Author: tanahmerah

Almighty God Always Near Us;              Inspiring God of Earth, Sky & Sea


Paul’s second missionary journey begins with a new companion-Silas. The team soon doubles in size as Timothy and Luke areadded. 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.

American clergyman & hymn writer
Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892),
brother of the famous poet Henry
Longfellow, loved the seashore.
He once compiled a book called
Thalatta, including all the charming
bits of poetry in the language
about the sea and the seashore.
Like many of the psalms, this hymn
praises God for His involvement
in nature. Paul in Acts 17 wrote: the
invisible qualities of God are clearly
seen in what God has created.
Longfellow echoes Paul’s message
here. For God’s love and power are
clearly seen in the events of nature.

Lord, You Are Always Near Us:
He is the God who made the world
and everything in it… From one man
He created the nations throughout
the whole earth. God decided
beforehand when (nations) should
rise and fall, and He determines
their boundaries (Acts 17:24-26).
His Purpose in all of this was that
the nations should Seek After God
and perhaps feel their way towards
Him and find Him – though He Is
Not Far from any one of us (v27).
For In Him We Live and move
and have our being… For we
are also His offspring (v28).

Lord, help us to live with a strong
sense of purpose; and be open
to Your Purpose You have for us.
Help us to slow down enough
to see opportunities; not just big
things but also in everyday things.
Help me to be sensitive to people
and their needs; and be willing
to be Your hands & feet to them.
Help me Lord fulfill the spiritual
assignment You have for me. Amen.

Lord, You may seem nearer to us
when we seek & draw near to You.
But the reality and today’s passage
remind us You are always Near us.
Help me Lord notice Your Presence
in every situation, watching over me.
Praise You Lord for being Provider,
Guide, Shield, Healer and Comforter.
Even when it seems You’re far away,
You are in reality Nearby. Amen.

Lord, we want You to be the one
In Whom We Live & have our being.
We want to hear Your voice Lord,
above all other voices in our lives.
But we get bogged down in routine
and things that want our attention.
And we relegate You to Sundays and
times when we need Your rescue.
Lord, with all our human failings,
help us recognize Your presence.
Challenge, inspire and make us into
the people You want us to be. Amen.

God of the earth, the sky, the sea,
Maker of all above below,
Creation lives and moves in Thee,
Thy present life thru all doth flow…
Thy love is in the sunshine’s glow,
Thy life is in the quickening air;
When lightnings flash & storm blow,
There’s Thy power; Thy law is there..
We feel Thy calm at evening’s hour,
Thy grandeur in the march of night;
When the morning breaks in power,
We hear Thy word:Let there be light!

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of the book of Acts
is to give an accurate account of
the birth and growth of the church.
Acts traces the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem
following the ascension of Christ,
and the subsequent spread and
growth of Christianity throughout
the Roman Empire. Peter played
the leadership role in the first
12 chapters, while Paul travels and
trials dominate the last 16 chapters.

On Monday, we learn from Acts 1
that Christ Made Us His Witnesses.
On Tuesday, we learn from Acts 2
that Christ Provides Power Source.
On Wed, we learn from Acts 4 that
Christ the Cornerstone Strengthens.
On Thurs, we learn from Acts 9 that
God Arranges Divine Encounters.
On Friday, we learn from Acts 13
that God Acts on Earnest Prayers.
On Saturday, we learn from Acts 17
that Almighty God Always Near Us.

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 Christ Made Us His Witnesses
and You Arrange Divine Encounters;
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as Christ Provides Power Source and
as the Cornerstone Strengthens Us;
For You God Acts on Earnest Prayers
and as Almighty Is Always Near Us.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Almighty God Always Near Us;              Inspiring God of Earth, Sky & Sea


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.

American clergyman & hymn writer
Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892),
brother of the famous poet Henry
Longfellow, loved the seashore.
He once compiled a book called
Thalatta, including all the charming
bits of poetry in the language
about the sea and the seashore.
Like many of the psalms, this hymn
praises God for His involvement
in nature. Paul in Acts 17 wrote: the
invisible qualities of God are clearly
seen in what God has created.
Longfellow echoes Paul’s message
here. For God’s love and power are
clearly seen in the events of nature.

