When the Lord first revealed Himself to His chosen people Israel and set them apart to form a nation through which He would bring the knowledge of the One True Living God to all the nations of the world, He introduced Himself as El Shaddai, Almighty God. To Abraham (Genesis 17:1), Isaac (28:3), Jacob (28:3; 48:3), and Joseph (49:25), the Lord presented Himself as "El Shadday" - the Mighty Mountain God. He is "The God Who Provides My Refuge" - the all-powerful, majestic, awe-inspiring, eternal God who is a shelter for His people from all the elements of the earth and from the evil one. From the beginning the Patriarchs had known God Almighty - El Shaddai - but it wasn't until Moses, when the Lord delivered His people out of their captivity and His presence came to dwell with them in the midst of the camp, that they learned to know God in an intimate way as Yahweh - Lord (Exodus 6:3) - the only true God who had spoken to Abram and covenanted with him to build a great nation through Him. "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:2, 3). It would be through their wilderness journey that this new nation would learn to trust the true living God to be their refuge and shelter, and learn to walk in newness of life, free from their chains of bondage, in preparation for their new life of freedom in the Promise Land (a beautiful picture of our walk of faith in the Christian life).
"I will certainly be with you.
And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you:
When you have brought the people out of Egypt,
you shall serve God on this mountain."
(Exodus 3:12)
Today, as we pray for the United States of America, which was birthed from the Word of God and built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, let us pray with boldness knowing that our Mighty Mountain God, the all-powerful, all-sufficient, God of Israel, is the God of the impossible, and He is not finished with His people Israel, but is bringing all things to a glorious end when they will finally worship their Mountain God as the holy people of God on His holy mountain in Jerusalem, and He has, for a time, deposited into the laps of His church the Light of Israel as a sacred trust to steward until that time when He will bring all things to completion. Let us repent for hiding the light of Jesus under a basket, or diminishing Him in anyway by the garment of our sinful flesh, asking that the Lord would extend His grace and allow us to remain on the lampstand, as the light of the world, so that we may continue to radiate the light of the gospel throughout all the earth, letting His glorious light so shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16)! Oh Lord, magnify Your name (Ezekiel 38:23)!
"The LORD also will roar from Zion,
and utter His voice from Jerusalem;
the heavens and earth will shake;
but the LORD will be a shelter for His people,
and the strength of the children of Israel.
So you shall know that I am the LORD your God,
dwelling in Zion My holy mountain.
Then Jerusalem shall be holy,
and no aliens shall ever pass through her again."
(Joel 3:16, 17)
Throughout the Old Testament, the divine title of God - El Shadday - Almighty God - is revealed 48 times. In the Book of Job, the name is used 31 of those times (and one time in the Book of Joel). Let us end these 45 days of our MAGNIFY No Other Name journey lifting up His glorious name as we pray "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). Take the time today to search the Scriptures and seek out His name - El Shaddai - "The Almighty" (Begin with the patriarchs listed above, then travel through Job 5:17; 6:4, 14; 8:3, 5; 11:7...keep mining for true gold! You will also find His name in Revelation 1:8, 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16;7; 19:15). May the diligent search of the scriptures add fuel to our prayers and strengthen our spiritual muscles to pray without ceasing with our eyes fixed on our Mighty Mountain God who will move mountains for us with a mustard seed of faith (Matthew 17:20-21)!
"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
my God, in Him I will trust."
(Psalm 91:1, 2)
The following prayer is composed of the desperate, heartfelt prayers of God's repentant people from the Scriptures. May this be the prayer of our heart today as we continue in prayer for our nation and for God's Kingdom purposes to prevail in the hearts of all men. (This lengthy prayer is meant to be a helpful guide as we remain in prayer throughout the entire day).
