'Teach Us How to Pray' (Episode 7)

Hello All,

The part of the poem that we will be emphasising on today is highlighted in blue. The black colour text in the poem is a recap of what we have already done last week.

Let us now continue with the seventh episode of this poem…

'Teach Us How to Pray' (Episode 7)

By Joanne Liaw Sook Ling (February 12, 2015)

When was the last time you knelt down humbly to pray?

Was it this morning, yesterday or last Sunday?

Was it last week, last month or a few years ago?

Or only when you are face to face with a foe?

Prayer is not as complicated as it seems

It is sharing with God our feelings, needs and dreams

It is responding to our Lord with thanksgiving

As we look forward to the coming of the King

The Lord Jesus Himself showed us how we should pray

The Lord’s Prayer guides us when we don’t know what to say

It reminds us of our dependence on Jesus

To love, strengthen, encourage and provide for us

The Lord’s Prayer begins with, 'Our Father in heaven’

Which helps us to address the God of creation

As, 'our Father', who is sovereign and yet loving

To those He has called, 'Children of the King of kings’

'Hallowed be Your name,’ hearkens us to treat God’s name

With the highest honour, reverence and acclaim

We are not to profane the name of God Almighty

For His sacred name is set apart as holy

'Your kingdom come,’ calls God’s people to work and pray

For the advance of God’s kingdom on earth each day

Christ reigns in the hearts of Christians who show His love

In their lives, to glorify their Father above

'Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’

Tells of God’s will for the conduct of His servants

That is pleasing to Him as revealed clearly

In Scripture that guides our path and choices daily

It also tells us of God's sovereign will

That nothing can thwart, for He will fulfill

Every promise in His good and perfect timing

We need not worry for He'll take care of all things

We are to pray, 'Give us this day our daily bread’

For daily provisions, we need not be afraid

Let us bring to God all of our anxieties

For He will sustain us in life’s rocky journey

‘Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors’

Since God has forgiven us through Christ, our Saviour

Let us come before the Lord to confess our sins

With confidence that he will cleanse us from within

If God has forgiven our sins, why do we still

Harbour unforgiveness against others until

We are so consumed with hatred? This should not be!

Christ said, ‘If you don’t forgive, I’ll not forgive thee’

TO BE CONTINUED...

Points for Reflection:

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

(Matthew 6:12 ESV)

·         Forgiving is not easy; especially when the offence is great.

·         However, if we have truly understood the depth of our sin and how God has graciously forgiven us through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, we should be seeking to forgive those who have hurt us deeply.

·         Forgiving others may not happen overnight which is why we should be crying out to God to help us to forgive others as He has forgiven us.

·         Are there people you find hard to forgive?

·         Do not let unforgiveness be the seed that germinates into bitterness but commit the offender(s) to God in prayer.

'Teach Us How to Pray' (Episode 6)

Hello All,

The part of the poem that we will be emphasising on today is highlighted in blue. The black colour text in the poem is a recap of what we have already done last week.

Let us now continue with the sixth episode of this poem…

'Teach Us How to Pray' (Episode 6)

By Joanne Liaw Sook Ling (February 12, 2015)

When was the last time you knelt down humbly to pray?

Was it this morning, yesterday or last Sunday?

Was it last week, last month or a few years ago?

Or only when you are face to face with a foe?

Prayer is not as complicated as it seems

It is sharing with God our feelings, needs and dreams

It is responding to our Lord with thanksgiving

As we look forward to the coming of the King

The Lord Jesus Himself showed us how we should pray

The Lord’s Prayer guides us when we don’t know what to say

It reminds us of our dependence on Jesus

To love, strengthen, encourage and provide for us

The Lord’s Prayer begins with, 'Our Father in heaven’

Which helps us to address the God of creation

As, 'our Father', who is sovereign and yet loving

To those He has called, 'Children of the King of kings’

'Hallowed be Your name,’ hearkens us to treat God’s name

With the highest honour, reverence and acclaim

We are not to profane the name of God Almighty

For His sacred name is set apart as holy

'Your kingdom come,’ calls God’s people to work and pray

For the advance of God’s kingdom on earth each day

Christ reigns in the hearts of Christians who show His love

In their lives, to glorify their Father above

'Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’

Tells of God’s will for the conduct of His servants

That is pleasing to Him as revealed clearly

In Scripture that guides our path and choices daily

It also tells us of God's sovereign will

That nothing can thwart, for He will fulfill

Every promise in His good and perfect timing

We need not worry for He'll take care of all things

We are to pray, 'Give us this day our daily bread’

For daily provisions, we need not be afraid

Let us bring to God all of our anxieties

For He will sustain us in life’s rocky journey

TO BE CONTINUED...

Points for Reflection:

Give us this day our daily bread.

(Matthew 6:11 ESV)

·         Have you been depending on your own resources to meet your needs?

·         Even if you are, it is good to remember that those resources come from God Himself.

·         In fact, everything comes from Him and belongs to Him – our money, intellect, talents, etc.

·         Have you been worrying about the needs of life?

·         Have you been bringing those needs to God in prayer?

·         Commit your needs to God and unburden your anxieties to Him in prayer.

'Teach Us How to Pray' (Episode 5)

Hello All,

The part of the poem that we will be emphasising on today is highlighted in blue. The black colour text in the poem is a recap of what we have already done last week.

Let us now continue with the fifth episode of this poem…

'Teach Us How to Pray' (Episode 5)

By Joanne Liaw Sook Ling (February 12, 2015)

When was the last time you knelt down humbly to pray?

Was it this morning, yesterday or last Sunday?

Was it last week, last month or a few years ago?

Or only when you are face to face with a foe?

Prayer is not as complicated as it seems

It is sharing with God our feelings, needs and dreams

It is responding to our Lord with thanksgiving

As we look forward to the coming of the King

The Lord Jesus Himself showed us how we should pray

The Lord’s Prayer guides us when we don’t know what to say

It reminds us of our dependence on Jesus

To love, strengthen, encourage and provide for us

The Lord’s Prayer begins with, 'Our Father in heaven’

Which helps us to address the God of creation

As, 'our Father', who is sovereign and yet loving

To those He has called, 'Children of the King of kings’

'Hallowed be Your name,’ hearkens us to treat God’s name

With the highest honour, reverence and acclaim

We are not to profane the name of God Almighty

For His sacred name is set apart as holy

'Your kingdom come,’ calls God’s people to work and pray

For the advance of God’s kingdom on earth each day

Christ reigns in the hearts of Christians who show His love

In their lives, to glorify their Father above

'Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’

Tells of God’s will for the conduct of His servants

That is pleasing to Him as revealed clearly

In Scripture that guides our path and choices daily

It also tells us of God's sovereign will

That nothing can thwart, for He will fulfill

Every promise in His good and perfect timing

We need not worry for He'll take care of all things

TO BE CONTINUED...

Points for Reflection:

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

(Matthew 6:10 ESV)

·         When it comes to God’s will, there are two things to bear in mind – God’s sovereign will and His will of desire.

·         God’s sovereign will assures us that everything that He wills to happen will come to past and nothing can thwart it.

·         Thus, He is in control of all things and this is an extremely comforting knowledge for us who live in an unpredictable world where we have no control over.

·         Are you constantly trying to keep everything under your control?

·         The weight of trying to be in control is a very heavy burden to bear. Why don’t you commit this burden to our sovereign Lord?

·         There are those who are afraid of walking out of God’s will so they are constantly seeking His will by divine revelation in their effort to stay within His will.

·         If you are one of those with such fears, then you can rest in the arms of our sovereign God.

·         Let us now look at God’s will of desire.

·         God’s will of desire is found in the Bible that tells us how to live lives that are pleasing to Him.

·         There is a danger for those who subscribe to God’s sovereign will to become fatalistic and think to themselves, ‘Since God will determine the future, I do not need to put in effort to please God.’

·         The fact is, God has given us His word and Holy Spirit to help us live in a way that pleases Him.

·         Have you been allowing God’s word and Holy Spirit to live for God’s glory?

·         Have you been depending on God in your combat against your sinful desires? 