Lord, You Are Always Near Us:
He is the God who made the world
and everything in it… From one man
He created the nations throughout
the whole earth. God decided
beforehand when (nations) should
rise and fall, and He determines
their boundaries (Acts 17:24-26).
His Purpose in all of this was that
the nations should Seek After God
and perhaps feel their way towards
Him and find Him – though He Is
Not Far from any one of us (v27).
For In Him We Live and move
and have our being… For we
are also His offspring (v28).

Lord, help us to live with a strong
sense of purpose; and be open
to Your Purpose You have for us.
Help us to slow down enough
to see opportunities; not just big
things but also in everyday things.
Help me to be sensitive to people
and their needs; and be willing
to be Your hands & feet to them.
Help me Lord fulfill the spiritual
assignment You have for me. Amen.

Lord, You may seem nearer to us
when we seek & draw near to You.
But the reality and today’s passage
remind us You are always Near us.
Help me Lord notice Your Presence
in every situation, watching over me.
Praise You Lord for being Provider,
Guide, Shield, Healer and Comforter.
Even when it seems You’re far away,
You are in reality Nearby. Amen.

Lord, we want You to be the one
In Whom We Live & have our being.
We want to hear Your voice Lord,
above all other voices in our lives.
But we get bogged down in routine
and things that want our attention.
And we relegate You to Sundays and
times when we need Your rescue.
Lord, with all our human failings,
help us recognize Your presence.
Challenge, inspire and make us into
the people You want us to be. Amen.

God of the earth, the sky, the sea,
Maker of all above below,
Creation lives and moves in Thee,
Thy present life thru all doth flow…
Thy love is in the sunshine’s glow,
Thy life is in the quickening air;
When lightnings flash & storm blow,
There’s Thy power; Thy law is there..
We feel Thy calm at evening’s hour,
Thy grandeur in the march of night;
When the morning breaks in power,
We hear Thy word:Let there be light!

God Acts on Earnest Prayers

Backgrounder on Acts 13-15:
Acts 13 marks the beginning
of Paul’s missionary career.
Returning to Antioch at the end
of their first missionary journey,
Paul and his travelling companion
Barnabas report to their home
church and seek to resolve
the issue of including Gentiles in
the previously all-Jewish church.

Lord, we’ll Seek You in Prayer:
As they ministered to the Lord
and fasted, the Holy Spirit said:
Separate to Me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called
them. Then having fasted & Prayed…
they sent them away (Acts 13:2-3)
They came to Antioch… and went
into the synagogue… On the next
Sabbath almost the whole city came
to hear the word of God (v14, 44).
(The Lord said): I have made you
a Light to the Gentiles, to bring
Salvation to the farthest corners
of the earth. When the Gentiles
heard this, they were very glad and
thanked the Lord for His message…
and became believers (v47-48).

Lord, we realise calling is revealed
in prayer; and tend to be defined
within a church body of believers.
For it’s tough to develop to one’s
full potential independent of others.
Grant us unity for it adds power
to our prayers and confidence
that God will answer in power.
And enable us to be set apart
for the work You’ve for us. Amen.

Lord, we realise whenever important
decisions had to be made, prayer
are often accompanied by fasting.
Lord, we know that with fasting,
our prayers can gain new power.
Help us Lord to do that whenever
we’ve to make important decisions
and need to have Your guidance.
Help us in the discipline of fasting &
prayer to make us ready to handle
the opportunities ahead. Amen.

Lord, there are many people all
around us whom You are pursuing.
Show us within our circle friends,
loved ones and neighbours that You
want us to pray & build relationships.
For they may be the very people
You have appointed to eternal life.
Equip us Lord to be lights to those
who don’t know You yet and to love
them for Christ Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Lord, I will come to You in prayer
I will seek Your face
I will stand within the gap
There will I intercede…
For every time I pray
I move the hand of God
My prayer does the things
My hands cannot do.
For every time I pray
The mountains are removed
The paths are made straight
And nations turn to You. Amen.

