Pray the Scriptures, April 29

Ezekiel 20:45-21:32

Lord God,

We see in this section of Scripture that you are a powerful God and a God to be treated with awesome respect. You can set fires that consume both the green and the dry trees, that burn with a blazing flame that cannot be quenched. When you draw your sword from its sheath, and sharpen and polish it to flash like lightning, every heart melts, every hand goes limp, and every spirit becomes faint.

We acknowledge your sovereignty over all the nations of the earth, and accept the truth that you will even use heathen nations as your instrument of discipline against your own people. And we recognize in our own lives that testing will surely come, and we accept the truth that you may use unbelievers around us to correct us and rebuke us in order to bring us to full maturity.

I pray that you will grant us repentance for the things in our lives and in our culture that bring sorrow to your heart. May we groan with a broken heart and bitter grief when open rebellion reveals sin against you.

You say that the lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low. We humble ourselves under your mighty hand that you may exalt us and lift us up at the proper time. We ask you to bring low those who have exalted themselves. We look forward to that time when you will restore all things by the coming of the one to whom they rightfully belong.

It is in his name, the name of Jesus, that we ask these things. Amen.