Hearing God In 1 John 1 (Dec 23)

Walking In the Light

Apostle John who enjoys deliguhtful
fellowship with God, desires that
his spiritual children enjoy the same
fellowship & writes to tell them how.
God is Light and to be in fellowship
with Him means walking in
the light of His commandments.
God is love, and thus His children
must walk in love. And God is life,
and those who desire fellowship
with Him must possess spiritual
life, which begins with spiritual
birth through faith in Jesus Christ.

Lord, we’ll Confess & You Forgive:
If we walk in the light as He is in the
light, we have fellowship with one
another & the blood of Jesus Christ
Cleases us from all sin (1 John 1:7).
If we claim to be without sin,
we deceive ourselves and the truth
is not in us. If we Confess our sins,
He is faithful and just & will forgive
us our sins and purify us from
all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
Whoever conceals their sins
does not prosper, but the ones
who confesses & renounces them
finds Mercy (Prov 28:13) Amen.

Lord, You say if we claim to be
sinless we’re only fooling ourselves;
for our old nature still exists. So,
Give me an attitude of discernment
and humility, so that when I sin I will
know it & desire to be cleansed of it.
Grateful Lord for Your forgiveness
which removes sins as far as the
east is from the west and that You
remember them no more. Amen.

Lord, I Confess my sins before You.
Thank You that You are faithful
to forgive them and to cleanse
me from all the effects of them.
If there is sin in my life that I am
not seeing, reveal it to me so that
I can confess it before You and
be purified of all unrighteousness.
For I want to live in the wholeness
of complete forgiveness. Amen.

Lord, give me strength of character
to take responsibility for wrong
actions and not to blame others.
Please forgive me when I’m wrong;
for You promise when I confess
my sins to You, You will forgive
me and cleanse me. And Thanks
for Your promise of grace & mercy
when we confess & renounce sin.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Meditating thro Luke 3-6 (Dec 22)

Hearing & Doing Will of our Lord

Luke introduces the ministry of
Jesus with three preparatory events:
the ministry of John the Baptist;
His baptism by John & temptation
by Satan. Christ’s genealogy ties
Him to David the king, Abraham
the patriarch & Adam the first man.
Rejection in hometown of Nazareth
causes Him to move to Capernaum,
where He ministers for two full years.
There by the shores of Galilee,
Christ calls 12 men to prepare them
for the ministry He’ll entrust to them.

Father God, thank you for Your love
and concern for our wholeness
that You present Your Son to us.
Grateful Jesus You are not only our
Saviour but also our Lord & Master.
Lord, we will Worship & Serve You;
Lord, we will Share the Gospel; and
Lord, we will Do What You Say.Amen.

Lord, we will Worship & Serve You:
Jesus was led by the Spirit in
the desert, where for 40 days
He was tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing and He was hungry.
The devil said: If You are the Son
of God, tell this stone to become
bread. Jesus answered: It is written:
Man does not live on bread alone.
The devil led Him up to a high place
and showed Him all the kingdoms.
And he said: if U worship me, it will
all be Yours. Jesus answered: It is
written: Worship the Lord your God
and serve Him only (Luke 4:1-8).
Lord, knowing and obeying God’s
Word is an effective weapon
against temptation. Help us to
use your word effectively, and
have the faith in your promises.
Also grant us the resources we
need to stand steadfast. Amen.

Lord, we will Share the gospel:
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).
Lord, let us learn from Simon Peter
where obedience opens our lives to
Your miracle & receive Your blessing.
Open our ears Lord to hear Your
voice in our current circumstance.
And we will join You Lord in ministry
to further the kingdom of God.
Help us readily receive Your Word,
apply it & be obedient to You. Amen

Lord, we will Do What You Say:
(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, my heart is already Yours
considering what You have done
and I surrender once again to You.
My desire is to accept Your will
and to do what You want me to.
But Lord, share clearly Your will, for
only then will I have the confidence
that U are with me in the challenge
and I’ll dare to undertake it. Amen.

Meditating thro Luke 1-2 (Dec 21)

Trusting & Receiving the Miraculous

GDr Luke – physician, historian and
writer of the longest gospel account
clearly states his purpose for writing
in the opening verses of his book:
That you may know the certainty
of those things in which you were
instructed (1:4). He begins with the
details surrounding the miraculous
births of two remarkable boys: John
the forerunner & Jesus the Messiah.

Dear Lord Jesus, we realise that
we are not isolated from the
pressures and temptations of life.
And there are no shortcuts as we
prepare for a life of service to You.
Help us Believe In Your Word.
Help us Live Out Our Destiny.
Help us Remain Devoted to You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we Will Believe Your Word:
The angel said: Zacharias, your wife
will bear a son, and you shall call his
name John…But 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 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 (Lk 1:31-38)
Lord, help us not be discouraged
by the Long unyielding situations.
Help us to endure the long periods
that require patience and waiting.
Help us simply Believe Your Words.
And Lord, even when things does
Not Make Sense, remind me that
Your Word is the ultimate truth.
Help me embrace your promises,
though they seem impossible; for
You are the God who can create
new things out of nothing. Amen.

Lord, we will Live Out Our Destiny:
Simeon…eagerly expected the
Messiah to come rescue Israel…
When Mary and Joseph came to
present Jesus to the Lord, Simeon
took the child & praised God saying:
Lord now I can die in peace !
As you 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).
Lord, thank You for bringing us out
of darkness into Yr marvellous light.
Help us to shine Your light so that
everyone around will be drawn to U.
And help us like Simeon accomplish
Yr purpose & live our destiny. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Remain Devoted to You
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 every
-one who had been Waiting for
the promised King to come and 
deliver Jerusalem (Lk 2:36-38).
Lord, help me to let go of divided
desires & be wholly Devoted to You.
Capture & renew my heart Lord to
regularly wait upon You. And let the
eyes of my heart be awakened to see
You and to rejoice in You each day.
For U are worthy of all praise. Amen

Preview On Luke Gospel (Dec 21)

Preview On Luke Gospel

Whilst the Bible is arranged by
types of writings, we meditate it
Chronologically to get better flow:
Genesis on God’s Plan for creation;
Job on Sovereignty of God; and
Exodus, Leviticus, Num-Deut on
Deliverance, Holiness & Obedience.
Then Joshua on Obedient Faith,
Judges on God Restoring Repentant;
Ruth on Faithfulness/Redemption;
1&2 Samuel on Rule of God in our
heart and the Consequences of sin;
1&2 Chronicles on Genuine Worship
and Psalms on hymns of worship.

Since it’s advent season and for
a change, we go to gospel of Luke;
who presents Jesus as the perfect
Man who came to save sinful people.
Luke builds his narrative on Jesus’
life by tracing the twin themes of
growing belief & growing opposition.
While Jesus’ followers are challenged
to count the cost of discipleship, His
opposers are plotting against Him.
But His death & resurrection validate
His claims, thwart His enemies and
empower His disciples to continue
His ministry to a lost world.

We will meditate Luke gospel over
4 weekends in following 8 divisions:
Lk 1-2: Arrival of the Son of Man
Lk 3-6: Authority of Son of Man
Lk 7-9: Ministry of Son of Man
Lk10-12: Admonition of Son of Man
Lk13-15: Parables of Son of Man
Lk16-18: Parables of Son of Man
Lk19-21: Teaching of Son of Man
Lk22-24: Triumph of Son of Man

Let’s soak in the revelation of our
Saviour, see the love of Jesus for
individuals and appreciate God’s
concern for our wholeness. And
Lord, we worship You in gratitude
and deep adoration. Amen.

Hearing God In 2 Peter 3 (Dec 20)

Looking to Return of the Lord

Persecution from unbelievers can
be hard for Christians to bear, but
defection within the community of 
believers can be more devastating.
To counteract the effects of this
“poison”, Peter reminds his readers
of the timeless truths of the Faith
and exhorts them to continue
growing toward Christian Maturity.

Lord, we will Share the Gospel:
The Lord is not slack concerning
His promise… but is Longsuffering
toward us, not willing that any
should perish but that all should
come to Repentance (2 Pet 3:9).
But the day of the Lord will
come as unexpectedly as a thief.
Then… the earth & everything on it
will be found to deserve judgment…
what holy & Godly lives u should live.
But we are looking forward to the
new heavens and new earth He 
has promised, a world filled with
God’s righteousness (v10-13).

Lord, You display immense patience
as an example for those who will
believe and receive eternal life.
You are patient towards sinners and
grateful for showing mercy & not
treating me as my sins deserve.
So, help me encourage others to 
also seek Your mercy and grace.
For what You have done in my life,
You will surely do for others. Amen.

Lord, some Christians are facing
difficulties or suffering for their
faith & look forward for your return.
We know God is patiently waiting for
more people to repent. You’re moving
with perfect timing & not slowness.
Each day delayed is to give more
people opportunity to accept Jesus.
Help us use the time God has given
us to pray for the lost, sow seeds of
kindness & share the gospel. Amen.

