Day 3 - 4 Jan
Day 3 – 3 Jan 2021
Job 7-9
Job: My Suffering Is Endless
1(Job 14:5–6; Ps 39:4) “Is there not a time of hard service for a man upon earth?
Are not his days also like the days of a hired worker?
2(Lev 19:13; Jer 6:4) Like a servant, he longs for the shade,
and like a hired worker, he looks for his wages,
3(Ps 6:6) so I have been assigned months of futility,
and nights of trouble have been appointed to me.
4(Dt 28:67; Job 7:13–14) When I lie down, I say,
‘When will I arise and the night be ended?’
And I am full of restlessness until the dawn.
5(Job 17:14; Isa 14:11) My flesh is covered with worms and caked with dirt;
my skin is broken, and has become loathsome.
6(Job 9:25; 17:15) “My days fly more swiftly than a weaver’s shuttle,
and are spent without hope.
7(Ps 78:39; Jas 4:14) Oh, remember that my life is a breath!
My eye will never again see good.
8(Job 20:9; Ps 37:36) The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more;
your eyes will be on me, but I will be no more.
9(2Sa 12:23; Job 30:15) As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more.
10(Job 8:18; 20:9) He will never return to his house,
and his place will not recognize him anymore.
11(Ps 40:9; 1Sa 1:10) “Therefore, I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea, or a sea monster,
that You set a guard over me?
13(Ps 6:6) When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
my couch will ease my complaint,’
14 then You scare me with dreams
and terrify me with visions,
15 so that my soul chooses strangling,
even death rather than my life.
16(Job 10:1; 6:9) I loathe my life; I would not live forever;
let me alone, for my days are emptiness.
17(Ps 8:4; 144:3) “What is man, that You should exalt him,
and that You should set Your heart on him,
18 and that You should visit him every morning,
and test him every moment?
19 (Job 9:18) How long until You look away from me?
Will You not let me alone until I swallow my saliva?
20(Ps 36:6; La 3:12) Have I sinned? What am I doing to You,
O You watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
so that I am a burden to myself?
21(Job 10:14; Da 12:2) And why do You not pardon my transgression
and take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
and You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”
(Do you well an injustice has been done to you? Ask the Lord for Direction)
Job 8
Bildad Speaks: Job Should Repent
1(Job 2:11)Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2(Job 6:26; 1Ki 19:11) “How long will you speak these things,
and the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?
3(Ge 18:25; Dt 32:4) Does God pervert judgment?
Or does the Almighty pervert justice?
4(Job 1:5; 1:18–19) If your children sinned against Him,
He cast them away for their transgression.
5(Job 11:13) If you yourself would seek God earnestly,
and seek favor from the Almighty,
6(Ps 7:6) if you were pure and upright,
surely now He would rouse Himself on your behalf,
and He would prosper your righteous dwelling.
7 Though your beginning was small,
your end will increase greatly.
8(Job 15:18; Dt 4:32; 32:7) “Please, ask the former generation,
and prepare yourself for what their fathers searched out;
9(1Ch 29:15; Ge 47:9) for we were born but yesterday and know nothing,
because our days on earth are a shadow.
10 Will they not teach you, and tell you,
and bring forth words out of their heart?
11 Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the reed grow without water?
12(Jer 17:6) While it is yet green and not cut down,
it withers before any other plant.
13(Job 13:16; 15:34) So are the paths of all who forget God;
and the hypocrite’s hope will perish,
14(Isa 59:5–6) whose confidence will be cut off,
and whose trust will be a spider’s web.
15(Job 27:18) He will lean upon his house, but it will not stand;
he will hold it fast, but it will not endure.
16(Ps 80:11) He is green before the sun,
and his branch shoots forth in his garden.
17 His roots are wrapped around the rock heap,
and he sees the place of stones.
18 (Job 7:10; 7:8) If he is uprooted from his place,
then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’
19(Job 20:5; 1Sa 2:8) See, this is the joy of his way,
and out of the ground others will grow.
20(Job 4:7) “Surely, God will not cast away a perfect man,
nor will He strengthen the evildoers,
21(Ps 126:2; Ge 21:6) until He fills your mouth with laughing,
and your lips with rejoicing.