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come to You with an offering of praise - O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands; we trust in Your unfailing love; our heart rejoices in Your salvation. We will sing to the LORD, for You have been good to us. We love You, O LORD, our strength. Our tongue will speak of Your righteousness and of Your praises all day long. Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever. We will praise You, O LORD our God, with all our heart; we will glorify Your name forever. For great is Your love toward us. Great are You LORD and most worthy of praise. Splendor and majesty are before You; strength and glory are in Your sanctuary. The LORD is God who arms us with strength and makes our way perfect. The LORD is our strength and shield; our heart trusts in You and we are helped. In You, Lord our heart rejoices, for we trust in Your holy name. Praise the LORD, we praise You for Your acts of power; awesome is the LORD Most High, the great king over all the earth!
"Sing to the LORD, you saints of His; praise His holy name.
For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."
(Psalm 30:4-5)
We trust in Your unchanging character - You, LORD reign forever; You have established Your throne for judgment. You will judge the world in righteousness; You will govern the peoples with justice. You LORD are a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. The LORD is King for ever and ever. Your way is perfect; the Word of the LORD is flawless. The earth is the LORD'S and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. All Your ways LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of Your covenant. How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You. The LORD'S unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him. The Word of the LORD is right and true; You are faithful in all You do. You LORD love righteousness and justice; the earth is full of Your unfailing love. Your plans LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of Your heart through all generations. You love righteousness and hate wickedness. You reign over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne. For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end. Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. Summon Your power, O God; show us Your strength, O God, as You have done before. You are forgiving and good, O LORD, abounding in love to all who call on You. You, O LORD, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. You are mighty, O LORD, and Your faithfulness surrounds You. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; love and faithfulness go before You. From everlasting to everlasting You are God. Your throne was established long ago; You are from all eternity. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all His promises and loving to all He has made.
"O our God, the great, mighty and awesome God, who keeps His
covenant of love. You have been just; You have acted faithfully, while
we did wrong. Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers did not
follow Your law; they did not pay attention to Your commands or
the warnings You gave them. Even while they were in their kingdom,
enjoying Your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land
You gave them, they did not serve You or turn form their evil ways."
(Nehemiah 9:32-35)
We cry out for deliverance from the pit we have dug for ourselves because we have neglected Your Word and rebelled against Your commandments - O LORD, we call to You; come quickly to us. Hear our voice when we call to You. May our prayers be set before You like incense; may the lifting of our hands be like the evening sacrifice. O LORD, the God who saves, day and night we cry out before You. May our prayer come before You; turn Your ear to our cry. We call on You, O God, for you will answer us; give ear to us and hear our prayer. For surely, O LORD, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield. Our shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. You are a shield around us, O LORD; You bestow glory on us and lift up our heads. From the LORD comes deliverance. Deliver us, O LORD, save us because of Your unfailing love. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You. You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry. In You our fathers put their trust; they trusted and You delivered them. No one whose hope is in You will ever be put to shame. Do not hide Your face from us, do not turn Your servants away in anger; You have been our helper. Hear our cry for mercy as we call to You for help, as we lift up our hands toward Your Most Holy Place. May Your love and Your truth always protect us. Surely God is our help; the LORD is the one who sustains us. We call to God, and the LORD saves us. Evening, morning, and noon we cry out in distress, and You hear our voice. LORD there is no one like You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You. Deliver us so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.
"Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers
surround me - those who trust in their wealth and boast of their
great riches? But God will redeem my life from the grave;
He will surely take me to Himself."
(Psalm 49:5-6, 15)
We repent of our sins and wayward hearts - Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring an end to the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure, You are my LORD; apart from You I have no good thing. For the sake of Your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the LORD - and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found. O LORD, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against You. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge. We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the LORD would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name's sake. Why should the nation's say, 'Where is their God?' Restore us again, O God and Savior, and put away Your displeasure toward us. May He turn our hearts to You, to walk in all Your ways and to keep the commands, decrees, and regulations You gave to our fathers...so that the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other!
