Meditating Ps 140-145 (Dec 14)

God Can Be Counted Upon !!

The Fifth book of Psalms (P107-150)
is similar to book of Deuteronomy
being anthems of praise and
thanksgiving for God & his Word.
And Ps 138-145 are attributed
to King David. In his hour of need,
David found God praiseworthy
for his unfailing Promises (138),
for his Omnipresence (139),
for he is a sure Refuge (140-142),
being a listening Ear (143), a strong
Arm (144) & a merciful King (145).

Lord, we thank and praise You for
being mighty, good and faithful.
And when in problems, we can run
to You to find refuge & deliverance.
For You Can Be Counted upon.
For You Reach Down to us &
For You Are Near when we pray.
For You Will Come & Save us.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we are Counting on You:
Lord, I am calling to you. Plse hurry!
Listen when I cry to you for help!
Take control of what I say O Lord,
and keep my lips sealed. Don’t let
me lust for evil things; don’t let me
participate in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies
of those who do evil (Psa 141:1-4)
Lord, I praise You that You are
a God I can count on to keep me!
Left to myself, I am not strong
enough to walk in Your paths.
Deliver me from choosing
my own way instead of Yours.
Strengthen my heart & work within
me according to Your plans. Amen.

Lord, You Reach Down to Us:
Blessed be the Lotd my Rock…
My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my deliverer,
My shield & the One…I take refuge.
O Lord, what are mortals that You
should notice us, mere humans
that You should care for us?…
Bend down the heavens, Lord,
and come down (to us) (Ps 144:1-5)
Lord, as we will be soon celebrating
Your birth, we praise You for coming
to earth so that we who believe in
You might receive Your forgiveness
and experience Your love. You are
Emmanuel, God with us. Although
we are mere humans, You reached
down from high and brought us out
of darkness into Yr marvellous light.
And You are also our Rock, our
shield and our deliverer. Amen.

Lord, You are Near when we pray:
The Lord is full of compassion.
The Lord is near to all who call…
to all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who
fear Him; He also will hear their cry
and save them. The Lord preserves
all who love Him (Ps 145:8, 18-20).
Lord, I confess having doubted You
were near to hear my prayers for
it seemed they went unanswered.
Help me to pray more fervently
during times of unanswered prayer
instead of being concerned that
nothing will change. For You are
full of compassion and You always
do what You promise. Amen.

Hearing God In Jude (Dec 13)

Contending for the Faith

Alarmed by the presence of
 false teaching, Jude exhorts believers to stand firm for the truth.
He ends his short epistle with
a series of urgent commands:
Remember Christ’s words,
remain in God’s love and seek
to remove erring brothers from
the fiery danger of their ways.

Lord, You Will Keep Us:
Build each other up in… faith,
pray in the power of the Holy Spirit…
And you must show mercy to those
whose faith is wavering (Jude 20-22)
All glory to God, who Is Able to Keep
You from stumbling, and who will
bring you into His glorious presence
innocent of sin & with great joy (v24)
All Glory to Him, who alone is God
our Saviour, thro Christ our Lord.
Yes, glory, majesty, power and
authority belong to Him, now,
and forevermore (Jude 25) Amen.

Lord Jesus thank you for giving
me the hope that saved my life.
In gratitude, I choose to serve as
Your servant for the rest of my life.
And I also purpose to build others
in their faith and in their recovery.
Mold me to be more merciful and
help me to be tender with sinners.
Grant me the needed breakthrough
so that I can effectively testify the
message of hope, especially to
those whose faith is wavering. Amen

Father, You are powerful and loving
and can keep us from stumbling.
You God not only saves us but
also never leaves us or forsake us.
You will lead us step by step until
You bring us into Yr presence. And
You are Able to bring good out of
evil & keep everything that we have
committed until the day we see You
face-to-face. You are a God whose
promises we can count on. Amen.

Abba, thank You for the great gift
of salvation through Christ Jesus.
Thank You for being compassionate
& I purpose to constantly praise You.
Glory to You God, the one who is
able to bring me into Your glorious
presence blameless & with great joy!
Help me depend on Your Power
& strength as You work within me.
All glory, majesty and authority
belong to You now & forever. Amen.

Hearing God In James 5 (Dec 12)

Faith & Patience In Suffering

Just as a human body that fails
to breathe is labelled a dead body,
so too a faith that fails to breathe
us labelled a dead faith. And the
breath of faith in the Christian life
is good works: demonstrating
concern for the poor, controlling
the tongue & building up others.
True faith & good works cannot be
divorced, for your life is the lab in
which your faith is shown to be real.