22(Ps 132:18; 35:26) Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
and the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.”
(Ask in Pray in supplication what happened – You do not know it all)
Job 9
Job Replies: There Is No Mediator
1 Then Job answered:
2(Job 4:17; 25:4) “Truly, I know it is so,
but how can a man be righteous with God?
3(Job 10:2; 40:2) If one would dispute with Him,
he cannot answer Him once in a thousand times.
4(Job 36:5; 9:19) He is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
5 He who removes mountains, and they know not,
who overturns them in His anger.
6(Isa 2:21; Hag 2:6) He who shakes the earth out of its place,
and its pillars tremble.
7(Isa 13:10) He who commands the sun, and it does not rise;
he seals off the stars.
8(Job 37:18; Ps 104:2–3) He who alone spreads out the heavens,
and treads on the waves of the sea.
9(Am 5:8; Ge 1:16) He who makes the Bear, Orion, and Pleiades,
and the constellations of the south.
10(Job 5:9; Ps 71:15) He who does great things, beyond discovery,
yes, and wonders beyond number.
11(Job 23:8–9; 35:14) Yes, He would cross before me, and I would not see Him;
He would pass on by, but I would not perceive Him.
12(Job 11:10; Isa 45:9) Yes, He takes away; who can hinder Him?
Who will say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13(Job 26:12; Isa 30:7) God will not withdraw His anger.
The proud helpers bow down beneath Him.
14 “How, then, can I myself answer Him,
and choose my words to reason with Him?
15(Job 8:5; 10:15) Even if I were righteous I could not answer;
I would plead to my Judge for favor.
16 If I called, and He answered me,
I would not believe that He had listened to my voice.
17 (Job 2:3; 16:14) For He crushes me with a storm
and multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 (Job 7:19) He will not allow me to get my breath,
but fills me with bitterness.
19 (Job 9:4 )If it is a matter of strength, indeed, He is strong;
and if of justice, who will set me a time to plead?
20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me;
though I were perfect, it would prove me perverse.
21 (Job 1:1) “Though I were perfect,
I would not know myself;
I would despise my life.
22 It is all one thing; therefore I said,
‘He destroys both the perfect and the wicked.’
23 If the whip kills suddenly,
He will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
24 (Job 10:3; 24:25) The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
25 (Job 7:6–7) “Now my days are swifter than a runner;
they flee away; they see no good.
26 (Hab 1:8; Isa 18:2) They pass by like reed skiffs,
like an eagle rushing upon its prey.
27 (Job 7:13) If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint;
I will leave off my sad face and brighten up,’
28 (Ps 119:120) I am afraid of all my sorrows;
I know that You will not hold me innocent.
29 If I am guilty,
why then do I labor in vain?
30(Jer 2:22) If I wash myself with snow water
and cleanse my hands with soap,
31 yet You will plunge me into the pit,
and my own clothes will abhor me.
32 (Ecc 6:10; Ro 9:20) “For He is not a man as I am, that I should answer Him,
and we should come together in judgment.
33(1Sa 2:25; Job 9:19) Nor is there a mediator between us,
who may lay his hand upon us both.
34(Ps 39:10; Job 33:7) Let Him take His rod away from me,
and let not dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak and not fear Him,
but it is not so with me.
(Thank you Lord for sending Jesus Christ as or mediator)
2) Our Daily Bread for 4 Jan 2021 https://odb.org/CA/2021/01/04/a-lifestyle-of-joyful-worship entitled A Lifestyle of Joyful Worship
Today's Scripture & Insight: Ps 100
A Psalm of thanksgiving.
1Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth!
2(Ps 63:1; 84:2) Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before His presence with singing.
3(Ps 79:10; 80:5) Know that the Lord, He is God;
it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
4(Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
and into His courts with praise;
be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5(Ps 42:11; 43:5) For the Lord is good; His mercy endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations.
As I waited in the breakfast buffet line at a Christian conference center, a group of women entered the dining hall. I smiled, saying hello to a woman who stepped into the line behind me. Returning my greeting, she said, “I know you.” We scooped scrambled eggs onto our plates and tried to figure out where we’d met. But I was pretty sure she’d mistaken me for someone else.
When we returned for lunch, the woman approached me. “Do you drive a white car?”
I shrugged. “I used to. A few years ago.”
She laughed. “We stopped at the same traffic light by the elementary school almost every morning,” she said. “You’d always be lifting your hands, singing joyfully. I thought you were worshiping God. That made me want to join in, even on tough days.”
Praising God, we prayed together, hugged, and enjoyed lunch.
My new friend affirmed that people notice how Jesus’ followers behave, even when we think no one is watching. As we embrace a lifestyle of joyful worship, we can come before our Creator anytime and anywhere. Acknowledging His enduring love and faithfulness, we can enjoy intimate communion with Him and thank Him for His ongoing care (Psalm 100). Whether we’re singing praises in our cars, praying in public, or spreading God’s love through kind acts, we can inspire others to “praise his name” (v. 4). Worshiping God is more than a Sunday morning event.
By: Xochitl Dixon
Reflect & Pray
In what ways can you joyfully worship God throughout the day? When has someone else's worship led to your own?
Almighty God, please help me live to worship You with contagious joy and gratitude.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 4 – The Blessings of Grace Day 2 – Alienation and Reconciliation
Col 1:21-22 21(Eph 2:12)And you, who were formerly alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22(Ro 7:4; Eph 5:27)in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight,
Some 50 years ago, Orson Welles’s radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds threw the nation into panic; people on the East Coast ran for their lives, expecting at any moment to be destroyed by alien invaders from outer space.
Today, of course, we are more sophisticated about such matters. Television and movies have educated us about alien life forms. Star Wars and Star Trek have taught us that their appearance can be much different than ours. Sometimes they are unable to exist in our atmosphere with artificial life-support systems; their physical makeup is often incompatible with our environment.
God says that we, apart from Christ, are as incompatible with his kingdom as the “aliens” of movies are with Eath’s environment. We are at war with God, a true “war of the worlds” that staggers the imagination.
Yet God has “reconciled” us to his world. He has made us fit, made us able to exist in his kingdom. He has made us part of his world through Christ’s death and resurrection.
Now, through Christ, we are “holy” and “without blemish” in God’s sight. And that transformation, ironically, make us “alien” in the world around us. No longer do we fit in a world of selfishness and greed, a world where Self is god and everyone does what is right in his own heart. We belong, instead, in the kingdom of God’s righteousness.
Application
a) In what ways am I an “alien” in this world?
b) How have I been an “alien” to God’s kingdom?
c) How can today’s verses help me deal with my sense of “not fitting”?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Exodus 3:7-8
7 (Ps 106:44; Ex 2:23–25)The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
8 (Ge 50:24; 15:18–21; Ex 13:5) Therefore, I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are lonely
Psalms 25: 15 – 21
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for He will lead my feet from the net.
16 Turn to me, and be gracious to me,
for I am isolated and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
18 Look on my pain and misery,
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider my enemies, for they are many,
and they hate me with violent hatred.
20 Watch over my life, and deliver me!
Let me not suffer shame,
for I seek refuge in You.
21 Truth and integrity will preserve me
while I wait for You.
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2021 edition?)
2015 Population - 4631302 Muslims about 136493
British Columbia - British Columbia's Muslim Population is growing constantly.
Every week there are immigrants ad refugees coming to the Greater Vancouver
and surrounding areas. There are also significant Muslim student populations
in our colleges and universities. Some have even suggested that there are
between 4000 and 5000 Saudi Arabian students alone, without counting all
other nationalities.
Greater Vancouver has an estimated 180000 Muslims, and there are significant
and growing communities in the Fraser Valley such as in Langley, Abbotsford,
Chilliwack, etc. Including these communities the total population for this
region is about 200000.
Of these, there are an estimated 100000 Iranians, 35000 Arabs, 15000 Ismailis,
more than 20000 Afghanis, 10000 South Asian Muslims, 3000 Turks, and small
numbers from other countries such as Sudan, Somalia, Albania, etc.
We are seeing some Muslims coming to Christ and we rejoice in that.
A few people also have some ongoing ministry to Muslims in the area,
for which we also rejoice. Let us agree in that
- the church will catch a vision to pray,
and a burden to train outreach to Muslims
- the church will press in to participate in effective
discipleship of these new Muslim background believers.
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 24 April to 23 May 2020
Under the Keep Praying page
When the new moon is sighted it marks the beginning of t he new Islamic month
and Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", will start! After 30 days
of fasting, the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan is a joyful time that
usually lasts about 3 days. Muslims will buy new clothes, exchange gifts and,
of course, enjoy special foods. In Muslim-majority nations, the streets may be
decorated and festivals will be held.
For many Muslims, Eid-al-Fitr begins with communal prayers at daybreak and the
distribution of money (zakat) to the poor, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam.
You can greet Muslim friends during this time by saying "Eid Mubarak",
which means Blessed Eid!"
Ramadan is over for this year, but you can continue to pray for Muslims you
know, and Muslims around the world:
- Despite the unsettling developments in our world today that involve actions
in the name of Islam, there is at the same time a largely untold story about
unprecedented movement to Christ among Muslims. There have been more such
movements of thousands or more new disciples among Muslims in the last three
decades or so than in all the previous history of Christian Muslim
relationships! Pray for this momentum to continue.
Acts 2:12-17 : 17 "In the last days it shall be," says God,
"that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even on My menservants and maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth below:
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 And whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."[a]
Footnotes
Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32.
- Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have god's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14-15 : 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under
a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the
house."
Ideas for prayer
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
My paternal side is of Muslim heritage and will offer this section to further
call for Muslim converts to Christian and any other converts to Christianity
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
4nd Day of the Month
a) Pray for the preservation of godly values in Canada (Prov 14:34 - Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.
)
b) Pray the political leaders will be awakened by God to the right use of power and the right stewardship of their positions.
This month Calvarycommunity.ca is doing 21 days of Fasting and prayer available at
https://www.calvarycommunity.ca/fasting
https://www.calvarycommunity.ca/fasting/day1
Day 1 All Things New – Looking to Jesus
Verse of t he Day : Hebrews 12: 2 -4
2(Heb 1:3; Lk 24:26)Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3(Gal 6:9; Heb 12:5)For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and your hearts give up.
4(Heb 10:32–34)You have not yet resisted to bloodshed while striving against sin.
The Holy Spirit is always at work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus. But Satan’s work is just the opposite; he is constantly trying to make us look at ourselves instead of Christ.
If we would turn from self as the source of our satisfaction and cone to Jesus for the enjoyment of all that God is for us in him, then the emptiness that we can feel would be replaced by the fullness of Jesus.
Reflection: Take time to meditate on Jesus. Ask him to help you to recognize that he is the source of all good things.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I ask that You take all distractions from my mind. Help me keep my heart and mind focused on You.
Help me to take every thought that enters my mind captive, not tainted by the ways of the world. Help me Focus on You as I wake in the morning, as I rest at night, and throughout the business of every passing day.
Keep away all that would distract me from Your Word and develop in me a teachable spirit and ears that listen to Your still small voice.
I pray that the eyes of my heart would be open to seeing all that You want to teach me.
I pray that I may grow more and more like Him with every passing day. In His name, I pray, Amen.
Scripture reflection:
Matthew 22:37
37(Dt 6:5; Lk 10:27)Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
Colossians 1:18
18(Ac 26:23; Eph 1:22–23)He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Colossians 3:1-4
1(Ps 110:1; Mk 16:19)If you then were raised with Christ, desire those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God.
2(Mt 16:23)Set your affection on things above, not on things on earth.
3(Ro 6:2; Col 2:20)For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4(1Jn 3:2; Jn 11:25)When Christ who is our life shall appear, then you also shall appear with Him in glory.
Hebrews 3:1
1(Php 3:14; 2Ti 1:9)Therefore, holy brothers, partakers in a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Jesus Christ
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord for every situation you are in
Pray to be joyful and grateful in every situation
Pray to fit into Heaven and that you Name be found in the Book of Life
Pray that if you are in distress, rest assured the Lord will hear your cry.
Pray for those who do not Know the Lord that they will come to know Him.
Pray for the leaders of your nation.
Pray to focus on Jesus and not be distracted from him
Pray for forgiveness of sins and repentance.
