Category: 2020 Prayers

Walk Justly, Graciously & Humbly

Backgrounder: Sin had infiltrated
every segment of society with
injustice and oppression of poor.
Micah pleads with countrymen to
turn away from sin & back to God.
But the message falls on deaf ears
that will soon hear invading armies.
But within the hardness lies hope;
for when justice is done, God will
restore His people to covenant land

Micah addresses our failure to love
God and to love neighbour; and he
shows us how God wants to draw us
back into relationship with Himself.
True faith in God will invariably generate kindness, justice & humility.
We dare not ask God for help while
we ignore the needy & oppressed;
or while we silently condone the
actions of those who oppress them.
Lord, we will Walk in Your Ways.
Lord, we will Walk in Your Goodness.
Lord, we will Walk Out of Darkness.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we will Walk in Your Ways:
Now it shall come to pass in the
latter days that the mountain of the
Lord’s house shall be established
on the top of the mountains, and
shall be exalted above the hills;
and peoples shall flow to it.
Many nations shall come and say:
Come and let us go to the mountain
of the Lord, to the house of…God;
He will teach us His ways, and we
shall walk in His paths (Mic 4:1-2).
Lord, be with me as I step out on
the untrodden way of this season.
I know not what it may bring of joy
or sorrow, of temptation or service;
but I humbly commit myself and
my way to You Lord. Make the best
that You can of me for Your glory.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we will Walk in Goodness:
With what shall I come before the
Lord, and bow myself before the
High God? Shall I come with burnt
offerings with calves a year old?
He has shown you, O man what
is good; and what does the Lord
require of you but to do justly,
to love mercy and to walk humbly
with your God? (Micah 6:6-8).
Lord, You are not interested in
outward show, elaborate sacrifice
or religious acts. You want to
develop in us the heart response
of humility, mercy and justice.
Work these noble attitudes in us.
Thank You for showing us what
is good thro example of Your Son.
And help us Lord through Your
Spirit to abide daily in You. Amen.

Lord, we will Walk Out of Darkness:
I will look to the Lord; I will wait
for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me…
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness, the Lord
will be my light (Micah 7:7-8).
Lord, Thank You that You delight to
show mercy and offers forgiveness
to all who come back to You.
Thank You that even if I were
to fall off Your path, You will always
be there to lift me up when I repent.
Thank You that even if I sink into
darkness, You Lord will be my light.
Praise You for being the light of
my life and keeper of the flame
that burns in my heart for eternity.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Consider in Times of Adversity

In Micah 1-2, we find the nation is
immoral and corrupt; the time to
repent has come and gone; the
earlier prophets were unheeded.
Such is the state of Judah as Micah
emerges during the reigns of Jotham,
Ahaz and Hezekiah. His task is to
indict the unrepentant people of God
and to announce the irreversible
edict of God for the transgressions
of Jacob and sins of Israel (1:3-5).
The leaders are mostly to blame
for they are not shepherds and
their religion is pretence (3:1-12).

Many prefer to see God as kindly,
eternally patient and somehow
ignorant of the way people treat
each other and the world. But we
see in Micah 1-3 that God would
punish the injustice he so detested
(and still does) & Jerusalem would
be destroyed. God’s anger here
points to His desire that we all
strive for and live in justice & peace.
Lord, grace in our resolutions.
We will Not Engage In Idolatry.
We will Not Be Covetous. And
We will Not Exploit Others. Amen.

Lord, we will Not Engage In Idolatry:
The Sovereign Lord has made accusations against you; the Lord
speaks from His holy Temple. Look! The Lord leaves His throne & comes
to earth..They melt beneath His feet
& flow into valleys like wax in a fire…
And why is this happening? Because
of the sins and rebellion of Israel
and Judah… Where is the center
of idolatry in Judah? In Jerusalem…
I the Lord will make Samaria a heap
of rubble… All her carved images
will be smashed to pieces (Mic1:2-7)
Weep you people of Judah… for the
children you love will be snatched
away & exiled to distant lands (v16)
Lord, we recognise that You are
holy, will remain true to Your nature
& punishes unfaithfulness & idolatry.
Help us Lord to be holy and loving
like You. And grateful that while
You God is holy and just, You’re also
gracious, faithful and loving. Amen.

