Today's reading: Proverbs 5 Click here to read online (NIV)

Verse of the day: "For a man’s ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths. " 5:21

If you have not already done so, please click on the link above or turn your Bibles to Proverbs 5 and read it completely, slowly, taking in all the beautiful instructions very clearly written - not sugar coated - not grey - but clearly tells us what is right and what is wrong.

There is nothing hidden from the Lord. Even our deepest thoughts, our fondest desire, our sincere prayer are all in FULL view of the Lord. Sure, why not?! It is all good.

But how about the Lord knowing all about our secret sins, dirty thoughts, perverse heart, gossiping tongue, envy, pride, etc. ? Definitely not something we would like to bring to God's view. But guess what?

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13

Indeed we are uncovered and laid bare before the Lord. Would it be a pretty sight or are there things we need to take care of first?

Let us make a commitment today and pray as King David did below:

* See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:24
* How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Psalm 19:12 (NLT)

Amen!

Beloved: "I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys." Song of Solomon 2:1
Lover:  "Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens." Song of Solomon 2:2

Today's verse though we've heard often makes us wonder a few things such as: Where is Sharon? What is so special about the rose of Sharon?

Sharon is a fruitful pasture land, a place where even David's cattle were fed (1 Chronicles 27:29). Isaiah 35:2 mentions about the splendor of Carmel & Sharon which gives a better picture of Sharon. Barnes's notes on the Bible says: "Sharon" is usually the proper name of the celebrated plain from Joppa to Caesarea, between the hill-country and the sea, and travelers have remarked the abundance of flowers with which this plain is still carpeted in spring.

A rose of Sharon therefore is a common scene, it is not extraordinary. Same way lilly of the valleys is  quite common. It is like the bride saying, "I am just a commoner; not quite fit to marry you". But the Lover reassures her that she is very special; in the very next verse He says: "Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens."

Of all the "flowers" of the pasture, our Christ has found us to be special, worthy of His love! Isn't that awesome! We are commoners, ordinary folks, fishermen if you will, but our Lord has chosen us to be  His bride; His flawless bride is what He is making of us.

To conclude, it is not Sharon that is special neither it's roses, it is the love of the Lord that makes us special. Let us cherish His love for the rest of the day...

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:23

We are all very familiar with the parable of talents told by our Lord Jesus. There is this master who gives away five talents, 2 talents and 1 talents respectively to three of this servants before leaving on a journey. When he comes back the man who got five talents produces ten, the one who got two talents produces four - to these the master says, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" But the one who got one talent just returns that one and the master is not very pleased. He calls him a 'wicked & lazy servant!'.

If our honest desire is to be called 'good and faithful' at the end of our race, our focus should be on investing the talents we are given for the use that master would delight in.

Paul says in Acts 20:24 according to Weymouth New Testament translation, "But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace." 

Let us live to strive for such a testimony too!

Happy Friday folks. Have a blessed weekend.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. I Corinthians 16:13

Be strong! It is not our physical strength we are talking here, but more importantly our spiritual strength.

We have a general idea of how to get strong physically; eat right and exercise. Same way for spiritual strength too we need to 'eat right' and 'excercise'.

Eat right what? Of course the Word of God! Word of God is referred to as bread, honey, and milk throughout the Bible; let us look at a few:

* "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." I Peter 2:2-3

* "... I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John 6:48

* How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

Just like how we need to eat everyday for a healthy physical body, we need to consume the Word of God everyday for a strong spiritual self.

Can't just stop at that, we need to also exercise it to stay healthy! How do we exercise the Word of God? Of course by practicing it! By doing what it says, by removing what it says, by accepting what it says, by believing what is says, by proclaiming our faith, by living our life as one pleasing to God!

With that our 'Call of Duty' series ends. Now that we have heard the call loud and clear, let us go perform our duty!

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. I Corinthians 16:13

Today's focus in our ongoing series is, Be men (& women) of good courage!

Courage is defined as 'That quality of mind which enables one to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear, or fainting of heart; valor; boldness; resolution.'

In Acts 4:13 we read, "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

What is it that Peter and John did which made the people see their courage and take note that they had been with Jesus? If you read Acts Chapter 4 from the beginning, you will understand that Peter and John were jailed for preaching the Gospel and yet they were courageous and continued to proclaim the Good News!

How do we fare in terms of our courage? Are we standing up for the Good News or trying to be "politically correct"?

Recently I had shared a facebook video on my profile which raised some concerns from my non-believing friends. What do I do then? Stop sharing such videos? Disconnect from those friends? Quit social sites altogether? Or Continue to stand for what I believe in? That's where courage plays a role, in every day decisions like these little things.

Do we have the quality of mind which enables us to encounter danger and difficulties (even loss of friends) with firmness, or without fear, or fainting of heart to stand for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and for what He means to us? By looking at us will people take note that we have been with Jesus? This is our call of duty!

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. I Corinthians 16:13

This is a continuation of the Call of Duty we started discussing yesterday. Today we will discuss about standing firm in faith.

What does it mean to stand firm in faith?

Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Thessalonians, "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter." 2 Thessalonians 2:15

So, standing firm in faith means to hold on to the teachings that are passed on to us in the Scriptures. A word of caution here... let us be careful not to get carried away by "teachings" that are not in accordance with the Word of God.

Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

So, standing firm in faith means not letting ourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery or sin. Once we were slaves, but now we are set FREE by His blood! Any habit or practice that could tempt us back into slavery is to be avoided at all cost.

It is not by our might we stand, but by the grace of God. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

Finally remember, only if we stand firm to the end we will be saved(Matthew 24:13)!

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. I Corinthians 16:13

This is our call of duty! To be on guard, to stand firm in the faith, to be men(women) of courage and to be strong! Let us look at each one up close.

What does it mean to be on guard? Why is it important?
It means to be alert or vigilant against the devil; and also it means to be ready for the imminent return of our Lord.

The Bible says in I Peter 5:8, Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

If we slack even a little he will devour us alive. No, don't be afraid of his prowling. Scripture teaches us to, Resist the devil, and he will flee from us. James 4:7.

Apostle Paul instructs us in Ephesians 4:27, "...do not give the devil a foothold." A foothold is all the devil is looking for, to get in and settle down squarely in our hearts, instantly ridding off our joy and taking reign over our thoughts and actions.

A little temptation, a little stumble, a little pride, little self pity is all it takes to derail us from our Spiritual journey. Therefore it is extremely important to watch out for his cunning schemes.

Paul goes on to say in Ephesians 6:11, "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." You can read more about the Full Armor of God by clicking here, which we will also discuss at large one of the days.

Finally it is also important to be on our guard or keep watch, because we do not know on what day our Lord will come. Matthew 24:42

More on our Call of Duty tomorrow... Stay blessed!

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’

Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

"How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." 1 Kings 18:21

We are not getting into details on the context of today's text. However, if you wish to understand the context, please click here to read the full chapter.

How many of us can relate to wavering between two opinions? What causes us to waver? When a promise is delayed we waver; when our faith is tested we waver; out of fear of someone or something we waver, to avoid conflicts we waver... To sum it all up, in plain and simple words, we waver between hope and fear.

We do want to believe in God's promises (hope) but at the same time we want to consider the 'what if it is not true' scenario (fear or doubt). The Scripture says: A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:8

Wavering or being unstable has huge consequences. If you recall Reuben, he received curse from his father Jacob instead of blessing. Jacob's words in Genesis 49:4 goes: "Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel"

King David sings in Psalm 26:1 "I have trusted in the LORD without wavering". In his letters to the Hebrews Apostle Paul writes: Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm Hebrew 10:23 As part of His sermon on the mount, Jesus said: "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." Matthew 5:37

Knowing these Scriptures will help us to improve in our faith and reduce our doubts. Any doubt about that? :)

* 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6

* It is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves... I Samuel 17:47

* The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Eccelesiastes 9:11

Do we need anymore assurance than what we have in these Scriptures that our victory belongs to the Lord?

Our might or power can not compare to the Spirit of the Lord. No sword or spear can save us like our Lord does.

There is no guarantee that the swift will win a race or the strong the battle. Can't take it for granted that the "wise"will be fed or  the "brilliant" will be wealthy or the educated will be "favored".

To sum up, nothing in us is worth anything when it comes to providing for our needs. It is all by His grace we survive. It is a little too hard to accept; as we mostly believe we make our living. But that is not true. There are so many things beyond our control that need to work together for us to live our life. No amount of money can ever buy love, joy or good health.

It is all His grace and only GRACE!

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

Our heart is the precious of all organs - vital for our survival. No wonder the scripture says we need to guard it with all diligence. While looking up this verse I came across a sermon by Rev. Adrian Dieleman. Thought of sharing the highlights with you for today's coffee.

What does the Bible say what heart is:
* Heart is a physical organ and food & drink strengthens it
* The heart is the focus of intellectual life. The heart is connected with thinking
* Acts of the will are considered to arise in the heart
* Heart is closely connected to the feelings and affections of a person: joy, fear, discouragement, sorrow, hate, love.
* The heart is spoken of as the conscience.
* The heart represents a person's true nature or character.
* The heart is the place where God does His work in the individual.
* The heart is the dwelling place of God.

