Pastors Corner

Micah 7

In verse 1 it begins in NKJ “Woe is me!” in NLT “What misery is mine”
He feels like a fruit picker after the harvest who can find nothing to eat. Not a cluster of grapes or a single fig can be found to satisfy his hunger.
He then goes on to say in verse 2 “The faithful or godly people have all disappeared; not one fair-minded person is left on the earth.”
David had a similar cry in Psalm 12:1 “Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth.”

Micah 7:2 Lord we ask You to please preserve and strengthen the godly people around us. Let fair-minded people flourish in our church and community we pray.

Micah 7:7 Lord I thank you in the midst of all the corruption where people find it hard to trust each other at all levels. We thank You that we can look to You for help. “My God will hear me” We know this means God will answer us. It is a confession of our trust in You. We wait for You to save us as we trust You hear us.

Micah 7:14 Lord I thank You today that when I read this plea for you to come and shepherd Your people with Your staff (Shivt in Hebrew) it has a dual meaning in this context. That of a shepherds staff and that of a King’s scepter. O Lord, rule Your people today. Lead Your flock to a life of peace and safety. Cause them to enjoy the blessings of the past and prepare them for a glorious future with You.

Micah 7:18-20 Lord we see Your compassion on Israel and as we read in verse 18 “Who is a God like You” we see this is a pun on Micah’s name which means “Who is like Yahweh?” Lord truly there is no other God like You. You delight in showing mercy. You have had compassion on me, trampling my sins under Your feet and throwing them into the depths of the ocean! Thank You for Your faithfulness and unfailing love.

Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15:1 Father, prompt me more often to give a gentle answer when someone speaks angrily or accusingly to me. I know through this verse that a soft answer defuses anger so I will not respond with harsh words and escalate a situation. Lord I know such a response doesn’t always come easily or naturally to me. So I ask for Your help by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 15:4 Lord sanctify my tongue and make it gentle because I desire it to be like a tree of life, bringing healing, deliverance and renewal to those I speak to.

Proverbs 15:14 “A wise person is hungry for truth, while the fool feeds on trash.” NLT
Lord make me hungry for truth. Convict me when I’m feeding on trash.

Matthew 12:1-21

Matthew 12:1-14  We see the controversy about the Sabbath in these verses. Ask the Master of the Sabbath to show you what it means to keep a day of rest and worship in the Spirit rather than in the letter of the law, so that the rest He gives you glorifies Him.

Matthew 12:18-21 “Behold my Servant” “look at my Servant” Today these words echo through my soul as verse twenty emphasises His kindness to the downtrodden and weak. “A bruised reed He will not break”.

Servant of God, I praise and adore You, for You have come to proclaim justice to the nations, Your name Jesus is the only hope for the nations.

Micah 5

Micah 5:2 Father today we can reflect back in light of the Scripture and thank You for the Babe of Bethlehem, the Prince of peace, whose origins are from the distant past but who lives in us today. Hallelujah!

Micah 5:4-5 Lord Jesus I pray that You will lead us today with Your strength, in the majesty of the name of the Lord my God, in the peace that only you can give.

Micah 5:12 Five speaks of Grace; Twelve speaks of God’s Government. Take a walk around your community. Pray, as you walk, for God to put an end to any witchcraft and occult activity there.

Micah 6

Micah 6:8 You have shown me, O Lord, what is required of me. Thank You that I am not left to guess what pleases You and what does not.

The Lord is holding us responsible for creating an environment of justice.

Micah 6:8 declares what God expects of every one of his people.

The three items listed in this text define the values and character of a godly person.

We are called to Act justly, Love mercy and Walk humbly with God.

Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14:21 NLT “It is a sin to despise one’s neighbour’s, blessed are those who help the poor”.

Pray for your neighbours . If they have any needs, do what you can to help them out, in the Name of Jesus.

Proverbs 14:29 NLT “Those who control their anger have great understanding, those with hasty temper will make mistakes.”

Ask the Lord to help you control your anger so you will not have to live a live which consist of a trail of mistakes.

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness which is godliness exalts a nation. So Lord we pray for increasing godliness to characterise our nation.

Matthew 11

Matthew 11:25-26 Father we thank You for revealing Yourself to us through Your Son, Jesus. Lord we ask for a child like faith so that we can continue to learn and know your truth.

Matthew 11:28-30 Lord Jesus the burden of trying to run our own life and find our own way is too heavy for us. I gladly submit myself to the yoke of serving you.

Although Jesus puts His early disciples to work, He knows He has to touch their hearts before He asks for their hands. So He promises to give them rest. This rest in verse 28 means an inward rest, free from anxieties.

Micah 3

We see in this chapter God’s woe on wicked rulers who abuse power.

We see in Micah 3:1-3 how they destroyed people instead of developing them

We see in Micah 3:5-7 they misled people into confusion, instead of leading them in a cause.

We see in Micah 3:9-10 they distorted justice instead of upholding justice for the common man.

We see in Micah 3:11-12 they took bribes for themselves instead of taking responsibility for the people.

Are we not seeing The same things happening today. I am so grateful that He has given to us the church the wonderful gift of prayer.

Let us pray today in line with the verses we have read:
Micah 3:1 Lord, in this world of blurred lines between good and evil, help us to clearly and definitely know right from wrong and to hate evil and love good.

Micah 3:8 Pray for all those that God has raised up today, who fearlessly point out the failures and rebellions of God’s people. Pray that God’s people will be responsive and make the necessary changes for God’s glory.

Micah 4

The prophet paints a picture of what life will be like in the future, during the last days, a glorious vision and we can get excited about it. The house of the Lord was to be a strategic place as we see in Micah 4:1, an influential place as we see in Micah Micah 4:2, and also equipping place Micah 4:2.

As we run to win!

God is giving us a clear picture – that is the ability to see the vision.

He is raising up a committed people that have the ability to transmit the vision.

He is causing us to have consistent prayer – which gives us the ability to intercede for the vision.

Just sitting and listening in the women’s conference this week, which at present is being held in our local church, I can see He has released a constructive passion which is giving the members in the fellowship the ability to work toward the vision.

And what is just blessing me beyond what I could think or even imagine is to see the calm persistence that has been released upon the church, which has granted the ability for us to patiently wait for the vision.

The Lord has caused us to see it, say it, and show it before we seize it! Amen

So we pray in line with Micah 4:
Micah 4:3-4 Father please spread peace throughout the world today, let hearts and lives be touched by the power of Your Holy Spirit that leads and guides us into all truth.

Micah 4:7 Lord we take this verse and cry out. Lord, rule in my heart as king forever.

Micah 4:12 Lord, I do not know your thoughts or understand your plan, but I submit to Your wisdom and trust in your love today.

Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14:2 Father, please help me to follow the right path in everything I do today, I love You, and I want to walk with You throughout my life.

Proverbs 14:10 Lord today I acknowledge the fact that only You fully understand me. Even my closest friends and family don’t really know all of me. You know all my joys and sorrows. I want to thank You Lord for loving me.

Matthew 11:1-15

In the face of doubts that sometimes enter your mind, reaffirm your faith in Jesus, the Messiah right now! Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in spirit and in truth and to make you willing to hear and understand.

Micah 1

1:2   Tell the Lord, I want to listen to Your voice. Help me Lord to pay close attention when You are speaking.

1:9  Pray for your friends and family members who may be nursing deep and secret wounds.

1:16  Ask the Lord to use the sorrow in your life to help you repeatedly “turn away from sin and seek salvation”  (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Micah 2

2:1  Father, please frustrate the work of those who lie awake at night thinking up evil. Don’t let their plans succeed, Lord.

2:6  God, help me not to turn a deaf ear to the truth, even when it hurts.

2:9  Let us agree in prayer that the women and children of our church community will have their needs provided for and their rights protected.

2:13  Ask the Lord to be your guide. Especially when sin has led into a personal exile, say Lord lead me out and restore me to fellowship with you.  

Proverbs 13

13:18   Being criticised is no fun. However, ask God to help you to accept criticism graciously, to be taught by it, and to grow by it.

13:20  Take time to pause and think about the wisest people around you. Pray that God will give you opportunities to benefit from their company.

Matthew 10

10:24-31  Pray that you will have the courage to speak and act boldly when derision and persecution come your way. Thank God that you are of such value to Him that He will protect your soul no matter what happens.

10:34-37  These verses lead us to pray Saviour of the world, at times our heart breaks for people we love who don’t love You. Send Your Holy Spirit to convict and convert their hearts so that we can be unified in worshipping the one true God.

10:38-39   Just take time and ponder for a moment what it might mean, or has meant, for you to take up your cross and follow Jesus. Pray that you will learn to place your life in God’s hands rather than clinging to it.

10:40-42  Ask the lord for the gift of Christ centered hospitality towards the least and the greatest of his followers.