Thought for the Week: Luke 8

The Lord’s Word to Be Responded

Preaching, healing and disciplining
that summarises the daily activities
of the Son of Man. Luke records
the healings with careful attention
to detail as befitting a physician.
And those documented miracles
become the proof of Jesus’ claim
to a doubting John the Baptist and
a faithless & perverse generation.
As He preaches and heals, Jesus
patiently prepares His disciples
to carry on in His absence. The
cost is steep, but the goal of saving
lives eternally makes it worthwhile.

Lord, we will Respond to Your Word:
The seed is the word of God…
The rocky soil represents those
who hear the message with joy.
But their roots Don’t Go Very Deep.
They wilt when testing blow…
But the good soil represents
people who Hear God’s message,
Cling to it and steadily produce
a huge harvest (Luke 8:11-15).
Pay attention to How You Hear.
To those who listen to my teaching,
more will be given. But for those
who are not listening, even what
they think they understand will be
taken away from them (Lk 8:18).
(Jesus) got into the boat with His
disciples and said: Let Us Cross
over to the other side of the lake…
And they awoke Him saying:
Master Master we are perishing…
He rebuked the wind and raging
waves. Then he asked them:
Where Is Your Faith? (v22-25).

Lord, I want to Receive Your Word,
apply it and be obedient to You.
If my heart is hard, soften it with
Your love. If my roots aren’t deep,
enrich the soil. Deliver me Lord
from being consumed with the
cares and pleasures of this world.
And bring forth by Your Spirit
a great harvest in my life. Amen.

Lord, You know how much I want
more understanding of Your will.
If I have neglected Your teaching
in any way, help me turn toward You
and restore my spirit to a position
of understanding and growth.
Open my heart to hear and to
follow everything that You say.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, thank You that inherent
in the storms of life is Your
promise of peace; not peace
that is the absence of trouble but
peace that eclipse circumstances.
Help me to remember Your Words
and Incline my heart to Yours Lord,
that I may experience more of
Your peace in the storm I face.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Reflection on Luke 1-9 (June 30)

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of the gospel of Luke 

is to present an accurate account of 

the life of Christ and to present Him

as the perfect human and Savior.

This week, we see the dependability

of our powerful and loving God & the

importance to Seek & Follow the Lord.

On Monday, we learn from Luke 1

that God Overcomes the Impossible.

On Tuesday, we learn from Luke 2

that Christ the Saviour of the Nations.

On Wednesday, we learn from Luke 5 

that Christ Cares for the Lost & Needy.

On Thursday, we learn from Luke 6

that Christ Jesus Is Our Solid Rock.

On Friday, we learn from Luke 8

that the Lord’s Word to be Responded. 

On Saturday, we learn from Luke 9

that the Lord’s Voice to be Followed.

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 to be Praised

as You Overcome the Impossible

and that You are our Solid Rock;

For You are Worthy of our Thanks

as You are the Saviour of Nations

and You Care for the Lost & Needy; 

For Your Word is to be Responded 

and Your Voice is to be Followed.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Adoring God In Luke 9 (June 29)

Lord’s Voice to be Followed

Preaching, healing and disciplining
that summarises the daily activities
of the Son of Man. Luke records
the healings with careful attention.
And those documented miracles
become proof of Jesus’ claim to
a faithless & perverse generation.
As he preaches and heals, Jesus
patiently prepares His disciples
to carry on in His absence. The
cost is steep, but the goal of saving
lives eternally makes it worthwhile.

Lord, we’ll Hear & Follow You:
Then Jesus said to them: If anyone
desires to come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his
cross daily and follow me. For
whoever desires to save his life
will lose it, but whoever loses his life
for My sake will save it (Lk 9:23-24)
As He prayed, the appearance of
His face was altered and his robe
became white and glistening…
And a voice came out of the
cloud saying: This is My beloved
Son. Hear Him (v29-35).
Then Jesus said to another:
Follow me… But he said: Lord,
I will follow You, but let me first 
go and bid farewell who are at
my house. But Jesus said to him:
No one having put his hand to
the plow, and looking back is fit
for the kingdom of God (v59-62).

Lord, we realise to follow You,
we must submit our wants and
desires to Yours. We must stop
serving ourselves & start serving U.
Lord, the call to total commitment
and priority may be challenging.
But we know You will accompany
the call with divine confirmation
so that we’ll have the necessary
faith to act upon it. Amen.