Lord, we will Not Be Covetous:
Woe to those who devise iniquity,
and work out evil on their beds!..
They covet fields and take them by
violence, also houses & seize them.
So they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.
But this is what the Lord says: I will reward your evil with evil (Mic2:1-3)
Will the Lord’s Spirit have patience
with such behaviour? If you would
do what is right, you would find
my words comforting (Micah 2:7).
Lord, there are people who fall prey
to the ambitions of the powerful.
We will not use position or power
to take what we want by force;
but will be content with what God
has blessed us with and rely on
Him to provide for our needs. Amen.

Lord, we will Not Exploit Others:
Listen you leaders of Israel!
You are supposed to know right
from wrong, but you are the very
ones who hate good and love evil…
This is what the Lord says: You
false prophets are leading my
people astray! You promise peace
for those who give you food, but
you declare war on those who
refuse to feed you (Mic 3:1-2, 5).
But as for me, I am filled with
power, with the Spirit of the Lord.
I am filled with justice and strength
to boldly declare Israel’s sin (v8).
Lord, we realise spiritual leaders
have an awesome responsibility
to make clear the difference right
& wrong, and to live it out. Never to serve themselves & exploit people.
Lord grant us the courage to act
on what we see and be bold enough
to speak out about what is wrong.
Help us Lord whenever we minister
or serve others, to do so willingly
and cheerfully for Christ. Amen.

Seek God thro Fast & Prayer(Jul24)

This week we learn the importance
of Seeking God through Fasting       and Prayer to position ourselves
in order to encounter His presence.
On Monday, we learn from Ezra 8
to Implore God thro Fast & Prayer.
On Tues, we learn from Nehemiah 1
to Recognise Stirring of the Spirit.
On Wed, we learn from Nehemiah 2
that God Put Word In Our Heart.
On Thurs, we learn from Esther 4
to be Ready to Stand & Be Counted.
On Friday, we learn from Job 23
to Keep to the Way of the Lord.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

Keeping to the Lord’s Way (July 24)

As Job agonises over his situation,
his three friends explain that he
must be suffering because of
some terrible sin he committed.
They try to persuade Job to repent
of his sin. When Job argues that he
hasn’t sinned enough to deserve
such suffering his friends respond
with even harsher accusations.
Still refusing to admit the possibility
of an innocent man having to suffer,
Eliphaz begins round 3 of dialogue.

Lord, we will Keep to Your Way:
Then Job answered and said:
Even today my complaint is bitter…
Oh that I knew where I might
find Him… I would Present my
case before Him (Job 23:1-4).
But He knows the way that I take;
when He has tested me, I shall
Come Forth As Gold… I have
Kept His Way… I have treasured
the words of His mouth (v10-12).
Whatever He wants to do, he does.
He’ll Do for me all he has planned.
He Controls my destiny (v13-14).

Lord, You speak to Your people; but sometimes, like in Job, You maintain
long silences and let us search for You; and that can be uncomfortable.
For You are tuning our ears to Your voice & teaching us to wait for You.
Lord, when I cannot really sense
Your presence or hear Your voice,
keep on drawing me towards You.
Give me the patience & persistence
to keep Seeking Your Face. Amen.

Lord, praise U for Your faithfulness
& for knowing the Way that I take.
Thank You that when I have been
tested, I will Come Forth As Gold.
Lord, it’s painful not to hear Your
voice; and to wonder why I’m here
and where You’ve gone. Until You
lead again, my eyes are fixed on U.
Let me not waste the pain Lord;
instead use it to draw me deeper.
And show me treasures of Your
Ways and Your kingdom. Amen.

Lord, You are In Control my destiny
and I fully trust in Your goodness.
So fill my vision with confident
hope, which is the expression
of goodness from Your hand.
You’ve given promises, both general
and specific and offered hope even
when I can’t see all the way ahead.
Help me walk in the good purposes
You have planned for me. Amen.

Ready to Be Counted (July 23)

Esther has been elevated to queen
without her nationality discovered.
And Haman the villain also rises
to the top politically. His hatred for the Jews burns hot when Mordecai fails to pay homage to him. Haman
persuaded King Ahasuerus to issue
an edict for destruction for the Jewish race. Now Queen Esther
is faced with a deadly decision.
Should she risk revealing her nationality in an attempt to dissuade
the king? Or should she protect
her life and silently watch while
her countrymen are slaughtered?

Lord, we will Stand & Be Counted:
Mordecai sent this reply to Esther:
Don’t think for a moment because
you’re in the palace you will escape
when all other Jews are killed. If
you Keep Quiet at a time like this,
deliverance and relief for the Jews
will arise from some other place,
but you and your relatives will die.
Who knows you were made queen
for just such a time like this?…..
Go, gather together all the Jews…
and fast for me. Do not eat or drink
for three days, night or day. I and
my maids Will Fast as you do. When
this is done, I Will Go to the king,
even though it is against the law.
And If I Perish, I Perish (Est 4:13-16)

Lord to witness Esther’s courageous
Identification with You & Your people
causes me to look at my own life.
I must ask of myself if I have been
this bold and committed to being
a part of Your people. Give me the
courage I need to Identify Openly
with You and Your cause. And
give me the extraordinary courage
it takes to be different even if it
means being rejected because of
Identification With You Lord. Amen.

Lord, I pray You will help me to be
a person who has a Heart For You
and Your ways; and one who is
in the right place at the right time.
Enable me Lord as I Fast & Pray to have a powerful effect on the world
around me by standing up for what
is right and following Your leading.
Make my prayers powerful enough
to encourage and enable the lives
of the people and the church for
whom I pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, show me when Your Spirit is
calling me to Put Aside everything
else in order to seek You; and give
me grace to respond to that call.
Give me the discipline I need to be
able to Follow Through and the faith
to know that You are able to deliver
in whatever circumstances I am in.
Make my heart obedient, as Esther
was in Seeking You, if needed above
personal needs and interest; for You
God always keep promises. Amen.

God Put Word In Your Heart (Jul 22)

In ancient times, a city was only
as secure as its walls. In the case
of Jerusalem, the temple stands
in glistening splendour but the
walls lie in ruin. Enter Nehemiah,
cupbearer to the king of Persia
and God’s choice to rebuild the
city defenses. Armed with a burden
and a blueprint, Nehemiah shares
his request with the king & receives
even more than he asked for!

Lord, we Open our Heart to You:
The king asked: How can I help you?
With A Prayer to God of heaven,
(Nehemiah) replied: If it please
Your majesty… send me to Judah
to Rebuild the city (Neh 2:4-5).
So I came to Jerusalem and was
there three days…. I told no one
what my God Had Put In My Heart
to do… And I went out by night… and
Viewed the walls which were broken
& gates which were burned (v11-13)
Then I said to (the Jewish leaders):
Come Let Us Build the wall of
Jerusalem… And I Told Them of
the hand of God… and also of
the king’s words… So they said:
Let us rise up and build (v17-18).

Lord, we note Nehemiah covered
the whole process of Rebuilding
Jerusalem In Prayer; praying for
his people for four months; and
breathing a brief prayer to You God
before saying the request to king.
And I surrender the church to You
and please manifest in my life with
Your Restoring power. Lord, hear
my prayers as You did Nehemiah’s.
As You God prove Yourself mighty,
may You receive much glory. Amen.

Lord, help me sort out the burdens
in my heart whether they all Yours;
and which ones should I follow.
Lead me to fulfil the purposes
You Have Placed within my heart.
Clarify my vision, secure my steps
and lead me Lord through open
doors to accomplish Your Kingdom
mission wherever You lead and
wherever I can. In His name, Amen.

Lord, thank You for Nehemiah’s
example on how to respond to bad
news. After initial grief, he prayed,
pouring his heart out to You God.
Then he got all the accurate info
he needed to assess the situation.
Only after careful planning would
Nehemiah Share his mission.
Help us Lord to confront challenges
with Trust in God and constructive
action for Your name sake. Amen.

Being Stirred by the Spirit (July 21)

In ancient times, a city was only
as secure as its walls. In the case
of Jerusalem, the temple stands
in glistening splendour but the
walls lie in ruin. Enter Nehemiah,
cupbearer to the king of Persia
and God’s choice to rebuild the
city defenses. Armed with a burden
and a blueprint, Nehemiah shares
his request with the king & receives
even more than he asked for!

Lord, we are Open to Your Spirit:
I asked about the Jews who had
returned from captivity and about
how things were in Jerusalem.
They said: Things are not well.
They’re in great trouble & disgrace.
The walls of Jerusalem has been
torn down and the gates have been
destroyed by fire. When I heard
this, I sat down and wept. In fact
for days I mourned, fasted & prayed
I said: O Lord… Look down and
see me praying night and day
for Your people (Nehemiah 1:1-6).

Lord, You had spoken clearly about
a matter years before & confirmed
it many times with signs of promise.
Like Nehemiah, who believed
in God’s plan for Jerusalem yet
heard the city still lay in ruins, I am
distraught for God-given dreams
had been reduced to rubble. But
learning from Nehemiah, I don’t
have to understand what You
are doing in order to trust You.
And I don’t have to hear details
to know I have heard You. Amen.

Lord, we realise that when we
or our loved ones are in trouble,
we tend to fill prayers with plans
that we want You to put into action.
Learning from Nehemiah, we claim
upon Your promises, imploring
You to do what You have pledged
to do in caring for Your very own.
And thank You that the basis for
deliverance is purely Your grace
and undeserved favour. Amen.

Lord, sometimes my heart is
gripped by the things that grip
Your heart for Your purposes and
for Your people. Make me sensitive
to the Stirring of Your Spirit and
the sound of Your voice. And
when I have sought Your Will
and direction, make me joyfully
eager to participate in Your plan.
In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen

Implore God thro Fast & Prayer

The first six chapters chronicle
the ministry of Zerubbabel in
rebuilding the temple; now c7-10
introduces a priest named Ezra
whom God uses to rebuild the
spiritual condition of the people.
The people have a house for
God but not a heart of God.
Ezra realises revival must begin
a national return to the statutes of
God as contained in the Mosaic law.

Lord, we’ll Seek thro Fast & Prayer:
By the Ahava Canal, I (Ezra) gave
orders for all of us to Fast & humble
ourselves before our God to Seek
from Him the Right Way for us.
For I was ashamed to ask the king
for soldiers… to protect us from
enemies along the way. After all,
we had told the king: Our God’s
hand of protection is on all who
worship Him… So we Fasted and
earnestly Prayed that our God
would take care of us, and He
heard our prayer (Ezra 8:21-23).

Lord, we note Ezra and the people
Humbled themselves by Fasting
and Praying. Fasting humbled
the people because going without food was a reminder of their complete dependence on God.
It also frees up time to think about God and to pray to Him earnestly.
And serious prayer puts us in touch
with God’s will for our lives and can change our hearts & minds. Lord,
Grant us grace to fast & pray. Amen

Lord, Help me fast & pray regularly.
Show me how often & how long
and give me the strength to get
through each fast successfully.
With every fast, help me to pray
about the issues of my situation
and direction in my life. For I need
to deny my flesh so that I can
hear from You clearly and exalt
You above everything else. Amen.

Lord, we know the need to fast to
focus attention & dependence on U.
It’s a statement that Your presence
and direction are more important
to us than the food we need; and
our priorities to hear Your voice.
We purpose to forsake the physical
need for food for a season in order
to heighten our spiritual senses.
Amplify Your voice this fasting time,
hear our cries and lead us in the
Right way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Seek God for Assistance (July 19)

Backgrounder on 2 Chron 17-20:
Jehoshaphat institutes a peace
treaty with the king of Israel. And
it causes Judah being entangled
in a war between Israel and Syria.
But his reaction to divine rebuke,
his appointment of judges to rule
for the Lord and his Godward
response to crisis point to the
day-by-day reality of his faith.

Lord, we Seek Your Assistance:
Jehoshaphat set himself to seek
the Lord and proclaimed a fast…
Are You not our God, who drove
out the inhabitants of this land
and gave it to the descendants
of Abraham Your Friend forever?
And here are the people of Ammon,
Moab & Mt Seir…O our God, won’t
You stop them? For we have no
power against this great multitude
that is coming against us nor do
we know what to do, but our eyes
are upon You (2Chron 20:3-12).
Do not be afraid nor dismayed…for
the battle is not yours but God’s…
You’ll not need to fight in this battle.
Position yourselves. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who
is with You… Believe in the Lord and
you shall be established (v15-20).

