LENT • 5

All of us are yearning for new life, but where and who does it come from? How do we learn to receive, pray for and walk in the new life?

SONGS FOR PRAYER

The worship team has compiled a list of songs for each season. With this season of Lent, there is a list of 12 songs the worship leaders have chosen that they will choose from to lead for each Sunday.

As people who are called to sing and worship the Lord on each Sunday we can listen and learn these songs and allow them to be the prayers of our heart. So that we come ready to sing and worship Him.

For those who do not have the Spotify App (which can be downloaded in the App or Google Play Store), here are the you tube links to the songs we sung last Sunday. These are links not just to the songs but the story and heart behind which gave birth the the songs.

reading for: Tuesday Night, 21 MArch

John 11:1-45

Focusing on The Source of New Life

  • READ

    Deep in our hearts we are all yearning for new life. But where does it come from? Where is the source of new life? 

    In the story of Lazarus, we see where it all begins. In the One who is the Resurrection and the Life (v. 25).

    The first thing we should know is that death (or troubling situations) come even to those that Jesus loves (v. 3 and 5). Lazarus died NOT because Jesus didn't love him. He died even though he was loved by Jesus. Jesus' love for Lazarus was repeated several times.

    Second, those that Jesus loves also have to wait (v. 6). Lazarus had to wait for 4 days in the grave and darkness. Mary and Martha also had to wait (v. 33) and wept for 4 days. Imagine the anguish, the sorrow and mourning Mary and Martha went through. They had essentially finished the wake and funeral for their brother Lazarus as he had already been placed in a tomb.

    But while we wait in the dark and difficult times, God's invitation is to look to Jesus. Not to the future hope of new life (v. 24) but to the One who is Life (v. 25). The One who is the source of life. The One that has power over death and darkness.

    In God's timing and for the glory of the Father (v. 40), new life will soon come. Just as Lazarus rose to new life from the grave (v. 44).

  • REFLECT

    All of us are searching and yearning for new life. It could be in a relationship where one or both parties has lost all trust, a work situation that has gone so far south it seems impossible to fix. It could feel like the situation or relationship is dead and hopeless.

    It's in this place that God invites us to look to Jesus. For He alone is life, He alone can resurrect and bring new life. It might mean we have to wait and weep before Him and it might mean that we still experience death. But the assurance is that He will at the right time and for the Father's glory give you the new life that you are yearning for.

    Will you focus and keep your eyes in Him? 

reading for: Wednesday Night, 22 march

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Holding onto the Promise of New Life

  • READ

    The raising of Lazarus in many ways is a fulfilment of God's promise to raise up dry bones. It is here in Ezekiel that we see this first being promised.

    The situation was dire as the bones were actually very dry (v. 2). Signifying how long death had taken place. And it was in this place that God brought Ezekiel and invited Him to see beyond what his physical eyes was seeing. To see and trust in the promise of new life that only God could bring (v. 5).

    The promise of God was that He would bring them back to the land of Israel (v. 12), they would be raised from the graves (v. 13) and be given God's Spirit (v. 14).

    As real as the depiction might seem, it was a vision that showed Ezekiel what God would do and an invitation for him to prophetically participate in faith (v. 4, 9 and 12). Through this vision and account however we see a step by step revival of these dry bones, first hearing God's voice (v. 4), then receiving flesh and muscles (v. 6-8) before receiving the breath of life (v. 9-10) and brought back to Israel (v. 12-14).

    God is more than capable to bring new life to these dry bones and through this vision, He's inviting Ezekiel to see, participate and then hold onto this promise (in prayer) for Israel.

  • REFLECT

    It was about 580 years later after Ezekiel's vision that Jesus finally came. Yet the arrival of Jesus didn't mark the complete fulfilment of this vision. It only marked the start where God would bring salvation and redemption to Israel and the world. In Acts 2 where the Spirit is poured out on all humanity, we see a glimpse and fulfilment of this promise. In other words, Ezekiel was long dead and many who held onto this hope might have been deemed foolish.

    Life on earth is very often learning to hold onto the God's promise of new life. Even before anything happens, we have to learn to see in faith and participate prophetically with God's work. That's exactly what Ezekiel and those after him had to do. Even after such a "burning bush" moment where Ezekiel sees the miraculous dry bones coming alive and the promise of God to bring Israel back, he still had to wait in prayer.

    What if you too had to wait for God's promises to be fulfilled in your life? How can you learn to hold onto Him and His promises? How would you learn to see as He sees and pray in light of those promises?

    Just because "it isn't happening now" doesn't mean it won't happen. Would you bring the promises of God that you once heard and learn to pray and hold onto it with God's strength? 

reading for: Thursday Night, 23 mARCH

Romans 8:6-11

Living the new life Given to Us

  • READ

    Do you think that receiving new life is just a one time thing? A one time experience? Or to reference Lazarus who was raised from the dead, did he just "lived happily ever after"? Imagine how he had to live his life after that, the questions he would hear, the joyful surprise of some and doubtful naysayers of others. He had to continue to live this new life that was given to him, despite the doubts and sarcastic remarks.

    This is what Paul is speaking about and emphasising here. The church in Rome, followers of Jesus are recipients of God's love and mercy. And this has resulted in a freedom from the power of sin and death (v. 2). But now, they are to continue to live this out by walking in the Spirit.

    First, they had to set their mind, their thoughts on the Spirit who gives life and peace (v. 6). For if their thoughts were set on the flesh or earthly things, it would result in hostility towards God and a rebelliousness to His ways (v. 7).

    Second, they had to remember that the Spirit of God now dwelled in them (v. 9). This Spirit who is life (v. 10) and would bring life to our fleshly and dead bodies (v. 11).

    Living out this new life, living in the freedom from sin and death meant setting their mind and thoughts on the Spirit who dwells in us.

  • REFLECT

    What does this mean for us? Simply put, the new life we have received is something we must continue to live and walk in. Receiving a moment of breakthrough in our lives or in our relationship is a moment of grace. But learning to walk in the newness of this life, continuing it is a conscious effort on our part.

    Some of us might be harbouring unforgiveness and bitterness to a former friend, colleague, enemy or current client. By God's grace, He might have brought that breakthrough in our lives by enabling us to forgive. But learning to live out the forgiveness, learning to set our mind on the Spirit who gives life and peace, is a journey we need to do, every day.

    We all battle with negative thoughts but are you by the power of the Spirit actively setting your mind on the Spirit?

reading for: Friday Night, 24 MARCH

Psalm 130

Yearning for new life

  • READ

    How do we wait on God in the darkness? How do we pray and bring our requests of deliverance to Him? This week's Psalm shows us how.

    Psalms 130 can easily be the prayers of Mary and Martha in those 4 days where they mourned the death of Lazarus.

    They were likely in the depths of despair, crying, mourning, weeping for God's help and answer (v. 1-2)

    But as they did, they would have soon realised that they were bringing their requests to a Holy God. Of Whom no human would ordinarily be worthy to meet face to face (v. 3). Unless we were first forgiven and made holy ourselves (v. 4).

    In this presence of a Holy and wonderful God we then realise snd remember how He is worth counting and waiting on. How He is worthy of our hopes (v. 5-6).

    For He is full of unfailing love and He loves to redeem (v. 7). And He has promised and faithfully redeemed Israel of her sin (v. 8).

  • REFLECT

    Many of us know the importance of prayer, many of us know the need the pray. But how many of us actually know how to pray?

    How do we pray when we are so discouraged and are just trying to survive the onslaught of life? How do we even cry out to God in times of despair?

    The Psalms show us a way to pray. They give us words to articulate what we can barely say. They enable us to enter into the presence of God.

    If that's you, read this Psalm aloud at least 2 or 3 times. Pause and allow God to meet with you as you are led. And when you feel your mind and heart drifting, return to the Psalm and read it again. This is one way you "set your mind and thoughts" on God and His Spirit. 

Season of LentCNL