As the Bible is arranged by genre,
to enhance understanding context we had been meditating scripture
by time sequence in 25 months
over three Old Testament phases:
OT1A: Genesis
OT1B: Poetry Book of Job
OT1C: Life of Moses (Exo to Deut)
OT2A: History to David (Josh-1Chr)
OT2B: Five Books of Psalms
OT2C: 1 Kings & Wisdom Poetry
OT3A: 2 Kings & Prophets
OT3B: 2 Chronicles & Prophets
OT3C: Post Exilic Period & Prophets
Earlier this month we meditated
on John gospel where we learnt
Jesus Christ as Son of God and that
believing we have life in His name.
Next, beginning with a frightened
band of disciples in an upper room,
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. Written by Luke,
Acts records the fulfilment of
Jesus’ Great Commission as
Spirit-transformed disciples carry
the gospel to Jerusalem… Judea
and the uttermost part of the earth.
We will meditate Acts over five
weekends in following divisions:
Acts 1-4: Spirit of the Church
Acts 5-7: Growth of the Church
Acts 8-12: Persecution & Expansion
Acts 13-20: Paul’s Mission Journeys
Acts 21-28: Lessons fr Paul’s Trials
Lord, even as we learn of the growth
of the church, may we be challenged
to witness for Christ for His glory.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
The purpose of Psalms is to provide
poetry for the expression of praise,
worship and confession to God.
Psalms Book 1 is similar to Genesis
as these psalms discuss humans as
blessed, fallen & redeemed by God.
This week we understand God better
thru His revelation of names, mostly
related to His ability to meet needs.
On Monday, we learn from Psalm 4
about God of My Righteousness.
On Tuesday, we learn from Psalm 9
about Stronghold in Trouble Times.
On Wed we learn from Psalm 18
about The Lord My Deliverer.
On Thursday, we learn from
Psalm 20 about O Lord Save.
On Friday, we learn from Psalm 23
about The Lord My Shepherd.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.
The Lord can be seen in
different roles in Psalm 19-24.
He is the Creator (Psalm 19),
the Helper (Ps 20), the King (Ps 21),
Crucified One (Ps 22), the Shepherd
(Ps 23) & the Glorious One (Ps 24).
For each role, there is a related
responsibility for the people who
would follow Him as their God
and King, Shepherd and Sovereign.
Praise be to Jehovah Rohi:
The Lord is my shepherd
Jehovah Rohi I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green
pastures, He leads me besides
quiet waters, He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of
righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for You are
with me; Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me (Psalm 23:1-4).
Lord Jehovah Rohi, You’re my good
shepherd, so I shall lack nothing.
Thank You for constantly looking
out for my well-being even
when I’m not doing so myself.
Thank You Lord for being my
shepherd who knows what’s best
and leads me in that direction.
Thank You because of You surely
goodness and mercy will follow
me all the days of my life. Amen.
Lord Jehovah Rohi, sometimes
I feel as if I am in want and look at
things I don’t have and covet them.
Forgive me for discontent; for as
shepherd, You’ve given me all I need.
When I feel lack, it’s not because
You have not provided for me.
But rather it’s more because I have
disregarded what You’ve given me.
Forgive my lack of thought and
perhaps even ingratitude. Amen.
Lord Jehovah Rohi, guide me on
the right path for I can’t always see
which way to go & what decision
to make. I need You to be my
shepherd and show me the way.
Help me learn how to listen to
You even better than I do now.
Tune my heart and mind to hear
Your voice so that I will follow You
more clearly and easily. Amen.
Backgrounder: The Lord can be
seen in different roles in Ps 19-24.
He is the Creator (Psalm 19),
the Helper (Ps 20), the King (Ps 21),
Crucified One (Ps 22), the Shepherd
(Ps 23) & the Glorious One (Ps 24).
For each role, there is a related
responsibility for the people who
would follow Him as their God
and King, Shepherd and Sovereign.
Praise be to Jehovah Hoshiah:
May the Lord answer you in the day
of trouble; may (He) defend you.
May He send you help from
the sanctuary, and strengthen
you out of Zion (Psalm 20:1-2).
Some trust in chariots, and some
in horses; but we will remember
the name of the Lord our God…
Save Lord! (Jehovah Hoshiah)
May the King answer us
when we call (Psalm 20:7-9).
Lord Jehovah Hoshiah, You are
the God who saves Your people
from the miry pit and crowns
them with Your lovingkindness.
You hold all things together; and
You alone have the power to save.
Thank You for saving us from sins
by sending Your Son Jesus Christ.
And Thank You for saving us when
we call on You. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Lord, forgive us for not calling
on Your name in times of need.
Have mercy on us and restore
our hearts and minds to You.
I look to You Lord to save me
from the valley and ask You to
intervene and grant me grace
to trust You with the results.
Reverse the setback and bring
about blessing instead. Amen.
Lord Jehovah Hoshiah, look
with tender mercy and save.
Heal my wounds Lord and cover
them with Your loving grace.
Give me eyes to see where You’re
leading me and a compassionate
heart toward others who are
experiencing challenges of life.
And use me to encourage someone
as You have encouraged me. Amen.
Backgrounder: In sharp contrast
to the fate of the fool who denies
God’s existence (Ps 14), many
blessings accrue to the one who
serves God with a whole heart:
joyfulness (Ps 13), fellowship with
God (Ps 15), satisfaction (Ps 16),
preservation (Ps 17) & confidence
in facing the future (Psalm 18).
All Honor & Praise be to Jehovah
Mephalti The Lord My Deliverer:
I will love You O Lord, my strength.
The Lord (Jehovah) is my rock,
my fortress and my deliverer
(Mephalti); my God is my rock,
in whom I take refuge, my shield
and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold. I call to the Lord
and I am saved (Psalm 18:1-3).
Lord Jehovah Mephalti, You are
the deliverer; You are the fortress
and You are the rock. And whoever
who is in You will surely be saved.
I praise You for You are powerful.
I praise You for You are my deliverer.
I praise You for You are my Saviour.
Thank You for whispering time and
again Your promises of deliverance.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Lord, sometimes anxiety and fear
creep into our thoughts to cause
us to doubt Your power and might
and the willingness to deliver us.
And we turn our thoughts to
what we could lose rather than
trusting in Your sovereign power.
Forgive us for not trusting Your
impending deliverance in times of
distress. In Jesus’ precious name.
Jehovah Mephalti, financial,
emotional and physical attacks
can rob us of joy, hope & peace.
Lord Mephalti, may this name
be at the forefront of my mind
so I know with full assurance You
as my deliverer are stronger than
anything that comes against me.
Give me the peace that comes
with trust. And Give me the grace
that comes with hope. Amen.
All but one of psalms 7-12,
begins with a cry of lament:
“O Lord my God,” “O Lord,””Lord.”
These short but potent songs
express the psalmist’s desire
that justice prevail (Psalm 7),
that the wicked be brought low
(Psalm 9-10), and that God’s holy
name be exalted (Psalm 8,11-12)
All Praise to God Our Stronghold:
I will praise You O Lord,
with my whole heart; I will tell
of all Your marvellous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High (Psalm 9:1-2).
The Lord is a refuge for the
oppressed, a stronghold in times
of trouble. Those who know
Your name will trust in You,
for You Lord have never forsaken
those who seek You (Ps 9:9-10).
Lord, I lift up Your name in praise
because You alone are my
salvation and my stronghold.
Thank You Lord for Your strength;
and thank You God for providing
a place to run to in times of need.
You provide a way out of troubles
where there seems to be no way.
In You alone I find my stronghold
to which I run for safety. Amen.
Lord, sometimes I feel squeezed
by life’s demands and pressures
that I forget to put my trust in You.
God, I’m sorry for being so short-
sighted and letting my trials
and fears overwhelm my thoughts
that I neglect to run to You,
my stronghold with the needs.
Have mercy on me for forgetting
that I can hope in You in all things.
Remind me Lord in those times of
Your ever-present help in times
of trouble. In Jesus’ mighty name.
Lord, we pray for those who don’t
know You as their stronghold,
the one who is waiting to provide
them with help and with hope.
Lord, I lift up to You my loved ones
and friends who are not close to You.
Draw them with Your loving care;
and show them that in the midst
of their trials that You are there
for them, ever ready to provide
a shield against the storms of life.
Open my mouth to share of Your
love and care & make me a witness
of Your hope to those in need. Amen.
The first six psalms form a fitting
introduction to the entire Psalter.