Lord, we will join You in ministry
to further the kingdom of God.
Help us to befriend sinners and
give us heart of compassion
for those hurting and in need.
Help us readily receive Your Word,
apply it and be obedient to You.
Strengthen our trust in You for
everything is possible if we believe.
As we offer ourselves to be used
by You, multiply the resources
for Your purposes. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, forgive me when I have put
my own priorities in front of Yours.
I may have treated You more like
a servant or an equal rather than
my Master and Sovereign King.
Enable me Lord to answer Your
divine call and make no excuses.
And though my track record of
doing that maybe rather spotty,
I ask for Your help & strength to be
a disciple You can count on. Amen.

Adoring God In Luke 8 (June 28)

Lord’s Word to Be Responded

Preaching, healing and disciplining
that summarises the daily activities
of the Son of Man. Luke records
the healings with careful attention
to detail as befitting a physician.
And those documented miracles
become the proof of Jesus’ claim
to a doubting John the Baptist and
a faithless & perverse generation.
As He preaches and heals, Jesus
patiently prepares His disciples
to carry on in His absence. The
cost is steep, but the goal of saving
lives eternally makes it worthwhile.

Lord, we will Respond to Your Word:
The seed is the word of God…
The rocky soil represents those
who hear the message with joy.
But their roots Don’t Go Very Deep.
They wilt when testing blow…
But the good soil represents
people who Hear God’s message,
Cling to it and steadily produce
a huge harvest (Luke 8:11-15).
Pay attention to How You Hear.
To those who listen to my teaching,
more will be given. But for those
who are not listening, even what
they think they understand will be
taken away from them (Lk 8:18).
(Jesus) got into the boat with His
disciples and said: Let Us Cross
over to the other side of the lake…
And they awoke Him saying:
Master Master we are perishing…
He rebuked the wind and raging
waves. Then He asked them:
Where Is Your Faith? (v22-25).

Lord, I want to Receive Your Word,
apply it and be obedient to You. 

If my heart is hard, soften it with 

Your love. If my roots aren’t deep, 

enrich the soil. Deliver me Lord 
from being consumed with the
cares and pleasures of this world.
And bring forth by Your Spirit 
a great harvest in my life. Amen.

Lord, You know how much I want
more understanding of Your will.
If I have neglected Your teaching
in any way, help me turn toward You
and restore my spirit to a position 

of understanding and growth. 

Open my heart to hear and to 

follow everything that You say. 

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, thank You that inherent
in the storms of life is Your
promise of peace; not peace
that is the absence of trouble but
peace that eclipse circumstances.

Help me to remember Your Words

and Incline my heart to Yours Lord,
that I may experience more of
Your peace in the storm I face.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Adoring God In Luke 6 (June 27)

Christ Jesus Is the Solid Rock

Rejection in His hometown of
Nazareth causes Jesus to shift
to Capernaum where He ministers
for two years. There Christ calls
12 men to be His travelling companions. And there by
the shores of Galilee He begin
to prepare them for ministry
He will soon entrust to them.

Lord,we purpose to Do What U Say:
Now it came to pass in those days
that He went out to the mountain
to pray, and continued all night in
prayer to God. And when it was day,
He called His disciples to Himself &
fr them He chose twelve whom He
also named apostles (Luke 6:12-13).
Then He lifted up His eyes
towards His disciples and said:
Blessed are the poor, for yours is
the kingdom of God (Luke 6:20). 
(Jesus said): Why do you call me
Lord, Lord, when you don’t do what
I say?… I will show you what it’s
like when someone comes to me,
listens to my teaching and then
follows it. It is like a person building
a house who digs deep and Lays
the Foundation on Solid Rock…
Anyone who hears and doesn’t obey
is like a person who builds a house
without a foundation (Lk 6:46-49).

Lord, we realise because of the
importance of the choice of the
Twelve disciples, You spent the
night in prayer with the Father.
For our hearts the lesson is clear:
Because we never know the
ultimate effect of major decisions,
Much prayer is needed before
the die is cast. Help us Lord to
be poor in spirit so that we can
claim the kingdom of God. Amen.

Lord, my heart is already Yours
considering what You have done
and I surrender once again to You.
My heart wants to accept Your will
and to do what You want me to.
But Lord, please share it with me
clearly; for only then will I have
the confidence that You are with
me in the challenge and dare to
undertake it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, You are leading me to lay
down my life daily. You say some
difficult things but also promise
great blessings for doing them.
Lord, I have to admit Your words
don’t always make sense to me.
And I am afraid to follow some of
them fully. But I do trust that You 
want my life to weather any storm.
Anchor me to the rock as I purpose
to follow You more closely. Amen.

