OUR FATHER WHO IS AWESOME IN POWER
From Psalm 47 and 48;
How beautiful is Mount Zion
The joy of the whole world
City of the Great King
For the Lord Most High is awesome
He reigns in power over all nations
Sing praises to God, sing praises
To Him let us joyfully sing
The Lord is greatly exalted
Amid resounding trumpets, He ascended
For God is the King over all the earth
All the rulers assemble before Him.
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OUR FATHER WHO COMFORTS HIS PEOPLE
Isaiah chapter 39 40 verse 9 1 says this;
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
This verse records the words of the Lord comforting His people.
After the days of the hardship of judgement are over, the Lord speaks tenderly to His people as verse 2 says;
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
The Lord tells His prophet to speak gently to Jerusalem and it is with this tone that the prophecy of the one who was to come as a voice in the wilderness to make straight the way of the Lord is pronounced in verse 3;
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our Lord.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER ANNOUNCES HIS VISITATION
Isaiah chapter 40 verses 3 - 5 says this;
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
This passage contains the prophecy written by the prophet Isaiah about the coming of a messenger who would announce the arrival of God among His people.
This herald was the revealed to be John the Baptist by John himself as revealed in the Book of John (the apostle) chapter 1 verse 22 - 24 which says;
Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
John the Baptist did indeed proclaim the arrival of the Lord and called all people to repentance and baptism in water and when the Lord Jesus presented Himself to John for baptism, John declared to the people that Jesus was the One, the lamb of God who came to take away the sins as John chapter 1 verse 29 says;
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
The prophecy of Isaiah describes the time of the arrival of the Lord as one of great upheaval as conditions were set up to make straight the way of the Lord.
The prophecy then points further forward to a time when the glory of God will be revealed and all people will see it at once which is echoed in the book of Revelation chapter 1 verse 7 which says;
“Look, he is coming with the clouds, and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.
John the Baptist, knowing this about the One whom he was heralding, said to the people inquiring about him in John chapter 1 verse 26 - 27;
“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHO JUDGES FALSE PROPHETS AS A WARNING TO THOSE WHO FOLLOW THEM
Ezekiel chapter 14 verse 11 says this;
Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
This verse is a declaration by the Lord concerning the people of Israel who had been worshiping idols and then inquiring of false prophets.
The Lord warned the false prophets who had prophesied falsely to the people of Israel that He would judge them and they would destroyed from among the people.
It is when the people see this judgement that they would be chastened and no longer stray from the Lord and they would turn from their sinful ways and they would submit to the Lordship of God.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHO RESISTS FALSE PROPHETS
Ezekiel chapter 13 verses 8 - 9 says this;
“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.
My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.
This passage declares the opposition of the Lord to the false prophets of Israel. At the time, the false prophets were uttering prophecies of peace independent of God.
Because they had embarked on the deception of the people, the Lord turned against them.
They were disqualified from membership in the council of the people of Israel and were barred from entering the promised land.
Prophets uttering prophecies must be careful to ensure that they are actually hearing God before they make declarations in His name.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHO CLARIFIES THROUGH HIS PROPHETS
Ezekiel chapter 12 verse 10 says this;
“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This prophecy concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.’
The prophet Ezekiel had been commanded by the Lord to enact a scene that represented the coming judgement on Jerusalem that would send them all into exile.
Before all the people of the city, he was to pack his belongings, dig through the city wall and then at dusk, he was to crawl through the wall and leave the city carrying his pack on his shoulder.
Ezekiel carried out these instructions in the sight of all the people of the city.
Our passage in Ezekiel chapter 12 joins the narrative after the people did not inquire into what Ezekiel was doing. They did not think that the actions of the prophet concerned them.
In our verse, the Lord directs the prophet Ezekiel to plainly explain to the leaders and the people in Jerusalem that the enactment was referring to the judgement that was going to afflict them because of their violent deeds.
And further to that, the judgement was not going to tarry but would come upon them shortly.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHO SINGS OVER US
From Psalm 42;
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship Thee
Deep calls to deep
Your waves sweep over me
I pour out my soul
And place my hopes in Thee
Day by day You pour Your steadfast love on me
And by night, You sing a prayer over me
Amen.
OUR FATHER IS MIGHTY TO SAVE
From Isaiah chapter 63 verses 1 - 3;
Who is this? Robed in splendor
Marching forward in the greatness of His strength
It is I the Lord, I'm the victor
None was with me but I was mighty to save
For in my power, I trampled nations down
And in my anger, tread where seeds of wrath were sown
Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson?
Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength?
“It is I, proclaiming victory, mighty to save.”
Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress?
“I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER BEFORE WHOM THE MOUNTAINS TREMBLE
Isaiah chapter 64 verse 3 says this;
For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
The Lord came down from heaven and was suddenly among His people and did awesome things that had not been anticipated.
The mountains around the Lord trembled at the presence of the Lord. The intensity of His being caused the material on the earth to shudder.
Such was the visitation of the Lord among His people.
Great is the Lord.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHO REDEEMS HIS PEOPLE FROM THE NATIONS
Isaiah chapter 66 says this;
“I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.
And they will bring all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.
And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
This passage speaks of the remnant of God's people who will go out among the nations and proclaim the glory of God to the distant countries.
And they will return with a great harvest of people from every tribe and nation and tongue to the Lord's holy mountain and they will present them before the Lord as the Israelites brought grain as offerings in clean vessels before the Lord.
And from among these, the Lord will select some to be priests and levites even as they become a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and a holy nation.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHO SUPPLIES ALL OUR NEEDS
Psalm 107 verse 9 says this;
for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
The goodness of God extends to what we need to eat and drink.
This is expanded on further by the Lord Jesus in Mathew chapter 6 verses 31 - 32 which says;
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
In reassuring His people not to worry about what they have to eat and drink, the Lord assures us that we need only pursue things of the kingdom of God and all the things that we typically concern ourselves with, the Lord Himself will supply our needs and satisfy us when we are thirsty and give us good things to eat when we are hungry.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER IN WHOM WE TRUST
Psalm 13 verse 20 says this;
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.
Amen.
OUR FATHER WHOSE JUDGEMENT STRIPS THE REBELLIOUS OF THEIR GLORY
Isaiah chapter 17 verses 4 - 5 says this;
“In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away.
It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain, gathering the grain in their arms—as when someone gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim.
Speaking of the spiritual powers behind the earthly kingdoms, Isaiah the prophet declares that judgement will fall on Damascus and leave it in ruins.
The cities of Aroer will be abandoned and ruling power will disappear from Damascus as the remaining people of Aram fade in their authority and glory.
Jacob's glory will also fade and waste away.
His reserves of strength will be drained away save for a tiny remnant that did not fall in the harvest.
In that day of the remnant, they will look to their maker and regard the Holy One of Israel. They will abandon their idols.
For the rest, they will forget their God and as a result, all their efforts will abruptly fail.
They will be blown away like chaff and will experience a sudden terror and by morning, they will be gone.
Such is the lot of those who conspire to plunder the people of God.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHO IS FAITHFUL
Partialy from Psalm 49
God You have redeemed me out of darkness
You have taken me for Your child to be
Why should I fear when evil days come
When wicked deceivers have surrounded me
For all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
Woah woah
Woah Woah
No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them—
The ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough—
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OUR FATHER WHO IS OUR REFUGE
From Psalm 91
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will rest in the shadow of the Almighty's throne
He will hide you in the shadow of His wings
Our God is our refuge we trust in Him alone.
He'll command His angels to guard all your ways
You'll be lifted up so your foot won't strike a stone
You won't fear the night nor the dart that flies by day
Our God is our refuge we trust in Him alone.
The Lord is my shield from harm and distress
And so no disaster will come near my home
He is my fortress and He is my dwelling place
Our God is our refuge we trust in Him alone.
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OUR FATHER WHO SEARCHES OUT HIS PEOPLE
Isaiah chapter 65 verses 1 - 3 says this;
“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations— a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick;
This passage reveals the obstacles that people put in the way of the Lord when He extends His invitation to them to be redeemed by Him.
The people are preoccupied with their own interests and are not searching for God but nonetheless, the Lord attempts to make Himself know to them and make Himself possible to be found by them.
However, the people are obstinate and are accustomed to their own paths and ambitions.
They routinely antagonize the Lord brazenly by continuing with their sacrifices in their gardens and burning incense on bricks rather than honoring the Lord in the temple.
These people will end ruin but for those who are the Lord's servants, they will have the Lord's blessings as Isaiah chapter 65 verse 18 says;
“But be glad and rejoice forever over what I create; Behold, I am creating Jerusalem to be a source of rejoicing And her people a joy.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER FROM WHOM WE ARE SEPARATED BECAUSE OF OUR INIQUITY
Isaiah 59 verses 8 - 10 says this;
The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths.
They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks along them will know peace.
So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead.
This passage describes the condition of the people of God after they turn to their own way and fall into sin and violence.
They cannot find peace even when they try to foster peace and every route they take is one of injustice and corruption. The paths to their destinies become crooked and as they follow these paths, they encounter calamity and distress.
In this state, the people cannot resolve the shape of justice and righteousness is entirely unattainable.
When the people try to regain their former elevated society, they are in perpetual darkness and are no longer able to perceive light.
They become like sightless people groping along the walls unable to find the way.
When there is plenty of light, they stumble around as if in the dark and when they run into opposition, they capitulate in weakness as though dead.
Such are those who navigate away from God their creator to seek their own roads.
Amen.
OUR FATHER WHO REDEEMED HIS PEOPLE.
Isaiah chapter 63 verse 10 says this;
Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit.
So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.
This verse describes the turning point in the relationship between the Lord and His people.
The Lord had been kind and merciful towards them and redeemed them out of bondage and led them to freedom even through the depths of the sea.
However, the people rebelled against Him and grieved the Holy Spirit of God.
The Lord became their enemy and resisted them.
It was at this time that the people of Israel began to recall their history and the favor of the Lord and remember when their God was in their midst and when all the astonishing signs and wonders occured before them.
They then asked the Lord to return for they were called by His name.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHOSE JUDGEMENT FALLS ON THE WICKED
Isaiah chapter 56 verse 9 says this;
Come, all you beasts of the field, come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
This verse is an invitation to the beasts of the field and the beasts of the forest to devour the wicked.
The shepherds of God's people should have been mindful of them and treated them when they were sick and bound their injuries.
Instead of doing these things, the shepherds devoured the substance of the people without searching for the lost and gathering the scattered.
The people got into this state of vulnerability because those who should have been watching over them were absent from their duties as Ezekiel chapter 34 verse 5 says;
They scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every animal of the field and scattered.
Without guidance, the Lord's people were scattered and were easy pray for the beasts that sought to devour them.
Watchmen over the Lord's people must remain vigilant
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHO IS OUR LIGHT
From Psalm 36
Your love reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
Your justice is perfect and wise
How priceless is Your unfailing love
For with You is the fountain of life
We delight in Your river above
You are our only light
We take refuge in the shadow of Your wings
Lord hear us when we call
We take refuge in the shadow of Your wings
Lord preserve us all
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OUR FATHER WHO HIDES US IN THE SHADOW
OF HIS WINGS
From Psalm 17
Lord keep me as the apple of Your eye
Hide me in the shadow of Your wings
Turn Your ear toward me and hear my humble prayer
I call on You, You always answer me
You are faithful and true
You are the One who makes all things new
You are holy and You are bright
You are life and You are light
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OUR FATHER THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL
From Isaiah chapter 54
Burst into song, you who never were in labour
Oh precious ones of infinite worth
The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer
He's the God of all the earth
No weapon formed against you shall ever prosper
No accusation left to stand
This is the inheritance of those who serve His scepter
By Him we will possess the land
Woah Amen
Woah Amen
You are worthy, worthy of all praise
Woah Amen.
You are brighter , brighter than the sun
Woah Amen
You are righteous Holy One
Woah Amen
Woah Amen
Woah Amen
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OUR FATHER WHO FAVOURS THE HUMBLE
The book of Isaiah chapter 66 verses 1 - 2 says this;
This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?
Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord.
“These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.
In this verse, the prophet Isaiah relays the words of the Lord to those who would follow God.
The Lord declares that Heaven is His throne, the headquarters of His kingdom and that the earth is His footstool or the place that the soles of His feet touch that he claims in keeping with the principle laid down in Duetronomy chapter 11 verse 24 which says;
Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea.
The Lord then asks where would the abode be that the hands of men would build for Him. Is not the Lord the one who made all things? He is telling inhabitants of the earth not to preoccupy themselves with tying to seek favour with Him by building shelters and resting places for Him.
The Lord succinctly informs us that to gain favor with Him, we must be humble and contrite in spirit before Him and that our response to His word must be reverence and unconditional obedience.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHO LOVES RIGHTEOUSNESS
Psalm chapter 99 verses 4 - 5 says this;
The King is mighty, he loves justice— you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right.
Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.
The psalmist, in this passage, speaks of the power of the Lord and states that the Lord loves justice. As such, as King, the Lord establishes equity, fairness and righteousness in His kingdom.
Indeed the foundation of the kingdom of God is righteousness and justice as explained in Psalm 89 verse 14;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.
The great gift of righteousness that the Lord has made available to us through the Lord Jesus Christ when He took our sins on the cross, makes us eligible to be part of the righteous kingdom of God.
The book of 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 24 says it this way;
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;
And as the book of Mathew chapter 5 verse 20 then says in the words of Jesus;
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
The righteousness that we gain from believing in Christ's finished work on the cross, exceeds that of the religious leaders and teachers of the law (who were themselves assidous in following the letter of law) and thus we are made eligible to be citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
Amen.
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Research Reference: Openbible.org
OUR FATHER WHO SPARES THE RIGHTEOUS
Isaiah chapter 56 verse 13 57 verse 1 says this;
The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.
When righteous people die, no one ponders why they have been removed from the world.
What people do not comprehend is that good people are removed to exclude them from the evil day.
In death, they repose in tranquility as verse two of Isaiah chapter 57 says;
Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
This verse advices us that when we see the righteous pass into death, we should take notice for they may be harbingers of an approaching day of evil.
Amen.
OUR FATHER WHO IS OUR REFUGE
Isaiah chapter 57 verse 13 says this;
When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you!
The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away.
But whoever takes refuge in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.”
The Lord, in this verse, contrasts those who turn to idols with those who take refuge in Him.
The Lord emphasizes the futility of attending to idols for when the day of trouble comes, those who call on their progression of idols and rely on them for help, would find themselves without aid because the idols would be dispersed by the wind and a mere breath would blow them away.
However, those who take refuge in the Lord would inherit the territory and have a portion in the kingdom of God.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHO DISPENSES WISDOM TO ANY WHO ASKS IN FAITH
Proverbs chapter 23 verse 20 says this;
Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.
This verse reveals the way that the Lord will give wisdom to anyone who asks as promised in James chapter 1 verse 5 which says;
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
If we request wisdom from the Lord, He can bring a companion alongside us who carries the wisdom of the Lord into the situation in our lives and by induction, we gain wisdom.
We are given the hallmarks by which to recognize from where the wisdom is sourced in James chapter 3 verses 17 - 18 which says;
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness
On the other hand, the wisdom that is dispensed from sources other than heaven yield different results. James chapter 3 verses 14 - 16, says this;
But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
If we entwine our lives with fools, we will be influenced by wisdom which is earthly, unspiritual and demonic.
We will then suffer harm from the chaotic and evil environment that is generated from it.
Let us pray for the Lord's wisdom.
Amen.
Research reference : Crossway.org
OUR FATHER WHOSE WORKS ARE AWESOME
From Psalm 77 verse 10;
I cried out to You, Lord hear me
I called out to You, Lord help me.
I was in distress and I searched for You
Each night I humbly lifted my hands to You
I thought to myself, with You will I agree
I will recount the miracles that you did for me
I will recall the awesome works that you displayed
And think of the path that Your right hand has made
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