Who can attack our heart?:
* Sin & Satan - God lives in our heart. But so does sin and Satan. The two cannot coexist. This means our heart is a battleground between God and Satan. Both lay claim to our heart. Both want to be master of our heart. Both want the allegiance of our heart.
* World - The world hates Jesus along with His followers.
* The acts of our sinful nature - The devil is our opponent who attacks us from the outside. The world is the hostile environment in which we live. And our own "flesh" is the enemy within us.

How do we guard our heart?:
* To guard our heart, our heart needs to belong to God.
* We need to listen to the Word of God if we want to guard our heart
* Be part of a church in the fellowship of believers
* Steer clear of sin.

Our heart is precious. Our heart is under attack. So, let's guard our heart!

* You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Joel 2:26
* Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood Isaiah 54:4

Dignity is an important motivation. When we think our dignity is lost or when we fear disgrace we lose all hope in life. However if our pride is in our Lord, we will not be put to shame.

It may seem like disgrace temporarily but in the long run we can look back and see that it was not really a disgrace and that His grace was sufficient for us. Amen!

Have a blessed Wednesday!

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

Don't I have a right to complain? Don't wild donkeys bray when they find no grass, and oxen bellow when they have no food? Job 6:5

The biggest challenge to our "contentment" comes at this time of the year - when the stores are sparkling with sales and overflowing with merchandise. There is always the bigger and better screaming at us from across the aisle "buy me! buy  me!"

Soon we fall prey to complaining about what we have and we might even justify it like Job did. In Job 10:1 he says, "I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul."

There are lots of ways to describe us when discontentment boils over: whiners, grumps, moaners, mopers. We get snappish, crabby, and edgy. You know the type - sort of like Eeyore, the gloomy donkey of Winnie the Pooh fame. No matter what cheerful circumstance he and his friends are in, his melancholy mindset makes his ears and tail droop ever lower. We can always find something to complain about if we try.

Christian author Luci Swindoll quotes:

My most painful experiences have given me my greatest strength and fiber - what I most needed to mature. Through them I was forced to rely on the Lord, deal with reality for what it was, defer reward - in short, quit griping and grow up! The very things I hated have been the making of me.

Isn't it time we cultivate some contentment in us and grow up too?!

It is; for me!

Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.” Genesis 22:13-14

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32

The Lord is our good shepherd, no doubt about that. He knows very well the state of mind of His flock. He knows our anxieties. He understands our worries, fear, concern. He sees our hard work. He listens to our hearts cry. He offers rest to our weary souls.

May be you are worried about an impending job interview and the Lord reaches out assuring you, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you this job."

May be you are worried about a recent test result and He comforts you saying,  "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you complete healing and a full recovery."

It could be that you are too stressed out and He  reminds you,  "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you rest."

Whatever it is your burden today, bring it to Him, cast it all at His feet and walk away with His promise for you:  "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

Amen! Praise the Lord!

Happy Friday.

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?

For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The message is very clear; this is especially true for marriage decisions. Those who are at the cross roads, take heed to the Word of God!

God bless you.

Have a blessed Thursday, Feb 11th 2016.

According to your faith will it be done to you. Matthew 9:29

What is Faith? Complete trust, strong belief are some words used to describe faith. Hebrews 11:1 gives us a clear definition of what is faith; it reads: "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Please read Hebrews 11 which is also known as the Faith Chapter if you have a few minutes today by clicking here.

It lists a few scenarios of faithful people such as Enoch, Abraham, Noah etc. They chose to believe the promises of God without looking for a logical reasoning and it sure it came true in their lives. It was credited to them because of their belief.

No doubt, if they had not believed it would not have been fulfilled.

That's exactly what happened to the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years, since leaving Egypt. In spite of witnessing the miracles of God in their day to day life, they did not have complete trust or strong belief that they would indeed inherit the promised land. We read that not one of them entered the land except for Joshua and Caleb who had chose to believe the promises.

So, the bottom line is, we are blessed according to our faith.

I think it is fair; what do you say?

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

For today's coffee I would like to share an illustration from John Bunyan's book The Pilgrim's Progress.

Christian - the lead character in the book, is on a journey - from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Christian is weighed down by a great burden, the knowledge of his sin, which he believed came from his reading "the book in his hand", (the Bible). This burden, which would cause him to sink into Tophet (hell), is so unbearable that Christian must seek deliverance.

He meets Evangelist as he is walking out in the fields, who directs him to the "Wicket Gate" for deliverance. He is diverted by Mr. Worldly Wiseman into seeking deliverance from his burden through the Law, supposedly with the help of a Mr. Legality and his son Civility in the village of Morality, rather than through Christ, allegorically by way of the Wicket Gate.

Once again the Evangelist meets the wayward Christian as he stops before Mount Sinai on the way to Legality's home. It hangs over the road and threatens to crush any who would pass it. Evangelist shows Christian that he had sinned by turning out of his way, but he assures him that he will be welcomed at the Wicket Gate if he should turn around and go there, which Christian does.

At the Wicket Gate begins the "straight and narrow" King's Highway, and Christian is directed onto it by the gatekeeper Good Will. To Christian's query about relief from his burden, Good Will directs him forward to "the place of deliverance."

Christian finally reaches the "place of deliverance" (allegorically, the cross of Calvary and the open sepulcher of Christ), where the "straps" that bound Christian's burden to him break, and it rolls away into the open sepulchre.

After Christian is relieved of his burden, he is greeted by three shining ones, who give him the greeting of peace, new garments, and a scroll as a passport into the Celestial City — these are allegorical figures indicative of Christian Baptism and the journey continues all the way to the Celestial City. (Excerpts from Wikipedia)

The point of focus for our discussion is, when we lose our burden of sin and guilt at the cross, we pick up a lighter load and continue on the journey. This lighter load indicates the teachings of the Scriptures, the areas in which we need to improve, loving, forgiving, etc to become more like Jesus every day. Compared to our original bundle of sin, this yoke is very light and not a difficult task at hand. Might seem so at times but by His grace we can do it! Amen!

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalms 68:19

"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." Proverbs 14:1

Let's consider a puzzle board, what is easy to do, building up or tearing down? I am sure you will all agree tearing down is easier to do than building up as in tearing down we don't really care how each piece falls, if it piles up or lays flat,which piece goes where or any of the mess it creates. However when we build up something, more care is needed to put the pieces in certain way, in proper order.

We as women have greater responsibility in building up our homes, one heart at a time. It is a tedious process I agree. It gets difficult at times and we feel like tearing it all down... trust me it will be more hard to put things back together than fixing the single area that needs attention.

Keeping peace in the family should be every home maker's primary focus - of course peace in alignment with God's Word. Agree, men too have the same responsibility, but it falls on the mothers and wives more because we are called to build. Even amongst birds and animals it is the female of the species that builds the nest or finds a cave etc. A peaceful home is every mother's primary need.

Thrashing seems easy to do but always results in pain. Building results in joy though hard labor. If we set a role model as thrashers, it is hard to expect our children to be builders. Yes, sometimes it takes a selfless effort to build. It seems no one else cares but you. Keep building anyway.

So, to repeat the Scripture: The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Let's build and be blessed!

* Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalms 100:2
* Rejoice before the LORD your God, you, your sons and daughters... Deuteronomy 12:12

It is a beautiful new day, a brand new week - is it not?! As we get ready to go worship the Lord in the congregation of fellow believers, let us remember these verses and the emphasis today is on gladness.

In Isaiah 35:10 we read, "...the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."

Aren't we the "ransomed of the Lord"? Are we glad this morning? In spite of everything going on in our lives, we are still breathing - which alone is enough to be singing joyful songs at His presence.

For the rest of the day let us cast away our cares and go before him with joyful singing... shall we?

Lay open thy works to the Lord: and thy thoughts shall be directed. Proverbs 16:3
Open your ears to my words, O LORD. Consider my innermost thoughts. Psalm 5:1
May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. Psalm 104:34
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

In the last few days we have prayed for opening our eyes, opening our ears, opening our mouth, opening our hearts and learned about opening our hands.

All this is only possible when we open our thoughts to Jesus; when we surrender it at His feet. Taking a toll of our thought process every now and then surely helps. When we are in tune with the Holy Spirit He guides us in the paths of righteousness by correcting our thoughts right then and there.

This is exactly what we as believers should aim for - to be in tune with the Holy Spirit. Ask and it will be given. Invite Him in; He will come in, fill you and take you to a whole new experience in your faith journey.

Let us for a moment forget all the different denominations, practices, policies, beliefs of our church background and concentrate on seeking the Holy Spirit. Let us invite Him in to make our thoughts straight. Seek and you shall find.

So, how are you all doing? Enjoy the weekend!

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31:20

He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. Proverbs 19:17

The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously. Psalm 37:21

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. Matthew 10:42

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
2 Corinthians 9:6

If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Deuteronomy 15:7

Rather, be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Deuteronomy 15:8

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. Proverbs 22:9

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. Proverbs 28:27

Need I say more? Do something. Start today!

One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. Acts 16:14

He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. Luke 24:35

Listen! My lover is knocking: "Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night." Songs 5:2

I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

Let us pray:

Our Heavenly Father: Thank you once again for the opportunity to gather in your name Lord. It is such a joy rejoicing in your presence with fellow believers Lord. We praise you Lord. We glorify your name Lord. Today we seek you to open our hearts Lord.

Please open our hearts Lord. Thank you that most of us have open our hearts and accepted you into our hearts Lord. If there is anyone among us who is unsure of it, right now we pray that the Holy Spirit gently prompt them once again Lord. They may not have all the answers they are looking for at this very moment; but let them take a leap of faith to trust in you Lord. You will then open their hearts to understand your Scriptures more Lord. We pray that many will come to know of you Lord.

Please open our hearts so that we too can respond to your prompting Lord, the slow still voice that we keep hearing to do your will Lord. Let us be sensitive to your speaking Lord.

Please open our hearts so that we can be a source of love, joy and peace to others Lord. Open our hearts so that we too can forgive others Lord.

Thank you Father. Thank you Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Savior. Thank you for your grace Lord. Thank you for your forgiveness Lord. Thank you for your love Lord. Thank you for the joy of salvation Lord.

We praise your Holy name and your name alone Lord. In Jesus' wonderful name we pray, amen.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. Psalm 51:15
I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. Exodus 4:15
 
May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. Psalm 119:71
 
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.... Ephesians 6:19
 
Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Proverbs 31:8
 
Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proberbs 31:9

Let us pray:

 Dear Father! Thank you Lord for this new day. Thank you for giving us a good night's rest Lord. Thank you for your grace for today Lord.

Please open our mouths today Lord. Rebuke every bondage of our mouth Lord. Rebuke the spirit of anger, pride, depression and vengeance Lord. Wash us Lord. Cleanse us Lord. Fill our mouths with your praise Lord.Fill our mouths with joyful singing Lord. Fill our mouths with words of confidence, emcouragement and compliments Lord.

Please open our mouths so that we can speak up for the destitute among us Lord. Open our mouth so that we can defend the poor Lord. Open our mouths to build relationships Lord. Open our mouths to share our testimonies Lord. Open our mouths so that we can proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ Lord.

Fill us once again Lord, with your joy,peace, love and compassion Lord. Refill us Lord. Use us for your glory Jesus.

In Jesus Christ's most precious name we pray, amen.

He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Mark 7:34-35

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 19:5

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Let us pray:

Dear Father in heaven! Thank you once again for the opportunity to gather in your name Lord. Thank you for this beautiful morning Lord. Thank you that your grace will be sufficient for us all through the day Lord. Thank you for your presence here amidst us joining hearts in one accord from all parts of the world Lord. We come together praising your holy name Lord.

Please open our ears today Lord. Open our ears to hear your word Lord. Open our ears to pay attention to your instruction Lord. Open our ears so that we can increase in our faith Lord. Open our ears so that we can obey your commandments Lord. Please open our ears so that we can listen to your voice and follow you Lord.

Thank you Lord for listening to our prayers. Thank you Lord for keeping your ears open to our plea. Thank you Lord for hearing our cry.

We praise you Lord.We glorify your name Lord. We love you Jesus. We surrender all of us at your feet Lord. Bless this day for us Lord. Use us for your glory Lord.

In our Savior Jesus Christ's name we pray, amen!

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." Mark 10:51

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:18

Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17

Let us pray:

Our Father in Heaven! Thank you for this beautiful morning, for uniting us together in your presence Lord. Thank you that your grace was sufficient for us for the first two months of this year Lord. Thank you for the new month and the new week and this new day Lord.

We have come before you Lord in unison with a single prayer - with a simple request - to open our eyes today Lord. There are times we have been totally blinded Lord. There are times when our eyes are open but we don't see Lord. Many a times we have missed out on the answers to our prayers because of this Lord.

Today we request you to open our eyes Lord. Open our eyes so that we can see. Open our eyes that we may see the wonder of your law. Open our eyes so that we can see the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around - the army you have set before us to fight our adversaries Lord. The angels surrounding us this very minute fighting the evil that is against us Lord.

Thank you for your love Lord. Please help us see you are our deliverer Lord. Please help us know you are in control Lord.

Please help us see clearly Lord. We give you all glory, honor and praise.

In Jesus's most powerful name we pray, amen.

Happy February folks!