“Would you like to get well?”7“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”

Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely.

He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts.

Lord God my Father,

I want to be whole, remove the excuses I carry and give me complete trust in you. Protect me from my own doubt and seat me at your table of truth where I can discover your truth for my life.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

“It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.

Lord God my Father,

Bring me to a state of obedience that allows me to understand, or at least just carry out your desire for this day.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

“His name is John.” 64Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.

Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

Lord God my Father,

Help me to believe and be obedient to you alone.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,1:17 See Mal 4:5-6. and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

Lord God my father,

Open my eyes so I may see you, open my heart so I may love you as I should, place where you can use me for your will, soften the hearts of those in my life to support as you see fit and soften my heart to allow your way to rest well with me.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

“Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked. 18“Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city?

 Furthermore, half their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of some other people and could not speak the language of Judah at all. 

So I purged out everything foreign and assigned tasks to the priests and Levites, making certain that each knew his work. 

“You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? 15From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.’”

Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.17“They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. 18Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

Swing the sickle,for the harvest is ripe.3:13 Greek version reads for the harvest time has come. Compare Mark 4:29.Come, tread the grapes,for the winepress is full.The storage vats are overflowingwith the wickedness of these people.”14Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision.There the day of the Lord will soon arrive.

Lord God my Father,

Help me to surrender to your design and do my life your way. Help me to express your truth in this world with your heart trusting in you for all things. Remove my doubt and open my eyes to your plan.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Yet whenever your people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once more from heaven. In your wonderful mercy, you rescued them many times!

The people responded, “In view of all this,9:38b Or In spite of all this. we are making a solemn promise and putting it in writing. On this sealed document are the names of our leaders and Levites and priests.”

Lord God my Father

I cry out to you, deliver me from my stupid and into your wisdom. Protect me with your awesome power and wisdom and help me find obedience to your desire alone.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

And Nehemiah8:10 Hebrew he. continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”11And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.” 12So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

Lord God my Father,

Keep me in your truth and joy, help me to be in a constant state of celebration about your awesome love.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.

When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!”

I also devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land. And I required all my servants to spend time working on the wall. 17I asked for nothing, even though I regularly fed 150 Jewish officials at my table, besides all the visitors from other lands! 18The provisions I paid for each day included one ox, six choice sheep or goats, and a large number of poultry. And every ten days we needed a large supply of all kinds of wine. Yet I refused to claim the governor’s food allowance because the people already carried a heavy burden.19Remember, O my God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it.

Lord God my Father,

Give me enthusiasm to do your work this day, direct my actions so I may see your potential work thru me, keep me on guard of the enemy.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today 

Lord God my Father,

Grant me your desire and keep me on your path for this day’s efforts.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

The king instructed him to return the cups to their place in Jerusalem and to rebuild the Temple of God there on its original site.

“Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. 12They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. 

But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. 17Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord.”

 ‘Come with us to Jerusalem to ask the Lord to bless us. Let’s worship the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I’m determined to go.’

Lord God my Father,

Be with me and give me strength and determination to do your work without hesitation. May your glory come from my actions.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen