If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14
The only real solution to droughts, plagues and pandemics is to humble ourselves before the LORD God, pray for His mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus, and to repent of our evil ways. Only then will God forgive our sins, deliver us from His judgments and heal our land.
Have mercy upon us, O God. Pardon our sins in the shed blood of Your Son, our only Savior, and give us the wisdom and strength to turn from our wicked ways. Mercifully grant healing to our people and to our land. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:6-9
It is amazing to look at the beauty of the stars, to consider the vastness of the universe, and to think about the earth and all its creatures, and then to realize that God made them all by simply saying, “Let there be …” (Gen. 1).
Almighty and everlasting God, Your wisdom and power are beyond human comprehension. We praise Your glorious name and look to You for mercy in Christ Jesus, Your Son, and our Savior. Amen.
“For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” Proverbs 1:18
It often seems that children and youth — sometimes also those with mental disabilities — find more joy in life than those who see and are aware of the vanities and the brevity of life in this world. And those who are wise enough to see the end result of human endeavors and ambitions also know with it grief and sorrow, for they see that all those who do not repent of their sinful ways and trust in Christ are headed toward eternal death and damnation rather than life eternal.
Grant to me wisdom, O God, that I might see and understand the end of human endeavors, but also grant to me joy in knowing that in Christ Jesus there is forgiveness and life eternal. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
“‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher; ‘vanity of vanities, all is vanity.’” Ecclesiastes 1:2
If you stop and think about it, how true this is of our lives in this world! All the things people pursue in life are truly nothing more than vanity, for we all die and are forgotten by future generations. Our work perishes and is lost in the dust of time. What truly matters is that which endures the passing of time. How important it is to repent of our sinful ways and look in faith to Christ for mercy so that we might have forgiveness and the eternal blessings of heaven!
Grant that I see, O LORD, the vanities of this life and live for the life to come, repenting of the sin and evil in my life and holding fast to Your mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus and His cross. Amen.
“The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens; by His knowledge the depths were broken up, and clouds drop down the dew.” Proverbs 3:19-20
The existence and the complexity of the earth and the heavens above reveal the great wisdom and understanding of the LORD God, our Creator. It was by His infinite knowledge that He designed this world and the vast universe, as well as the way all things work together to sustain our lives.
O LORD God, grant that I see in Your creation Your infinite wisdom and knowledge and honor You as my Maker and my Redeemer. Amen.
