Lord,
You worked in Hezekiah and the people of Judah and prepared them to worship. After years of idolatry and evil practices You suddenly worked in them to prepare them to worship You.
Ahaz closed up the Temple and turned to the gods of Damascus. He even sacrificed some of his children to these false gods. He led the people to commit abominations.
Then You worked in Your people. You worked in their hearts. Through Hezekiah You called the priests and the Levites to cleanse the Temple. You called for Temple worship to be started again. You brought worship through music and sacrifice again.
You called for national repentance both in Israel and Judah. You did not turn away those who returned to You. You gathered people from Israel and Judah to celebrate Passover. They celebrated. They sought You with their whole hearts.
Then they went out and destroyed all the high places. They “…turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God…” You brought national revival. The people returned to You, and You received them.
God and Father of our Lord Jesus, do the same in Your church in these days. Cleanse our hearts. Cleanse the temple of Your church. Prepare the hearts of Your people to worship You again. Clean out the idols we have put in our hearts. Cleanse us from our allegiances to programs, wrong expectations, and traditions. Cleanse us from our false “Christianities” that we have set up for ourselves. Return us to You, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Your Word. Turn our hearts “…from idols to serve the living and true God…”
Cleanse us from sin. Please do not just cleanse the things we label “heinous sins.” Cleanse us of sin, whether “heinous” or culturally acceptable, because it is all against You. Cleanse Your people. Remove the death that we have embraced as life, and restore our souls in Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus, please “…bring good news to the poor, …bind up the brokenhearted, … proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound… proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor…” before “…the day of vengeance of our God.”
Holy Spirit, move in Your church. Rescue those who are externally part of the church but have never turned to You in faith. Tear down the idols of religion and turn our hearts to the work of Jesus Christ alone. Rescue pastors and other church leaders who claim to know You but deny You by their works. Rescue people who have never heard the Good News before. Rescue those who have heard it and still reject it. Give life to the spiritually dead. Give confidence that you give grace to the humble. You will receive us as we come to You through Your Son.
Please do this in such a way that we cannot take credit for it and blaspheme the Lord. We are so quick to take credit and brag about things we can’t do. Please do this work in such a way “…that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.” In this nation and all the nations of the earth, so let it be in the name of Jesus.
2 Chronicles 29-31; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; Isaiah 61:1-2; 2 Kings 19:19
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