Father, apostle Peter exhorts us
towards maturity & Godly Living
In this regard, help us O Lord,
to keep on knowing more of You,
remember what Christ taught us
& be diligent in faithful obedience.
Thank U for rescuing & freeing us,
thank You for being patient; and 
help us to be witnesses of You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Hearing God In 2 Peter 1 (Dec 19)

Divine Enabling For Godly Living

Peter’s 2nd letter teaches opposing
internal spiritual attacks by Satan
with the knowledge of the truth.
Peter warns against apostasy within
the church, moral perversions
and the denial of Christ’s return
that false teachers propagate.
He exhorts his readers to grow in
grace & knowledge that come thro
Christ, thereby gaining strength
to resist error and avoid heresy.

Lord, You Enable Godly Living:
By His divine power, God has given
us everything we need for living a
godly life… He has given us great
…promises; which enable you to
share His divine nature (2Pet 1:3-4)
Brethren, be…diligent to make your
call & election sure, for if u do these
things you will never stumble (v10). 
And so we have the prophetic Word
confirmed, which u do well to heed…
for… holy men of God spoke as they
were moved by Holy Spirit (v19-21).

Father God, I claim your promises:
that You Give us Godly Nature
and that You Enable Godly Living.
Grant me grace of developing more
intimate relationship with You as
I know more of You & Christ Jesus.
Help me remember what You teach
& be diligent in faithful obedience.
Help me grow spiritually; so that
I may live wholly for You. Amen.

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving
me new life that will never end.
Your holy word says if anyone is in
Christ; the new creation has come:
The old has gone; the new is here.
And I purpose to make the call
and election sure. For I don’t have
to keep living the way I used to live.
And with Your empowerment, I have
the capacity to change & grow into
Your image. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Holy Spirit, teach me how to tap
into Your divine power so that I will
not lack anything that You offer.
Fill me continually Lord, and be
ever present within me; for I want
to experience You more and more.
Holy Spirit, increase the evidence
of Your presence in my life. And
make Your home in me so that
I will display more love, more power,
more of You in my life. Amen!!

Hearing God In 1Peter 4 (Dec 18)

Be Good Stewards of God

Peter writes to scattered Jewish
Christians who are undergoing
intense persecution for their faith.
God has begotten us again unto a
living hope. So don’t be surprised
when suffering comes your way;
prepare & respond to it correctly.
Purpose to do what is right and 
imitate Christ in submissive spirit.
And God will richly reward you
when the trials of life are over.

Lord, we will reflect Your Grace:
Most of all, continue to show deep
love for each other; for Love Covers
a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).
Be hospitable to one another
without grumbling. As each has
received a gift, minister it to one
another as Good Stewards of the
manifold grace of God (v9-10).
If anyone speaks, they should do it
as one who speaks the Very Words
of God… so that in all things God
may be praised (1 Peter 4:11) Amen.

Lord, I confess a lack of love & need
for Your unfailing love toward some.
Help me to yield to Your Spirit and
experience deeer intimacy with You
and Your love for me. Then may
Your love so fill me that others may
feel splashes from the overflow.
And in those relationships that are
toughest, grant me Your Love which
covers a multitude of sins. Amen.

Lord, sometimes we neglect
relationships & erect boundaries
due to distrust and bitterness.
We also confess of commitment
phobia and sins of the flesh that
block us from Christlike love.
Grateful for the spiritual gifts that
the Holy Spirit has given to me.
Help me to use them well to serve
one another. In His name, Amen.

Lord, let me declare Your Words,
and let me recognise them in others.
We often ask You to speak to us,
and it only make sense that You
will use people to do so. Help me
to hear Your words in season for me.
And help me speak forth Your
thoughts for your people graciously.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Hearing God In 1Peter 2 (Dec 17)

Live as People of the Lord

Peter writes to scattered Jewish
Christians who are undergoing
intense persecution for their faith.
God has begotten us again unto a
living hope. So don’t be surprised
when suffering comes your way;
prepare & respond to it correctly.
Purpose to do what is right and 
imitate Christ in submissive spirit.
And God will richly reward you
 when the trials of life are over.

Lord,we’ll live as Yr Special People:
But you are a chosen generation, 
        a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
      His own Special People, that you
   may proclaim the praises of Him
    who called you out of darkness
        into His marvellous light (1Pet 2:9)
  Live such good lives among the
pagans that…they may see your
good deeds & Glorify God (v12).
      Live As Free People, but do not
         use your freedom as a cover-up
        for evil; live as God’s slaves (v16)

Lord, thank You for bringing me
out of darkness into Your wonderful
light because of Your mercy.
Thanks for making us Your Special
People, Your very own possession.
Help me to continually yield to
You so that the life and character
of Christ will be formed in me.
Then others may see Yr goodness
and will be drawn to You. Amen.

Lord, You are good and holy and
we pray our lives will honour You.
And I pray that You will enable me
have godly character so that my life
will be a Shining Example of You.
Lord, live in me and live through me
so that those who disagree or even
dislike me will be drawn to You and
to the saving knowledge of U. Amen

Lord, it is a phenomenal truth
that I am truely Free In Christ.
And I confess not always living it out.
Instead of joyful delight in Your
refreshing salvation, sometimes
I do feel like I am barely making it.
Nevertheless, I claim Your promise
that I am free. Help me live beyond
what I want to what You desire.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Hearing God In 1Peter 1 (Dec 16)

Living Word Gives Living Hope

Peter writes to scattered Jewish
Christians who are undergoing
intense persecution for their faith.
God has begotten us again unto a
Living Hope. So don’t be surprised
when suffering comes your way;
prepare & respond to it correctly.
Purpose to do what is right; by
Imitating Christ in your submissive
spirit. And God will richly reward
you when the trials of life are over.

Lord, we Value Our Inheritance:
Praise be to the God…In His Great
Mercy He has given us new birth
into a Living Hope through the
resurrection of Christ from the
dead into an inheritance that
can never perish… (1Pet 1:3-4).
Now for a little while you may have
had to suffer… in all kinds of trials.
These have come so that the
proven genuineness of your faith:
of Greater Worth than gold (v6-7).
Your new life will last forever
because it comes from the eternal
living word of God (v23). Amen.

Father, I thank you for the hope
and inheritance that you have
provided by the resurrection of
Your Son and our Saviour Jesus.
I praise You for the boundless
mercy that gave me the privilege of
being born again to a Living Hope.
Thank you for not only giving me
life but also a priceless inheritance
for all Your dear children. Amen.

Lord, help me realise that trials
are meant for my Ultimate Good;
so help me learn to rejoice in You.
Help me to hold on to what You
have promised for the future.
And as I face trials, pray that I will
continually seek Your guidance;
that my character be refined by U
and that U will strengthen my faith.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, when You have given us a
vision, we don’t need to ask about
current circumstances that are
inconsistent with it. Your purposes
are eternal; and Your Words to
us are based in those purposes.
Whatever You tell us will endure;
and we trust them for as long as
it takes to see them come to pass.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Meditating Ps 146-150 (Dec 15)

Praise the Praiseworthy God

The Fifth book of Psalms (107-150)
is similar to Deuteronomy being
anthems of praise and thanksgiving
for God & his Word. And Ps 146-150
builds to a climax of praise:
Praise God for Best Hope (146);
Praise God for His Care (147);
Praise God for His creation (148);
Praise God for His justice (149);
Praise God for His Greatness (150).
Praise the Praiseworthy God!!

Dear Lord, thank You for giving us
the book of Psalms that teaches us
how to pray and how to praise You.
And we praise you unceasingly
For You are our Best Hope,
For You are Caring and Mighty &
For You are completely Great.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, You are our Best Hope:
Praise the Lord! I tell myself.
I will praise the Lord as long
as I live. I will sing praises to my
God even with my dying breath.
Don’t put confidence in powerful
people; there is no help for u there.
But happy are those who have the
God of Israel as their helper, whose
hope is in the Lord their God, who
made heaven & earth (Ps 146:1-6).
Lord, forgive me for putting my
confidence in people instead of You
for You made heaven and earth.
You are unchanging and almighty,
and help to those who are in need.
You keep all your promises. I put my
hope in you & I praise You. Amen.

Lord, You are Caring & Mighty:
The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem
& bringing the exiles back to Israel.
He heals the broken-hearted.
His power is absolute! The strength
of a horse doesn’t impress him;
how puny in his sight is the strength
of a man. Rather, the Lord’s
delight is in those who honour Him,
those who put their hope in His
unfailing love (Ps 147:2-5, 10-11).
Lord, forgive me when I’ve relied on
someone/something other than You.
Those things are puny compared
to the Strength that You give
when we acknowledge our
weakness & dependence on You.
Lord, I purpose to honour You;
and I put my trust in your absolute
Power and unfailing love. Amen.

Lord, You are Completely Great:
Praise the Lord! Praise God…
Praise Him in His mighty heaven!
Praise Him for His mighty works;
praise His unequaled Greatness!l
Praise Him with a blast of trumpet…
Let everything that lives sing praises.
Praise the Lord! (Ps 150:1-3,6)
Lord, I join the heavenly hosts to
worship You for Your mighty works.
I praise Your unequalled Greatness.
I praise U for You have sustained me
for Yr faithfulness, love & provision.
May my heart and voice offer You
the praise Your glory deserves!
And let everything that lives
sing praises to the Lord! Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T2mrmCv2ccg