LET’S PRAY

Consider these Prayer Topics

  1. Pray for the nation and leaders

1 Timothy 2:1–2 — “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority…”

Proverbs 11:14 — “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”

  1. Thank God with a heart full of gratitude and praise

Psalm 100:4 — “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 — “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

  1. Pray for labourers into the Lord’s vineyard

Matthew 9:37–38 — “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”

Isaiah 6:8 — “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”

  1. For Yourself
    God’s provision, protection, and supply
    Philippians 4:19 — “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.”

Proverbs 3:5–6 — “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Psalm 91:1–2 — “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

  1. Pray for forgiveness

1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Psalm 51:10 — “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

  1. Pray that the Lord meets us at the point of our needs

Matthew 6:33 — “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Psalm 23:1 — “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”

  1. Pray for love and unity of purpose

John 13:34–35 — “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Philippians 2:2 — “…make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”

Psalm 133:1 — “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

KNOWING WHO YOU ARE

KNOWING WHO YOU ARE
August 14

Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13

“And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” (Matthew 4:3)

Two of Satan’s three temptations began with the words, “If you be the
Son of God.” Jesus was God, but He did have a human body that had to grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God. ( John 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:16; Luke 2:52.) It took faith for the physical mind of Jesus to believe the witness of the Spirit within Him that He was the Messiah.In Matthew 4:3, Satan attacked the most basic of Jesus’ beliefs: who He was. Satan also knew He was hungry. Turning stones into bread must have been a temptation for Jesus, or Satan would not have used it.

Satan is very subtle in his temptations. It looked like he was trying to get Jesus
to perform a miracle, but he was actually trying to make Jesus waiver in His faith concerning who He was. He tried to get Jesus to draw on the supernatural power of God to confirm His own identity, but it didn’t work! Jesus knew who He was and never wavered in believing it.Unlike Jesus, we sometimes fall for this trick of the devil. We may say we are arguing what we believe, but we are hoping to convince ourselves. Someone who really knows who they are in Christ does not have to prove anything to anyone because they have full assurance from God’s Word that He loves them and values them.

Isaiah 30:15 says, “For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” Today meditate on God’s Word and let the Holy Spirit build your confidence in who you are in Christ Jesus.

GOD EXALTED JOSEPH

🔰 GOD EXALTED JOSEPH GREATLY 🔰

❇️ Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” (Genesis 41:42-44).

🔹 Pharaoh had two disturbing dreams. Pharaoh called all the magicians and wise men of Egypt and told them his dream. But no one could tell Pharaoh what it meant. Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer told Pharaoh about Joseph, who had told him the correct interpretation of his dream while he was in prison. Pharaoh ordered Joseph to be brought out of prison. Joseph was brought out quickly. This was God’s time to release Joseph from prison, so everything happened quickly. Often, we think we have to wait a long time. But God never delays unnecessarily. Whatever He does, He does it for our good. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

🔹 When Pharaoh asked Joseph about his ability to interpret dreams, he had an opportunity to glorify himself. But he humbled himself and glorified God by declaring that only God could interpret dreams. Pharaoh told Joseph his dreams. God gave him wisdom not only to interpret the dreams but also to advise him on what to do in the future.

🔹 Joseph told Pharaoh that his two dreams were the same and that God had revealed to him what would soon happen. There would be seven years of great abundance throughout the land of Egypt. Then there would be seven years of famine. Then all the abundance in Egypt would be forgotten. Joseph suggested what to do in the coming years and that Pharaoh should appoint a wise and discreet man over Egypt to manage the approaching crisis.

🔹 Pharaoh realized that Joseph was not only able to interpret dreams correctly but also to give sound advice in accordance with the message from heaven. So he declared that Joseph was a man with the Spirit of God. The character and humility of those who have the Holy Spirit will reveal that they are anointed. So Pharaoh decided to appoint Joseph as governor of Egypt.

🔹 Pharaoh announced the following:
▪️ Joseph would be in charge of Pharaoh’s palace.
▪️ All the people would obey Joseph’s orders.
▪️ Pharaoh would only be greater than Joseph when sitting on the throne.
▪️ Joseph would be in charge of the entire nation of Egypt.

🔹 As a symbol of his authority, Joseph was given Pharaoh’s signet ring, fine garments, and a gold chain. He was given Pharaoh’s second chariot. And people were commanded to bow down before him wherever he went. What a great exaltation! Joseph was not exalted overnight. In fact, it took him 13 difficult years to rise from the pit to the peak. God exalted Joseph to this extent because of his faith, holiness, integrity, humility, and perseverance.

🔻 Let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt us in due time.

