Help us, Lord, to listen to Your Word - and be changed by Your Word .May we rejoice in this: ‘He saved us by washing away our sins’ - our sin is great, our Saviour is greater (prayers based on Ezekiel 14 - 16).

Ezekiel 14:1-15:8

‘Some of the elders of Israel came to’ Ezekiel. He spoke the Word of the Lord to them: ‘Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!’ (Ezekiel 14:1,8). This, Lord, may not have been what they wanted to hear. It was what You wanted them to hear. They did not want to hear this, but they needed to hear it. Lord, You were warning them what would happen if they did not make a real return to You: ‘I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful’ (Ezekiel 15:8). Your Word demands a response. What will our response be? Will we say, ‘We don’t want the Lord “to reign over us”’ (Luke 19:14)? Will we be, like Peter, who ‘took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him...’ (Matthew 16:22)? Help us, Lord, not to be like those who dismiss Your Word with arrogant pride. Help us to listen to Your Word - and be changed by Your Word.

Ezekiel 16:1-34

Without Christ, we are naked and dirty. He covers our nakedness and washes away our dirtiness (Ezekiel 16:8-9). We thank You, Lord, that Jesus is our Saviour. Teach us to come to Him with this prayer: ‘Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy Cross I cling; Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace; Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Saviour, I die.’Lord, You hear and answer this prayer. You have given us Your promise: ‘Whoever comes to Me, I will never drive away’ (John 6:37). When You have heard and answered our prayer for salvation, we have this joyful testimony: ‘I delight greatly in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness’ (Isaiah 61:10). May we rejoice in this: ‘He saved us by washing away our sins’ (Titus 3:5).
Ezekiel 16:35-63
Lord, You call Your unfaithful people to listen to Your Word: ‘You prostitute, hear the Word of the Lord!’ (Ezekiel 16:35). You speak to them of ‘sin, righteousness and judgment’ (John 16:8). You show them their sin - ‘your filthiness and your nakedness’ (Ezekiel 16:36). You speak to them as the righteous God, the God of perfect holiness - ‘Your eyes are too holy to look at evil. You cannot stand the sight of people doing wrong’ (Habakkuk 1:13). You warn them that there will be judgment: ‘I will judge you” (Ezekiel 16:38). Why, Lord, do You speak to us of sin, righteousness and judgment? This is Your way of bringing us to repentance - ‘I will make you stop being a prostitute’ - and salvation - “My anger will be over, and I will be calm’ (Ezekiel 16:41-42). Lord, we know that our sin is great - but we thank You that we know something else: our Saviour is greater - ‘Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin... Praise His Name!’