“And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel; and so you must say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of Yahweh; 2 thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Because the enemy said concerning you, ‘Ah, and the ancient high places will be to us as a possession!’ ” ’ 3 Therefore prophesy, and you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “?Because indeed? ?when you were desolate?, then they crushed you from all around, so that you became a possession to the remainder of the nations, and you became ?a byword and object of slander for the people?.”
+ DAILY PRAYER +
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you;
He will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 51:5-13
Psa 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Psa 51:6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Psa 51:8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Psa 51:9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Psa 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Psa 51:13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
Reading for Wednesday September 23rd Ezekiel 36:1-17
Prophecy to the Mountains of Israel and of Israel’s Restoration
36 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel; and so you must say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of Yahweh; 2 thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Because the enemy said concerning you, ‘Ah, and the ancient high places will be to us as a possession!’ ” ’ 3 Therefore prophesy, and you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “?Because indeed? ?when you were desolate?, then they crushed you from all around, so that you became a possession to the remainder of the nations, and you became ?a byword and object of slander for the people?.” 4 Therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh; thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and to the hills, to the river channels and to the valleys and to the ruins that are desolate and to the cities that are abandoned and that have become as plunder and as scorn for the remainder of the nations that are from all around. 5 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “?Certainly? in the fire of my passion I spoke against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who made my land as a possession, because of its pastureland for plunder, for themselves in all of the joy of their whole heart and in their inner disdain.” 6 Therefore prophesy against the land of Israel, and you must say to the mountains and to the hills, to the river channels and to the valleys, thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I spoke in my passion and in my anger the insult of the peoples you have endured.” 7 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “?I swear? ?certainly? that the nations ?that are all around you?, they indeed will endure their disgrace.
8 “ ‘ “But you, mountains of Israel, your branch you will shoot, and your fruit you will carry for my people Israel, for they are soon to come. 9 For look! I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be tilled, and you will be planted. 10 And I will cause ?your population? to increase for you, all of the house of Israel, all of it, and the towns will be inhabited, and the ruins will be built. 11 And I will cause ?your population? to increase for you, and domestic animals, even they will be numerous, and they will be fruitful, and I will cause you to be inhabited like your ?ancient times?, and I will do good things more than in your former times, and you will know that I am Yahweh. 12 And I will send over you my people Israel, and they will take possession of you, and you will be for them as an inheritance, and ?you will no longer bereave them of their children?.”
13 “ ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh, because they are saying to you, “You are an eater of humans, and you are ?one who makes childless? your people.” 14 Therefore humans you will not eat any longer, and your nation you will not make childless any longer,” ?declares? the Lord Yahweh. 15 “And I will not let you hear any longer the insult of the nations, and the disgrace of the peoples you will not bear any longer; you yourself will not cause your nation to stumble,” ?declares? the Lord Yahweh.’ ”
16 And the word of Yahweh came to me, ?saying?, 17 “Son of man, the house of Israel, they were dwelling on their soil, and they defiled it with their way and with their deeds; like the uncleanness of menstruation was their way ?before me?.
Lord’s Prayer
Daily Prayer
Lord of all power and might, author and giver of all good things, graft into our hearts the love of Your name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of Your great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Concluding Prayer
Heavenly Father, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts to direct and rule us to do Your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
