Category: 2019 Prayers

Thank God for Beauty from Ashes

Backgrounder on Isaiah 58-62:
Isaiah catches a glimpse of the
Glorious Future awaiting the people
of God. A day is coming when
darkness will be swept away,
affliction will cease and the
glad tidings of salvation shall
be proclaimed throughout Zion.
God has not forsaken His people
& groaning has given way to glory.

Lord, You Turn Mourning to Joy:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…
to heal the brokenhearted…
to comfort all who mourn…
to give them Beauty for Ashes,
the oil of Joy for mourning,
the garment of praise for the
spirit of heaviness (Isa 61:1-3).
You will be called Ministers of God.
U shall eat riches of Gentiles (v6).
I am Overwhelmed With Joy
in the Lord my God! For He has
dressed me with the clothing of
salvation and draped me in a robe
of righteousness (v10). Amen.

Lord, I don’t how much I must
have lost or the blessings I have
forfeited because I have lived
my way instead of Your way.
But I confess my sins of thought,
word and action to You now.
And ask that You will give me
Beauty instead of ashes,
gladness instead of mourning
and a garment of praise
instead of despair. Amen.

Lord, I know I am called to the
ministry and in fact we all are!
Help me to be an effective go-
between standing in the space
between U God & a needy world.
Help me to correctly do that
in my family, in the vocation,
in the church & in the community.
Empower me to represent U well to
others & lift up others to You. Amen

Lord, grant me a glimpse of Your
presence which gives Fullness
of Joy. And reveal and show me
the power of proper perspective:
not be defeated but to overcome;
not be victimised; but victorious.
Help me live life in the reversal,
where my attitude and internal
state of mind are impacted more
by You. And clothe me in the Joy
and the celebration of what You
have already done in me. Amen

Thank God for Caring You

In amazing collection of specific
prophecies (44-48) Isaiah foretells
the agent of comfort God will
use in delivering His people
(Cyrus, king of Persia) and the
means of comfort God will employ
(destruction of adulterous Babylon)
Isaiah taunts those who would
put their trust in mere images of
stone and wood. And God declares
I am God & there is none like me.

Lord, You Will Sustain Us:
Listen to me, all you who are left
in Israel. I created you and have
Cared for you since you’re born.
Even to your old age & grey hairs
I am He who will Sustain you.
I have made You and I will carry
you; I will Sustain you and I will
rescue you (Isaiah 46:3-4).
I am God and there is no other;
I am God and there is none like me.
I make known the end from the
beginning… what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand, and
I Will Do all that I please (v9-10).

Lord, You will always be with me.
No matter what the circumstance,
I have the assurance that
You will be near. I cannot flee
from Your presence,not even
if I want to. You are my maker
and caretaker, the one who
will save and sustain me.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, help me to realise that You
are everlastingly my Father. And
that you know me intimately and
every moment of my entire lifetime.
Help me to rely on You through
every season of my life and to
rest in the knowledge that even
when I am old, You will still be
tenderly caring for me. Amen.

Lord, thank you for being In Control
of the whole world, including
my life. You alone know the future
and can orchestrate the events
of life. Keep me from foolishly
believing that I can plan out my life.
Give me the grace to trust
that You know what’s best and
that You will work for my good
and for Your glory. Amen.

Thank God for Helping the Weak

Backgrounder on Isaiah 40-43:
Isaiah is like a miniature Bible.
The first 39 chapters of Isaiah,
like the 39 books of OT proclaim
judgment upon sinful mankind.
And the final 27 chapters of Isaiah,
like 27 books of NT, proclaim a
message of comfort and hope.
The Messiah is coming to be the
Saviour of sinful people. Therefore,
comfort my people, say your God

Lord, U are Tender to Your People:
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his
heart; he gently leads (Isa 40:11).
The Everlasting God, the creator
…neither faints nor is weary…
He Gives Power to the Weak,
and to those who have no might
He Increases Strength…
But those Who Wait on the Lord
Shall Renew their Strength:
They shall mount up with wings
like eagles, they shall run and
not be weary, they shall walk
and not faint (v28-31). Amen.

