Ezra’s Prayer Is It Our Prayer

Ezra 9:6 saying:

“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. ⁷ From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. ⁸ But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold² within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. ⁹ For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection³ in Judea and Jerusalem.

Ezra 9:10   “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, ¹¹ which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the people’s of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. ^{12 a}Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ ¹³ And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, ¹⁴ shall we break your commandments again and ^fintermarry with the people’s who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? ¹⁵ O LORD, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”

Today I look at my life and am thankful that God chose to call me and I heard his voice and responded. I also ask myself the questions… What idols do I have before God? Is my heart in good standing with God’s church, my brothers and sisters in Christ,my enemies if I have any.

In today’s world have a chosen to live like the world and abide by their instructions and ways and live like them in any way? Do I keep God’s commandments? Or just keep them when they suit me. Am I offended easily? Do I have malice on my heart?

Always God has desired a relationship and fellowship with his people. Am I one of God’s people? If I am ,is a relationship all I desire or do I seek something deeper. Is my heart pure and Holy and without un-confessed sin.

Over and over from Genesis to Revelation, God has given his people instructions and they have either obeyed or disobeyed God and along with that choice has come consequences . God’s favor or God’s rebuke,punishment or his turning away while  they found their way.

I have to ask myself how long will I live my life the way I want to, before I begin to live it like God wants me to? What will be my prayer?

All my Love Tom