#prayerdevotional Archives

Do not deny bread

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Gideon and his three hundred men were exhausted but kept pursuing their enemies and crossed the Jordan. He said to the men of Sukkoth, ” Give my troops some bread; they are worn out as I am still pursuing the kings of Midian”. But the officials of Sukkoth mocked them and replied, “Do you already have the hands of the Midian kings? Why should we give bread to your troops?”. Gideon replied angrily, “When the LORD has given the Midian kings into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns”. From there, he went to Peniel and asked its men the same. They also replied just as the men of Sukkoth and refused to give them bread. Gideon challenged that he will tear down their towers. As God was with Gideon, he pursued and captured the kings of Midian and killed them. And while returning, he did just as he challenged the above two cities.

Today people might not come to our door asking for bread or food. But we are surrounded by people who go through various crisis situations. The bread that we can offer to them is the bread that brings them hope, the bread that lifts up their spirit. Even the great prophet Elijah when he was on the verge of giving up on life and slept under a tree, the angel brought him food, twice.

When someone feels exhausted with their situations, may we not further weaken their spirit by adding our versions of discouragements. We need to remember that we represent a God for whom anything is possible – the God who raised Lazarus four days after his death, the God who fed the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness, the God who parted the Red Sea to make a way for His children, so on and so forth. Our God hears the cries of the people whom He created – even the wicked and the disobedient ones. Israelites, His chosen and yet rebellious ones, are the perfect examples. God has a great reputation for showing up on time, though many a time, it would seem late to us.

Peninnah taunted Hannah day in and day out. But when God heard Hannah’s cries, there was no room for taunting words anymore. Hagar despised Sarah. But when God remembered Sarah, there was no more room for Hagar to despise her. Sennacherib taunted the Israelites with his blasphemous and discouraging words, but when God killed his mighty army, there was no more room for his taunts. Whenever Jesus was approached by people who were in need of healing, He expected just one thing from them – believe that He can. So when people around us grow weary in their journey, may we be the ones who offer the bread of encouragement to them.

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The Bigger, The Better!

The bigger the enemy’s army, the better God’s children’s victory! Contrary to the world’s belief. As Joshua led the Israelites towards victory over many kings, the king of Hazor gathered a huge number of other kings and came against Joshua. Their armies were as the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. But the LORD said to Joshua, ” Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time, I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire. “ Joshua 11:6.

Joshua and all the people of war with him came against these enemies and attacked them. Joshua 11:8 says “And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel. they attacked them until they left none of them remaining. Isn’t it as simple as that? No logic is needed when God is involved. Joshua did to them just as the LORD had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

Obviously, Israelites who were captives in Egypt, crossed the Red Sea and witnessed Pharaoh’s chariots drown and then wandered for forty years in the wilderness, owning no chariots or horses. They probably had only some hand weapons, like swords, javelins, etc, whatever they could make by themselves. And yet, God particularly instructed them not to take the chariots to use them in the upcoming wars because Israel’s help does not come from the chariots or horses, but from the LORD Himself.

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8. They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright.

Psalm 27:3 Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.

Psalm 44:3 For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them.

Compared to the world’s standards, don’t we have what it takes to win? Perfect! God’s right hand on our side is more than enough!

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He hears us

1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

15. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Exodus 2:24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

James 5:16 b The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

In order to receive answers to our prayers, we should learn to pray according to God’s will. To know God’s will, we need to know God’s character through God’s word.

In Deut 32:10, when God told Moses that He will make him a great nation, Moses pleaded with God to turn from His fierce wrath against the Israelites. Moses did not want the Egyptians and the other pagan nations to disgrace the God of the Israelites for destroying them in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 9:19 says, “But the LORD listened to me at that time also”. Rather than the blessing that God offered him to be a great nation, Moses desired God’s name to be lifted high.

Though Hannah went through the unbearable agony of barrenness, she prayed that if God would give her a son, she will give that child back to God. When Hannah prayed this prayer, God opened her womb and gave her a son who served as a great prophet. And God also gave her three sons and two daughters.

When Esther realized that God had appointed her as the queen so that she can stand in the gap to protect His chosen people, she called for a prayer pleading for her own life and the life of God’s chosen people. God protected Esther and His people.

When Solomon became the King, God appeared to him in a dream and asked him what he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom to lead the Israelites. God was pleased with Solomon’s request. God granted him wisdom like no other. He also gave him riches and honor.

Mathew 6:33 Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

May we learn to turn our prayer requests into God’s Kingdom purposes. Then we can be sure that our prayers will be answered.

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My Calendar

Psalm 31:15 My times are in Your hand;

I surrender my life’s calendar unto God’s hands. We love to control the happenings of our lives, don’t we? We convey our requests to God to approve our plans and agendas that are thought through by us. When God opens our eyes to see how He ordains the happenings in our lives, we are filled with faith to surrender everything unto His hands that ordains everything so perfectly.

At the end of 2019, I was without projects. God gave me two verses to hold on to as I was waiting on Him. When I asked the Lord, if my family was going to suffer financially, He gave me the verse,

1 Kings 17:16 For thus says the LORD God of Israel:’The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth’.

I held on to this Word and continued to wait in faith. A month went by, still did not get any project. My faith started to run dry. Then I asked, “Lord, will I have to leave this place with my head down?”. The Lord gave me another verse, Isaiah 52:12 But you will not leave in haste.

When God gave me these two verses, I held on to them. Just as He promised, He gave me a project by the end of the third month. I did not feel a bit happy about that project. So I cried to God for days, questioning why He would put me on such a project after such a wait. Then He helped me to understand that He does everything for His glory and my good. Slowly my heart started to accept the place where God placed me regardless of my dislikes.

So unexpectedly, that contract ended after 5 months. And I was in a spot to find another role.. again! Within two weeks, I was confirmed for a role, which was even worse than the previous one. This was the worst of all! I couldn’t understand why God would take me from bad to worse. Soon after starting that role, I understood the reason why God put me in that unpleasant role. One thing was that God wanted to teach me some lessons and straighten me out as I had some attitudes that had to be fixed. The second reason was that during the pandemic, God gave me an opportunity to help the people who lost their jobs due to the shutdown. I thanked God for the opportunity and worked there, till God miraculously took me out from there at His time and placed me on another project.

He kept me there for two years. And after that, when I least expected, the contract got terminated abruptly .. again! I felt so shaken when this happened but soon God helped me to understand why this happened. Now as I see the seasons that happen in my life, God helps me understand. Though I don’t understand what would happen next, I wait patiently on God yet again, as He has never failed me. Also, I now understand that nothing that happens is about me rather everything is about Him.

So now, rather than pushing my agenda to Him for approval, I surrender my entire calendar unto Him. May He fill my calendar with whatever He wants to accomplish through me. Amen!!

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Hidden fingers

Sarah could not conceive, while Hagar did.

Rachel could not conceive, while Leah did.

Hannah could not conceive, while Peninnah did.

If God had not intervened in these women’s situations. they would have just died in their misery, with no one to rescue them. What could they do anything about it? NOTHING. Who could question God about their situations? No one!

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

It was God who had closed the wombs of these women. People around them could not see God’s hand which kept their wombs closed. So they taunted these women with pointed fingers. But when God’s appointed time came for these women, He did open their wombs and rewarded them for their painful wait. He rewarded them with special children, who were not simply ordinary children. Sarah gave birth to Isaac when she was ninety years old, giving us all hope that it is never too late for God to save us from our misery in any situation. Rachel gave birth to Joseph, who was sent ahead of time to Egypt so that the covenant of God could be preserved during the time of famine. Hannah gave birth to Samuel who served as the prophet who anointed the Kings of Israel.

Has God put you on a wait? He has a special blessing for you to compensate your waiting time! Just as how these women could not do anything to change their situation on their own, I mean, simply nothing, we might also be in situations where we can do nothing about them. There is nothing we can do except wait upon God and look toward His merciful hand. We go through the process of pointed fingers by people too. That is part of the journey. Though it can be daunting, considering that we cannot do anything to change our situation, we endure patiently. Because our God is our vindicator.

God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac who was born when he was a hundred years old. If God had not stopped Abraham who was obedient with no wavering, what would have happened to Abraham for the rest of his life? Pointed fingers.

Merciful Father in heaven spared Isaac, spared Abraham, and took it on Himself when He chose to send His own son, Jesus, instead to be sacrificed on the cross of Calvary.

Psalm 30:5 Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Psalm 26:1 Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the LORD; I shall not slip.

Romans 8:32 He(The Father) who did not spare His own Son(Jesus), but delivered Him(Jesus) up for us all, how shall He(Father) not with Him(Jesus) also freely give us all things?

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If Only

Israelites saw so many mighty miracles from God’s hand. They witnessed the ten plagues that devastated the Egyptians, the tenth plague robbing the firstborn of Egyptians and their animals. Then Israelites saw the Red Sea part and drown the Egyptians who chased them. Israelites were fed by manna from heaven every day without having to labor for it, and so on and so forth.

Even after witnessing God’s faithfulness, they complained to Moses, because they began to crave other food than manna. They started to wail and cry, saying, “If only we had meat to eat!”. They craved the food they ate in Egypt – fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlic, etc. They began to despise the manna which rained from heaven.