Pray to accept Jesus in your life
Job 7-9
Job: My Suffering Is Endless
1(Job 14:5–6; Ps 39:4) “Is there not a time of hard service for a man upon earth?
Are not his days also like the days of a hired worker?
2(Lev 19:13; Jer 6:4) Like a servant, he longs for the shade,
and like a hired worker, he looks for his wages,
3(Ps 6:6) so I have been assigned months of futility,
and nights of trouble have been appointed to me.
4(Dt 28:67; Job 7:13–14) When I lie down, I say,
‘When will I arise and the night be ended?’
And I am full of restlessness until the dawn.
5(Job 17:14; Isa 14:11) My flesh is covered with worms and caked with dirt;
my skin is broken, and has become loathsome.
6(Job 9:25; 17:15) “My days fly more swiftly than a weaver’s shuttle,
and are spent without hope.
7(Ps 78:39; Jas 4:14) Oh, remember that my life is a breath!
My eye will never again see good.
8(Job 20:9; Ps 37:36) The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more;
your eyes will be on me, but I will be no more.
9(2Sa 12:23; Job 30:15) As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more.
10(Job 8:18; 20:9) He will never return to his house,
and his place will not recognize him anymore.
11(Ps 40:9; 1Sa 1:10) “Therefore, I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea, or a sea monster,
that You set a guard over me?
13(Ps 6:6) When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
my couch will ease my complaint,’
14 then You scare me with dreams
and terrify me with visions,
15 so that my soul chooses strangling,
even death rather than my life.
16(Job 10:1; 6:9) I loathe my life; I would not live forever;
let me alone, for my days are emptiness.
17(Ps 8:4; 144:3) “What is man, that You should exalt him,
and that You should set Your heart on him,
18 and that You should visit him every morning,
and test him every moment?
19 (Job 9:18) How long until You look away from me?
Will You not let me alone until I swallow my saliva?
20(Ps 36:6; La 3:12) Have I sinned? What am I doing to You,
O You watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
so that I am a burden to myself?
21(Job 10:14; Da 12:2) And why do You not pardon my transgression
and take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
and You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”
(Do you well an injustice has been done to you? Ask the Lord for Direction)
Job 8
Bildad Speaks: Job Should Repent
1(Job 2:11)Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2(Job 6:26; 1Ki 19:11) “How long will you speak these things,
and the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?
3(Ge 18:25; Dt 32:4) Does God pervert judgment?
Or does the Almighty pervert justice?
4(Job 1:5; 1:18–19) If your children sinned against Him,
He cast them away for their transgression.
5(Job 11:13) If you yourself would seek God earnestly,
and seek favor from the Almighty,
6(Ps 7:6) if you were pure and upright,
surely now He would rouse Himself on your behalf,
and He would prosper your righteous dwelling.
7 Though your beginning was small,
your end will increase greatly.
8(Job 15:18; Dt 4:32; 32:7) “Please, ask the former generation,
and prepare yourself for what their fathers searched out;
9(1Ch 29:15; Ge 47:9) for we were born but yesterday and know nothing,
because our days on earth are a shadow.
10 Will they not teach you, and tell you,
and bring forth words out of their heart?
11 Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the reed grow without water?
12(Jer 17:6) While it is yet green and not cut down,
it withers before any other plant.
13(Job 13:16; 15:34) So are the paths of all who forget God;
and the hypocrite’s hope will perish,
14(Isa 59:5–6) whose confidence will be cut off,
and whose trust will be a spider’s web.
15(Job 27:18) He will lean upon his house, but it will not stand;
he will hold it fast, but it will not endure.
16(Ps 80:11) He is green before the sun,
and his branch shoots forth in his garden.
17 His roots are wrapped around the rock heap,
and he sees the place of stones.
18 (Job 7:10; 7:8) If he is uprooted from his place,
then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’
19(Job 20:5; 1Sa 2:8) See, this is the joy of his way,
and out of the ground others will grow.
20(Job 4:7) “Surely, God will not cast away a perfect man,
nor will He strengthen the evildoers,
21(Ps 126:2; Ge 21:6) until He fills your mouth with laughing,
and your lips with rejoicing.
22(Ps 132:18; 35:26) Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
and the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.”
(Ask in Pray in supplication what happened – You do not know it all)
Job 9
Job Replies: There Is No Mediator
1 Then Job answered:
2(Job 4:17; 25:4) “Truly, I know it is so,
but how can a man be righteous with God?
3(Job 10:2; 40:2) If one would dispute with Him,
he cannot answer Him once in a thousand times.
4(Job 36:5; 9:19) He is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
5 He who removes mountains, and they know not,
who overturns them in His anger.
6(Isa 2:21; Hag 2:6) He who shakes the earth out of its place,
and its pillars tremble.
7(Isa 13:10) He who commands the sun, and it does not rise;
he seals off the stars.
8(Job 37:18; Ps 104:2–3) He who alone spreads out the heavens,
and treads on the waves of the sea.
9(Am 5:8; Ge 1:16) He who makes the Bear, Orion, and Pleiades,
and the constellations of the south.
10(Job 5:9; Ps 71:15) He who does great things, beyond discovery,
yes, and wonders beyond number.
11(Job 23:8–9; 35:14) Yes, He would cross before me, and I would not see Him;
He would pass on by, but I would not perceive Him.
12(Job 11:10; Isa 45:9) Yes, He takes away; who can hinder Him?
Who will say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13(Job 26:12; Isa 30:7) God will not withdraw His anger.
The proud helpers bow down beneath Him.
14 “How, then, can I myself answer Him,
and choose my words to reason with Him?
15(Job 8:5; 10:15) Even if I were righteous I could not answer;
I would plead to my Judge for favor.
16 If I called, and He answered me,
I would not believe that He had listened to my voice.
17 (Job 2:3; 16:14) For He crushes me with a storm
and multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 (Job 7:19) He will not allow me to get my breath,
but fills me with bitterness.
19 (Job 9:4 )If it is a matter of strength, indeed, He is strong;
and if of justice, who will set me a time to plead?
20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me;
though I were perfect, it would prove me perverse.
21 (Job 1:1) “Though I were perfect,
I would not know myself;
I would despise my life.
22 It is all one thing; therefore I said,
‘He destroys both the perfect and the wicked.’
23 If the whip kills suddenly,
He will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
24 (Job 10:3; 24:25) The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
25 (Job 7:6–7) “Now my days are swifter than a runner;
they flee away; they see no good.
26 (Hab 1:8; Isa 18:2) They pass by like reed skiffs,
like an eagle rushing upon its prey.
27 (Job 7:13) If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint;
I will leave off my sad face and brighten up,’
28 (Ps 119:120) I am afraid of all my sorrows;
I know that You will not hold me innocent.
29 If I am guilty,
why then do I labor in vain?
30(Jer 2:22) If I wash myself with snow water
and cleanse my hands with soap,
31 yet You will plunge me into the pit,
and my own clothes will abhor me.
32 (Ecc 6:10; Ro 9:20) “For He is not a man as I am, that I should answer Him,
and we should come together in judgment.
33(1Sa 2:25; Job 9:19) Nor is there a mediator between us,
who may lay his hand upon us both.
34(Ps 39:10; Job 33:7) Let Him take His rod away from me,
and let not dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak and not fear Him,
but it is not so with me.
(Thank you Lord for sending Jesus Christ as or mediator)
2) Our Daily Bread for 4 Jan 2021 https://odb.org/CA/2021/01/04/a-lifestyle-of-joyful-worship entitled A Lifestyle of Joyful Worship
Today's Scripture & Insight: Ps 100
A Psalm of thanksgiving.
1Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth!
2(Ps 63:1; 84:2) Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before His presence with singing.
3(Ps 79:10; 80:5) Know that the Lord, He is God;
it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
4(Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
and into His courts with praise;
be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5(Ps 42:11; 43:5) For the Lord is good; His mercy endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations.
As I waited in the breakfast buffet line at a Christian conference center, a group of women entered the dining hall. I smiled, saying hello to a woman who stepped into the line behind me. Returning my greeting, she said, “I know you.” We scooped scrambled eggs onto our plates and tried to figure out where we’d met. But I was pretty sure she’d mistaken me for someone else.
