially
when I have exhausted all words.
Help me to communicate to God
my deepest thoughts, feelings,
fears and doubts, so that my
prayers are pleasing to Him. Amen

God Uses Trials for Good

After painting humanity’s sorry
condition, Paul turns to God’s
merciful solution. Jesus’ death on
the cross has paid sin’s penalty and
satisfied God’s righteous demand.
To the one who in faith accepts
Jesus’ payment, God stamps
across the debt of sin: Paid in Full.
That is justification. Its basis is
the work of Christ; its means is
the grace of God; its requirement
is faith in God and His promise.

Lord, we Allow Trials Shape us:
Having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ…
We can rejoice when we run into
trials, for they help us to Endure.
And endurance develops strength
of character in us, and character
strengthens confident expectation
of salvation. And this expectation
will Not Disappoint us. For God
loves us dearly (Rom 5:1-4).
Having now been justified by
His blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through Him…
We can rejoice because of what
Jesus has done for us in making
us Friends of God (v9-11). Amen.

Lord, You want me to Trust You
in the hard times. But rejoicing
isn’t natural for me, so make it
my supernatural response to the
pressures and difficulties in life.
Lord, I surrender and allow myself
to be molded and shaped by trials.
And teach me to Endure so that
my faith will grow steadily and
get stronger over time. Amen.

Lord, I place my Hope in You.
I trust that You are working on
my behalf, no matter how difficult
the circumstances become.
For I believe that You won’t just
put me through trials; but that
You also plan joys for me too.
Please fill me Lord with hope
– the kind that comes from Your
Spirit and cannot disappoint. And
help me live in that hope. Amen.

Father, I rejoice in my relationship
with You God because of what
Jesus Christ has done for me.
Having an intimate relationship
with Jesus also enables me have
an eternal perspective about
anything that may happen to me.
I gratefully praise You for the
joy such a Friendship brings.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Frees Us From Sin (Sep 19)

Backgrounder on Romans 1-3:
Paul begins by describing the
helpless condition of humanity. A
rebellious nature has led to rejectn
of the Creator & worship of creation
God in turn has permitted the
sinful nature of human beings
to express the fullness of its
corruption and the whole human
race stands helpless before God.
Truly, all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God.

Lord, we’re Grateful for Your Mercy:
All have sinned; all fall short of
God’s glorious standard. Yet now
God in his gracious kindness
declares us Not Guilty. He has
done this through Christ Jesus,
who has Freed us by Taking Away
our sins. For God sent Jesus to
take the punishment for our sins..
We are made right with God
when we believe that Jesus
shed his blood, sacrificing His
life for us (Rom 3:23-25). Amen.

Father,thanks for loving us so much
that You make us right with You.
Because You are just and could not
overlook our sins, You sent Your
Son as the perfect sacrifice to take
the punishment our sins required.
Grateful we made right with U when
we trust Your Son take away our sins
and You remember them no more.
Because of Jesus’ death, You God
declares me Not Guilty; and sees
Christ’s righteousness instead of
my sin. Thanks for giving the Spirit
to empower me not to sin. Amen.

Lord, praise You for being Merciful.
And thank You for not giving us
the eternal death that we deserve;
instead we’re given life in Christ.
Jesus had said blessed are the
merciful for they shall obtain mercy
Teach me to Be Merciful also by
overlooking the wrongs of others.
Grant me grace to be willing to
bless those who don’t deserve it.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, challenge us to sow seeds
of kindness so that people’s
hearts be softened & open to the
gospel which can set them free.
Open our spiritual eyes that we
might see those in our life who are
hurting & open to the Good News.
Grant us Lord courage to seize
every opportunity and share the
gospel message with them. Amen.

Power of God in the Gospel

In his introductory greeting to
the believers in Rome, the apostle
Paul begins his legal brief by
describing the helpless condition
of humanity. A rebellious nature
has led to rejection of the Creator
and worship of the creation.
God in turn has permitted the
sinful nature of human beings
to express the fullness of its
corruption and the whole human
race stands helpless before God.
Truly, all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God.

Lord, we will Share the Gospel:
The gospel promises beforehand
through His prophets… regarding
His Son, who as to His human
nature was a descendant of David
& who through the Spirit of Holiness
was declared to be the Son of God,
by His resurrection from the dead
Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom 1:2-4).
I am eager to come to you in Rome
too to preach God’s Good News.
For I am not ashamed of this Good
News about Christ. It is the power
of God at work, saving everyone
who believes… This Good News
tells us how God makes us right
in his sight. This is accomplished
from start to finish by faith.
As the Scriptures say: It is
through faith that a righteous
person has life (Rom 1:15-17).

Father, I know that You have sent
Jesus into this world. Through Him
I have been declared righteous
and I am freed from the penalty
and the power of sin. He had done
for me what no other could ever do.
Enlarge my appreciation & affection
for Lord Jesus and for Your gospel.
And may I share it to others. Amen.

Lord, we have treasure in Your
gospel which does for me what 
I cannot possibly accomplish.
What Christ has done means
that my sins have been forgiven,
that I’ve right standing with God;
and that God is at work to produce
the righteous life He desires.
Deepen my gratitude to You so that
I live worthy of the gospel. Amen.

Lord, thank You for the good news
that enable us have peace with You.
This gospel has the power to change
every person; so Lord we ask that
this power go to work deep in us.
May this good news of righteousness
provided to us in Christ transform
our interactions with one another.
Work in us and thru the good news
towards those yet to know You. Amen

Praising God Releases Power

Paul’s second missionary journey
begins with a new companion
– Silas. The team soon doubles
in size as Timothy and Luke are
added. Initially given a warm
reception in Philippi, Paul & Silas
soon experience flogging and
Imprisonment for disrupting the
profitable soothsaying business.
But God uses even this to bring
a jailer and his family to salvation.

Lord, we Claim the Power of Praise:
Around midnight, Paul and Silas
were praying and Singing Hymns
to God, and the other prisoners
were listening. Suddenly, there was
a great earthquake…All the doors
flew open and the chains of every
prisoner fell off. The jailer woke up
to see the prison doors wide open.
He assumed the prisoners had
escaped, so he drew his sword
to kill himself. But Paul shouted:
Stop! Don’t kill yourself!
we are all here! (Acts 16:25-28).
Trembling with fear, the jailer…
fell down before Paul and Silas.
And he brought them out and said:
Sirs what must I do to be saved?”
So they said: Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,
you and your household (v29-31).
Then he brought them into his house
and set a meal before them. He
and his entire household rejoiced
because they all believed in God(34)

Lord, we magnify Your Name for
there is none like You; we thank
and praise You for grace in our lives.
When we face difficult situations
and may be tempted to give up;
remind us Lord of Paul and Silas
in prison & how You helped them.
Then put Praise in our mouth;
for You are our hope and saviour
in the midst of troubles. Amen.

Lord, I purpose to praise and
worship You in every situation;
for things bow to Your Presence
when I bow to Your Presence.
Trust that You will respond to my
praise of You, sometimes visibly
in power and sometimes invisibly.
But either way, Your Presence
is real when my heart is in syn
with the truth of Your glory. Amen.

Lord, the circumstances may not
be great; and there are things
that I don’t quite understand.
What are You doing in this situation?
What do You want to do thru me?
Although I may be hurting inside;
but may Your sovereign will be done.
I am open to what You want to do;
and help me Lord join You at work,
incl declaring Your salvation. Amen.