God Arranges Divine Encounters

Two years after Commission, only
Jerusalem had heard the good news
Then persecution hits, scattering
disciples into Judea and Samaria.
Phillip extends his witness to Africa
thru conversion of visiting dignitary.
And Saul encounters the risen
Lord on the road to Damascus,
transforming him from Saul the
Antagonist to Paul the Missionary.

Lord, we seek to Encounter You:
The Lord told (Ananias): Go to house
of Judas on Straight Street and ask
for a man from Tarsus named Saul
for he is Praying. And in a vision he
has seen you putting your hand on
him… Go for he is a chosen vessel
of Mine to bear My name before
Gentiles… Immediately he preached
Christ in the synagogues that He
is the Son of God (Acts 9:11-20).
When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he
tried to meet with the believers, but
they were all afraid… Then Barnabas
brought him to the apostles & told
them how Saul had seen the Lord
on the way to Damascus (v26-27).
Then the churches throughout
Judea, Galilee and Samaria…were
edified. And walking in the fear of
the Lord and in the comfort of the
Holy Spirit, they… multiplied (v31).

Lord, You gave Paul a dramatic
Encounter on the road to Damascus.
The encounter and the fruit of
Paul’s life validated his testimony.
An Encounter with You Lord can turn
anyone into a passionate believer
who will earnestly give You glory.
So step into our experiences in
powerful and life-altering ways
and show us Your glory. Amen.

Lord, You appeared to Saul,
blinded him to get his attention
and then turnaround his life.
Likewise, You may allow me
to get to a dark place where
I can’t see without Your help.
At those times, help me to do as
Paul did and Pray fervently so that
my spiritual sight can be restored
and Your Will Be Done. Amen.

Lord, help me to see others with
Your eyes; and make me to be
an encourager like Barnabas.
Give me Lord the vision to see the
potential You’ve deposited in them.
Fill me with courage to stand with
those in trouble and need my help.
Make me an encouragement from
Your heart to the hearts of others.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Christ the Cornerstone Strengthens

With Jesus’ last instruction still
in their ears, the disciples go forth
speaking words of eternal life.
Visited by their resurrected Lord
and empowered by the promised
Comforter, they fearlessly follow
their marching orders in spite of
mocking, threats & physical abuse.
The advance of the gospel is soon
opposed by adversaries;but prompt
discipline & resolute commitment
only serve to enlarge the church.

Lord, we will Share the Gospel:
Peter filled with the Holy Spirit said:
Elders of Israel: This is the stone
which was rejected by you… which
has become the chief Cornerstone.
Nor is there salvation in any other,
for there is no other name..by which
we must be saved (Acts 4:8-12).
O Lord, hear their threats, and give
us Your servants great boldness
in preaching Your word. Stretch
out Your hand with healing power;
may miraculous signs and wonders
be done through the name of
Your Holy Servant Jesus (v29-30).
When they had prayed, the place
where they were assembled was
shaken; and they were all filled with
the Holy Spirit and they spoke the
word of God with boldness (v31).

Father God, free each one of us:
From Timidity that worries more
about what others will think of us;
From the Rationalization that says
it isn’t my calling or my season;
From Selfishness that doesn’t want
to invest time in other people lives.
From Indifference that affirms
truth but doesn’t act in them;
From the Busyness that dominates
our lives with non-essential things.
Replace our concerns with mindset
to point others to Christ. Amen.

Lord, I ask that You would open
the eyes of my friends and loved
ones to see Your great salvation.
Give me the discernment to see
as well as the boldness to act
on opportunities as they arise.
And I pray that words be given me
that I may open my mouth boldly
to make known the mystery of
the gospel. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, You tend to give Your servants
great boldness in times of distress.
Perhaps because intensity of our
prayers increased with intensity
of circumstances.; and God gives
what we need to follow Him well.
Lord, we long for the boldness
and power of the early church.
And bless us with fruitfulness,
esp when we face hardships. Amen.

