Category: 2019 Prayers

God Answers Prayers of Faith

The final week of Jesus’ earthly
life occupies more space in the
gospels than any other stage
of Jesus’ ministry. His arrival
in Jerusalem coincides with
the preparations for the Feast
of Passover. Though events move
quickly, Jesus is never hurried.
There is time to clean out the
temple,watch the widow contribute
her two mites and give final
instructions to the disciples.

Lord, grant us Faith & Grace:
As they passed by, they saw the
fig tree dried up from the roots…
Jesus said: Have Faith In God.
For assuredly I say to you, whoever
says to this mountain: Be removed
and does not doubt in his heart,
but Believes that those things
he says will be done, he will have
whatever he says. Therefore I say
to you, whatever things you ask
when you pray, Believe that you
receive them & you will have them.
And whenever you stand praying,
if u have anything against anyone,
Forgive him, that your Father
in heaven may also forgive you
your trespasses (Mark 11:21-26).

Lord, I have faith in You, the
Almighty, all loving faithful God.
And I believe that You reward
those who diligently seek You.
Lord, I place this issue before
You In Faith and Without Doubt
and seeking Your face and will.
Your Word says if I ask anything
according to Your will, You hear me
and I can have what I ask of You.
Into Your hand I surrender. Amen.

Lord, I come to You with my need
and desire, asking You In Faith and
claiming the promise in Mark 11:24.
Trust that the need is within Your
will; and implore You to reward
those who diligently seek You.
I know that in Your sovereignty,
You do things Your way & Your time.
But Father God, I plead for Your
mercy for it’s been such a long
time that I have been asking You.
So grant me Your favor and favour
of men as soon as possible. Amen.

Lord, I don’t want Your Presence to
be quenched due to unforgiveness.
I don’t want to hinder Yr forgiveness
because I’ve not forgiven someone.
Instead I want to receive Yr blessing
because I have forgiven someone.
Reveal any place in my heart where
I have not yet forgiven someone.
And create in me a forgiving spirit
that sees others as You do. Amen.

Managing God’s Household (Jul 11)

Context: Timothy, a young disciple
discovered by Paul on his second
missionary journey, enjoyed a
unique relationship with the apostle.
Referred to by Paul as his “beloved
son”, Timothy ministered alongside with Paul as a missionary and later received the challenging assignment of pastoring the church at Ephesus.
Paul’s first letter resembles a manual
for building church leadership and
principles to impact lives of others.

Dear Lord, we realise that right
behaviour, discipline & commitment
are critical for anyone who serves.
Help us manage Your household
by knowing Your Word, obey it and
help us be committed to Christ.
Help us Be Example of You Lord;
Help us Honour our Elders; and
Help us Fight the Good Fight. Amen.

Lord, we aim Be Example of You:
Be an example to all believers
in what you teach, in the way
you live, in your love, your faith,
and your purity… Give attention
to reading, to exhortation,
to doctrine. (1 Tim 4:12-13).
Lord, help me not to shy away from
using the gift that You’ve given me.
And make me Lord an example
of Your love, faith and purity.
Thankful that Your opinion of me
is more important than anyone else.
And that the work You accomplish
through me is effective whether
in my gifting or in my weaknesses.
For my weaknesses cause greater
dependence on You. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Honour Parents & Elders:
Learn to show piety at home and to
repay their parents; for this is good
and acceptable before God(1Tim 5:4)
Elders who direct the affairs of the
church well are worthy of double
honour, especially those whose
work is preaching & teaching (v17).
Lord, thank You for gift of children &
give all parents the wisdom to teach
their children in lovingkindness.
And may the children honour their
parents in gratitude for all they have
done for them. Help them realise
their faithfulness will be rewarded
by God that all be well with them.
Lord, grant our lay leaders and
those in vocational ministry joy,
wisdom, passion and courage.
Grant them the power through
Your Holy Spirit and faithful support
of those involved in the local church.
Provide for their needs and grant
them resolve to minister especially
when the going gets tough. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Fight the Good Fight:
O man of God, flee these things &
pursue righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, patience, gentleness.
Fight the good fight of faith.
Hold tightly to the eternal life
that God has given you, which
you have confessed so well before
many witnesses (1Tim 6:11-12).
Lord, I realise the road ahead is
not easy; but I purpose to hold fast.
Help me not grow weary in battles
but instead seek You continually
to fight the good fight on my behalf.
Grant me Lord faithfulness and perseverance to stay the course.
And Thank You for Your promise of
eternal life in Your presence. Amen.

Having Right Belief & Behaviour

Context: Timothy, a young disciple
discovered by Paul on his second
missionary journey, enjoyed a
unique relationship with the apostle.
Referred to by Paul as his “beloved
son”, Timothy ministered alongside with Paul as a missionary and later received the challenging assignment of pastoring the church at Ephesus.
Paul’s first letter resembles a manual
for building church leadership.
More generally, it is a rich mine of principles for anyone who wishes
to have impact in the lives of others.

Dear Lord, we realise that right
beliefs and right behaviour are
critical for anyone who desires
to lead or serve in the church.
Help us know Your Word, obey it;
and be wholly committed to Christ.
Help us Hold On to Your Word;
Help us Pray together in Unity;
Help us Be Above Reproach. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Hold On to Your Word:
(Paul wrote): Timothy my son,
here are my instructions for you,
based on the prophetic words
spoken about you earlier. May
they help you fight well in the
Lord’s battles; having faith and
a good conscience (1Tim 1:18-19)
Lord, with all the distractions and
obstacles that may come against
us, it will be difficult to stay on
a direct course or have the energy
to keep following the Master.
When the going gets tough,
I purpose to cling to what You
said into my life. I won’t depart
from it, no matter what the
contradictions I hear or think.
Help me to keep focused & pursue
the calling You have given. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Pray Together in Unity:
Therefore I exhort first of all
that supplications, prayers,
intercessions & giving of thanks
be made for all men (1Tim 2:1).
I want men everywhere to
lift up holy hands in prayer,
without anger or disputing (v8).
Lord, we realise that sometimes
Christians quarrel among ourselves.
We get caught up in unimportant
debates and useless arguments.
So Lord help us to be so devoted
to You that we maintain oneness
of the Spirit, even if we disagree
on certain things. I pray we will
be unified in our belief in Your
Word so that we will be unified
in our prayers before You. Amen.

Lord, we aspire Be Above Reproach:
A bishop then must be blameless…
temperate, sober-minded,
of good behaviour, hospitable,
able to teach… not violent,
not greedy for money, but gentle,
not quarrelsome, not covetous…
Likewise deacons must be reverent,
not double-tongued… not greedy
for money, holding the mystery
of the faith with a pure conscience.
But let these first be tested…
being found blameless (1Tim 3:2-10)
Lord, I want to be above reproach,
temperate, self-controlled,
not quarrelsome, not violent but
gentle, and not a lover of money.
Give me Lord understanding heart
to distinguish right from wrong.
Give me humility, meekness,
patience and charity. And give
me Your love and Your grace
so that I can serve You well. Amen.

1&2 Timothy, Titus & Philemon

We start the Gospels, with
Matthew who presents Jesus as
the Christ, Israel’s messianic King.
Mark presents Jesus as the Servant
who gave his life for mankind.
Luke presents Him as the perfect
Son of Man saving the lost.
And John presents Jesus as
Son of God offering eternal life.
We have also covered Acts which
chronicles Growth of the church.

Turning to the Pauline epistles:
In Romans, Paul gives a sample of his
message before he arrives in Rome.
And First and Second Corinthians,
Living for Christ in corrupt society.
In Galatians, Paul calls Christians
to faith and freedom in Christ.
In Eph,Paul strengthens believers by
explaining the purpose of the church.
In Philippians, Paul shows true joy
comes from Jesus Christ alone.
In Colossians, Paul shows believers
have everything they need in Christ.
In Thessalonians, Paul encourages
the church to persevere in midst
of persecutions; and not be weary
in doing good before Christ returns.
Next, we will meditate on Pauline
pastoral epistles over 3 weekends.

ITimothy: Timothy a young disciple
discovered by Paul on his second
missionary journey (Acts 16:1),
enjoyed a unique relationship with
the apostle. Referred to as his
‘own son’ in the faith, Timothy
ministered side by side with Paul
as a missionary and later received
the challenging assignment of
pastoring the church in Ephesus.
Paul’s first letter to him resembles
a manual for building church
leadership. More generally, it is
a rich mine of principles for anyone
who wishes to have a spiritual
impact in the lives of others.

2Timothy: Paul’s life is drawn to
a lonely close in a Roman prison
as he writes to encourage Timothy,
whom he refers to as his ‘own son’
in the faith. Timothy has ministered
side by side in mission endeavors
with the apostle, but now he faces
new challenges as pastor of the
church at Ephesus. Paul’s first
letter offers instruction and advice
for building strong leadership
within the congregation and lays
down principles for those who
want a ministry of discipleship.
Underlying each theme is the
importance of God’s Word
as the foundation for living.

Titus lived on Crete, the largest
island in the Mediterranean
and worked among a people
who collectively had one of the
worst reputations in the world.
Paul had left Titus to oversee the
growth of the church there and
now writes to encourage him in
that difficult task. In order to promote
sound teaching and offset false
doctrines that were in the rise,
Titus is told to appoint and
train spiritual leaders as elders.
Paul’s short letter is a summary of
Christian doctrine that emphasises
holy living and encourages all
to live worthy of the gospel.

Philemon: On the run after committing a wrong against his master, Onesimus the slave sought
refuge among the masses in the city
of Rome. There he crosses Paul’s
path and converts to faith in Christ.
Though he shows his gratitude by
serving Paul, he still must reconcile
with his master Philemon. Paul writes
this letter to Philemon asking him
to forgive Onesimus, the bearer
of the letter, and to accept him as
a brother in Christ.This short epistle
reminds believers of our heavenly
Father’s love and forgiveness.

Knowing God thru His Names

The purpose of the Gospel according
to Mark is to portray Jesus as
a Servant and as a Redeemer.
This week we understand God better
thru knowing His attributes, mostly
related to His ability to meet needs.
On Monday, we learn from Mark 4
about God’s Word Is Trustworthy.
On Tuesday, we learn from Mark 6
about God who is Compassionate.
On Wed, we learn from Mark 8
about Christ the Bread of Life.
On Thursday, we learn from Mark 11
about God Answers Prayers of Faith.
On Friday, we learn from Mark 14-16
about Son Obeys the Father’s Will.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

Christ Obeys the Father’s Will

The time has come for Jesus
to demonstrate the full extent of
His servanthood. For the Passover
Lamb of God, the long-awaited
hour has arrived. Conspired against
by His enemies – betrayed by one
close follower and denied by another – tried and finally executed, Jesus’
life of service seems to be finished.
But in the greatest of all miracles,
Easter dawn reveals an empty tomb,
setting the stage for Jesus to
commission His followers to
bear the glad tidings worldwide.

Lord, having thoroughly prepared
the disciples, your actions in the
Final Day on earth shows you are
Fully Obedient to the Father’s Will
to Give Yr Life as ransom (Mk10:45)
At the Last Supper, You said one of
you who eats with me will betray me
(M14:18) & yet You did not stop him.
You greatly desire to get out of
the intense suffering and yet You
went to Gethsemane to pray: Not
what I will but what You will (v36).
Thanks You chose to surrender to
the Father’s will in loving obedience.

Lord,at trial before religious leaders
You chose to remain silent when
false charges were thrown at You.
And yet when high priest asked:
Are You the Christ, the Son of the
Blessed? You said I am. And you
will see the Son of Man coming
with the clouds of heaven (Mk14:62).
At trial before political authority,
when Pilate asked: Are you King
of the Jews? You said: It is as you
say. And yet when Pilate asked
about priests’ false accusations,
You answered nothing (Mk 15:1-5).
In all Your previous encounters
where religious leaders accused
You of wrong doings You had
no problem defending yet this
time You chose not to do so?!

Lord, at the cross when teachers
of the law mocked You; He saved
others but He can’t save himself?
Let this Christ come down now
from the cross, that we may see
and believe (Mark 15:27-32).
You who Calm the sea (Mk4:39) &
yet chose to remain at the cross.
And then there was darkness over
the whole land for 3 hours (v33).
And You cried: My God, My God,
why have You forsaken me ?
Then the veil of the temple was
torn in two from top to bottom.
So when the centurion saw that
He cried out like this & breathed
His last, he said: Truly this Man
was the Son of God! (Mk15:34-39).
Thank U Lord for Yr love enduring
all the suffering on our behalf.
We love You in deep gratitude!

Lord, we purpose to Trust Your Word:
We note You appeared to the eleven
and rebuked them for their lack
of faith and their stubborn refusal
to believe those who had seen Him
after He had risen. Then He said:
Go into all the world and preach
the good news. Whoever believes
and is baptised will be saved,
but whoever does not believe
will be condemned (Mk 16:14-16).
Lord, with Your resurrection,
we have good news to proclaim
in obedience to Your commission.

Lord, You have good plans for us
and You fulfil promises. We learnt
from last three chapters of Mark,
You are fully obedient to Father’s
will. Whilst Your sacrificial love
is really lofty, we are challenged
to be more obedient to God
and His mysterious ways. Holy
Spirit, grant us grace to take up
our cross, trust U without doubt
and carry out our assigned tasks
out of love of You and others.
Whilst there may be challenges,
we know the Almighty, all loving
and all faithful God is on our side!
In Jesus Mighty name, Amen.

Christ the Bread of Life

Backgrounder to Mark 8-10:
As opposition to Jesus’ ministry
increases, it is no longer safe
to move openly in Galilee. So
Jesus traverses the regions of
Decapolis, Caesarea & Perea,
thereby avoiding the crowds and
deadly plots of religious leaders.
In the concluding days of His
earthly ministry, Jesus begins
to prepare His disciples for the
faithful journey to Jerusalem
that will mark the end of His life
and the beginning of their role
as bearers of the glad tidings.

Lord, You are our Bread of Life:
Another great crowd had gathered,
and the people ran out of food again.
Jesus called his disciples and told
them: I feel sorry for these people…
How many loaves of bread do you
have? He asked. (Mark 8:2-5).
When the Pharisees heard that
Jesus had arrived, they came to
argue with him. Testing him to see if
he was from God, they demanded:
Give us a miraculous sign to prove
yourself. When he heard this, he
sighed and said: Why do you keep
demanding a miraculous sign(v11-12)
Whoever desires to come after Me,
let him deny himself, and take up
his cross & follow Me… Whoever
loses his life for My sake and the
gospel’s will save it. For what will it
profit a man if he gains the whole
world, and loses his soul? (v34-36)

Lord, we are uamazed by the miracle
U performed to feed the multitude.
Thank You Lord for the ways You
are still providing for our needs
even as we put our trust in You.
There are many people who are
physically and spiritually hungry.
Prepare us, strengthen us and
use us to partner with You in
what You are doing on earth. Amen

Lord, forgive me when I demand
evidence of Your power instead
of thanking You for all that You do.
Open my eyes to see the works
of Your hand everywhere I look.
With all my heart I welcome
Your presence however You
choose to reveal Yourself to me.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, You promise that we will
find true life by denying ourselves.
Grant me the humility & courage
to do so. Help me to let go of
being preoccupied with myself.
Help me instead to focus on You,
Your kingdom & Your purposes.
And let me experience You to
the degree I trust and follow You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
Hold me with thy powerful hand:
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven
Feed me till I want no more (2x)
Open thou the crystal fountain
Whence t healing stream shall flow
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through:
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer
Be thou still my strength & shield (2x)

God who is Compassionate

Through both His words and works,
Christ proclaims His true identity
to the disciples and the multitudes.
At first even His companions are
perplexed by His power & authority,
wondering: What manner of man
is this, that even the wind and
the sea obey Him. But patiently –
through the miracles of exorcism,
healing and even raising the dead
the Master Servant works to
convince His followers of the
nature of His person and mission.

Lord, we will be Compassionate:
(Jesus) said to them: Come with
me by yourself to a quiet place
and get some rest. There were
many coming & going and they did
not even have time to eat (Mk6:31)
When Jesus landed and saw a
large crowd, He had compassion
on them, because they were
like sheep without a Shepherd.
So he began teaching them
many things (Mark 6:34).
By this time it was late in the day,
so his disciples said: Send the pple
away so that they can buy food to
eat. But Jesus answered: You give
them something to eat. (v35-36)

Lord, I recognise in the creation
story the work-rest, work-rest
rhythm built by God into life. When
we violate this natural order by excessive work, we’ll soon burnout.
No wonder Jesus scheduled
retreat for himself & his disciples.
I sometimes feel drained physically
and spiritually. Give me the wisdom
to recognise the warning signs
of burnout. For I can’t be effective
for You if I am running on empty; and
I want the rest that You offer. Amen

Lord, You know needs of people
and You responded accordingly.
We are to care for the weak
and to encourage the timid.
Grant us Lord wisdom to respond
correctly with the right words
and at the right time. Above all
grant us compassion like yours; so
that when we reach out to others,
that they may see You. Amen.

Lord, You created in our soul,
mind, will and also emotion.
Let us be renewed in our mind
as we meditate on Your Word.
Let us be yielded to the Holy
Spirit as we respond to the Word.
And let our emotions be under
the control of the Holy Spirit and
Lord we want to feel Your emotions.
As You had promised a new heart
do also put Your feelings within us,
even the compassion of Jesus. Amen.

God’s Word Is Trustworthy

Through both His words and works,
Christ proclaims His true identity
to the disciples and the multitudes.
At 1st even His closest companions
are perplexed by His power and
authority, wondering: What manner
of man is this, that even the wind
and the sea obey Him (4:41). But
patiently through the miracles of
exorcism, healing and even raising
the dead the Master Servant works
to convince His followers of the
nature of His person and mission.

Lord, we’ll Wholly Trust Your Word:
Listen, a sower went out to sow…
The one sown among thorns; they
are the ones who hear the word
and the cares of this world…choke
the word and it becomes unfruitful.
But the ones sown on good ground,
those who Hear the Word, Accept
It and Bear fruit (Mark 4:1-20).
Jesus said to his disciples: LET US
Cross to the east side… Suddenly
a storm struck the lake. Waves
started splashing into the boat
and it was about to sink. Jesus
was in the back of the boat asleep.
His disciples woke him and said:
Teacher don’t You care that we’re
about to drown? Jesus got up and
ordered the wind and waves to
be quiet. The wind stopped and
everything was calm. Jesus asked
His disciples: Why are u So Fearful?
How is it you have No Faith?(v35-40)

Lord, worldly worries and desire
for things can affect us, especially
when our routine is overcrowded.
And it’s easy for material pursuits
to deafen us to God’s Word. So,
Help us Lord to stay free so that
we can Hear God when You speak.
Help us not to have divided heart
but instead be Wholehearted to
You by Responding to Your Word.
And mould our hearts to see things
from Your perspective so that we
will be ready to produce fruit. Amen

Lord, help us to remember clearly
Your Instructions like what You
told the disciples: “Let Us Cross.”
Remind us to Rely On Your Word
and Not Focus on situation we’re in.
Remind us Your Presence and
help us to say focussed on You.
Remind us no storm can take us
off course, for You Can Do all things
and Your plan cannot be thwarted.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, Thank You for Mark gospel,
which captures two purposes of
Christ coming to earth: to minister
and give His life a random for many.
Grant us the grace to be like Jesus
in having a servant mindset. And
grant us the grace to Love God’s
Word, to Respond to God’s Word,
to Accept & Trust Fully His Word.
Lord, we’ll Live By Your Word. Amen.