Lord, You are our Shepherd. You
faithfully feed & guide your flock.
Thank you for your protection
and your provision. You are gentle
and you hold me in your arms.
What an amazing promise.
When I am afraid or worried
or tired, remind me that
You desire to carry me
with all tenderness. Amen.

Lord, sometimes I will feel weary
in the challenges of life while
waiting for fulfillment of promise.
But Your Word says those who
hope in You will find new Strength.
Help me Lord to trust that
You will give me the strength
to run and not grow weary;
and to walk and not faint.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, You Promise Strength to
the weak. Father, I am weak and
feel I can’t go on. Without your
power, I can’t live as I should.
But in You there is new power
to “fly”, to run and to persevere.
Grant me the experience of
Your limitless strength so that
I can serve You faithfully and be
a light for U in a dark world. Amen

Thank God for Giving Peace

In Isaiah 24-27, the redeemed ones
vindicated at last, break forth
in spontaneous song, exalting
the Lord. Though often downcast,
the people of God now have some
-thing truly worth singing about:
refuge, deliverance and ultimate
triumph in the Holy One of Israel.

Lord, U Give Peace to the Trusting:
You will keep in Perfect Peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they Trust in You.
Trust in the Lord forever, for
the Lord, the Lord Himself is
the Rock eternal (Isa 26:3-4).
O upright One, You make the way
of the righteous smooth. Yes Lord,
walking in the way of Your laws,
we Wait for You (v7-8). Amen.

Lord, You promise Peace to those
who Trust in You & set their minds
on You. Lord, You are my rock, You
are dependable and worthy of my
full trust. And I know as long as
I look to You, I cannot be shaken.
Though my heart may be troubled,
I choose to focus on You, believe
your Word, pray your Word & stand
on it. Help me make your promises
the foundation each day. Amen.

Lord, thank you for Your promise
that your perfect peace will guard
my heart and mind. And in Christ
I can be relaxed and be at peace
in the midst of confusions and
perplexities of this life. I need
Your peace as the list of tasks
and challenges replay in my head.
Help me do these things and trust
U with all my heart. And keep me
praying instead of worrying. Amen

Lord, in accordance to Your Word,
I can have peace about the future
because I Wait upon U. Although
I don’t know the details about
what is to come, You know every-
thing & my future is in your hands.
Help me to walk faithfully with
You each day in Your Word and in
prayer so that I can move into the
purposes U have for my life. Amen

Thank God for Giving Good News

In the face of trouble and anguish,
Isaiah proclaims a note of hope.
The people that walked in darkness
have seen A Great Light (Isa 9:2).
There is coming a Child whose very
names instil hope and confidence.
Though shadows of judgment
darken the horizon, the redeemed
ones can sing, for the ultimate
victory is already assured.

Lord, You’re Everything We Need:
Nevertheless, that time of
darkness will not go on forever…
The people who walk in
darkness will see A Great Light…
Israel will again be great,
and its people will rejoice…
For God will break the chains
that binds His people…
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given…
And His name will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
… He will reign over His Kingdom,
establishing and upholding it…
The Passionate Commitment and
zeal of the Lord Almighty will
guarantee this! (Isa 9:1-7) Amen.

Lord Jesus, we claim Isaiah 9:6 that
says: Nothing will stand in Your way
& nothing is outside Your authority.
We pray for resilience in the midst
of hard times. We understand that
it is through trial and difficulty
that people grow and mature.
But in your mercy, please do
not test beyond what we can bear
and grant us the grace to live in
peace & favour of breakthrough
for a new season in life. Amen.