Lord, we will Keep On Praying:
Be Patient as you Wait for the Lord…
Consider the farmers who patiently
wait for the rains… They eagerly
look for the valuable harvest to ripen.
You too must Be Patient (Jas 5:7-8).
Are there among you Suffering?
They should Keep On Praying
about it. And those who have reason
to be thankful should continually
sing praises to the Lord (Jas 5:13)
The Prayer offered in Faith 
will make the sick person well…
Therefore Confess your sins to
each other and Pray for each
other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man is 
powerful & effective (v15-16) Amen.

Lord, so many of us struggle with
being patient. And You teach us
patience by putting us in situations
where we really have to be patient.
You Lord wants us to learn & grow
in this character trait. And so You
put us in circumstances that push
our patience to the uttermost.
So Lord, help us to take courage
and patiently wait so that You
will reward us in Your time. Amen.

Lord, I want to be a faithful follower
who doesn’t stop praying because 
of delay, setback or even weariness.
For You won’t delay any longer than
is needed to achieve Your purpose.
Empower me to Keep On Praying
until the answers come, to be
continually thankful to You and
bless Your holy name. Amen.

Lord, grateful our righteousness
comes from what You have done.
And we are righteous because of 
Your great sacrifice on the cross.
Help us to Confess our sins not
only to You, but also to each other
so that healing can come to us all.
Thank You for making our prayers
powerful and effective. Amen.

Hearing God In James 4 (Dec 11)

Humbly Drawing Near to God

Just as a human body that fails to
breathe is a dead body, so a faith
that fails to breathe is a dead faith.
The breath of faith in the Christian
life is good works: demonstrating
concern for the poor, controlling
the tongue & building up others.
True faith & good works cannot be
divorced, for your life is the lab in
which your faith is shown to be real.

Lord, we’ll Come & Submit to You:
He gives more grace. Therefore
He says: God Resists the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.
Therefore submit to God. Resist
the devil and he will flee from you.
Draw Near to God and He will
draw near to You (James 4:6-8).
Humble yourselves in the sight of
the Lord & He will lift you up (v10).

Lord, You Resist the proud but show
grace and favour to the humble.
Keep me from being full of myself
and thinking myself better than
or more important than others.
Help me not to blindly keep up
with the Jones and be seduced
to embrace a lifestyle of busyness
and let pride rule over me. Amen.

Lord, thank You for Your grace.
Thank You for dying for my sins and
thank You for being my protector.
O God, my enemy is strong and
sinister; but You are stronger.
Give me the grace to recognise
the attacks of the enemy and the
strength to spurn his sinful offers.
Grant me the will to Submit to You
Lord and to Resist the devil. Amen.

Lord, I want to know You more and
know Your specific will for my life. 
Your Word says You Make Your
heartbeat known to those whose
hearts Draw Near towards You and
to those whose hearts are tender.
And even as I purpose to yield
my heart towards You, share Your
deepest impulses with me. Amen.

Hearing God In James 2 (Dec 10)

Living Out Your Faith

Just as a human body that fails
to breathe is labelled a dead body,
so too a faith that fails to breathe
us labelled a dead faith. And the
breath of faith in the Christian life
is good works: demonstrating
concern for the poor, controlling
the tongue, exhibiting a spirit of
humility and building up others.

Lord, we will Live Out our Faith:
What good is it… if someone
claims to have faith but has no
deeds?.. Faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied By Action, is dead.
But someone will say: You have
faith; I have deeds. Show me your
faith without deeds, and I’ll show u
my faith by my Deeds (Jas 2:14-18)
Abraham believed God, and
God counted him as righteous
because of his faith. He was even
called the Friend of God (v23).

Lord, we realise we are to show
our faith by the good Deeds we do.
Help us Be Obedient in trusting You.
Help us take time to be with you,
studying your Word and praying.
Help us do acts of kindness for
someone. Whilst we may mess up
from time to time, help us learn
from mistakes and move on. Amen.

Lord, we want to be Your Friend.
Grant us faith that works
its way outward in our lives.
Grant us faith that will cause
us to do what we believe in.
Help us to be more like You, know
Your purpose & be united with You.
Let our faith and actions draw us
closer to You as a Friend. Amen.

Lord, You want believers not only
to hear the truth but also to do it.
Grant us grace to love & to serve;
and help us to seek ways of
Living Out Our Faith In You, for
they are evidence of true faith.
Help us to be more obedient;
help us to trust You more; and
draw us closer to You. Amen.

Hearing God In James 1 (Dec 9)

Persevering Through Trials

Apostle James shows how true
faith produces doers of the Word
and will bear fruit in actions & deeds.
James offers many tests for genuine
faith: It endures trials, obeys the
Word, harbours no prejudice,
controls the tongue, is separated
from the world & resists the devil.
Above all, faith waits patiently
for the coming of the Lord.