When we returned for lunch, the woman approached me. “Do you drive a white car?”
I shrugged. “I used to. A few years ago.”
She laughed. “We stopped at the same traffic light by the elementary school almost every morning,” she said. “You’d always be lifting your hands, singing joyfully. I thought you were worshiping God. That made me want to join in, even on tough days.”
Praising God, we prayed together, hugged, and enjoyed lunch.
My new friend affirmed that people notice how Jesus’ followers behave, even when we think no one is watching. As we embrace a lifestyle of joyful worship, we can come before our Creator anytime and anywhere. Acknowledging His enduring love and faithfulness, we can enjoy intimate communion with Him and thank Him for His ongoing care (Psalm 100). Whether we’re singing praises in our cars, praying in public, or spreading God’s love through kind acts, we can inspire others to “praise his name” (v. 4). Worshiping God is more than a Sunday morning event.
By: Xochitl Dixon
Reflect & Pray
In what ways can you joyfully worship God throughout the day? When has someone else's worship led to your own?
Almighty God, please help me live to worship You with contagious joy and gratitude.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 4 – The Blessings of Grace Day 2 – Alienation and Reconciliation
Col 1:21-22 21(Eph 2:12)And you, who were formerly alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22(Ro 7:4; Eph 5:27)in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight,
Some 50 years ago, Orson Welles’s radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds threw the nation into panic; people on the East Coast ran for their lives, expecting at any moment to be destroyed by alien invaders from outer space.
Today, of course, we are more sophisticated about such matters. Television and movies have educated us about alien life forms. Star Wars and Star Trek have taught us that their appearance can be much different than ours. Sometimes they are unable to exist in our atmosphere with artificial life-support systems; their physical makeup is often incompatible with our environment.
God says that we, apart from Christ, are as incompatible with his kingdom as the “aliens” of movies are with Eath’s environment. We are at war with God, a true “war of the worlds” that staggers the imagination.
Yet God has “reconciled” us to his world. He has made us fit, made us able to exist in his kingdom. He has made us part of his world through Christ’s death and resurrection.
Now, through Christ, we are “holy” and “without blemish” in God’s sight. And that transformation, ironically, make us “alien” in the world around us. No longer do we fit in a world of selfishness and greed, a world where Self is god and everyone does what is right in his own heart. We belong, instead, in the kingdom of God’s righteousness.
Application
a) In what ways am I an “alien” in this world?
b) How have I been an “alien” to God’s kingdom?
c) How can today’s verses help me deal with my sense of “not fitting”?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Exodus 3:7-8
7 (Ps 106:44; Ex 2:23–25)The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
8 (Ge 50:24; 15:18–21; Ex 13:5) Therefore, I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are lonely
Psalms 25: 15 – 21
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for He will lead my feet from the net.
16 Turn to me, and be gracious to me,
for I am isolated and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
18 Look on my pain and misery,
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider my enemies, for they are many,
and they hate me with violent hatred.
20 Watch over my life, and deliver me!
Let me not suffer shame,
for I seek refuge in You.
21 Truth and integrity will preserve me
while I wait for You.
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2021 edition?)
2015 Population - 4631302 Muslims about 136493
British Columbia - British Columbia's Muslim Population is growing constantly.
Every week there are immigrants ad refugees coming to the Greater Vancouver
and surrounding areas. There are also significant Muslim student populations
in our colleges and universities. Some have even suggested that there are
between 4000 and 5000 Saudi Arabian students alone, without counting all
other nationalities.
Greater Vancouver has an estimated 180000 Muslims, and there are significant
and growing communities in the Fraser Valley such as in Langley, Abbotsford,
Chilliwack, etc. Including these communities the total population for this
region is about 200000.
Of these, there are an estimated 100000 Iranians, 35000 Arabs, 15000 Ismailis,
more than 20000 Afghanis, 10000 South Asian Muslims, 3000 Turks, and small
numbers from other countries such as Sudan, Somalia, Albania, etc.
We are seeing some Muslims coming to Christ and we rejoice in that.
A few people also have some ongoing ministry to Muslims in the area,
for which we also rejoice. Let us agree in that
- the church will catch a vision to pray,
and a burden to train outreach to Muslims
- the church will press in to participate in effective
discipleship of these new Muslim background believers.
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 24 April to 23 May 2020
Under the Keep Praying page
When the new moon is sighted it marks the beginning of t he new Islamic month
and Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", will start! After 30 days
of fasting, the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan is a joyful time that
usually lasts about 3 days. Muslims will buy new clothes, exchange gifts and,
of course, enjoy special foods. In Muslim-majority nations, the streets may be
decorated and festivals will be held.
For many Muslims, Eid-al-Fitr begins with communal prayers at daybreak and the
distribution of money (zakat) to the poor, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam.
You can greet Muslim friends during this time by saying "Eid Mubarak",
which means Blessed Eid!"
Ramadan is over for this year, but you can continue to pray for Muslims you
know, and Muslims around the world:
- Despite the unsettling developments in our world today that involve actions
in the name of Islam, there is at the same time a largely untold story about
unprecedented movement to Christ among Muslims. There have been more such
movements of thousands or more new disciples among Muslims in the last three
decades or so than in all the previous history of Christian Muslim
relationships! Pray for this momentum to continue.
Acts 2:12-17 : 17 "In the last days it shall be," says God,
"that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even on My menservants and maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth below:
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 And whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."[a]
Footnotes
Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32.
- Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have god's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14-15 : 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under
a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the
house."
Ideas for prayer
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
My paternal side is of Muslim heritage and will offer this section to further
call for Muslim converts to Christian and any other converts to Christianity
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
4nd Day of the Month
a) Pray for the preservation of godly values in Canada (Prov 14:34 - Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.
)
b) Pray the political leaders will be awakened by God to the right use of power and the right stewardship of their positions.
This month Calvarycommunity.ca is doing 21 days of Fasting and prayer available at https://www.calvarycommunity.ca/fasting
https://www.calvarycommunity.ca/fasting/day1
Day 1 All Things New – Looking to Jesus
Verse of t he Day : Hebrews 12: 2 -4
2(Heb 1:3; Lk 24:26)Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3(Gal 6:9; Heb 12:5)For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and your hearts give up.
4(Heb 10:32–34)You have not yet resisted to bloodshed while striving against sin.
The Holy Spirit is always at work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus. But Satan’s work is just the opposite; he is constantly trying to make us look at ourselves instead of Christ.
If we would turn from self as the source of our satisfaction and cone to Jesus for the enjoyment of all that God is for us in him, then the emptiness that we can feel would be replaced by the fullness of Jesus.
Reflection: Take time to meditate on Jesus. Ask him to help you to recognize that he is the source of all good things.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I ask that You take all distractions from my mind. Help me keep my heart and mind focused on You.
Help me to take every thought that enters my mind captive, not tainted by the ways of the world. Help me Focus on You as I wake in the morning, as I rest at night, and throughout the business of every passing day.
Keep away all that would distract me from Your Word and develop in me a teachable spirit and ears that listen to Your still small voice.
I pray that the eyes of my heart would be open to seeing all that You want to teach me.
I pray that I may grow more and more like Him with every passing day. In His name, I pray, Amen.
Scripture reflection:
Matthew 22:37
37(Dt 6:5; Lk 10:27)Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
Colossians 1:18
18(Ac 26:23; Eph 1:22–23)He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Colossians 3:1-4
1(Ps 110:1; Mk 16:19)If you then were raised with Christ, desire those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God.
2(Mt 16:23)Set your affection on things above, not on things on earth.
3(Ro 6:2; Col 2:20)For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4(1Jn 3:2; Jn 11:25)When Christ who is our life shall appear, then you also shall appear with Him in glory.
Hebrews 3:1
1(Php 3:14; 2Ti 1:9)Therefore, holy brothers, partakers in a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Jesus Christ
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord for every situation you are in
Pray to be joyful and grateful in every situation
Pray to fit into Heaven and that you Name be found in the Book of Life
Pray that if you are in distress, rest assured the Lord will hear your cry.
Pray for those who do not Know the Lord that they will come to know Him.
Pray for the leaders of your nation.
Pray to focus on Jesus and not be distracted from him
Pray for forgiveness of sins and repentance.
Pray to accept Jesus in your life