|
2 Chronicles |
||||||
| Chapter 1 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 19 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 2 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 20 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 3 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 21 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 4 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 22 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 5 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 23 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 6 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 24 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 7 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 25 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 8 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 26 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 9 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 27 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 10 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 28 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 11 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 29 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 12 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 30 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 13 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 31 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 14 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 32 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 15 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 33 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 16 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 34 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 17 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 35 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 18 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 36 | Prayer | Devotional |
Great Lord of Creation and Providence, Your Son is not only the perfection of Your power, but also the fullness of Your wisdom. He is with us and He loves us. He has encouraged us in prayer. We should ask, that we might receive. We ask You now for wisdom and knowledge for the purpose of service. We want to love and serve You during this present life. We also want to serve people all around us in accord with Your holy will. Thank You for the many blessings that You bestow upon us. Make Your Name great throughout the earth.
Our Father, Your Son is at work even now building a house for Your Name. But what is the purpose of that house of redeemed people? You inhabit the praises of Your people. The house that He is building will be a great and wonderful living place of holy worship. Is there something in addition to that? Is it also a place where You will express the wonder of Your life, working through all the redeemed for Your glory? Make Your house glorious. Make Your temple fruitful in every good work. We thank You for the joy of our inclusion in Your majestic kingdom.
Lord God, where is Your heavenly temple? The old place of worship in Jerusalem had a wonderful heritage. What a joy it was for Your people to travel to the top of Mount Zion, a place not unknown to Abraham, our father in faith. On that land He was prepared to sacrifice Isaac, when You provided an acceptable substitute, and spared his son. When the time came for our redemption, You did not spare Your Son, but gave Him up for us all. Surely the heaven that He has won for us is a much more glorious place than any building that ever existed on earth. We should be full of joy as we travel to that holy land. We know that Your Son even now is our holy temple, and that He is the way to You. Help us to survey the dimensions of Your glorious Son through the Word that You have given us. Help us to love the greatness and security of the One who is our everlasting heavenly Temple.
Father God, You have given Your Son as our perfect sacrifice. You send forth Your Holy Spirit, that we might be fully cleansed, our consciences washed and purified. We shall be holy priests in Your temple forever, through Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank You for the access that we have been granted to You through Christ, who is the gate to heaven. We have been brought into Your house even now. The keys of the kingdom have been used for the declaration of our forgiveness and our inclusion within Your family. We are grateful for this honor. We look to see with our eyes what we know even now by faith, that the doors of heaven have been opened for us, for Christ has purified the way for us into Your heavenly sanctuary through His precious blood.
O Lord, we want to do the work that You have for us with excellence. Meet us in our weariness and sin. Remember the blood of Your Son, and provide for us the strength that we need for our journey to Your holy place. Surely You can make our burden light. Why are we carrying unnecessarily heavy baggage that will be of no use in the life to come? Why are we wearying ourselves with tasks that have not come from You? Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light. Help us to remember Your steadfast love. Fill Your church with Your glorious presence even now. More than that, raise us up to Your heavenly glory cloud in time of worship as You call us together with all who would hear Your voice.
Father God, You have built for us a great place of worship, much better than the greatest building ever built by men. David could not build the temple in Jerusalem, but his son Solomon was the appointed servant for that work. Even so, Solomon could never build the New Testament temple of the Holy Spirit. His greatest Descendant would do this work through His death and resurrection. This same Jesus is using us now as He builds up that temple through Your people. When we pray to You in the midst of that temple, please hear us. Help us when we turn to You for justice in the case of the oppressed. Answer us when we need victory in our warfare against powers and principalities. Heal us when we are sick. Fill us when we are hungry. Especially grant to us Your Son day by day. You know us. We need You. Please hear also the cry of those seeking admission to this heavenly assembly. As they humble themselves and sincerely turn toward Your Son, please hear them from heaven, and grant them a place in Your house through the one Gate that You have provided. When we call upon Your Name for forgiveness, please hear us and restore us. Thank You for Your mercy. Remember Your love for Your Son as we daily bring You the prayers and petitions of Your people.
Lord God, people speak, but what can we do? You filled Solomon’s temple with Your own glory, even with fire from heaven. We marvel at Your works. You are such a great God, and You love us! Your steadfast love endures forever. Your Son’s sacrifice is far beyond the thousands of animals sacrificed by any king of Israel. Christ has accomplished through His life and death what no other man could ever have done. The temple in Jerusalem was a holy place of sacrifice in its day. Today we are Your holy temple as the church of Jesus Christ. We claim all Your promises now as those who are in covenant with You in Christ our Lord. Therefore, we humble ourselves before You, we seek Your face, and turn from our wicked ways. Hear us now from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal Your covenant assembly as we worship You. We cannot bear Your wrath. Remember that Your Son died on the cross for us, and that our sins have been atoned for. We earnestly repent and claim the blood of Christ as our only hope.
Great God, as impressive as some of Your servants of old have been, there is no one who can compare with Your Son Jesus Christ. The greatest among those men of Israel and Judah built cities and conquered peoples. They had thousands of servants, amazing palaces, and great achievements of all kinds. Yet none of them could call forth people from the grave. We have a taste of the power of Your Son in the amazing deeds recorded for us in the Scriptures. One day a far greater work will be done by Him when He returns to call both the just and the unjust from the earth. On that Day of Judgment our safety and blessedness will only be found in our King and Substitute. He died where a King should not die. He was only there on the cross because it was where we deserved to be.
Father, Your fame is known all over the world. There is a powerful testimony for all to see in Your great works of creation. All men everywhere should be like the Queen of Sheba in the days of Solomon. Our breath should be taken away from us when we hear of Your wonderful deeds. We should seek to explore Your greatness with our own eyes. We should cry out to You for Your holy revelation, trusting that You have some plan of mercy that can make some sense of Your patience with the abundance of evil that is all around us. Make Your people like pure gold in Your holy house. Fill the earth with the glory of Your Name. Send to far off lands the message of Your wisdom and Your goodness. Grant to us the privilege of giving back to You a portion of what You have generously entrusted to us. Thank You again for the greatness of Your Kingdom, and for the glory of our eternal King.
Great God, what will we do when the next generation seems to quickly reject the wisdom of years? We are grateful that above any great new leaders is the Lord Jesus Christ, the one King over all of Your people. Your sovereign rule is governing everything in Your church. You also reign over every power in heaven or on earth. Help us to listen carefully to those who have served in former days. Teach us the wisdom that comes from reason and experience. Help us to have a generous heart toward those in our charge, lest we discourage them and incite some ugly rebellion against You and Your church.
Father, will we learn from our mistakes? Will we be humble enough to recognize when the trouble that we have is from You, and not merely from the schemes of wicked men? Thank You for Your work of sanctification in our lives. We are so grateful that we do not have to remain forever in the foolishness of youth. Help us also to recognize true wisdom and godliness in those whom You have granted to be our helpers in the important tasks before us. Thank you especially for the gifts of godly wives and gracious husbands, whereby You have greatly blessed so many of the men and women within Your church. Most of all, we thank You that all of us, men and women, young and old, are together the one bride of the most excellent Husband. He has proven His love for us through His atoning death. We offer ourselves to Him in humble submission.
Father God, how can we forget You after seeing Your grace and faithfulness for many years? Is there forgiveness for men who should know so much better? We are ashamed of our persistent sin in the face of Your abundant kindness to us. Yet You will hear Your people if they truly humble themselves before You. Thank You for this great mercy. Surely in the worst of times as well as in the best of times we should set our hearts to seeking You. We should remember that You have given us countless good gifts for our bodies and souls, even in the days of our worst rebellion against You. Thank You for Your great kindness and goodness to unworthy sinners.
Great Lord, You are the true King of Your people. Please intervene between brothers in the faith and prevent our warring madness. Show forth Your truth powerfully, so that all Your people will find it irresistible. Work by Your Spirit in our souls so that we will have a deeper thirst for godly submissiveness. Hear Your people when they cry out to You. Show Your power when our enemies seem far too strong for us. We mourn the animosity we see among those who should agree together that Your Son is our Lord and Savior.
Lord God Almighty, grant us rest in Christ as we serve You. We desire to stand firm against idolatry within Your church and within our own hearts. We seek You God, for You have given us peace through Christ. Despite that gift of eternal rest, it is a plain fact that multitudes of enemies come against Your people. Our hope is still entirely in You. Judge between the mighty and the weak. Help us! In Your name we face an angry multitude, seen and unseen. Let not men and angels prevail against You. Thank You for the great victory that is already ours in Christ. Rescue us now, and bring us home to the heavenly Jerusalem at just the right time.
Holy God, You will certainly be with us when we are with You. You have always heard Your people when they turn to You in distress. Help us to take courage now. We put away all our detestable idols, and attend again to the glory of Your kingdom. Gather Your people again for worship. Bring to our remembrance the sacrifice of Christ for sinners. In Him we have life even now. You have gathered us from age to age for covenant renewal. You have led Your people to destroy idolatrous images and to give to You great gifts as an expression of our thankful devotion to You. We wait in Your presence with holy expectation.
Our Father, You know the day of our birth and the day of our death. Our times are in Your hands. There are those that would block the way to Christ, refusing to enter the Kingdom themselves and preventing others from going into Your house. Such men must be removed from the way of the godly pilgrim. More difficult still is our own pride. Unless You remove this enemy from the pathway of our hearts and minds, we will not be open to the conviction of the truth that comes to us from Your Word. What will it take to break our foolish pride, that we might live and serve You? We shudder at the thought. Yet You know our weakness, and You will not give us more than we can bear. We need You more than any other gift. Father, we seek You now with our great troubles of body and soul, and we trust that You hear and answer prayer.
Merciful Lord, the generations come and go, but You are God forever and ever. You are always able to raise up a faithful man to serve courageously, doing great acts of obedience that former generations have left undone. Send forth faithful teachers throughout Your kingdom. May Your church be granted ears to hear and hearts willing to obey. We need mighty men of valor to strive together for the defense of the truth in the service of Your great kingdom. Send forth Your gifts from on high, and glorify Your holy Name.
Father God, bad company corrupts good morals. How can Your people be kept spiritually strong when they are unequally yoked in marriage with those who do not believe? Yet You are able to protect us even in such situations. Give us an ear to hear Your Word, even when our closest friends and family members may be hostile to the truth. Though there are false prophets everywhere, You are yet able to raise up a godly man who will speak the truth. Even the ungodly know in their hearts that lying men speak false words, yet they suppress the knowledge of the truth in unrighteousness. Will we in our sin-weary souls also agree to be easily deceived? Will we also somehow desire to hear a false report, and eagerly embrace such a message when it is spoken? May it never be! Keep lying spirits far away from us. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we will always be eager for Your Word. May we resist the false reports of wicked men. You will surely protect Your chosen servants. Whether we live or we die, we want to be near You as faithful followers of Your holy Son.
God of Truth and Power, the deeds of our best men are a mix of courageous acts of goodness and foolish works of compromise. Give us the clarity of seeing the difference between the holy and the profane. Help us to choose the pathway of righteousness day by day, and to reject the way of the wicked, lest we be unduly moved by the applause of men.
Glorious Lord, You must have a purpose for the enemies that You send against Your servants. Surely You bring forth from us great moments of petition and faith. You are the Lord of the nations. You have granted to us a holy sanctuary in Christ. Through Him we offer up earnest prayer before Your face. You see our enemies who seem so powerful. They are bent upon the destruction of Your people. They would love to blot out Your name under the sun. We are so easily overwhelmed. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You. Your message to us is one of courage and divine strength. You give us a way out through Christ. We stand firm in Him, and we see Your victory on our behalf. We move forward into spiritual battle with a great hymn of praise on our lips. We are clothed in Your steadfast love, and in the righteousness of Christ for Your chosen servants. You surely win the victory for us, for we would never be able to win against the formidable hoard of enemies who would despise Your worship. You give us rest in Christ, despite the troubles that we face in this age. Every man has his sin, and every man has his end, but Jesus Christ lives forever in the beauty of perfect holiness. We find our safe haven in Him alone.
Great God, we are clearly not in charge of everything. We feel our limitations as we hear of wicked sons taking over from faithful fathers. We certainly cannot guarantee the future, but You have made precious promises, and You will not be denied. We are sickened by the actions of murderous kings, but we cannot even stop our own ungodliness. How can we stop others who murder men that are better than themselves? You must come with power. O the trouble that we bring upon ourselves and on others we love! Men die in agony, but You have the key to life. Free us from the grip of the wicked who seem to die with no one’s regret.
Glorious Savior, You make one man reign for many years, and another to rule only for a few months. You ordain the rise and fall of men who serve in Your kingdom. Despite Your obvious sovereign power, we are responsible for the matters before us. We cannot charge You with sin. You are God. Will a wicked woman kill her own children and grandchildren just to serve like a queen over Your people? Yet You will reserve for Yourself a little child, that Christ might yet be a descendant of David. Your promises will never fail.
Father God, at just the right time You will reveal Your secret will. Though an evil woman may seem to have absolute power, when the time is right, the young king of Your choosing shall surely be revealed. Your Son’s birth was announced by angels. A wicked ruler among men was intent upon the Baby’s destruction, but the Child lived, and the evil ruler died. Even when Your Son was killed by the wicked, this was done according to Your perfect foreknowledge and in accord with Your sovereign will. What looks like treason to evil despots may well be Your powerful help for Your children in their most desperate hour. Protect the purity of Your holy temple, O Lord. Though someone may assert himself as the one to be worshipped in Your church, You will bring that antichrist to a swift end through the coming of Your Son.
