Powerful Prayer
FOUNDED ON KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’s WILL
- ‘Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the LORD, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation.—Jeremiah 25:12
ROOTED FROM THE CHARACTER AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
- Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and loving kindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments—v 4
- “Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord. . .“To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness—v 7, 9
EMPTIED THE SUPPLIANT OF SELF
- but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.—v 7
- “Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You . . . for we have rebelled against Him; nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets.— 8, 9, 10
ASSOCIATED THE SUPPLIANT WITH OTHERS
- we have sinned, we have been wicked. . . for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us.—v 16
PLEADED IN HUMBLEST ENTREATING
- So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary.—v17
- “O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolation’s and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. “O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”—vv17-19