Ezekiel 36:37“Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock.
Daniel 9:2-3 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. 3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
A few days ago, I shared a quote from B.J. Willhite, and today I want to delve deeper into his powerful insight. He wrote, “The law of prayer is the highest law of the universe—it can overcome the other laws by sanctioning God’s intervention. When implemented properly, the law of prayer permits God to exercise His sovereignty in a world under the dominion of a rebel with free will, in a universe governed by natural law.”
Prayer is the key that unlocks the storehouse of God’s promises. Ezekiel 36 reveals a profound truth: God had declared that Israel would be restored as a nation, yet He said, “I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them” (v. 37). Even after declaring His sovereign will, God still expected prayer to bring it to pass.
This principle is vividly illustrated in Daniel 9. Daniel recognized through Jeremiah’s prophecy that the appointed time for Israel’s deliverance had arrived. Instead of merely declaring the promise, he humbled himself with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes, pouring out a prayer of repentance. Daniel stepped into God’s prophetic plan through prayer!
Why does God require prayer? Because in a world where human free will reigns and natural law governs, prayer gives God the legal right to intervene. It is the divine principle that allows heaven’s will to be executed on earth.
Yeshua (Jesus) taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Prayer’s purpose is to align earth with heaven and open the door for God’s intervention.
God has positioned us for this moment — “for such a time as this” — to usher in His Kingdom. If we truly grasp our roles as Kings and Priests of the Most High, we will walk in His prophetic plan, expecting Him to move supernaturally. Invite Him to move into your life, family, and every situation you face. By doing so, you are granting God the authority to intervene powerfully in every area of your life.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Another great preacher whose writings I love to read is John R. Rice. He wrote, "I once imagined I was in Heaven, walking along with the Angel Gabriel. I said, "Gabe, what is that big building over there?"
In the modern world, the work ethic is, achieve and produce by working longer and harder! The focus is on getting results through human effort -- we've become product oriented and the bottom line is......the bottom line! But God's way runs contrary to this approach -- His way is much more oriented toward process and relationship rather than performance and production.
The writer of Ecclesiastes was aware of cycles in nature, how they repeat themselves. Some have noticed another interesting historical cycle which awakens our awareness at this time of year. The dates April 15th-21th contain an interesting pattern. This is a time frame which has seen the birth of much havoc in the world. Historically this is when the birth of Rome and the Roman empire took place, the birth of Napoleon and more recently the birth of Hitler and Nazi Germany occurred.
As Israel celebrates Yom Ha'atzmaut – Independence day – Israelis are often reminded of the price that was paid for freedom. But today, in that spirit, I want to recall a time when a heavy price was paid for a translation of our Bible.
A friend writes: "My father did some pretty nasty things to me. But at the end of his life, as I kneeled by his bedside, I told him how thankful I was for every good thing he had done and every way he had blessed me, and there were many. We were good friends when he passed away." One of the greatest regrets you can avoid at the end of your life is the failure to praise others when they deserved it, (and even when they didn't).
Of course, the celebration of Passover for believers normally emphasizes the revelation of our Passover Lamb -- the Lamb of God, Yeshua, who was delivered up, a Lamb without blemish, and sacrificed in our place as an offering for our sins. As Israel celebrates deliverance from slavery, we celebrate deliverance from the bondage of sin. We celebrate knowing that death no longer has power over us since we pass from this temporal world into the eternal when we die.
In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. “Your Majesty,” said Prior Richard, “do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.” “I understand,” said Henry. “The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.” “Then I will tell you what to do,” said Prior Richard. “Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you.” When King Henry died, a statement was written: “The King learned to rule by being obedient.”