Adoring God in Luke 5 (June 26)

Christ Cares for the Lost & Needy

Luke introduces the ministry of
Jesus with three preparatory events:
the ministry of His forerunner
John the Baptist, His baptism by
John and His temptation by Satan.
Rejection in His hometown of
Nazareth causes Jesus to move
to Capernaum where He ministers
for two years. There Christ calls
12 men to be His companions. And
 there by the shores of Galilee He
begins to prepare them for ministry
He will soon entrust to them.

Lord, You Care for the Lost & Needy:
Jesus said: Now go out where it is
deeper & let down your nets. Simon
answered: Master, we’ve worked
hard all night and haven’t caught
anything. But because you say so,
I will let down the nets. When they
had done so, they caught such
a large number of fish…Then
Jesus said to Simon: From now
on You will catch men (Lk 5:4-10)
Later… Jesus saw a tax collector
named Levi sitting at his tax
collector’s booth. Follow me and
be my disciple, Jesus said to him.
So Levi got up, left everything,
and followed Him (Luke 5:27-28).
Healthy people don’t need a doctor
– sick people do. I have come to
call sinners to turn from their sins,
not to spend my time with those
who think they are already good
enough (Luke 5:31-32). Amen.

Lord, let us learn from Simon Peter
where obedience to Your voice
opens our lives to Your miraculous
work and receive Your blessing.
Open our ears Lord to hear Your
voice in our current circumstance.
Help us learn from the prophet
Samuel and say with him: Speak
for Your servants are listening. Amen

Lord, sometimes when I look at
someone, all I can see is who he
is now & his need for huge change.
But Lord You are indeed sovereign
and Your call cannot be resisted.
Help us Lord to befriend sinners,
and give us heart of compassion
for those hurting and lost in sin,
so that we can reach out to them
effectively in time of opening. Amen

Lord, thank You for shedding light
to show us that we need You the
Great Physician to heal our wounds.
Thank You Lord for calling us to
repent and come to You and for
Your tender mercies in our lives.
Give us Your heart for those who
are hurting, sick & lost in sin, just
as Your heart reaches out to us
in our time of greatest need. Amen

Adoring God In Luke 2 (June 25)

Christ the Saviour of the Nations

Dr Luke – physician, historian
and writer of the longest gospel
account clearly states his purpose
for writing in the opening verses:
That thou might know the certainty
of those things thou has instructed
He begins with details surrounding
the miraculous birth of John the
forerunner and Jesus the Messiah.

Lord, we’ll Seek & Wait Upon You:
Simeon…eagerly expected the
Messiah to come and rescue
Israel… When Mary and Joseph
came to present Jesus to the
Lord, Simeon took the child in
his arms and praised God saying:
Lord now I can die in peace !
As promised me, I have seen
the Saviour you have given to
all people. He is a light to reveal
God to the nations (Lk 2:25-32).
Anna, a prophet never left the
Temple but stayed worshipping
God… She came along just as
Simeon was talking with Mary &
Joseph, and she began praising
God. She talked about Jesus to
everyone who had been waiting
for the promised King to come
and deliver Jerusalem (v36-38).

Lord, thank You for being a light
to reveal God so that more people
can know and worship our Father.
Thanks Jesus for coming on earth to
be our Saviour & bringing us out of
darkness into Your marvellous light.
Help me Lord to shine Your light
so that everyone around will
be drawn to You. And help us
like Simeon to accomplish Your
purpose and live our destiny. Amen.

Lord, help me to let go of
my divided desires and
be wholly devoted to You.
Capture and renew my heart
to regularly wait upon You.
And let the eyes of my heart
be awakened to see You Lord
and to rejoice in You each day.
For You are indeed worthy of
all praise and adoration. Amen.

Lord, praise and worship draw us
close to You and opens our ears
to Your voice. For when we spend
time adoring You in gratitude and
praise, our hearts merge with Yours.
Father, I appreciate Your goodness
and all that You have done for me.
I pour my adoration to You Lord;
and let me enjoy Your goodness
and seek Your heart above all else.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Adoring God In Luke 1 (June 24)

God Overcomes the Impossible

Dr Luke – physician, historian and
writer of the longest gospel account
clearly states his purpose for writing
in the opening verses of his book.
That thou might know the certainty
of those things thou has instructed
(1:4). He begins with the details
surrounding the miraculous birth
of two remarkable boys: John the
forerunner, and Jesus the Messiah.