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit,
to sustain me." (Psalm 51:10-12)
We recognize that Divine Sovereignty does not negate human responsibility - The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Who may dwell in Your sanctuary? Who may live on Your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue. Our eyes are ever on the LORD, for only He will release our feet from the snare. Your love is ever before us, and we walk continually in Your truth. Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. We desire to do Your will, O God; Your law is within our hearts. Our salvation and our honor depend on God; Your are our mighty rock, our refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge. Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. Teach us Your way, O LORD, and we will walk in Your truth; give us an undivided heart, that we may fear Your name. If you make the Most High your dwelling, even the LORD, who is our refuge - then no harm will befall us, no disaster will come near our tent. Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful one and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in His commands. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Teach us, O LORD, to follow Your decrees; then we will keep them to the end. Give us understanding, and we will keep Your law and obey it with all our heart. Direct us in the path of Your commands, for there we find delight. Turn our hearts toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn our eyes away from worthless things; preserve our lives according to Your Word.
"Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill you vows to the Most High,
and call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
(Psalm 50:15)
We wait patiently, and expectantly, upon You - The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He reached down from on high and took hold of us; He rescued us from our powerful enemy...the LORD was our support. To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless, to the pure You show Yourself pure. The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. The eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love. The LORD loves the just and will not forsake His faithful ones. O Strength, we watch for You; You, O God, are our fortress, our loving God. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among the nations. If we would but listen to You and follow Your ways how quickly You would subdue our enemies and turn Your hand against our foes. O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. Let them know that You, whose name is the LORD - that You alone are the Most High over all the earth. May the favor of the LORD our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes establish the work of our hands. Because You love us You will rescue us; You will protect us because we acknowledge Your name. Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD; the man You teach from Your law. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
"You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us;
You have been angry - now restore us!
You have shaken the land and torn it open;
mend its fractures, for it is quaking.
You have shown Your people desperate times..."
(Psalm 60:1-3a)
Lord, we offer our lives to You as a living sacrifice of praise and an offering to accomplish Your good, perfect and pleasing will. Prepare the way, guide our every step, direct our paths that we may follow You wherever You may lead us and so spread the aroma of Christ everywhere. May You find us faithful in Your Word and prayer and in fellowship with the saints. Love the LORD, all His saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud He pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all You who hope in the LORD! Our God is Mighty to Save! "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth!" (Psalm 115:1)
"I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations
I will sing of You among the peoples,
for great is Your love, reaching to the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above all the heavens;
let Your glory be over all the earth."
(Psalm 57:9-11)
Baruch HaShem Avinu Elohim
We bless Your Name Father God
We do not make requests of You because we are righteous,
but because of Your great mercy.
O LORD, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act!
Strengthen us, help us, and uphold us with Your
righteous right hand.
"Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together"
(Psalm 34:3)
In the name of Him who has been highly exalted
and given the name that is above all names,
Lord Jesus Christ our Savior, we give You praise and pray. Amen.
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Scripture quotations: (Paragraph 1) Nehemiah 1:5; Daniel 9:4-5; Psalm 7:17; 13:5-6; 18:1-2, 32-33; 28:7; 33:21; 68:19; 96:4,6; 150:1, 2, 6; (Paragraph 2) Psalm 9:7-9; 10:16; 18:30; 24:1; 25:7b, 10; 32:10; 33:1, 4-5; 36:6, 7a, 9; 45:7a; 47:8; 55:2; 68:28; 73:26; 86:15; 89; 8b, 14; 93:2; 145:13; (Paragraph 3) Psalm 141:1-2; 88:1-2; 17:6; 5:12; 7:10-11a; 3:3, 8a; 6:4; 9:10; 10:17; 25:3a; 27:9; 28:2; 54:4; 55:16-17; 2 Kings 9:19; 2 Chronicles 14:1; 20:2; (Paragraph 4) Psalm 7:8-9; 16:2; 25:11; 32:5-6a; 41:4; 51:1-4; 79:9-10a; 85:4; 1 Kings 8:58; 47:8b; 2 Chronicles 30:19; (Paragraph 5) Psalm 14:2; 15:1-2; 25:15; 26:3; 34:9; 40:8; 62:7-8; 84:5; 86:11; 90:9-10; 97:10; 112:1, 7, 8a; 119:33-37; (Paragraph 6) Psalm 145:18; 18:16-18, 25-26a; 29:11; 33:12, 18; 37:28a; 67:2; 81:13-14; 83:1, 18; 90:17; 94:12.