Lord Jesus, You are my Prince of
Peace. Help me learn to rest in You,
to draw near to You in good times
and bad. Thank You for the promise
of deliverance and victory over
my trials. In tough times teach me
to look to You and to lean on You.
And make me a good example
of Your supernatural peace;
for You are my Peace. Amen.

Lord, help me Grow Your Kingdom.
Help me do more than just tell
Your story. Help me to display
Your character, demonstrate Your
way and impact the environment
where I set my foot. Expand Your
Kingdom in me and through me.
Teach me to trust in Your zeal
for my life – to know that Your
purposes cannot be stopped.
In Your presence, let me feel
Your passion for me, for the world
and for Your purposes. Amen.

God Is In Control of All Events

God sends a series of nine national
calamities of insects, disease and
nature, to impress upon Pharaoh
the importance of obedience.
In halfhearted rebellion, Pharaoh
repeatedly refuses to honour his
promises and release the people.
But the tenth plague, the slaying
of the firstborn, both man & animal,
in every Egyptian household brings
about the long awaited deliverance
of Israel. To escape the terrible
judgment on the firstborn, each
Israelite household observes the
Passover by substituting the death
of a Lamb for the death of a child.
With no further resistance, all
Israel begins its Exodus from Egypt.

Dear Lord, thank you for the
account of history in Exodus
that shows You heard the cries
of Your people and You rescued
them through mighty miracles.
Help us to be people of Prayer.
Help us trust Your faithfulness &
that U are In Control of all events.
Help us be Marked by Your Blood.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we will be people of Prayer:
And the locusts went up over all
Egypt… and they ate every herb
and all the fruit of the trees…
Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses
and Aaron and said: I have sinned
against the Lord your God and
against you. Now forgive my sin
once more and pray to the Lord
your God to take this deadly
plague away from me (Ex10:14-17)
Lord, help me to learn to pray in
power. And increase my faith to
believe for answers to my prayers.
Enable me to become intercessor
for others, especially those who
do not know You. Grant that I will
become a person of great faith
and power in prayer. And that
people around me can trust in
the God to whom I pray. Amen.

Lord, praise U for being In Control:
Then the Lord said to Moses: I will
strike Pharaoh with one more blow.
After that Pharaoh will let you leave
this country.Moses had announced
to Pharaoh: This is what the Lord
says: At midnight tonight I will pass
through the heart of Egypt. All
the firstborn sons will die in every
family in Egypt, from the oldest
son of Pharaoh to the oldest son
of his lowliest servant girl… Now
the Lord had told Moses earlier,
Pharaoh will not listen to u but then
I will do even more mighty miracles
in the land of Egypt (Exo 11:1-9).
Holy Spirit, the final plague proves
there is one true God and that
He is in control of events. Help us
not to be stubborn that will lead
to disobedience but instead to
submit to God and His will. Amen.

Lord, we’ll be Marked by Yr Blood:
Moses called all the elders of Israel
together and said: Go, pick out
a lamb for each of your families,
and slaughter the Passover animal..
And no one may go out through
the door until morning. For the Lord
will pass through the land to strike
down the Egyptians. But when He
sees the blood on the top & sides
of the doorframe, the Lord will pass
over your home. He will not permit
his death angel to enter your house
and strike You down (Ex12:21-23)
Father, due to our fallen nature,
we can really do absolutely nothing
to ensure safety from judgment.
Instead we must trust and thank
You for providing the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world
Give everyone in our cell group
a deep sense of gratitude to You;
and also the need for their life
to Be Marked by the Blood. Amen

God Hears the Cries of His People

As Jacob’s descendants continue
to multiply and prosper in Goshen,
they pose a growing threat to the
new Egyptian ruler. His plan to
kill all newborn Hebrew boys is
thwarted by courageous midwives;
and in this context of danger,
the child Moses is born. Destined
to become the deliverer of God’s
people, Moses enjoys the finest
education in Pharaoh’s court.
But when he seeks to deliver Israel
in his own time and way, Moses
finds himself fleeing for his life
to the desert if Midean. There he
spends the next 40 years tending
sheep and awaiting God’s instructn
When confronted by God in the
burning bush, Moses is far from
convinced he is the right man for
the job! But once his objections
have been answered, Moses
goes forth to confront Pharaoh
armed with supernatural signs.

