Don't let hardship shut your mouth not to sing praises to the Lord!

  

 

Please click this link for the video version of today's blog :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yygF63bqa4

Bishop Silas conducting Vancouver Oratorio Society, VOS Chamber and Schola Cantorum singing Parry's I was Glad:

https://youtu.be/Qr4RThsdEjY?si=wh3sT_i3QE8kTgX6

Bishop Silas conducting Schola Cantorum Emmanuel and Vancouver Oratorio Chamber Choir singing Palestrina's O Beata Trinitas:

https://youtu.be/O4wiyr8oa_Y?si=l_cp4aRfVMRzaL6b

Silence

1.   Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence

      2.   Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace and feel His presence. Exhale your worries.

     Praise and Thanksgiving

1.   Think through your day, all the times that made you smile. 

2.   Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people

3.          **Sing a song to praise the Lord

      Please click this link to worship with us - 

      

       Be with You: City Harvest Church, Singapore

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epkh71WTUFs&list=RDEpkh71WTUFs&start_radio=1

      10,000 Reasons

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3K3roEF36k

      

     Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method) 

      https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

1.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to shine on you that you are able to discover your sins and be willing to repent:

     “Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God and having Jesus as my Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

2.  Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

     "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sins to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gifts to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

3.  John Stott's daily prayer of Christlikeness (Christopher J.H. Wright, Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017, 13)

**Please click this link to read how God used John Stott to change my life:https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/

           "Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more.

             Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.

             Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

Today's Time with Abba: Psalm 89:1-13, Nehemiah 11:1-12:26; 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:2; Proverbs 21:14-16

Please click this link for today's Time with Abba one year Bible: http://twa.pastoralcareschool.org/

To know, learn and practice the method of Time with Abba, please click this link:http://twa.pastoralcareschool.org/

Key passage:  

     I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;

    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
    through all generations.

      I will declare that your love stands firm forever,

    that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
    I have sworn to David my servant,

‘I will establish your line forever
    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”

The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,
    your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

                                                    Psalm 89:1-5

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through today's TWA passages we have just read. Offer this time to Jesus as you listen to Him.

The topic I received today from Jesus is:  Don't let hardship shut your mouth not to sing praises to the Lord!

      

    Hardship or suffering makes many Christians stop singing praises to God, or singing less to praise God.

    Today, Abba Father commands me to remind you not to do that! 

      It is so easy to have a new habit not singing praises to God in the midst of the pandemic because Christians are more and more comfortable just to listen and not to sing while having online worship. And, those who can go to their churches to worship are not willing or not comfortable to sing because most churches in the first or second year of the pandemic require people to wear a mask. 

    Today's Psalm 89:1-5 gives us very important guide of how we need to try our best to sing praises to God in all times:

    1. To sing of the Lord's great love is forever and cannot stop

    2. It's the most effective way to proclaim the Gospel when we sing praises to God

    3. That's the time to establish the church, establish faithful people of God and our next and many generations while we sing praises to God

    4. When we sing praises to God, the angels and Archangels will sing with us praising God in heaven

    So, don't let hardship shut your mouth that you cannot receive all those blessings I mention above!

    What I receive from the Lord is this:

    1. You need to open your soul to sing praises to the Lord loudly if you worship God at home through online worship. Though, online worship is not recommended anymore.

    2. When you go back to your church to join in-person service, you need to open your soul and your mouth to praise the Lord.

    3. Try your best to find time to praise the Lord daily more and more

    Don't let hardship to shut your mouth that you cannot sing praises to the Lord!

     

     Dear Lord Jesus,  

     Help us not to let hardship stopping us to sing praises to you. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.

Reflect on these questions:    

1. What inspiration have you received from today's catch and what have you heard from Jesus now?

     2.  What is your next step to be more closer to Jesus, to be holy - that is to do what Jesus wants you to do and not to do what Jesus wants you not to do?

    

     Family Corner:

     Find an opportunity to share with your family the importance of today's message. 

       

       Please click this link to Old Testament Psalm 89 blog: 

       https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2021/05/day-89-2021-i-will-sing-of-your-great.html

       

     

       Please click this link to today's Old Testament Nehemiah 11:1-12:26 blog and video:

https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningenglish.blogspot.com/2025/08/im-in-how-about-you.html

       Please click this link to today's Old Testament Proverbs 21  blog:  

       https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningenglish.blogspot.com/2025/08/are-you-unfaithful.html

   For the Chinese version of this daily blog and video, please click this link (中文版請按此連結):

    https://timewithabbaprayinglisteningchinese.blogspot.com

     

     

       My first blog "Devotion on Fire"  was written in English only  (July 17, 2009年7月17日至November 22, 2012年11月22日). Each day one chapter of Bible, from New Testament and then Old Testament. Completed in four months and three years:

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/blessings-from-rev-dr-john-stott.html

My second blog "Discipler 123"  was written in both Chinese and English (March 6,2011to December 31, 2016 ):

https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2011/02/day-1-choose-light-away-from-darkness.html

and "Time with Abba" blog and video (January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2024): 

https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2017/01/1-2017.html

 

 

Connecting Workshop 2025(Session 2)

Bishop Silas Ng on Three Streams

 https://youtu.be/xiSOSFF9Iw0?si=puDWFD9Cx01ADm-o