Lord, we will Persevere thro trials:
Consider it pure joy whenever You
face trials because the testing of
Your faith produces Perseverance.
Let perseverance finish its work
so that you may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything.
If any of you Lacks Wisdom,
he should Ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding
fault, and it will be given to him.
But when he asks, he must Believe
and Not Doubt (Jas 1:2-6). Amen.

Lord, grant me the hallmark of my
faith be the ability to face troubles
with Your perspective in mind.
Grant me Lord the ability to
face troubles with Your grace.
Help me to hold on to Your promise
so that when my faith is tested,
Endurance has a chance to grow,
and I will be Complete In You. Amen

Lord, thank You that Your Word
promises that You will give
wisdom to us when we ask for it.
So I Ask For Wisdom, for I know
true wisdom comes only from You.
Help me to be wise in daily decision
especially when I must act quickly.
Help me to know what to do & what
not to do in any situation. Amen.

Lord, we note in Your Word that
when we ask, we must Believe
and Not Doubt. So help me Lord
not to be double-minded, but
to set my mind fully on You Lord.
And even as I choose to believe,
I trust that You will keep me from
error, guide me into truth and
I will be Complete In You. Amen.

Meditating thro Ps 135-139 (Dec 8)

Praising God Wholeheartedly !!

Sometimes it’s easy to praise God
by recalling the past (135-136);
at other times memories of the past
produce more pain than praise (137).
But even times of trouble can be
cause for Praise (138) as you think
about the unceasing presence
of Your omnipotent God (139).

Lord, You are worthy of our whole-
hearted Praise for You’re not only
mighty but also good, merciful,
faithful and caring omnipresent.
Lord, we’ll Revere In Your Love;
we’ll Abide In Your Presence and
we’ll Hold to Your Promises. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Revere In Your Love:
Who remembered us in our lowly
state,for His mercy endures forever.
And rescued us from our enemies,
for His mercy endures forever;
Who gives food to all flesh,
for His mercy endures forever.
O give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures(Ps136:24-26)
Lord, the blessed reality is Your
faithful love towards us. Were it not
for Your faithful love, we will have
no hope. We see in this psalm what
divine love looks like: the rescue of
redemption, the rest of provision,
the warm of being remembered.
Your faithful love endures forever.
Let me never lose sight of Your
great enduring love for me. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Hold to Your Promises:
I will Praise U with my whole heart…
I bow before Your holy temple
as I worship. I will give thanks
to Your name for Your unfailing
love and faithfulness, because
Your promises are backed by
all the honour of Your name.
In the day when I cried out,
You answered me & made me
bold with strength (Ps 138:2-3).
Lord, thank You for backing
Your promises by the honour of Your
holy and mighty name! And thank
You for unfailing love & faithfulness.
Help me move forward under
Your direction in the light of
Your unfailing promises. Amen

Lord, we’ll Abide In Your Presence:
O Lord, You have searched me
and You know me. You perceive
my thoughts from afar. You are
familiar with all my ways. For
there is not a word on my tongue,
but behold, O Lord, You know it
altogether. Where can I go from
Your Spirit? Or where can I flee
from Your presence? (Ps 139:1-7).
Lord, You know everything about
me and You still love me. You know
my thoughts and my mistakes, and
You still call me Yours. Thank You
that You are always with me,
guiding, comforting & restoring me,
and I am never alone. You know me
better than I know myself. Help me
to know You better too. Amen.

Meditating thro Ps 128-134 (Dec 7)

Going thro Dark Days Yet Hopeful

Ps 120-134 are Songs of Ascents
sung by pilgrims on way to Jerusalem
& concern people who are in journey:
Blessing for the righteous (Ps 128)
and judgment for the wicked (129)
are waiting at the journey’s end.
And though there may be Dark
Nights along the way (130), the quiet
soul will Find Hope in the Lord (131).
In the sanctuary of God (132, 134)
and among the people of God (133)
there is strength for each new day.

Lord, we learn from the songs of
adsents that there may be Dark
Nights along the journey of life.
But there is reason to Be Hopeful;
as long as our hope is in the Lord.
For we know U Lord will rescue us
as surely as dawn follows night.
Lord, grant us grace & mercy for:
We will Quieten before You;
We will Follow & Fear You; and
We will Wait Upon You. Amen.

Lord, we purpose to Fear You:
Blessed is every one who Fears
the Lord, who walks in His ways.
When u eat the labor of your hands,
you shall be happy and it shall be
well with you. Your wife shall be
like a fruitful vine, and your children
like olive plants (Psalm 128:1-3).
Lord, bless our families even as
we purpose to fear You and follow
Your ways. They may be hurting
and need to know You and Your
plan for them. Draw their hearts
to You and give them faith so that
they can experience the richness
of life You promise to those who
Fear You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, we will Wait Upon You:
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in His word I do hope…
O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord, there is mercy,
and with Him is abundant
redemption (Psalm 130:5-7).
Lord, I need Your limitless strength
so that I can keep going even
in the midst of difficult times.
For the only way to experience
Your strength is to Wait On You.
Reward my persistent waiting;
for I look to You Lord as the light
that breaks the darkness in my life.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, we will Quieten before You:
Lord, my heart is not proud;
(and) my eyes are not haughty.
I don’t concern myself with matters
too great or awesome for me.
But I have stilled & quieted myself…
Yes, like a small child is my soul
within me. O Israel, put your hope
in the Lord now & always (Ps 131:1-3)
Lord, You are dependable & faithful
& U are calling us to childlike trust.
I come to You in humility & ask You
to Quieten my heart & busy mind.
Lead me to rest in You, depend on
You and trust fully in You. Help me
to leave all my burdens with You and
enjoy being in Your presence. Amen.

Hearing God In Heb 12 (Dec 6)

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Hebrews closes with an appeal for 
a persevering Faith that relies on
 the promises of God. Writing to
 an audience whose actions were
being shaped by pressure from
 the world, the author urges the
kind of Faith-inspired walk that 
characterised so many OT saints.
Being so convinced of God’s
 Faithfulness, they ordered their
lives according to His Word. Follow
their commendable example and
Walk By Faith; and not by sight!

Lord, help us Endure the Race:
Since we are surrounded by
so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight and
the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us Run With Endurance
the race that is set before us,
Looking Unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for
the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross (Heb 12:1-2).
For consider Him who endured
such hostility from sinners…
Lest You Become weary and
Discouraged in your souls (v3).

Lord, we purpose to Run the Race
with Endurance depending on You
who initiates and perfects our faith.
The journey may be difficult; but
my longing is to hear Your voice
and purpose to follow after You.
As You live Your life within me,
let my spiritual ears open up and
my heart softens towards You God.
And may You live fully, deeply,
boldly in my total being. Amen.

Father, I want to Keep My Eyes
On Jesus, my Saviour and Master.
Grant me the grace to consciously
turn my eyes away from problems
and the many things of this world.
And help me focus on the one upon
whom my faith depends from start.
Open up my ears to Your voice and
Soften my heart towards You to live
closely, deeply & boldly in U. Amen.

Dear Jesus, we note the suffering,
humiliation and physical pain You
endured to do the Father’s will.
The struggles we endure to follow
U are real & we can get discouraged.
It takes discipline to pray and study
God’s Word on a regular basis. And it
takes commitment to say no to sinful
desires and say yes to good works.
Holy Spirit, when I feel discouraged,
remind me to stay focused on Jesus
& grant me strength & grace. Amen.

Hearing God In Heb 11 (Dec 5)

God Will Reward Faithfulness

Hebrews closes with an appeal for
a persevering Faith that relies on
the promises of God. Writing to
an audience whose actions were
being shaped by pressure from
the world, the author urges the
kind of Faith-inspired walk that
characterised so many OT saints.
Being so convinced of God’s
Faithfulness, they ordered their
lives according to His Word. Follow
their commendable example and
Walk By Faith; and not by sight!

Lord, we trust You Will Reward: 
 Faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). But
without faith it is impossible to
please Him, for he who comes to
God must Believe that He is, and
that He is a Rewarder of those
who diligently Seek Him (11:6).
By faith Moses chose rather to
suffer afflictions… than to enjoy
the passing pleasures… for he
looked to the Reward (v24-26).

Lord, we need confidence in what
we hope for and assurance about
what we do not see. For Satan will
cast doubt & fear. So I claim Eph6:16
that You give me the shield of faith.
Teach me to obey even when I can’t
sense the desire to do what’s right.
Give me new desire as well as
new power to live as I should.
Wean me from excuse that I am
too weak; for Your strength is
sufficient for whatever I face. Amen

Lord, give me faith to trust You even
when the way is dark & uncertain.
Empower and strengthen me
to believe that You are who You
say You are in the Scriptures.
And that You will respond and
Reward those who Seek You.
For I purpose to Live By Faith in
Christ Jesus who truly loved me
and gave His life for me. Amen.

Lord, You promise future glory
to those who suffer in the present
for their faithfulness. Give me Lord
the courage to stand for Your cause.
Protect me from wrong and shallow
ways of thinking. I don’t want to
suffer; but I also don’t want to miss
Your blessing or the chance to
bring You honour. Amen & amen.