In them you will learn the
importance of meditating
on God’s Word (Psalm 1),
acknowledging the Lord as King
(Ps 2), and constantly being
devoted to prayer in gospel
in good times and in bad (Psa 3-6).
Praise be to Elohe Tsadeki:
Answer me when I call, O God
of my righteousness (Elohe
Tsadeki)! You have relieved me
in my distress; Be gracious to me
and hear my prayer (Psa 4:1).
How long… will You turn
my glory to shame?…
But know that the Lord has
set apart for Himself him who
is godly; The Lord will hear
when I call to Him (Ps 4:2-3).
Lord Elohe Tsadeki, thank You
for the power of Your righteousness
for from You flow might & strength.
Your righteousness also brings about
the beauty we see in one another
in acts of kindness, intimacy & love.
None of these are possible apart
from You because goodness stem
from the core of who You are.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Lord Elohe Tsadeki, I confess
my unrighteousness to You and
acknowledge the guilt of my sin.
Where I have failed to promote
You as king and Lord forgive me.
Where I have wronged others,
forgive the pain I’ve caused them.
Help me to mend my broken
relationships. And make me
a vessel of Your righteousness,
peace, grace and mercy. Amen.
Lord Elohe Tsadeki, we pray for
our communities for we are in need
of knowing this name of Yours.
Pour out Your righteousness
into our hearts. Give us relief
especially from divisions and
strife that comes from self-
centredness and silo mentality.
Instead engulf us with Your spirit
of love, grace and mercy. Amen.
Samuel 21-24 covers six topics
though out of strict chronological
order, form an appendix to the
main body of the historical book:
(1) a famine sent in judgment for
Saul’s treatment of the Gibeonites;
(2) a series of wars with Philistines;
(3) a psalm of deliverance & praise;
(4) a list of David’s mighty men
of value; (5) a sinful sensus; and
(6) the punishment that followed.
The closing paragraph of the
book portrays David in his natural
pose: worshiping God in humility.
All Praise be to El Sali:
The Lord lives! Blessed be
my Rock; Let God be exalted,
The Rock (El Sali) of my salvation!
It is God who avenges me…
He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above
those who rise against me;
You have delivered me…
Therefore, I will give thanks
to You, O Lord among the
Gentiles and sing praises to
Your name (2 Sam 22:47-50).
Lord El Sali, we bless Your name
for You reign over all. Upon the
strength of who You are, we find
a firm foundation to build our life.
Thank You for Your power and
strength which is available to us.
Thank You for providing stability
in this fallen and unstable world.
Thank You for being our rock,
the God of our salvation. Amen.
Lord El Sali, I enter each day
with the intention to trust
in You as Your names remind
me of Your great power.
Yet when the winds blow
and the waves rise, I may
just forget to look at You.
Forgive me each time I have
not sought refuge in You.
In Jesus’ gracious name, Amen.
Lord El Sali, as my rock and
my salvation, be my stability
when things are not stable.
Whisper to me in those times
when I’m unable to see You there.
Help me focus on Your eternal
throne and never-ending kingdom
for they are unshakable because
You are El Sali, my solid rock.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
In his account of Jesus’ trials,
John focuses on the appearances
before Pilate and the governor’s
futile efforts to release Jesus.
Yielding to political expediency
and mob pressure, Pilate sentences
Jesus to be crucified. Many of the
details John includes are unique
to his account: the Roman soldiers
casting dice for Jesus’ robe;
the spear trust into Jesus’ side;
the post-resurrection appearances
to Mary Magdalene, Thomas and
7 disciples. Thru it all, John’s purpose
shines forth clearly to present
Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God
in His life, death and resurrection.
Dear Lord Jesus, Thank You that
in Your death and resurrection
You showed Your caring love as
well as instructed the disciples
why & how to continue to believe.
Out of gratitude and adoration,
Help us Believe without seeing;
Help us Reach Out to the thirsty &
Help us be Fishers of Men, so that
we’ll be Your light of the world.
In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Lord, we’ll Reach Out to the thirsty:
Jesus knew that everything was
now finished and to fulfill the
Scriptures he said: I am thirsty…
So when Jesus had received
the sour wine, He said: It is finished
and gave up His Spirit (Jn19:28-30)
Lord Jesus, You poured out Your life
like an offering and gave me living
water that saved & restored my soul.
Help me Lord to take that same
same living water and extend it
to those around who are thirsty.
Use me to reach out to the scorned
the abandoned and the unlovable,
with Your sacrificial love. Amen.
Lord, we’ll Believe without seeing:
And Thomas answered and said
to Him: My Lord and my God!
Then Jesus told him: Blessed
are those who have not seen and
yet have believed (Jn 20:28-29).
Lord, I know You want to bless
me in countless ways that will
require believing without seeing.
Help me to have the kind of strong
faith I need to overcome doubt.
Help me to have faith in Your
Word and Your promises and in
Your love, goodness and power.
Help me to trust that You are
answering my prayer even when
I can’t see it yet happening. Amen.
Lord, we will be Fishers of Men:
At dawn the disciples saw Jesus
standing on the beach, but
they couldn’t see who he was.
He called out: Friends, have you
caught any fish? No, they replied.
Then he said: Throw out your net
on the right-hand side of the boat
and you’ll get plenty of fish!!
So they did, and they couldn’t
draw in the net because there
were so many fish in it (Jn 21:4-6)
Lord, show me the best way to go
about the work You’ve called me
to do so that I can be more fruitful
for Your kingdom. Thank You for
creative ideas and fresh plans
I never would think of on my own.
I am so grateful that You delight
in revealing them to a willing heart.
And when You do, may I remember
to give You the credit. Amen.
The Upper Room Discourse
contains Jesus’ final words of
instruction and encouragement
to His disciples before His death.
Only John records these intimate
moments between Jesus & His men
as He models true humility (John 13),
describes the Holy Spirit who will
comfort & empower them (Jn 14-16)
and intercedes for unity & protection
of His disciples worldwide (Jn 17).
Dear Lord Jesus, in this world,
we can face many challenges.
But we thank You for Your final
words of encouragement and
instructions at the Upper Room
which reveals Yr heartbeat for us.
Lord, we receive Your Gift of Peace
and the Gift of the Spirit to help us.
We purpose to Remain in You;
and we pray for Unity among us.
And we pray that we will each
experience Your presence, peace,
help and uniting love in concrete
ways so that we in turn can share
it with others for Your glory. Amen.
Lord, we receive Your Gift of Peace:
(Jesus said): I Am leaving you
with a gift – peace of mind & heart.
And the peace I give isn’t like the
peace the world gives. So don’t
be troubled or afraid (Jn 14:27).
Lord, thank You for the peace
of mind and heart that You
provide for me. In the midst of my
circumstances, I want to receive
Your peace for my life. I love You
for overcoming the world through
Your work on the cross. Help me
to keep my eyes fixed firmly on You
and to enter into Your peace. Amen
Lord, we purpose to Remain in You:
I Am the vine, you are the branches.
If a man remains in Me & I in him,
he will bear much fruit; for apart
from Me you can no nothing…
If you remain in Me and My words
remain in you, ask whatever you wish
and it will be given you (Jn 15:5-7)
Lord, help me to walk close to
You each day and stay constantly
in communication with You –
both by talking and listening
to You speak to my heart.
Help me to stay deeply in Your
Word, learning more about You
and getting to know You better.
Help me increase in the knowledge
of Your ways and Your will. Amen
Lord, Your Spirit Helps Us:
Very truly I tell you, it is for
your good that I am going away.
Unless I go away, the Advocate &
Helper will not come to you; but if
I go, I will send Him to you (Jn 16:7)
When He the Spirit of truth comes,
He will guide you into all truth (v13)
Lord, hard times are to be expected
in this life; but thank You for
sending Your Spirit to help us.
Grateful I do not go through life’s
challenges alone; for You are with
me to help, counsel and pray for me.
Grateful for Your enabling presence.
Draw me to follow Your leading and
to yield to You. And cause Your
power to flow through me. Amen.
Lord, we pray for Unity among us:
(Jesus said): I am praying not
only for these disciples but also
for all who will ever believe in me
because of their testimony.
My prayer for all of them is that
they will be one, just as You and I
are one, Father – that just as You
are in Me and I Am in You, so they
will be in Us, and the world will
believe You sent Me (Jn 17:20-21)
Lord, I pray for unity with family
members, with other believers
and with all who know You.
May we be one with the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit.
May our unity show the world that
You Jesus came from the Father
and may others be drawn to You
and experience Your love. Amen.