Dear Lord, we learn from Exodus
that when the Israelites were
enslaved in Egypt, God heard
their cries and rescued them. And
we can be confident that God still
hear the cries of his people & will
deliver them from evil & challenges
So, we will Cry out to You for help.
We purpose Not to Give Excuses.
And when we have been rescued
we’ll Testify & Worship You. Amen.

Lord, we will Cry Out to U for help:
The children of Israel were fruitful
and the land was filled with them.
Now there arose a new King over
Egypt who did not know Joseph.
He said: Look the children of Israel
are more and mightier than we…
So they set taskmasters to afflict
them with their burdens (Ex 1:7-11)
Then… Israel groaned because of
the bondage, and cried out to God.
So God heard their groaning and
remembered His covenant with
Abraham, Isaac & Jacob(E2:23-24)
Lord, we recognise Your answers
to prayers may not happen on our
timetable. Help us to be patient
and continue to pray for as long
as it takes & not stop believing that
You are a God of miracles. Amen.

Lord, we’ll be Rescued for Worship:
The Lord said: I have certainly
seen the oppression of my people
in Egypt. I have heard their cries
of distress because of their harsh
slave drivers. Yes I am aware of
their suffering. So I have come
down to rescue them from the
power of the Egyptians and lead
them out of Egypt into their own
fertile and spacious land… When
you have brought the people out
of Egypt, you will worship God at
this very mountain (Ex 3:7-8, 12).
Lord, when things aren’t moving
as quickly as we would like and
in the way we like, we will wonder
if You’ve heard our cries. But we
know that You hear and will rescue.
Rescue us from things that enslave
us to what’s evil & transform us
into glad worshippers. Amen.

Lord, we’ll try Not to Give Excuses:
Moses pleaded with the Lord: I am
not very good with words, even
though you have spoken to me.
I get tongue-tied. Then the Lord
asked Moses: Who makes person’s
mouth? Who decides whether
people speaks or do not speak.
Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I’ll be
with you as you speak, and I will
Instruct you in what to say. But
Moses again pleaded: Lord please!
Send anyone else (Exo 4:10-13)
Lord, we have tendency to give
excuses to avoid responsibility
as it may be inconvenient to do.
We may also feel inadequate when
called to perform tasks that seems
too difficult. Prod us Lord not to
hide behind inadequacies but step
out in faith for You will Provide
resources to do the work. Amen.

Preview on Exodus

Whilst the Holy Bible is largely
theological history, it is arranged
by types of writings: laws, history,
poetry, prophets, gospel & letters.
To enable you better appreciate
the Bible especially the flow of OT,
exposition will be chronological.
Continuing from book of Genesis,
we meditated 3 weekends on Job
who lives during time of Abraham.

Next, we go to Exodus: During the
400 yrs since the close of Genesis,
the descendants of the patriarchal
family have grown into a nation of
several millions. But they became
oppressed slaves in Egypt. So,
Exodus is a book of redemption
from bondage to Pharaoh into a
covenant relationship with God.
From Egypt to Sinai, Israel learns
of the might and power of God
and the importance of worship.