Lord sometimes I feel so over-
whelmed, all I can say is “Help”.
When I don’t know what to do,
but I am looking to You for help,
please help me to fully trust You.
instead of focusing on the situation.
When trouble comes, help me
to keep my eyes solely on You.
For the battle belongs to the Lord.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Father God, when at our wits end,
we come seeking You for assistance.
We call on You for we know Your almighty power & promises to us.
We look to You for we don’t know
what to do but our eyes are on You.
We depend and rest on You Lord,
trusting we will see Your salvation.
And we believe in You Lord and
trust we will be established. Amen.

Lord, give me the boldness to take
steps of faith. Help me be discerning
without over analysing. And also to
trust Your ability to lead more than
my ability to miss Your leading.
And Lord, make clear what You are
saying to me through Your people.
If I err in understanding, then may it
be on the side of belief rather than
skepticism. And show me the path
to success in Your purposes. Amen.

Return to the Lord (July 19)

A plague of locusts hits Judah
with the fury of an invading army, destroying vegetation and turning
the countryside into a lifeless desert.
Fields of grain disappear and grape
vines are stripped bare, fruit trees
and gardens are wiped clean. The prophet Joel seizes the occasion
to preach God’s message to Judah:
The present calamity is only warning.
An even greater devastation awaits
those who continue to live in sin
and rebellion. The day of judgment
is coming, and only those who
sincerely repent and return to God
will be sheltered from the terrible
force of His righteous wrath.

Father God, You are in control, with
justice & restoration in Your hands.
Thank You Lord for Your gracious
patience and that You prefer to
bless us rather than discipline us.
Lord, we Seek Your Forgiveness;
Lord, we Seek Your Restoration;
Lord, we Seek Your Blessings
as we purpose to align to Your ways.
Grant us grace as we place our lives
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus’ mighty name we pray.

Lord, we Seek Your Forgiveness:
Wake up, you drunkards & weep!
All the grapes are ruined and all
you new wine is gone! A vast army
of locusts has invaded my land…
The grapevines and the fig trees
have all withered.The pomegranate
trees, palm trees and apple trees
– all the fruit trees have all dried up.
All joy has dried up with them.
Dress yourselves in sackcloth…
Wail, you who serve before the altar!
Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
ministers of God (Joel 1:5-6, 12-13)
Lord, Thank You for being gracious
and merciful, not easily angered
but filled with lovingkindness
and deep longing for Your people.
Grant us the gift of repentance
so that we can return to you with
all our hearts. Thank You for hearing
our cries for help and bringing restoration to our life. Amen.

Lord, we Seek Your Restoration:
Return to the Lord your God for
He is gracious and merciful…
He is filled with kindness and is
eager not to punish you…Perhaps
even sending u a blessing instead…
So I will Restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten.
You shall eat in plenty and be
satisfied… And My people shall
never be put to shame. Then you
shall know… I am the Lord your God
and there is no other… I will pour
out My Spirit on all flesh… And
whoever calls on the name of the
Lord shall be saved (Joel 2:13-32)
Lord, Thank You that it’s not
too late to turn to You and see
restoration happen in my life.
Even though there has been time
wasted when I didn’t live fully for U,
pray that You will redeem the time
and help me to make up for it.
Restore anything that has been
lost, wasted or ruined so that
I can give You the glory. Amen.

Lord, we Seek Your Blessings
and we Align ourselves to You:
Then you will know that I the Lord
your God live in Zion… Jerusalem
will be holy forever and foreign
armies will never conquer her again
In that day the mountains will drip
with sweet wine and the hills will
flow with milk. Water will fill the
dry streambeds of Judah and
a fountain will burst forth from
the Lord’s Temple, watering the
arid valley of acacias (Joel 3:17-19)
Lord, we note from scripture that
blessings come from God and
those who attach themselves to
Him will be fruitful. But all evil in
the world will one day be destroyed
Glad we are aligned to You and glad
that You are on our side. Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FSAFk2N4H9E