O Holy God, we will do right if we listen to godly counsel. We will do good works for Your temple and bless Your kingdom. We will give of our substance joyfully. The work of the house of the Lord will move forward in beauty and strength. There will be many blessings upon Your people. But if we lose our love for good counsel, and begin to listen to evil men, surely we will break Your commandments. If true men of God speak the very words of the Scriptures in that day, will we have hearts to hear Your voice? How sad it is when a man who begins by hearing the Word of the Lord, ends His days by rebelling against that same Word. Have mercy on us, Lord. Protect Your Kingdom, and save Your troubled servants who are harassed and tempted by evil men and angels. Grant us grace in our moment of most profound weakness and sin.
Lord God, Your Son now reigns forever in the Jerusalem above. Every day He does what is right with a full heart. He never falls into the devil’s trap. He will not show any desire for false worship. He never gives in to fear or greed. Even good leaders here below will show their weakness and their sin over the course of a long reign. Our King Jesus reigns forever in perfect holiness without even the smallest inclination toward idolatry or false pride. He lives as a resurrected man and will one day bring in the fullness of the age to come, granting to us the clarity and beauty of sinless resurrection life. Thank you for the strength of Your mercy toward Your children even today. Keep us by Your unfailing power and love.
Our Father, to move from youth to old age, and through it all to be a man of the highest power and authority, this is an amazing life. Such a man was Uzziah, who was one of the kings of Judah in the days of the prophet Isaiah. Who can say when a man will come to His position of influence? Who can say when a man will die? Who can tell what the pathway of any one life will be? Will our young people become proud when they are strong? Will a leprosy of sin break out in their lives? Please have mercy upon us. Even a great man can easily face a horrible moment with awful consequences. Your sinless Son Jesus Christ has healed us of the leprosy of our sin and rebellion. Have mercy upon us for His sake.
Almighty God, send us each a helper to be with us in our day of weakness and misery. We need someone with us to comfort and assist us, for there is much that we cannot do. Beyond any help that could come from the sons of men, please grant to us the greatest Counselor, Your Holy Spirit, that we might order our ways rightly before You. May we find our final resting place in the heavenly City of David, with the greatest Son of David at our side.
Father, there is a son who only follows a godly man by being born after him. Help us to follow Christ better than this kind of Ahaz. We mourn our own sin and the rebellion of those who should follow us. Only Your grace and power can change this kind of problem. Will our children be granted true repentance soon? There is so much trouble that comes from the devil and the world. There is a day of difficulty that would be more than a man could take. Protect us and our children from such a day. Father, how does a covenant child like Ahaz wander so far from his true hope? How could he settle for filth when he has a place around the king’s table as a son? Lord, we know this is not all about us, though we surely have sinned, and we do repent. We also know that this is not all about our children, though they surely have sinned, and they need to repent. This is finally about You, and Your good and mysterious plan, and that is the very best news for Your grieving servants in the day of a broken heart. Every faithless act will be of no use to us. It will only be our ruin. Grant us access to Your house again through the merit and mediation of Jesus Christ, and bring a better day for the glory of Your Name, even if it must come in the day of our descendants after we rest in the grave.
Thank You, O God, for the relief of a Hezekiah after the horror and disgrace of an Ahaz. Raise up strong men who will speak the truth about sin, and begin the necessary work of cleansing Your church. There is so much evil all around us, and it must be addressed, lest You remove Your lampstand from among us. We need You now. Our eyes are full of tears from the grief of former days. Give us joy as we do the work of Your kingdom. Grant us efficiency and diligence in this important mission. We must in some way make up for the negligence of those who have come before us, but we can never make our lives acceptable to You through our works. We thank You that Your Son has made atonement for all His people through His own life and death. We give our lives to You as one greater than Hezekiah leads us in covenant assembly. Thank You for Jesus Christ. We worship You with great rejoicing. The thank offering of our hearts is greater as a result of the suffering that we have faced in former days.
Lord God, thank You for our great Passover Lamb Jesus Christ. Gather Your elect far and wide. Call Your people to return to You, that we might worship You together. Help us to serve You in truth. Many may laugh at our heartfelt call to worship, but You will bring whoever You will according to Your plan for this time. Give us joy as we gather together in covenant assembly. We have a sense of shame concerning our lives and our lack of full preparation to worship You. Help us to remember that our devotion is only acceptable through Christ. In Him we are clean. Lord, You hear Your Son when he prays for Your mercy upon us. Grant us an unusual thankfulness for Your grace, so that we would have a surprising desire to continue to rejoice in You. Thank You for the coming of such a day of joy, and for the relief that we feel when some measure of wickedness and disgrace is rolled back from Your people.
Father, You bring order into Your kingdom. You remove idolatry among Your people, and appoint leaders for service throughout Your church. You remind us continually of the offering of Your Son, for He Has given His life for us. Prosper us in peace, so that we might have great mountains of blessing to share with others in need. May the ministry of the Word throughout the world be well supported, and may the poor have hope for the future as they receive help from godly men and women who worship You. May all this be done with good order, that Your work would move forward with excellence, and the ministry of prayer and the Word would be attended to by those appointed to that task. Thank You for Christ our King. May every success within and through Your church be cause for thanksgiving and praise to You, for You have brought the increase.
God of our Fathers, even among the faithful, powerful trouble may soon arise. We do not struggle against flesh and blood. Since the fall, an enemy has plainly been at work against us. Grant us relief from minions of foes who hate us and who hate You. Proud men would arrogantly speak against You. They will face Your wrath in due season. You are able to deliver us from the hand of every evil accuser. Many would speak contemptuously against Your leaders. They would make You to be just another god among many powerless gods. You can send armies away in frightened flight, and the most wonderful commander can soon face the end of his days. Even Your good kings must face the fact of mortality. Help us to look to You for eternal life. Bless us not only with possessions, but also with godliness and humility. Grant us wisdom in the day of testing. Surely You know that we are weak. Nonetheless, You are very strong.
Father God, there is a dedication to evil that brings about the end of a holy way of life among Your people. Keep a Manasseh far away from us. When we are overcome with evil and distress, bring us the gift of true repentance. How amazing is Your grace! You can bring an end to Judah based on the wickedness of a Manasseh, and then bring true repentance to that very Manasseh so that there would be little doubt that He is with You now in Your heavenly sanctuary. Thank You for this wonderful love. Some never humble themselves at all before You. What a mystery is the hardened evil within our hearts! Surely You will work out all things for Your own glory and for the good of those who are called according to Your purpose.
Father God, when it seems that all is utterly lost, You raise up a great Josiah. Blessed be Your Name! More than this, centuries after even this great man had come and gone, when all hope was only a distant memory, You gave Your people a King of far greater worth than even Josiah. Our great King Jesus has crushed the power of evil around us and within us by His death on the cross. Through Him we have a sure and powerful eternal joy. Your Word has come to us in Him. We hear and repent. We believe and are justified. Your temple is being built up again, and we are a part of that great place of worship. Fill us with Your Word and Spirit, that we might serve You with full hearts. Grant to Your people true repentance. May this be a more lasting testimony to this dark world than all of our former acts of ugly sin. While we cannot stop the judgment that is coming upon Your church and the world, You are able to bless Your repentant children in ways that are refreshing and beautiful. We will walk after You, O God. We will confess our sins and follow You. We will receive Your gospel word of restoration, and we will rejoice in Your holy Name.
Lord God Almighty, we thank You that we are regularly able to be reminded of Your Son. In the days of the Law, Your people enjoyed the Passover only once every year. Now we remember Your Son’s death whenever we eat the bread and drink the cup that Your Son established for Your people. The true offering that brought life to us has come, and we remember a better event than even the miracle of deliverance from bondage in Egypt. Without the shedding of Your Son’s blood, there could never have been hope for us. Keep us from foolish and fruitless battles, lest Your judgment come upon Your church. We long for the arrival of Your Son in glory, though we know that this will not happen without many trials coming first. All this is too complicated for us. We do not know what to ask for. We want Your Son now, but we do not want the apostasy and trouble that must come before He returns. You will accomplish Your good purposes in Your perfect wisdom and love. Come soon Lord Jesus! Surely this is the cry of the godly. Come soon, even if it means that great trouble must come upon us now.
Father God, Your people suffered through the end of the days of the Davidic kingship after the death of Josiah. His sons and his grandson were nothing compared to him. There was much wickedness perpetrated by those who should have known Your Word. At just the right time, some centuries later, You brought a final end to the age of the Law. It had been a great era of Your revelation. Your people heard wonderful truths from Your prophets, but the old age had to end. It had to give way to a new age of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank You now that the age of the Law is gone. It was a yoke that neither we nor our fathers could bear. Now You have brought to us that greatest Son of David, the great Lord of the Sabbath. Be with us as we move further and further toward the end of this present age. This too has been a great age. The gospel shall be preached to all nations, and then the end will come. That end will not be easy, but we are looking for the glory of Your Son’s great Day, and for the fullness of the new resurrection age.