Category: 2019 Prayers

God Uses Someone to Tell You

At a time when David should
have been on the field of battle,
he finds himself instead on the
roof of the palace. A casual glance,
a lustful thought, an inquiry and
the king of Israel set in motion
a chain of events that culminates
in adultery and murder. God then
Sends Nathan To David to uncover
the whole ugly scheme; and David
Repents & Receives Forgiveness.

Lord, we Seek Your Forgiveness:
The Lord sent Nathan to David…
David’s anger was greatly aroused…
and he said to Nathan: the man
who has done this shall surely die!
Then Nathan said to David:
You are the man… Why have you
despised the commandment of
the Lord, to do evil in His sight…
So David said: I have sinned against
the Lord. And Nathan said to David:
The Lord also has Put Away your sin;
you shall not die (2Sam 12:1-13).
But because by this deed you have
made the enemies of the Lord show
utter contempt, the son born to you
shall surely die… David therefore
pleaded with God for the child, and
David fasted & lay all night on the
ground… Then on the seventh day…
the child died… So David arose from
the ground, washed and anointed
himself, and changed his clothes;
and went into the house of the Lord
& worshiped. Then he ate (v14-20).

Lord, grateful for Your tender
 mercies and forgiving spirit. You
put away David’s sin & spare his life
despite serious transgressions
including adultery, false witness,
abusing of power and murder.
We purpose that when we fall
into sin, that we will not hide
but come to You in repentance
that we may receive mercy. Amen.

Gracious Lord, have mercy upon
me; blot out my transgressions;
and cleanse me from my sin. For
I acknowledge my transgressions
and my sin is always before me.
Against You have I sinned & done
this unrighteousness in Your sight.
Create in me a clean heart O God
& renew steadfast spirit within me.
And restore to me the joy of Your
salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, here is an instance where
You denied a prayer in wisdom.
David’s request for the child of
his shame was denied in mercy
and judgment, for the child would
have been a perpetual reminder
of his sin. When the child was dead,
David humbled himself under the
presence of a holy God, and rested
grateful with His grace for him.Amen

Cooperate with God To Succeed

Once the internal opposition against
his rule has been silenced, David
is free to secure his new kingdom
against foreign invasion. In quick
succession the Moabites, Syrians,
Edomites and Ammonites fall to
David’s troops, causing the other
neighbouring powers to surrender
without a fight. Extensive new
territories are added to David’s
kingdom. But David nurses no
spirit of revenge, as evidence in
his dealings with Mephibosheth.

Lord, we’ll Show Justice & Kindness:
And David made himself a name
when he returned from killing 18,000
Syrians… Throughout all Edom
he put garrisons… And the Lord
preserved David wherever he went.
So David reigned over all Israel; and
David administered judgment and
justice to all his pple(2Sam8:13-15)
One day David began wondering
if anyone in Saul’s family was
still alive, for he had promised
Jonathan that he would show
kindness to them. He summoned
Ziba, who had been Saul’s servant…
The king asked Ziba: Is anyone still
alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want
to show God’s kindness(2Sam 9:1-3)
When Joab saw that he would have
to fight on both the front & the rear,
he Choose Some Israel’s elite troops
and placed them under his personal
command to fight the Arameans…
He Left The Rest of the army under
the command of his brother Abishai,
who was to attack the Ammonites.
Joab told his brother: if Arameans
are too strong for me,come help me.
And if the Ammonites are too strong
for you, I will come and help you…
Let Us Fight bravely for our people
and the cities of our God. May the
Lord’s Will Be Done (2 Sam 10:9-12)

Lord, You are a just God and You
want us to show justice to everyone
like what David did in his country.
Help us Lord when we are
placed in a leadership position,
that we will be fair to everyone.
Help us not show favouritism to
people who have similar opinions
or similar backgrounds to ourselves.
Help us to defend and care for
especially the disadvantaged, the
weak and the downtrodden. Amen.

Lord, bring to my remembrance
people I have forgotten and those
You want me to show kindness.
Help me be generous to others;
for one kind act can lift up a
person and strengthen his faith.
When I make a commitment to
someone, help me fulfil it quickly
so that I don’t forget to do it.
Remind me Lord that You never
fail to fulfil Your promises. Amen.

Lord, we need to keep our actions
and our faith in You God in balance.
For we know that You expect us to
use our minds and muscles even
while we depend on You for help.
Help us learn on the fair sharing
of resources in doing Your work.
We purpose to obey God, trusting
You for the outcome; and we
aspire to live by Your Word. Amen.

Do God’s Will In His Terms

With the death of Ish-Bosheth,
the people of Israel transfer their
allegiance to David as their rightful
king. As his first official act, David
conquers the strategic Jebusite
stronghold of Jerusalem and makes
it the new capital of the nation.
But something more than political
and military reform is necessary.
The worship of God must be
returned to its place of primacy.
Knowing this, David makes plans
to bring the ark of the covenant
to Jerusalem and build a fitting
place for it to reside. In the process,
he learns some hard lessons about
doing God’s Will in God’s Way and
in God’s Timing. Amen and amen.

Lord, we’ll Follow Your Direction:
David inquired of the Lord: Shall
I go up against the Philistines?
And the Lord said: Go up for I’ll
doubtless deliver the Philistines
into your hand. So David went to
Baal Perazim and defeated them…
Then the Philistines went up once
again and deployed themselves
in the valley of Rephaim. So David
inquired of the Lord and He said:
You shall Not Go Up; circle around
Behind them. And David Did As the
Lord commanded him & he drove
back the Philistines (2S5:19-25).
Lord, we’ll Accede to Your Will:
Go tell my servant David: Are u the
one to build me a house to dwell in?
When your days are over… I will raise
up your offspring to succeed you
and I will establish his kingdom.
He is the one who will build a house
for my Name, and I will establish…
his kingdom forever (2Sam 7:5-13)

Lord, I don’t want to make any
decision without Your leading.
You care about the details of
my life and want to guide me in
the way I should go. Take away
my peace if I should decide to
step off the path of Your greatest
blessing for my life. Help me to
never stray from Your will. Amen.

Lord, I trust You and accept Your
answers to my prayers, even when
the answers is not what I want.
Help me to understand Your will,
especially when the answers to my
prayers are not what I expect to be.
I am grateful You know what is best
for me; and You will not allow me to
seek after things I shouldn’t. Amen.

Lord, praise You for Your faithfulness
and we are inspired by David on
his dependence on You for success.
Help us Follow Your Instructions
and not stray from Your will.
Help us Accept Your answer
to our prayers even when the
answers is not what we want,
for You know what is best for us.
Help us to Delight in Worshipping,
remembering what You’ve done.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Gives Direction (Mar 17)

The books of 1 and 2 Samuel are
actually a single continuous story.
In 1 Samuel, the mood is despair;
in 2 Samuel, a ray of hope shines.
In 1Sam, Saul’s dynasty is destroyed;
in 2Sam,David’s dynasty secured.
But transition of power is not simple:
Proper mourning for departed king,
the inauguration of the new leader,
the purging of rebellious elements,
all these things must be done
before David can rule in peace.

Lord, we Seek Your Direction:
A man arrived fr Saul’s army camp…
Our entire army fled from the battle.
Many of the men are dead and Saul
and his son Jonathan are also dead.
David and his men tore their clothes
in sorrow when they heard the news.
They mourned and wept and fasted
all day for Saul… his son Jonathan
& for the Lord’s army (2S1:1-4,11-12)
David inquired of the Lord: Shall
I go to any of the cities of Judah?
The Lord said:Go up. David asked
Where? And He said: To Hebron.
So David went up there. Then
the men of Judah anointed David
king of Judah. And they told David:
The men of Jabesh Gilead buried
Saul. So David sent messengers
to Jabesh Gilead and said:
l’ll repay this kindness (2Sam 2:1-6).
The war betw the house of Saul and
the hse of David lasted a long time.
David grew stronger and stronger,
while the house of Saul grew
weaker and weaker (2 Sam 3:1).

Lord, we see David’s loyalty to
Your purpose as he mourned for
Saul who was the Lord’s anointed.
And because David trusted You God,
he would not rejoice in Saul’s death.
Give us Lord greater passion
for Your will and purpose rather
than our ambition and interest.
In Jesus ‘ precious name, Amen.

Lord, praise You for Your faithfulness
and we are inspired by David on
his dependence on You for success.
Prompt us Lord to Inquire of Your
will for guidance in the way to go.
When we don’t quite understand
why You move so slowly at times,
grant us sufficient signs to trust
that Your promises will be fulfilled.
Help us focus on Your purpose and
help us wait on Your timing. Amen.

Lord, we note that when Saul died,
David did not rush to make himself
the king of Israel. Help us Lord
not to assume that we know
what is best but seek wisdom
in Your Word and Your Spirit.
Help us Lord to inquire of You,
follow Your direction, and wait
patiently for Your promises to be
fulfilled for we trust in You. Amen.

Listen for the Lord Speaks

i’m Israel has been ruled by judges
for over 200 yrs. Eli and Samuel
are the last of those judges.
Samuel grows up in the tabernacle
as a priest-in-training under Eli
and is well qualified to serve
Israel as both a priest and a judge.
Although the nation had fallen
away from God, it is clear that
He is preparing Samuel to lead
the nation back to right living.

Lord, we aspire a Listening Heart:
One night, Samuel was sleeping
in the Tabernacle. Suddenly the
Lord called out: Samuel ! Yes?
Samuel replied: What is it? He
got up and ran to Eli: Here I am…
Eli realised it was the Lord who was
calling the boy. So he said to Sam
If someone calls again, say: Yes
Lord, Your servant is listening…
And the Lord came and called
as before: Samuel ! Samuel !
And Samuel replied: Yes, Your
servant is listening (1Sam 3:1-10).

Lord, call me out of my slumber;
speak for I want to hear what
You have to say into my life.
Make my heart come alive by
the power of Your word of life.
I don’t just listen to You in
order to consider my options
for I need Your direction and You
are my master and Sovereign God.
Speak Lord for Your servant
is listening. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, listening and responding are
vital in the relationship with You.
Quieten my mind and my heart
so that I can hear You clearly.
Remove Lord any distractions
that will keep me from being
attentive and open to what Your
Spirit is impressing on my heart.
Make me receptive to Listen to You
and willing to answer obediently
when You call on me. Amen.

Lord, I need Your divine direction
for my life; and I don’t just listen to
You in order to consider my options.
You know Lord my deepest needs
and You also love and care for me.
I purpose to commit that Your will
is my direction; for You are good.
I quieten my heart to hear what You
want to say. Speak Lord Shepherd
for Your sheep is listening. Amen.

Hearing God thru His Word

The purpose of First Samuel
is to record the life of Samuel,
Israel’s last judge, thru reign and
decline of Saul, the first king;
and the choice and preparation
of David, Israel’s greatest king.
Establishing a monarchy did
not solve Israel’s problems.
What God desires is the genuine
devotion of each person’s mind
and heart to Him. No government
or set of laws can substitute for
the rule of God in our heart & life.

On Monday, we learn from 1Sam 1
that Loving God Cares about You.
On Tuesday, we learn from 1Sam 3
to Listen for the Lord Speaks.
On Wed, we learn from 1Sam 7
that Gracious God Is Mighty Helper.
On Thursday, we learn from 1Sam 10
that Spirit of God Empowers Us.
On Friday, we learn from 1Sam 17
that God Delivers His People.
On Sat, we learn from 1Sam 30
that Almighty God Is Our Strength.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Hear You:
For the Loving God Cares for Us
and we Listen when He Speaks.
For Gracious God Is Our Mighty Helper and He Delivers His People.
For Almighty God Is Our Strength
and the Holy Spirit Empowers Us.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Is Our Strength (Mar 15)

After months of running for his life,
David concludes that leaving
Israel entirely is the only way to
escape Saul’s relentless pursuit.
By convincing the Philistines he is
a defector, David is given the city
of Ziklag as his base of operations.
But instead of aiding the enemy,
David and his army methodically
destroy Philistine strongholds.
Meanwhile, Saul’s desperate
attempts to counter the Philistine
threat lead him to consult a medium.
And instead of promise of victory,
Saul heard frightening prediction of
defeat and death, forecasts which
came true the very next day as he
& his sons die on the field of battle.

Lord, You are God of My Strength:
It happened when David and his men
came to Ziglag, on the third day that
the Amalekites invaded the South
burned it… and had taken captives…
Then David and the people who
were with him… wept until they
had no more power to weep Now
David was greatly distressed for
the people spoke of stoning him…
But David Strengthen himself
in the Lord his God (1Sam 30:1-6).
Then David said to Abiathar the
priest… Bring the ephod to me…
So David inquired of the Lord:
Shall I pursue this troop?…
And He answered him: Pursue,
for you shall surely overtake them
and without fail Recover all (v7-8).
Then David attacked them from
twilight until the evening of the next
day. Not a man of them escaped,
except 400 young man… who fled.
So David recovered all that the
Amalekites had carried away(v17-18)

Lord, we learnt from David that
we can strengthen ourselves in You.
For You are our strong fortress and
You are the God of our strength.
In You Lord are power and might;
and in You we find all that we need.
Forgive us for doubting Yr strength
and failing to access it in our life.
As Your children we claim access
to Your strength, rather than walk
in our own limited power. Amen.

Lord, some challenges we face can
make us feel insecure and doubtful.
Our fears tell us that if we take a
wrong step, we will fall into danger.
Help us learn from David to inquire
of You Lord; and remember of
Your assurance to strengthen us.
Grant us direction and strength
to do what we are called to do.
And put Lord a spring in our steps
as we follow where You lead. Amen.

Lord, I need You for my strength is
limited but Your strength is endless.
Gird me with Your great strength
for I am weak but You are strong.
Strengthen my heart and resolve
when life seems so challenging.
Strengthen my mind to think
big because I serve a big God.
Strengthen my hands to do all
that You have called me to do;
for You are My Strength!! Amen.

God Delivers His People

The rejection of a king after the
people’s heart (Saul) sets the stage
for the choice of a king after God’s
own heart (David).A young shepherd
with a disposition more suited to
the pasture than the palace, David
possesses few claims to fame.
He is a good marksman with a sling,
an excellent lyre player and the
youngest of eight sons from an
insignificant family in Bethlehem.
But his heart attitude is one of
undivided devotion; a quality readily
visible in the way David dispatches
the Philistine giant Goliath and
handles Saul’s jealous attacks.

Lord,we Remember Yr Deliverance:
Saul said to David: You are not
able to go against this Philistine;
for you are a youth, and he a
man of war from his youth…(But)
David said: The Lord Who Delivered
me from the paw of the bear,
He Will Deliver me from the hand
of this Philistine (1 Sam 17:33-37).
Then David said to the Philistine:
You came to me with a sword,
with a spear and with a javelin.
But I come to You in the name
of the Lord of hosts, the God of
Israel whom you have defiled…
So David prevailed over the
Philistine with a sling and a stone
and… killed him (1 Sam 17:45-50)
I sought the Lord and He heard me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him are radiant;
their faces are never covered
with shame (Psalm 34:4-5).

Father God, just as You taught
David to trust You when he killed
the bear and the lion, prepare me
for the battles I will face one day.
And when I reach those battles,
remind me I had overcome in other
situations and that as You were with
me then, You will be with me again.
Give me the courage of David to
take up the armour of God, for with
it I can overcome anything. Amen.

Lord, help us remember our past
deliverance and know that You
will continue to be our Deliverer.
Help us have the same perspective
of David where size of the giant
is irrelevant, for Goliath was puny
when compared with almighty God.
Help us to be trained in the power
of God, fixing our eyes on You God,
then we’ll not fear the giant. Amen.

Lord, You tell us not to be afraid
or discouraged. And You pledge
Your presence everywhere we go.
You promise in Ps 34:5 that when
we seek You, You will give us joy;
and not allow shame to touch us.
Help us believe it, not just in our
head, but deep within our soul.
Let us exalt the Lord & seek Him
and He’ll deliver & bless us. Amen.

