Daily Devotion

Voice: Li Huan

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Today is Thursday, 17th of July. As we start another day, let us gather our scattered thoughts and look to the Lord.

We pray:
O Almighty God, who pourest out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to thee, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship thee in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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We praise God in the words of Psalm 92:1-4

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
    to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
² to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
    and your faithfulness by night,
³ to the music of the lute and the harp,
    to the melody of the lyre.
⁴ For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
    at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.

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The Scripture Reading is Romans 15:30-33
³⁰ I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,  ³¹ that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,  ³² so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.  ³³ May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

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Reflection

Striving together

Do we often ask others to pray for us?

The Apostle Paul certainly did. In fact, in Romans 15:30, he writes:

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf.”

This was no casual request. Paul appealed—by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit. These are not throwaway phrases or spiritual formalities. Paul never used words lightly. Every phrase was intentional. He knew that prayer was warfare, and that he could not fight alone.

Paul specifically asked for prayer that he might be delivered from persecutors, and that his ministry would be acceptable and fruitful.

Many of us are involved in some form of ministry.
You might be:

• Counseling someone in a deep season of pain
• Leading a cell group or mentoring a younger believer
• Handling sensitive responsibilities like raising or delivering funds for mercy work
• Preaching this Sunday or planning a major church event
• Pastoring a congregation that may, at times, feel divided or indifferent

We know how challenging, draining, and discouraging ministry can be. We sometimes carry the weight alone—not because we have to, but because we’ve forgotten (or given up on) asking others to pray.

So let me ask you gently:
Have you earnestly asked others to pray for you?
Have you, like Paul, appealed in the name of the Lord for others to intercede on your behalf?

If not, why?

Could it be that we’ve become too self-reliant—carrying burdens we were never meant to bear alone?
Or perhaps our expectation for ministry effectiveness has quietly dropped so low that we don’t even expect divine help anymore.
Or maybe leadership has become lonely, and we feel we can’t count on others to “strive with us.”

Whatever the reason, let us take Paul’s example seriously.
If he needed prayer, so do we.
If he asked for others to strive with him in prayer, surely we must too.

So today, reach out.
Ask someone to pray with you and for you.
And in doing so, may we rediscover the strength that comes not only from God, but from God’s people striving with us in prayer.
Will you also take a moment to pray for someone in ministry, be it a lay leader, pastor or missionary.

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We end with the Collect of the day:.

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, 
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
increase and multiply upon us your mercy;
that with you as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal 
that we lose not our hold on things eternal;
grant this, heavenly Father, for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, 
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

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In closing, worship along with this song, Glorify Thy Name.

Link to today’s Morning Office

About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.

Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.

For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg