What to Pray for when we Pray for others

How wonderful it is to see people in earnest prayer! We love to read what Mary, Queen of Scots said about the prayer of John Knox. Prayers are powerful because we have a sovereign God who answers prayers. We often say, “Pray for me,” and “Will pray for you,” and often neglect to pray earnestly. When there are specific prayer points to pray for we pray more spontaneously, but we do not want to pray only after hearing or learning bad news or tragedies, do we? How do we pray for one another and regularly even if we do not get bad news or possibly good news?

Is Your Life Worth Living?

“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.” – Psalm 63:3 (ESV)

Summarize in a Word: Lovingkindness

Key Principle: God’s Love is Gracious.

Key Application: We must Praise God with all our breath.

Main point of the Passage: Neither Life’s distress nor Life’s pleasure should stop us to live and praise God.

Illustration: David and Paul

Exhortation: Recognize the loving kindness of God.

David made this wonderfully stunning statement when he was in the wilderness of Judah, running away because of Absalom’s treachery. Yet he always recognized the faithfulness of God towards him. For David the lovingkindness of God he realized surpassed all troubles and enmities surrounding him.

This lovingkindness was not the material blessing. In fact, he lost all. He was a combat hero, a decorated military warrior, and a King. He was loved, honored, and revered by his people. For David, even such a glorious life that only a few human can ever achieve looked pale compared to the lovingkindness of God.

David would not slip into depression for his lost or for such a treason against him. He was not like the reluctant Jonah who wanted to die. For him, whatever life brings, if God’s faithfulness he sees, he will rejoice. He was like Apostle Paul who says, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). Neither Life’s distress nor Life’s pleasure would stop him to live and praise God.

Is your life worth living? Yes, because of God’s love. He gives your life and sustains you. And if you would confess Christ, He would give you eternal life, and immeasurable spiritual riches of Him. Are you bogged down by failure? Are you discouraged? Or, are you distracted by the status of the world? Recognize the loving kindness of God. He has demonstrated His Love unprecedentedly when Christ died for us 2000 years ago. Would you live for Him who died for you? Would you Praise God with all your breath?

Image Scripture: Isaiah 40:29-31 (ESV and NKJV)

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture

Isaiah 40:29-31 ESV Version

Just About Prayer

Someone asked me to compile about prayer with Scripture references, and this is what I gathered from Reference Bibles. I took help from ThomsonChain-Reference Bible and Torrey’s New Topical Textbook. They are good books for scripture references.

Genuine Christian

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." – John 1:12-13 (ESV)

Summarize in a Word: Genuine Christian

Key Principle: Salvation is of God

Key Application: You must be born again

Main point of the Passage: God grants Salvation to whoever believes Christ

Illustration: The learned and religious Nicodemus

Exhortation: Put your trust in the Person and Work of Christ, for behold! Now is the Time!

Years ago, on my seminary break, I had the opportunity to travel from Goa to Manipur. I asked many people on my way home why they think they were going to Heaven when they die. I also asked them why they think they were Christians. And I got lots of clever answers, but unfortunately not biblical.

Some people think they are Christian because they grow up in a Christian family. And some people do not care because they think they are going to heaven because God should be good enough to let them in. There are other groups of people who think they can become Christian sometime later. And unfortunately, there are also people who think God is responsible for all our sins and destiny to hell.

This magnificent passage refutes all such thoughts and arguments. Apostle John describes three ways you can never become Christian – not by Christian upbringing, not by your will, not by your parent’s or pastor’s or priest’s will. Also, no man can convert you. Even you too cannot decide to become Christian. To be Christian You must be born of God. As Christ said to Nicodemus in John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Have you received Christ? Or in other words, Have you wholly put your trust in Him and His work that He has accomplished on the cross? If you are, God has justified you and declared you as His Child. Apostle Paul says, “Behold now is the favorable time; Behold now is the day of Salvation!” Would you believe in Jesus, the Christ?

Image Scripture: Psalm 121:1-2

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture though Picture

Reading Bible Chronologically within 4 Months.

Reading Bible cover to cover each year is a commendable commitment. I have known many Christians who have done it, also many Christians who gave up their commitment midway. Whenever I meet Christian friends after a long time, I love to ask their Bible reading schedule/plan. Unfortunately, many have the habit of giving up after reading the Bible cover to cover once. If you ae one of them, may I suggest you to have an interesting Bible reading plan? For me to continue each year, I read different Bible version each year. Also I do not put myself under obligation to read sequentially from Genesis to Revelation.

This year, I decide to read Bible chronologically. Chronological in the sense of events recorded in Bible. It is not the chronological order of the first book to last book written (by the way, that is also a good way, and I have done it last year). I took help from Blue Letter Bible Reading Plan and modified it for my convenience. There are some instances I disagree with this Chronology, such as Psalm 63 after 1 Samuel 25-27. I believe with Spurgeon it should be after 2Samuel 16-17.

I have modified in this way to read in 4 months. This schedule helps me to understand the context clearly and retains my memory of the last read passages.

 

OLD TESTAMENT I (6 WEEKS) 1st Week (5 days reading. 2 days are to catch up) 1.     Genesis 1-11 2.     Job 1-21 3.     Job 22-42 4.     Genesis 12-30 5.     Genesis 31-50   2nd Week (5 days reading. 2 days are to catch up) 6.     Exodus 1-20 7.     Exodus 21-40 8.     Leviticus 1-16 9.     Leviticus 17-27 10. Numbers 1-15; Psalm 90   3rd Week (5 days reading. 2 days are to catch up. Pentateuch is done by third week. The 13th day is little big but necessary.) 11. Numbers 16-36 12. Deut. 1-18 13. Deut. 19-34; Psalm 91 14. Joshua 1-12 15. Joshua 13-24   4th Week (5 days reading. 2 days are to catch up. Now the fun comes in reading chronologically – turning pages back and front. 17th and 18th take more time but necessary.) 16. Judges 1-21   17. Ruth; 1Sam. 1-20; Ps. 11, 59;   18. 1Sam. 21-24; Ps. 7, 27, 31, 34, 52, 56, 120, 140-142; 1Sam. 25-27   19. Ps. 17, 35, 54, 63; 1Samuel 28-31; Ps. 18, 121, 123-125, 128-130; 2Sam. 1-4;   20. Ps. 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 19, 21; 1Chr. 1-2; Ps. 43-45, 49, 84-85, 87; 1Chr. 3-5; Ps. 73, 77-78; 1Chr. 6   5th Week (3 days reading. 4 days are to catch up – plenty. Not to give up in midway because of lagging behind. One month read faithfully. It’s a second month with an easy start) 21. Ps. 81, 88, 92-93; 1Chr. 7-10; Ps. 102-104; 2Sam. 5; 1Chr. 11-12; Ps. 133, 106-107   22. 1Chr. 13-16; Ps. 1-2, 15, 22-24, 47, 68; Ps. 89, 96, 100-101, 105, 132; 2Sam. 6-7; 1Chr. 17; Ps. 25, 29, 33, 36, 39   23. 2Sam. 8-9; 1Chr. 18; Ps. 50, 53, 60, 75; 2Sam. 10; 1Chr. 19; Ps. 20; Ps. 65-67, 69-70; 2Sam. 11-12; 1Chr. 20; Ps. 32, 51, 86, 122   6th Week (3 days reading. 4 days are to catch up – plenty. Not to give up in midway because of lagging behind) 24. 2Sam. 13-15; Ps. 3-4, 12-13, 28, 55; 2Sam. 16-18; Ps. 26, 40, 58, 61-62, 64; 2Sam.19-21; Ps. 5, 38, 41-42   25. 2Sam. 22-23; Ps. 57, 95, 97-99; 2Sam. 24; 1Chr. 21-22; Ps. 30; Ps. 108-110; 1Chr. 23-25; Ps. 131, 138-139, 143-145   26. 1Chr. 26-29; Psalm 127, 111-118     OLD TESTAMENT II (6 WEEKS) 1st Week (5 days reading. 2 days are to catch up. End of OT I. Cheer up! you are half way through!) 1.     1Kings 1-2; Ps. 37, 71, 94, 119; 1Kings 3-4   2.     2Chr. 1; Psalm 72; Song of Solomon   3.     Proverbs 1-24   4.     1Kings 5-6; 2Chr. 2-3; 1Kings 7; 2Chr. 4; 1Kings 8; 2Chr. 5-7; Ps. 136, 134, 146-150   5.     1Kings 9; 2Chr. 8; Pro. 25-29   2nd Week (5 days reading. 2 days are to catch up. Walk with the Kings.) 6.     Ecclesiastes 1-12 7.     1Kings 10-11; 2Chr. 9; Pro. 30-31; 1Kings 12-14; 2Chr. 10-12; 1Kings 15; 2Chr. 13-16   8.     1Kings 16; 2 Chr. 17; 1Kings 17-22; 2 Chronicles 18-23   9.     Obadiah; Ps.82-83; 2Kings 1-11   10. 2Kings 12-13; 2Chr. 24; 2 Kings 14; 2Chr. 25; Jonah; 2Kings 15; 2Chr. 26   3rd Week (5 days reading. 2 days are to catch up. Walk with the Prophets.) 11. Isaiah 1-8; Amos 1-9   12. 2Chr. 27; Isaiah 9-12; Micah; 2Chr. 28; 2Kings 16-17   13. Isaiah 13-27; 2Kings 18; 2Chr. 29-31; Ps. 48   14. Hosea 1-14   15. Isaiah 28-39; Ps. 76; Isaiah 40-48   4th Week (5 days reading. 2 days are to catch up. 20th day especially Jeremiah section is big) 16. 2Kings 19; Ps. 46, 80, 135; Isaiah 49-66   17. 2Kings 20-21; 2Chr. 32-33; Nahum; 2Kings 22-23; 2Chr. 34-35; Zephaniah   18. Jeremiah 1-20   19. Jeremiah 21-40; Psalms 74, 79   20. 2Kings 24-25; 2Chr. 36; Habakkuk; Jeremiah 41-52; Lament 1-5   5th Week (5 days reading. 2 days are to catch up) 21. Ezekiel 1-16 22. Ezekiel 17-35 23. Ezekiel 36-48;  Joel 24. Daniel 1-12 25. Ezra 1-6; Ps. 137; Haggai   6th Week (3 days reading. Take time of reflection – God’s word the rest of the week. Celebrate! OT is done in 3 months.) 26. Zechariah 1-14 27. Esther 1-10; Ezra 7-10 28. Neh. 1-13; Ps.126; Malachi     NEW TESTAMENT (4 WEEKS) 1st Week (5 days reading. 2 days are to catch up. Yes, excited. 4 Gospels in a week.) 1.     Luke 1; John 1 Matthew 1; Luke 2 Matthew 2-3; Mark 1; Luke 3 Matthew 4; Luke 4-5 John 2-4; Matthew 8; Mark 2 John 5; Matthew 12; Mark 3; Luke 6; Matthew 5-7   2.     Matthew 9; Luke 7 Matthew 11; Luke 11 Matthew 13; Luke 8 Mark 4-5, 10, 14; Mark 6; Luke 9 John 6; Matt. 15; Mark 7 Matt. 16; Mark 8: Matt. 17; Mark 9   3.     Matthew 18; John 7-10; Luke 10 Luke 12-17; John 11; Luke 18; Matt. 19; Mark 10; Matt.20-21; Luke 19   4.     Mark 11; John 12; Matt. 22; Mark 12; Matthew 23; Luke 20-21; Mark 13; Matthew 24-26; Mark 14; Luke 22; John 13-17   5.     Matthew 27; Mark 15 Luke 23; John 18-19 Matthew 28; Mark 16 Luke 24; John 20-21   2nd Week (5 days reading. 2 days are to catch up. Acts looks more interesting with epistles.) 6.     Acts 1-14; James 7.     Acts 15-16; Gal. 1-6; Acts 17 8.     1 & 2 Thess; Acts 18-19 9.     1 Corinthians 1-16 10. 2 Corinthians 1-13   3rd Week (3 days reading. More books this week but relatively small. You can read ahead of the 4th week too.) 11. Romans 1-16 12. Acts 20-28; Colossians, Philemon 13. Ephesians; Philippians; 1Timothy; Titus   4th Week (4 days reading. 2 days are to catch up. NT done. Holy Bible done!) 14. 1Peter; Hebrews 1-13 15. 2Timothy; 2Peter, Jude; 1, 2, 3 John 16. Revelation 1-11 17. Revelation 12-22      This is how you can do it within 4 months or 16 weeks or 71 days. Each day will require one to one and half hour to read the assigned passages. Actually. I got excited and finished it in 28 days (within a month).