'Teach Us How to Pray' (Episode 4)

Hello All,

The part of the poem that we will be emphasising on today is highlighted in blue. The black colour text in the poem is a recap of what we have already done last week.

Let us now continue with the fourth episode of this poem…

'Teach Us How to Pray' (Episode 4)

By Joanne Liaw Sook Ling (February 12, 2015)

When was the last time you knelt down humbly to pray?

Was it this morning, yesterday or last Sunday?

Was it last week, last month or a few years ago?

Or only when you are face to face with a foe?

Prayer is not as complicated as it seems

It is sharing with God our feelings, needs and dreams

It is responding to our Lord with thanksgiving

As we look forward to the coming of the King

The Lord Jesus Himself showed us how we should pray

The Lord’s Prayer guides us when we don’t know what to say

It reminds us of our dependence on Jesus

To love, strengthen, encourage and provide for us

The Lord’s Prayer begins with, 'Our Father in heaven’

Which helps us to address the God of creation

As, 'our Father', who is sovereign and yet loving

To those He has called, 'Children of the King of kings’

'Hallowed be Your name,’ hearkens us to treat God’s name

With the highest honour, reverence and acclaim

We are not to profane the name of God Almighty

For His sacred name is set apart as holy

'Your kingdom come,’ calls God’s people to work and pray

For the advance of God’s kingdom on earth each day

Christ reigns in the hearts of Christians who show His love

In their lives, to glorify their Father above

TO BE CONTINUED...

Points for Reflection:

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

(John 18:36 ESV)

• In the movie, ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, the crusaders during the Dark Ages were fighting for a physical kingdom on earth which they believed to be God’s kingdom. There were many who were vying for political power although some were sincerely seeking God’s kingdom on earth.
• However, Jesus Himself said that His Kingdom is not of this world.
• The presence of God’s Kingdom in this age refers to the reign of Christ in the hearts and lives of believers.
• It refers to the reigning presence of Christ in His body, the church—so that they increasingly reflect his love, obey his laws, honor him, do good for all people, and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom.
• Have you been allowing God’s Holy Spirit to work in your heart so that Christ’s love may be reflected in your life?
• How could you be seeking to honour God and love others as God loves you?
• Have you been proclaiming the good news of God’s Kingdom to others?
• When Jesus returns again, this earth that we are living in will pass away and He will usher in a new heaven and earth.

'Teach Us How to Pray' (Episode 3)

Hello All,

The part of the poem that we will be emphasising on today is highlighted in blue. The black colour text in the poem is a recap of what we have already done last week.

Let us now continue with the third episode of this poem…

'Teach Us How to Pray' (Episode 3)

By Joanne Liaw Sook Ling (February 12, 2015)

When was the last time you knelt down humbly to pray?

Was it this morning, yesterday or last Sunday?

Was it last week, last month or a few years ago?

Or only when you are face to face with a foe?

Prayer is not as complicated as it seems

It is sharing with God our feelings, needs and dreams

It is responding to our Lord with thanksgiving

As we look forward to the coming of the King

The Lord Jesus Himself showed us how we should pray

The Lord’s Prayer guides us when we don’t know what to say

It reminds us of our dependence on Jesus

To love, strengthen, encourage and provide for us

The Lord’s Prayer begins with, 'Our Father in heaven’

Which helps us to address the God of creation

As, 'our Father', who is sovereign and yet loving

To those He has called, 'Children of the King of kings’

'Hallowed be Your name,’ hearkens us to treat God’s name

With the highest honour, reverence and acclaim

We are not to profane the name of God Almighty

For His sacred name is set apart as holy

TO BE CONTINUED...

Points for Reflection:

Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

(Matthew 6:9 ESV)

·         In our world today, many tend to treat God as a Santa Claus; especially when it comes to prayer.

·         That is the reason that most people only pray when they want or need something.

·         However, we should not only seek the gifts but the Giver Himself.

·         ‘Hallowed be Your name’, is a constant reminder for us to approach God with reverence for His name is higher than any other.

·         How are you treating God’s name?

·         Do you realise that you are praying to the Almighty God who is the creator of all things and the Giver of life itself?

·         Is God the Lord of your life or just a mere servant to meet your desires?