Spirit of God Empowers Us

From all outward appearances,
Saul’s selection as the first king
of Israel is an outstanding choice.
His kingly demeanour & imposing
presence make him a promising
candidate fr a human perspective.
But while man looks on the outward
appearance, the Lord looks on the
heart. Saul is anointed by Samuel,
installed as king at Mizpah, proven
in battle against the Ammonites
and confirmed as king at Gilgal.
But the fact remains (as pointed
out by Samuel in his final address
to the nation) that God not Saul
should be king over Israel.

Holy Spirit, empower us O Lord:
Then Samuel took a flask of olive
oil and poured it over Saul’s head.
He kissed Saul on the cheek and
said: I am doing this because the
Lord has appointed you to be the
leader of His pple Israel (1Sam 10:1)
When you arrive at Gibeah of God,
where the garrison of Philistines
is located, you will meet a band
of prophets… and they will be
prophesying. At that time the
Spirit of the Lord will come upon
you with power & you will prophesy
with them. You will be changed
into a different person (v5-6).
When they came to the hill there,
behold a group of prophets
met Saul; and the Spirit of God
came upon him mightily, so that
he prophesied among them (v10).

Lord Ruach Elohim, in You we
put our hope and trust for You
are the Spirit of the Living God.
Because of You we can experience
the fullness of God in our lives.
Thank You Lord for imparting the
wisdom of Your Word in our heart
and as You direct our thoughts.
Help us pray with words we don’t
even know we need to pray. Amen.

Lord Holy Spirit, forgive me for
the sins I harbour in my heart.
Forgive me for envy and becoming
ungrateful for all You’ve done for me.
Forgive me Lord when I am jealous,
comparing Your path for me with
the favour You have given to others.
Grant me the strength and help
to keep me from mortal sins.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord Ruach Elohim, I ask You to be
ever present in my spirit; and may
Your Spirit lead and direct my own.
I don’t want to wrestle with fear
or doubt; instead let trust and rest
from Your presence be evident
in my life. I seek Your presence
to be gracious and be effective.
And help me to know You and love
You as I ought to. In Jesus’ name.

Gracious God Is Our Mighty Helper

Robert Robinson (1735-1790)
had always been prone to wander.
Apprenticed to a barber, he spent
more time playing than cutting hair.
And as a wild youth, he repented,
became pastor & wrote some hymns
Come Thou Fount was written
in 1757, inspired by 1 Samuel 7.
Later in life he wandered from the
Lord and felt he could not return.
But he met a lady in a coach who
shared the hymn Come Thou Fount
to him. He replied: I’m the unhappy
man who wrote the hymn years ago
and I would give a thousand worlds
to enjoy the feelings I had then.”
She responded by telling him:
“Sir, the ‘streams of mercy’ are
still flowing.” And he repented.

Lord, we Call on You for Help:
And Samuel said: Gather all Israel
to Mizpah and I will pray to the
Lord for you… And they fasted
that day and said: We have sinned
against the Lord (1Sam 7:5-6).
(Samuel) pleaded with the Lord
to help Israel & the Lord answered.
Just as Samuel was sacrificing
the burnt offering, the Philistines
arrived for battle. But the Lord
spoke with a mighty voice of
thunder… and the Philistines were
thrown into confusion that the
Israelites defeated them (v9-10).
Then Samuel took a stone… set it
up and called its name Ebenezer,
saying: Thus far the Lord has helped
us. So the Philistines were subdued,
and they did not come anymore
into the territory of Israel (v12-13).

Lord, we realized You are more
ready to hear the prayers of Your
people when they are repentant.
You listened to Your servants’
intercession for divine favour.
We note Samuel’s good practice
of erecting Ebenezer memorial
as Thanksgiving, which reminds us
of Your goodness and power that
we can call on You for help. Amen.

Father, thanks for streams of mercy
that call for songs of loudest praise.
We yearn to be able to erect our
Ebenezer like Samuel & testify of U.
But Lord, we are human, and like
Robertson we are prone to wander.
Cause us to always remember the
Lord has helped us and be grateful.
So, here’s my heart; take and seal it;
seal it for Your courts above. Amen.

Lord, Thou fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wondering from the fold of God.
He, to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood…
Lord, I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by Thy help I come.
Let Thy goodness like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander Lord I feel it;
prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above. Amen.