DCLM DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL FOR NOVEMBER 30, 2022 (WHEN SAINTS PRAY)

TOPIC: WHEN SAINTS PRAY

Text: Ezekiel 9:1-11

1. He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.

2. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side; and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.

3. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side;

4. And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

5. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite; let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity;

6. Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

7. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain; go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

8. And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

9. Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness; for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

10. And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.

11. And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

KEY VERSE: Ezekiel 9:4

“And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.”.

MESSAGE

In less than a year of the Second World War, Britain faced its most difficult period in history, with Dunkirk the only port left to the British. The German forces had overrun most of Europe and it looked as if Britain would also fall, as the enemy planes were set to pound the British troops at the beach. But God came to their rescue following a day of national prayer called by the king. The Lord, heeding the supplication of His people, caused a storm to descend on the Dunkirk area that forced the Germans off the air. Then He brought calm to the sea to enable coastal yachts to evacuate the soldiers from danger.

Heaven is always at attention when the servants of God cry to Him, whether for themselves or for the society and nation. With Judah and Israel brimful of sin that attracted the anger and judgment of God, there was a remnant of the righteous that set up altars of prayer seeking mercy for the land. They mourned for the nation as the consequences of its iniquity approached. In His mercy, God spared the praying saints. He heard the pleas of the supplicants while His wrath came upon those who rejected His commandments.

A nation bereft of interceding believers is doomed because it is off the radar of the benevolence of heaven. The mercy of the Lord shows up where there are entreating Christians.

There is assurance that God will not only answer our prayers, He will also set us apart from the judgment meant for the unrepentant wicked. Our duty is to pray for lost souls to be saved, as we preach to them the message of Christ’s love.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Mankind is lost without the intercession of saints.

THE BIBLE IN ONE
YEAR: Hosea 5-9

Daily Manna is the daily devotional of the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry (DCLM). It is an extraction of God’s Word designed to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.