When Moses heard the cries of the people, he got frustrated and complained to God about having to lead these ungrateful people and asked God to kill him instead. The LORD became exceedingly angry towards the people. He told Moses to tell the people to consecrate themselves to prepare for the next day to eat the meat that the LORD would provide. The LORD will now provide meat and they will eat it not just for one or two days, but for one whole month – until they are fed up with the meat. The LORD was angry because they rejected Him and said, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”.

Moses said to the LORD, “I have 600,000 men on foot. How do you say that You will give them meat for one whole month? Will there be enough flocks and herds to slaughter? Will it be enough if we catch all the fish in the sea for their food?”.

The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” Numbers 11:23

Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail from the sea. It scattered over the camps of the Israelites. The land was filled with quail and it was within their reach to catch them. Each of them gathered so many of the quails. They cooked them and while they started to eat, while the meat was still between their teeth, the LORD struck them with a severe plague. There they buried the people who had craved other food.

We see the faithfulness of God and the ungratefulness of people. Often we are just like the Israelites. No matter how many miracles we see God do in our lives, we often doubt His power when we face difficult situations. We often wonder if God can fix that situation. If God could part the Red Sea and make a way if He could feed the Israelites every day for forty years with manna raining from heaven if He could quench their cravings for meat by providing quails for 600000 men for one whole month, is there anything that is impossible for Him? NOTHING. The LORD’s arm is not short. His arm is mighty to do anything that He desires.

Psalm 16:5,6 O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.

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By Fire

Elijah said to Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, who led the people to idol worship, that till he says again, there will be neither dew nor rain in the land. Just as Elijah said, there was no rain in the land for three years which led to a severe famine. In the third year, God told Elijah to visit Ahab and that He will send rain on the land. Elijah told Ahab to bring the Israelites, 450 prophets of the pagan God Baal, and 400 prophets of another pagan God Asherah to mount Carmel. And Ahab did just as Elijah said.

When all of them gathered in Mount Carmel, Elijah rebuked the Israelites asking them not to waver between two opinions but to follow either Yahweh or the other false gods. Then he challenged the prophets of the pagan gods to bring the wood for two altars and two bulls for sacrifice. He told those prophets to build an altar and cut one bull and place it on the altar. The challenge was that without putting fire on the altar, they are to call their gods. The God who answers by fire is the true God. They chanted and called on the name of their gods till noon, cutting their bodies and shedding blood too. But nothing happened. No fire consumed their bull sacrifice.

Then Elijah asked the people to come to his side. He first repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. Then he took twelve stones, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. With these stones, he built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he built a trench around the altar. He put the wood and cut the bull and placed it on the wood. Then he asked the people to bring four waterpots full of water and pour it on the bull, and the wood. He asked them to do that three times – i.e 12 pots of water. The water filled the trench around the altar too.

Now, Elijah said to God, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that these people may know that You are the LORD God and that You have turned their hearts back to You again”.

Immediately the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust and it licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”.

Two groups of people. One group chanted and screamed to their gods for half a day, shedding blood and hurting themselves, and yet with no answer. The other party just talked to God and the answer came immediately as mighty fire from heaven that consumed the sacrifice along with the wood, the stones and the dust, and the water. Which side do we belong to? Even if we talk to a person, do we not expect an answer? ‘Silence is golden’ might sound good in a proverb. It is not when it comes to desperate prayers. What is the use of worshipping anything that does not answer? On the other hand, fire from heaven, can human minds perceive this idea? Fire from heaven at a word from the man of God.

Refer to 1 Kings chapter 18.

1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

May we not waver between God Almighty and the idols of this world, which can be money, status, power, beauty, or anything else. And may the God who answers by fire answer our prayers and even our thoughts! May Almighty God be so close to our prayers, petitions, and thoughts! AMEN!

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A pitcher, a torch, and a trumpet

Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites who were constantly plundering the Israelites. The Angel of the LORD, who was Jesus Himself, appeared to Gideon in the winepress and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty warrior”. It is funny to see that God has a great humor sense to call a man who was in the hiding ‘a mighty warrior’. God calls us His warriors even when we are fearful. God calls us by the name of whom He will make us into, and not who we are in our weaknesses and failures.

Gideon replied to The Angel of God, “If the LORD is with us why has all this happened to us? Where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about the LORD bringing us from Egypt?” The LORD had abundant patience towards Gideon and did not point out to him that they were given in Midianites’ hands because of their own disobedience towards Almighty God. The LORD answered to him, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”.

God had tremendous patience towards Gideon even as he tested God three times to make sure God will surely go with him to the battle. Gideon took the people who were with him and encamped them opposite the enemy camp. The LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claims glory for itself against Me saying, ‘My own hand has saved me’.

So God tested the people who were with Gideon. He asked the people who were fearful to return to their houses and 22000 of them returned home. Then He tested the rest of them in the water. The ones who drank the water without caution about the enemies were asked to return. The army was now reduced to just 300 people. from the 33000 people who started off, Gideon’s army was reduced to just 300.

That night, the LORD told Gideon to go to the enemy camp so that He could strengthen Gideon through the words he would hear from the enemies. The Midianites and Amalekites were lying in the valley as numerous as the locusts and their camels were without number. And Gideon’s army was 300 people.

Gideon divided the people into 3 divisions and he gave a pitcher, a torch, and a trumpet to each of them. At the beginning of the middle watch, as they neared the enemy camp, they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers and shouted, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!”. When Gideon’s army blew the trumpet, the LORD set every man’s sword in the enemy’s camp against his own army’s companion and they all fled away. God gave victory to Gideon’s army just as He promised.

Two things that caught my attention are 1) God had so much patience towards Gideon though he dared to test God multiple times. God gave him provisions for his fear to be freed. 2) As usual with God’s ways, the unusual war weapons that God gave them, and cutting down the number of the army to make them completely dependent on God and to give the glory only to God and not to themselves.

Unimaginable to our little minds! 300 men with a pitcher, a torch, and a trumpet chased away an army as numerous as locusts. With God on our side, no battle is too big to defeat! In heavenly armor, we will enter the land, because the battle belongs to the LORD! AMEN!

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Have breakfast!

By the lake of Gennasaret, Jesus saw two boats. The fishermen were washing their nets because they had caught nothing. Jesus got into one of the boats which was Simon’s and started to teach the multitudes. While washing his fishing net, Simon was giving ear to Jesus’ teaching. After finishing His teaching, Jesus said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch”. Simon replied, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word, I will cast down my net”. And when they did just as Jesus said, they caught a great number of fish to the point that their net was breaking. So he signaled to James and John who were in their boat to come and help him. And when they came over, they filled both the boats so that they began to sink. When Simon saw that, overwhelmed he fell down at Jesus’ knees. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men”. So when they had brought their boats to the land, they forsook their boats and the fish and followed Jesus. (Luke 5:1-11)

Later, after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection – Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples twice while they were confined inside the house due to fear for their lives. Even after seeing resurrected Jesus, as they did not know what was next for them, they went back to fishing following the initiative of Simon. Simon who was the first one to leave two boats full of fish to follow Jesus was also the first one to lead the rest of the disciples back to the fishing profession when they momentarily did not have the clarity of their calling. Though Jesus revealed Himself repeatedly to them, it was not the same as before when they had the continued presence of Jesus. Even then, Jesus’ patience toward them is simply astonishing. His patience towards us today is still the same.

That night also, history repeated. They caught nothing though they toiled all night. By morning, Jesus stood on the shore; Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”. They replied, “No”. Jesus said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some”. So they cast, and they caught so many fish that they were not able to draw it in.

Immediately John recognized that it was Jesus and he told Peter. Hearing that, Peter plunged into the sea and swam to meet Jesus. When they came to the land, they saw fish laid on fire of coals and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of your fish too”. They had caught a net full of 153 large fishes. Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast”. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them and the fish. Not only did He repeat the miracle of letting them catch a boatload of fish again, but He also fed them with food prepared by His own nail-pierced hands. I lack words to describe this utmost kindness of Jesus.

This kindness was towards these disciples who abandoned Jesus and denied knowing Him while He was being crucified. Instead of zapping them with lightning or rebuking them, Jesus showed kindness to them. Jesus’ kindness towards us is mightily more powerful than any punishment which we deserve. His patience and love have the power to transform our lives to surrender ourselves for His work.

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In the details

A friend in church asked me to do an art for a specific verse. The verse he gave me is

Isaiah 32:18 NLT My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest.

I felt very excited to do this art and landed on a picture for reference and started working on the art. I spent so much time on painting the rustic house, focusing on the details of the wood and such. I felt very happy with the outcome of the art. As I shared the picture with my friends to get their opinions, a friend said, “It seems the house needed lots of work”. I felt touched by those words because it is true that I put so much effort into the house. What struck me is that if a mere art can reflect the effort that is put into it, how much more would reflect as we strive to live a holy life? In the same manner, if we are ignorant in our spiritual walk, then the fruit of the flesh takes over and makes us unworthy of heaven, as it says in

Galatians 5:19,20 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like. Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

It takes no effort to indulge in the fruit of the flesh as it is a slippery slope and one thing leads to the other. But the fruit of the Spirit needs lots of work and constant self-analysis.

1 Peter 1:16 Since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy”.

If we start to focus on each area of our life and bring it captive to God, we will start to become more and more like Christ in us. Amen!

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