Christ Provides Power Source

With Jesus’ last instruction still
in their ears, the disciples go forth
speaking words of eternal life.
Visited by their resurrected Lord
and empowered by the promised
Comforter, they fearlessly follow
their marching orders in spite of
mocking, threats & physical abuse.
The advance of the gospel is soon
opposed by adversaries; but prompt
discipline and resolute commitment
only serve to enlarge the church.

Lord, we’ll Be Open to Holy Spirit:
On the day of Pentecost, seven
weeks after Jesus’ resurrection,
the believers were meeting in
one place… There was a sound
from heaven. And they were Filled
with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).
In the last days… I will pour out
of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons
and daughters shall prophesy…
and whoever calls on the name
of the Lord shall be saved (v17-21).
They devoted themselves to
the apostles’ teaching and to the
fellowship, to the breaking of bread
and to prayer… And the Lord
added to the church daily those
who were being saved (v42,47).

Lord Jesus, grant us the unity
and fervency in prayer that Your
followers had in the upper room.
We long to see Your kingdom
expand, Your Spirit Poured Out
in power and the accomplishment
of Your will & purpose in our time.
Grant us hearts to take an active
role in laying the tracks for Your
Spirit’s work in our generation. Amen

Spirit, reveal any obstacle between
us or the change that is needed.
Empower us & renew us, for we
are open to have Your way in us.
Fill us for we want to experience
the reality of Your presence. And
may Your character and Your ways
rub off on us so that our hearts
can become more like Yours & more
be added to the kingdom. Amen.

Father, help us be diligent to the
study of Your Word and teach us
so that we understand it fully.
Help us Lord to be in fellowship
and to encourage one another.
Help us make prayer a priority
by setting planned time for it.
Enable us to maintain that direct
line to You by praying constantly as
You bring things to our mind. Amen.

Christ Made Us His Witnesses;             Inspiring: I Love to Tell the Story


With Jesus’ last instruction still                   in their ears, the disciples go forth      speaking words of eternal life.                     Visited by their resurrected Lord                    and empowered by the promised Comforter, they fearlessly followtheir marching orders in spite ofmocking, threats & physical abuse.The advance of the gospel issoon opposed by adversaries. But
prompt discipline, wise leadershipand unflinching commitmentonly serve to enlarge the church.

Katherine Hankey (1834-1911)
the daughter of a British banker,
grew up in a London suburb.
And in her twenties, she started
Bible classes for factory girls.
When she was in her thirties, Kate
became seriously ill and doctors
said she needed a year of rest.
During her recovery, she wrote two
poems. The first became the hymn:
Tell me the Old Old Story. The 2nd
became: I Love to Tell the Story.

Lord, we will Be Your Witnesses:
Wait for the Promise of the Father…
For John… baptized with water,
but you shall be baptized
with the Holy Spirit not many
days from now (Acts 1:4-5).
Jesus said: You Shall Receive
Power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you Shall
Be Witnesses to Me (Acts 1:8).
 Jesus has been taken from you
into heaven, but someday
He Will Return in the same way
you saw Him go into heaven (v11)

Lord, thanks for giving us Your
Holy Spirit when we accepted
You, to Be Empowered and Be
Your Witness. Give me ears to hear
and teach me how to listen to You.
Enable me to better understand
virtues like grace, forgiveness,
eternity; and most of all You.
Keep me from the distraction
of busyness & draw me closer
to You more and more. Amen.

Lord, let it be settled in my heart
that You Are Returning. Help me
to be sensitive to changing seasons
both in my life & those around me.
Help me to share Your life with
others who are open to know more
about You. Open my eyes to the
signs around me so that I might
prepare for Your Return out of
gratitude for Your great love. Amen

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank
You for Your deep love for us;
for providing our every need; and
for Your great gift of salvation.
And Lord Jesus, in gratitude,
we purpose to tell of Your story.
For Christ Jesus You satisfy our
longings as nothing else will do.
For twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and His love!! Amen.

