DAY 132 (2021) - Do you expect your prayers to be fulfilled? (Please go to FaceBook(silastyng) to watch my video of this blog)

 

                       This drawing is according to Psalm 132:15

Silence

1.   Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence

2.   Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace and feel His presence. Exhale your worries.

Praise and Thanksgiving

1.   Think through your day, all the times that made you smile

2.   Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people

3.   Sing a song to praise God (you are welcome to use "Father, I adore you" which I have been singing every morning for the past 20 years or your own choice to praise God)

          Father, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.

          Jesus, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.

          Spirit, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.

      

Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

1.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to shine on you that you are able to discover your sins and be willing to repent:

     “Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God and having Jesus as my Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

2.  Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

     "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sin to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gifts to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

3.  John Stott's daily prayer of Christlikeness (Christopher J.H. Wright, Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017, 13)

(Please click this link to see how God used John Stott to change my life: https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/)

           "Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more.

             Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross. and follow you.

             Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

    Bible link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%207&version=NIV

    Today's passage:

   

Psalm 132

A song of ascents.

1 Lord, remember David
    and all his self-denial.

2 He swore an oath to the Lord,
    he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 “I will not enter my house
    or go to my bed,
4 I will allow no sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
5 till I find a place for the Lord,
    a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 We heard it in Ephrathah,
    we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:[a]
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place,
    let us worship at his footstool, saying,
8 ‘Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
9 May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;
    may your faithful people sing for joy.’”

10 For the sake of your servant David,
    do not reject your anointed one.

11 The Lord swore an oath to David,
    a sure oath he will not revoke:
“One of your own descendants
    I will place on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
    and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
    on your throne for ever and ever.”

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion,
    he has desired it for his dwelling, saying,
14 “This is my resting place for ever and ever;
    here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.
15 I will bless her with abundant provisions;
    her poor I will satisfy with food.
16 I will clothe her priests with salvation,
    and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.

17 “Here I will make a horn[b] grow for David
    and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,
    but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”

 Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage we have just read. Offer this time to Jesus as you listen to him. 

    My Listening

    The topic I received from Jesus is: Do you expect your prayers to be fulfilled?

Everybody expect their prayers to be fulfilled, right? 

There must be something wrong when the Psalmist prayed like that in this chapter. It seems that the condition of the nation was not good and the Psalmist asked God, "You swore an oath to David, what are you doing now? Our nation is facing a total destruction, where are you, God?"

Well, lots of time we forget there is a conditional sentence following God's promise. Yes, God's love is unconditional, but it does not mean that there is no condition attached to His promise. 

And, the condition is, 

"If your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them." The fact is the sons of David did not do that and Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed in 586B.C.!

And yet, the promise of God that David's sons will sit on the throne for ever and ever only fulfilled through Jesus Christ, the greatest Son of David, whose "kingdom will never end."

You surely expect your prayers to be fulfilled, then you need to follow Jesus' lead as your Lord that you know the way and have the strength to keep God's covenant and His standards. David's sons could not do that but only Jesus can. Only Jesus can help you that your prayers will be fulfilled!

Dear Lord Jesus,

You are our King and Lord! Lead us, so that we know the way and have the strength to keep God's covenant and His standards and that our prayers will be fulfilled.

 

In Jesus name we pray,

 

Amen.

       

      Reflect on these questions:

     1. What inspiration have you received from today's catch and what have you heard from Jesus now?

      

      2.  What is your next step to be more closer to Jesus?

    

           Family Corner:

     Find an opportunity to share with your family the importance of today's message. 

     

        

Please click this link to worship with us - 

I Was Glad (Prince William & Kate's Royal Wedding)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=rtyFC2Nl_6Y

    I was Glad (Schola Cantorum Emmanuel conducted by Rt. Rev. Dr. Silas Ng) 

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycimy2HhG_o&ab_channel=RichmondEmmanuelChurch

     To know, learn and practice the method of Time with Abba, please click this link: https://www.pastoralcareschool.org

       

    Since January 1, 2021, I started to lead you to read one Psalm everyday for 150 days that you can experience a powerful experience to use Psalm to pray and sing praises to the Lord. If you watch my daily morning prayer "Time with Abba, Singing and Praising" video, I am going to sing with you one song to praise the Lord!

    

    Praise the Lord that after a few months of preparation for this new series with a good friend, Alice Cheung, you can see a brand new look in my daily blog. Alice who is now the Vice Principal of Diocesan Girls' School (https://www.dgs.edu.hk/) is going to draw a painting each day to highlight the key message of that day's Psalm. You can see the photos below of Alice, one pictures was taken in Hong Kong of Michelle and me, and Alice and her husband Johnson. The other picture is with her Doctor of Education gown standing besides the Alumni Wall of DGS and with her name and the year 1984, the year she graduated in that school. She had been a principal of a high school for seven years and worked as a Vice Principal two years ago.