Lord, we will Believe Your Word:
The angel said: Do Not be afraid,
Zacharias, for your prayer is heard;
your wife will bear you a son,
and you shall call his name John…
But behold you will be mute until
the day these things take place
because u did Not Believe my words
which will be fulfilled (Lk 1:13-20)
The angel said: Behold you will
conceive in your womb and bring
forth a Son and shall call His name
Jesus… For with God nothing
will be impossible. Then Mary
said: Let It Be to me According
To Your Word (Luke 1:31-38).
You are Blessed Because You
Believed what the Lord would do
what He said (Luke 1:45). Amen.

Lord, there may be difficulties in
our lives that have lingered for So
Long that they seems impossibilities.
But then when the Almighty God
is involved, nothing is impossible.
For nothing is too difficult for You;
& You prefer to work in impossible
situations where Your attributes &
power are most visibly displayed.
Lord, help us not be discouraged
by the Long unyielding situations.
Help us Lord to endure the long
periods requiring faith & patience.
Help us to Wait and believe for
nothing is impossible with U. Amen.

Lord, even when things does
not make sense, remind me that
Your Word is the ultimate truth.
Even when my faith is weak
and hidden, Your promises can
bring it to pass out of hiding.
I embrace Your promises, though
they may seem impossible because
You are the God who can create
new things out of nothing. Amen.

Lord, help me not to focus on the
problem & be afraid like Zacharias;
but instead learn to take courage
like Mary focusing solely on You.
I rembrace Lord Your promises like
Mary & rest the weight of my soul
circumstance on Your sure word.
For after all You are the God of
the impossible and I rest in You.
And Lord I look forward to receive
the blessing through Believing You
and Be Complete in You. Amen.

Reflection on 5 Books of Poetry

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 six months; we’ve
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 organised by genres:
Laws, History, Poetry and Prophets…
Before we continue into Prophets,
for variety sake we will have the
third Gospel interlude in Luke.
But here’s the key thots over the last
10 weeks from five books of Poetry
which encourage us to seek God.
Apr 21: God Is In Control (Job 16/19)
A28: God Promises Fruitfulness(Ps1)
May 5: Lord Shepherd Cares (Ps 23)
M12: Everlasting God Guides (Ps 48)
M19: God My Strength/Shelter (P73)
M26:Thank God for Benefits(Ps 103)
Jun 2: God’s Word Directs (Ps 119)
Jun 9: God Loves Enduringly(Ps136)
J16: Lord Directs Our Plans (Prov 16)
J23: God’s Timing the Best (Eccl 3)
Navigation: Click PrayerThots.com
Scroll to Calendar, Select mth & day.

Thought for the Week:

Eccl 3God’s Timing Is the Best

Making sense out of life is not easy.
And this is the problem facing the
preacher as he thinks through what
he has seen and experienced in life.
Every thing he has undertaken
from acquiring wisdom to amassing
wealth has ended in emptiness.
In a sudden burst of emotion the
preacher realises God does indeed
appoint the Times & purposes of life.

Lord, we will Wait for Your Timing:
For everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose
under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
A time to be born & a time to die…
A time to weep & a time to laugh…
A time to keep and a time to
throw away… A time to keep
silence and a time to speak (v2-7).
He has made everything beautiful
in its time. He has also set eternity
in the hearts of men; yet they
can’t fathom what God has done
from beginning to end… There is
nothing better for men than to be
happy and do good while they live.
That everyone may eat and drink
and find satisfaction in all his toil
– this is the gift of God (v11-13).

Lord, You’re sovereign & do things
at Your time to achieve Your plan,
including moulding our character.
Pray for grace not to extend the
gruelling waiting time. Enable me
be honest to recognise inner flaws;
and in Your mercy, remove defects
that keep me trapped in self will.
Grant me a character makeover so
that I can represent You well. Amen.

Lord, as human beings, we have a
keen sense of having the right time
in sharing advice or exciting news.
But when it comes to talking to God,
we tend to expect You to answer our
prayers or reveal Yr Will right away.
Waiting is hard and we don’t always
know how to interpret the rhythm of
our dialogue. Grant us patience to
wait & watch for Your words. Amen.

Lord, I realise Your Timing is not
the same as mine. I want all the
answers to my prayers right now;
but You want me to be patient
and wait on You. So I lay down
my concerns before You Lord and
leave the outcome in Your hands.
Help me to rest in the knowledge
that Your timing is perfect, just as
everything You do is perfect. Amen.