I love to tell the story
of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory,
of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story,
because I know ’tis true…
the message of salvation
from God’s own holy Word…
I love to tell the story,
‘Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and His love!!

 

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The path to intentional discipleship
is to grow towards spiritual maturity
by nurturing key disciple attitudes.
So for past 2-3 years, we had been
Seeking God thru biblical prayers;
and Trusting God thru His Promises.
And for the past 8+ months; we have
been Adoring God through Thanking
Him for what He has done for us
and Praising Him for who He is.

From the earliest days of the church,
the singing of hymns and spiritual
songs has been an integral part
of Christian worship. It is a means
for believers to express praise to
their Creator and Saviour. And it’s
also a way for us to communicate
with God using more than words.
For it enables us to pour out the
grateful feelings of the heart and
to express commitment to God.

We are meditating through the Bible,
which is clearly organised by genres:
Laws, History, Poetry and Prophets…
And the purpose of the Gospels is to bring people into a right relationship with God. Jesus Christ came to earth, fully God and fully human,
to bridge the gap between God
and humanity. Through His death
and resurrection, Jesus made
it possible for us to have a
restored relationship with God.

Having completed the OT & gospel,
we will continue to the rest of NT. But here are the key thoughts
from the four gospel interludes;
which highlights the goodness
of God in meeting all of all needs:
Feb 5: Father Provides Needs (Mt 6)
F12: Christ Empowers Called (Mt 10)
F20: Christ Urges Pyr Agreemt(Mt18
Apr14:God Answers Faith Pyr (Mk11)
July 7: Christ Seeks the Lost (Lk 19)
Aug 25: God So Loved Us (Jn 3)
Sep 2: Shepherd Lead us (Jn 10)
Sep 8: Christ Gives Peace (Jn 14)
Navigation: Click PrayerThots.com
Scroll to Calendar, Select mth & day.

Christ the Way Gives Peace Inspiring        hymn: ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust In Jesus

Louisa Stead and her husband
were relaxing with their four-year
old daughter on Long Island beach
when they heard a desperate child’s
cry. A boy was drowning & Louisa’s
husband tried to rescue him.
In desperation the boy pulled Mr
Stead under water & both drowned.
Louisa was left with no means of
support & experienced dire poverty.
One morning when she had no food
for the day she opened the front
door and found that someone had
left food & money in her doorstep.
That day she wrote the hymn:
‘Tis So Sweet to Trust In Jesus,
inspired largely by John 14.

Lord, we will wholly Trust In You:
Let not your heart be troubled;
you believe in God, believe also
in Me. In My Father’s house are
many mansions… I go to prepare
a place for you. And if I go and
prepare for you, I will come
again and receive you to Myself;
that where I am, there you
may be also (John 14:1-3).
I am the way, the truth and
the life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me (v6).
And I will pray (to) the Father, and
He will give you another Helper
that He may abide with you forever…
Peace I leave with you, My peace
I give to you; not as the world
gives do I give to you. Let
not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid (v16, 27).

Lord, in life challenges that come,
I will not let my heart be troubled
but will choose to keep trusting
You to deliver on Your promises.
For I trust in You with all my heart;
for I have purposed to live by faith.
For my God knows the plans He
has for me, plans to prosper me
and not to harm me, to give me
a future and a hope. Amen.

Lord, grateful for the mansion You
have prepared so that I will live with
You in a perfect place for eternity.
Thank You for the promise that You
will escort me to my heavenly home.
Thank You for giving me eternal life:
Though this life is filled with trouble,
I know that I’m only passing through.
Grant me an eternal mindset so that
I can endure temporal difficulties
that may come my way. Amen.

Lord, we may have afflictions
but You will surely Deliver us;
for You love and care much for us.
Loving Lord we choose to keep faith,
trusting You will protect & provide.
And thank You for the comfort
and the reminder from the hymn:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er & o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more. Amen