We’ll cover Exodus over 3 week-
ends in the following six divisions:
E1-6: Israel Cries & Moses’ Call
E7-12: Plagues, Passover & Exodus
E13-18: Israel Complains in Desert
E18-24: Israel Receives law at Sinai
E25-31: Plan for Tabernacle/Priests
E32-40: Is Idolatry & Tabernacle Up
Let’s meditate thro Exodus and be
boosted in our faith in God. Amen

Thank God for Work & Retirement

Making sense out of life isn’t easy.
This is the problem facing the
preacher of Ecclesiastes as
he thinks his way through what
he has seen & experienced in life.
Every enterprise he has undertaken
from acquiring wisdom to amassing
wealth, has ended in emptiness.
In a sudden burst of emotion
the preacher realises that God
does indeed appoint the times
and purposes of life. But his insight
fades as he focuses on the futility
of life under the sun & overlooks
the One who alone can put life
together into a meaningful whole.

Lord, we give thanks in all things:
To everything there is a season.
A time for every purpose under
heaven… He has made everything
beautiful in its time…and every man
should eat & drink and enjoy the
good of all his labour (Eccl 3:1-13)
It is good and fitting… to enjoy
the good of all his labour in which
he tolls under the sun all the days
of his life which God gives him…
As for every man to whom God
has given… wealth, and rejoice
in his labour – this is the gift of God
For… God keeps him busy with
the joy of his heart (Eccl 5:18-20).

Lord thank you for blessing us
with work in this disruptive age.
We ask for divine Wisdom and
strength to tide over any problem
that may crop up. Help us whatever
we do at work, that we work at it
with all our heart as unto You.
May the work that we do and the
way we do it bring smile to all we
come in contact with and bring
You glory. And we ask for Your
grace into the workplace. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for the gift of
weekend when we can recreate.
Thanks for leave & season where
we are not assigned many tasks
and that’s your gift of rest to us.
And thanks in times of weariness,
we can find Rest in U. For U said
in Isa 30:15: In returning and rest
you shall be saved; In quietness
shall be your strength. Amen.

Lord, thank You for the opportunity
to step aside from the hustle and
bustle of work and the opportunity
to enjoy a slower pace of life.
Thank You for the way You have
blessed me throughout my busy
working career and pray that You
wont forsake me in my retirement.
May I live the rest of my days in
closer fellowship as I seek to do
Your will in every area of my life.
Open new horizons to serve You
in ways that will bless many and
bring glory to Your name. Amen.

Thank God for Best Friends

Making sense out of life isn’t easy.
This is the problem facing the
preacher of Ecclesiastes asr
he thinks his way through what
he has seen & experienced in life.
Every enterprise he has undertaken
fr acquiring wisdom to amassing
wealth, has ended in emptiness.
In a sudden burst of emotion
the preacher realises that God
does indeed appoint the times
and purposes of life. But his insight
fades as he focuses on the futility
of life under the sun & overlooks
the One who alone can put life
together into a meaningful whole.

Lord, thank You for Threefold Cord:
Two are better than one…
For if they fall, one will lift up his
companion… Again if two lie down
together, they will keep warm;
but how can one be warm alone?
Though one may he overpowered
by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord cord is not
quickly broken (Eccl 4:9-12) Amen

Father God, we give thanks for
those who mean so much to us.
Those with whom we can talk
and keep nothing back, knowing
that they will not laugh at our
dreams or even our failures.
Those who by their warning held us
from mistakes we might have made
Above all we thank for Jesus Christ
Lord of our hearts and Saviour
of our souls, in whose name
we give this thanksgiving. Amen.

Lord, I thank You specifically
for the family and best friends
You have brought into my life.
For those who bring joy & laughter.
For those who bring insight to me.
For those who bring comfort & care
For those who bring inspiration
to be what You created me to be.
For those who pushed me to be
more than I would have been
without their encouragement and
confrontation. And I thank U God,
the giver of all good things. Amen.

Lord, grant that I and my spouse
may have understanding love for
each other & be filled with trust.
Give us the grace to live with each
other in peace & harmony. May we
bear one another’s weaknesses and
grow from each other’s strengths.
Help us to forgive one another’s
failings and grant us patience,
kindness and placing the wellbeing
of the other ahead of self. May the
love that brought us together grow
with each passing year. And bring
both of us closer to You. Amen.