THE HIDDEN TREASURE

August 12

Hidden Treasure

Read 2 Corinthians 4:7–18

Today’s Scripture: We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.
2 Corinthians 4:7

Sometimes God permits our vessels to be jarred so that some of the treasure will spill out and enrich others. Suffering reveals not only the weakness of man but also the glory of God. Paul presented a series of paradoxes in this paragraph: earthen vessels—power of God; the dying Jesus—the life of Jesus; death working—life working. The natural mind cannot understand this kind of spiritual truth and therefore cannot understand why Christians triumph over suffering.

Not only must we focus on the treasure and not on the vessel, but we must also focus on the Master and not on the servant. If we suffer, it is for Jesus’ sake. If we die to self, it is so that the life of Christ may be revealed in us. If we go through trials, it is so that Christ may be glorified. And all of this is for the sake of others. As we serve Christ, death works in us—but life works in those to whom we minister.

Something to Ponder
When was the last time you felt “jarred” significantly—to the point of almost breaking? How did you handle the situation?

COME OUT OF HIDING

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . . . He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 103:8, 10–12

While meditating Word of God, the Lord opened my eyes to see for the first time how He had met the man with leprosy in Matthew 8:1–4. After preaching to the multitudes, our Lord didn’t go down the mountain toward them. Our Lord had actually walked down the mountain in another direction, very likely in the direction toward Capernaum (see Matt. 8:5).

If you take a path down the mountain toward Capernaum, you can see slabs of stone strewn along the foot of the mountain. These stone slabs are just the right size for a man to crawl under and find shelter. I had the revelation of how the man with leprosy could have hidden under one of these slabs for fear of being discovered by the people, and how our Lord Jesus had known the man was hiding there and deliberately gone to seek him before the crowds caught up with Him.

In Jesus’ day, those with leprosy were ostracized and isolated in accordance with the law of Moses. Because they were conscious of how unclean they were and what the law required of them, their natural response was to withdraw and hide.

But hiding didn’t get the man with leprosy in Matthew 8 the healing and restoration he needed. Fortunately, hearing about the goodness of God—how God wanted to be a loving Father to him and take care of all his needs—got him out of hiding and into seeking the Lord for his miracle. It changed his mind from seeing a God Who ostracized and condemned unclean people to seeing a God Who loved them no matter what their condition. This change of mind lit his faith and put courage in his heart to seek and receive the healing he so desperately wanted.

Like the man with leprosy at the start of his story, could you also be hiding from God today? Maybe you’ve been struggling with an addiction or cycle of defeat that you can’t seem to get out of. Maybe you’ve been a victim of abuse and you blame yourself for it. Maybe you’ve had a failed marriage or business, or made a bad decision that has led to loss. And maybe your failure has caused you to avoid God, avoid going to church, and avoid people in general. Beloved, whatever may be causing you to feel “unclean” or disqualified today, God wants you to change your mind about Him and, instead of hiding from Him, to run to Him!

Have a wonderful and blessed day. God bless.

THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU.

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THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU. YOU NEED ONLY TO BE STILL. (Exodus.14:14)

Israelites were in Egypt for 430 years (Exodus12: 40) God saw the misery of his people, heard their cry, and decided to deliver them from their bondage in Egypt and to take them to the Promised Land (Exod.3:7-10). God called Moses to deliver God’s people from the bondage of Pharaoh. He was really scared and tried his best not to take up this big task… Finally, he agreed to obey the Lord. (Exod.3, 4)

The Pharaoh was very upset about the request of Moses to allow all the Israelites to go to the desert to worship their God. He hardened his heart and tried his best not to heed their request (Exod.5). God sent 10 different plagues on the Egyptians. (Exod.7-11). Finally, Pharaoh allowed them to go to sacrifice to their God in the desert (Exod.12: 31, 32)

Later, when Pharaoh realized that all the Israelites left for good, he decided to go after them to bring them back. (Exod.14:5-9).

The Israelites were camping near the Red Sea. In front of them was the vast and deep sea. When they turned back, they saw the huge army of Pharaoh marching after them with hundreds of chariots, horsemen, and thousands of army officers fully equipped to do anything to them.

A. RESPONSE OF PEOPLE TO GOD. (Ex.14:10)

  1. They were terrified.
  2. They cried out to the Lord.

B. RESPONSE OF PEOPLE TO MOSES (Exod.14:11, 12)

  1. You brought us to the desert to die?
  2. What have you done to us?
  3. You brought us out of Egypt against our wish.
  4. It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert.

C. RESPONSE OF MOSES TO ISRAELITES. (Exod.14:13, 14)

  1. Do not be afraid.
  2. Stand firm, and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.
  3. You will never see your enemy again. (The last chance to see the Egyptian enemies)
  4. The LORD will fight for you.
  5. You need only to be still.

(No need to do anything. When God is doing the needed, He doesn’t want us to do anything. He is powerful enough to help us without our help.)
We can see what God is doing to His people.
He asked His servant Moses to raise his staff and stretch out his hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites could go through the sea on dry ground. (Exod.14:16)

What happened to the enemies?

Not one of them survived(Ex.14:28)

Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore (Exod.14:30)

Friends, are you going through terrifying problems?
Problems which you think would destroy you?

I have gone through lots of such experiences and am still going through some.
But God is telling us today…

  1. Do not be afraid.
  2. Stand firm.
  3. See the deliverance which the Lord will bring you today.
  4. God will deliver you from your problems.
  5. The Lord will fight for you.
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GOD IS OUR REFUGE

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1

WHEN THE STORMS OF LIFE RAGE!

Storms of life. You know them well. They overwhelm you. Wave after wave of relentless battering that knocks you off your feet till you don’t know which side is up. Till every ounce of energy is used up and you feel so weak, abandoned, and lonely. Perhaps you’re caught in one of life’s storms right now.

When the disciples of Jesus were out at sea, caught in a turbulent tempest and tossed by the waves, who came to them in their darkest hour? It was Jesus Himself (Matt. 14:22–33). Jesus came in style, walking on the raging waters. The loving Saviour came to them at their exact point of need to rescue them.

What does this tell you? That He is above the storms. He walks above—He is greater than—every adversity and opposition that you may be facing right now, and He comes to you to rescue you!

With the billowing waves beneath His feet, His first words to His disciples were, “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here!” (Matt. 14:27 NLT). What comfort those words must have brought to the disciples who were exhausted and shaking with fear for their lives.

My friend, when the storms of life rage, don’t go by what you see and hear all around you. Don’t go by your negative feelings and emotions. Live by the truth of God’s Word, which encourages you to “be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic . . . For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you” (Deut. 31:6 NLT).

Our God is a personal and loving God who is with you in your boat right in the midst of the howling storm. He knows how to lead you to victory every time. He cannot fail you!

Have a wonderful and blessed day. God bless.

DON’T BE AFRAID, SPEAK UP.

DON’T BE AFRAID, SPEAK UP.“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.” Acts 18:9 (NIV)There are many parts of the Bible that most people have no problems embracing—like helping the poor. That’s something nearly everyone agrees on. But other parts of Scripture can be harder for the world to accept, and that can make it challenging for Christians to stand firm in their faith.Some people won’t just disagree with you on these topics—they’ll feel strongly and won’t hesitate to challenge your perspective.It takes an uncommon courage to stand up against that kind of pressure.Here are three issues related to sanctity that Christians today need to stand up for.The sanctity of life: God has a purpose for every unborn child. God planned your life before you were born: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:16 NLT).When we put our faith in Jesus, it shapes how we see the world—including the belief that every life, born or unborn, has purpose and value.The sanctity of sex: Sex is only for marriage. Sex is God’s idea. It isn’t dirty or wrong; sex is holy. Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” (NIV).God’s instructions never change: Premarital sex and living together without being married are unacceptable to God. Adultery and pornography and the objectification of women are unacceptable to God.The sanctity of marriage: One man and one woman for life. That is God’s intended, original design. The Bible is very clear on the issue of marriage: “Haven’t you read . . . that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Matthew 19:4-6 NIV).People of goodwill can disagree over many issues in life. But as a believer, it’s important to line up with what God says about the sanctity of life, sex, and marriage. And you need to have the courage to stand up for them—even when it’s not the popular or politically correct thing to do.Talk It overWhen was the last time you spoke up for Jesus in a conversation about the sanctity of life, sex, or marriage?What keeps you from speaking up more often.

MATCHING TOWARD PURPOSE

Marching Toward Purpose
6th August 2025
Philippians 3:13–14, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

We live in a time filled with distractions, such as social media, comparison traps, and material pursuits. It’s easy to chase what shines rather than what truly matters. But the Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians that our highest calling isn’t comfort, fame, or applause; it’s purpose in Christ. Paul had many reasons to boast about his worldly success, yet he regarded it all as loss for the sake of knowing Jesus (Philippians 3:8). His focus was clear: to forget what was behind and press on. That’s not simple. The past can pull us back with shame or nostalgia. The world offers shortcuts and detours. But God calls us forward with grace, guidance, and a divine dream.

What dream has God put in your heart? Maybe it’s a calling to serve, to heal, to create, or to lead. That dream isn’t built overnight, and it won’t be fulfilled by following the crowd. It grows through surrender, faith, and consistent effort. Hebrews 12:1 urges us to run our race with perseverance, “throwing off everything that hinders.” You can’t run freely while holding on to fear, regret, or the need for approval. Today, let go of lesser things and press toward the greater purpose God has for you. You weren’t made for distraction; you were made for destiny.

Lord, help me focus on the purpose You’ve set before me. Remove the distractions, doubts, and burdens of the past. Give me the courage to press on, trusting that what lies ahead in You is greater than anything behind. In Jesus’ name, Amen.