Not one person whose life is twisted by sin will ever recover.

“Is it nothing to the people of Judah that they commit these detestable sins, leading the whole nation into violence, thumbing their noses at me, and provoking my anger? 18Therefore, I will respond in fury. I will neither pity nor spare them. And though they cry for mercy, I will not listen.”

“Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.”

Then I heard the Lord say to the other men, “Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity! 6Kill them all—old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. 

Then the man in linen clothing, who carried the writer’s case, reported back and said, “I have done as you commanded.”

Lord God my Father,

Protect my thoughts and actions, help me to know when the deceiver is nearby. Help me to witness well to those who don’t know you and bring your grace forward. Use me to do your work well.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

“If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. 21But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.”

You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron. 

Lord God my Father,

Make me only desire righteous behavior and give me strength to overlook obstacles so I am not distracted. Help me to have your discernment of Truth and carry your yoke well.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

 “I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been rebelling against me to this very day. 4They are a stubborn and hard-hearted people.

“Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. 11Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.”

Lord God my Father,

Give me strength and courage to live your Truth and turn from my rebellious way. Help me to allow your way to sink deep into me and restore me to your desire and plan. Help me to encourage by living as you desire.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

But Zedekiah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and he refused to humble himself when the prophet Jeremiah spoke to him directly from the Lord. 

Zedekiah was a hard and stubborn man, refusing to turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.

“This is what the Lord says: Do not fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians are gone for good. They aren’t! 10Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!”

Lord God my Father,

Protect my heart from evil desire, allow your delight to grow within and be my guide. Soften my heart to respond only to your desire and keep me safe from my own sin nature.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.’

 “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

Lord God my Father,

Thank you for forgiving my past foolishness, help me to forgive myself and only move forward. Your instructions you place in my soul guide me and my past distracts me. Help me to be pure in my desire to serve you wholeheartedly and give me confidence that you are in complete control and see my potential from your perfect design.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

I will give them hearts that recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly.

In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14I will be found by you,” says the Lord.

I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing. 14The priests will enjoy abundance, and my people will feast on my good gifts. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Lord God my Father,

Soften my heart to only follow you, give me strength to stay focused only on you. I want to really find you with all my heart. Your Joy is the only thing I wish to find, not my so called joy. On my own, I am miserable, I wish to constantly delight with you by the still waters.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

I am watching them closely, and I see every sin. They cannot hope to hide from me. 18I will double their punishment for all their sins, because they have defiled my land with lifeless images of their detestable gods and have filled my territory with their evil deeds.”

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me. 14The Recabites do not drink wine to this day because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to obey me. 15Time after time I sent you prophets, who told you, “Turn from your wicked ways, and start doing things right. Stop worshiping other gods so that you might live in peace here in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you would not listen to me or obey me. 

Lord God my Father,

You know me and my deepest thoughts, protect me from my sinful desire and deliver me to your design for me. I wish to be obedient, yet I struggle to. Delight in me and cause me to desire your way.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

“Have any of these prophets been in the Lord’s presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them cared enough to listen? 19Look! The Lord’s anger bursts out like a storm, a whirlwind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.

If they had stood before me and listened to me, they would have spoken my words, and they would have turned my people from their evil ways and deeds.

Lord God my Father,

Help me to learn what stillness is, and to be still in your presence. Deliver me from my desire to think and interpret your desires for me. I want to only carry your desire, your way. I am nothing without your way directing me. Help me to listen quietly.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen.

“If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan? 6Even your brothers, members of your own family, have turned against you. They plot and raise complaints against you. Do not trust them, no matter how pleasantly they speak.

And if these nations truly learn the ways of my people, and if they learn to swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’ (just as they taught my people to swear by the name of Baal), then they will be given a place among my people. 17But any nation who refuses to obey me will be uprooted and destroyed. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

“If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you! 20They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze. They will not conquer you, for I am with you to protect and rescue you. I, the Lord, have spoken!

Lord God my Father,

Strengthen me and give me the courage to overcome my weakness. Build my faith into a mighty and powerful force for your desire. Cause me to look past the dysfunction I allow to rest on me and courageously trample the sin I embrace. I want to wholeheartedly learn your way and obey your nudges in my spirit. I want to return to you because on my own I am broken and weak. I need you Lord to thrive as you desire me to but hold too tightly to my broken way.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

“Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. 21He controls the course of world events;

But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice;

“But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward. 

Lord God my Father,

You are glorious and perfect, only in you am I whole. Make your truth powerful in my thoughts and protect me from deceit. Your Glory is my desire, and your mercy is abundant. Keep my heart soft so I may hear you and give me courage to do what you require without hesitation.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen