By Joseph Ametepe
Gracious and Good Father, we give heartfelt thanks to You for bringing us into June 2023! Indeed, You are gracious in all Your ways. Truly, our times are in Your hand (see Psalm 31:15). In Your grace and goodness, You have appointed for us to be among the living in June 2023. We are indeed blessed with Your gifts of “life and breath and all things” (Acts 17:25; NASB).
Gracious and Good Father, we appreciate and adore You
As such, Gracious and Good Father, we appreciate and adore You. “You have done great things, O God, who is like you?” (Psalm 71:19; ESV). One of the great things You did for us, was Your preservation of us in May 2023. You also protected us and provided for all our needs in it. Yes, we can testify that You have not failed us nor forsaken us at any point of our sojourn on earth. Surely, You have cared for us and have carried us, as a man carries his son, all the way that we went until we came to this place (see Deuteronomy 1:31).
Gracious and Good Father, we are counting on You
Indeed, Gracious and Good Father, we are counting on You to continue caring for us and carrying us in June 2023! We know that in Your graciousness, You will also sustain us. Also, we know that in Your goodness, You will stand by us all throughout June 2023. Furthermore, we are confident that You will show us “the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do” (Jeremiah 42:3; NASB) in June 2023. O how privileged and precious it is to have You, Lord, as our Father, who cares for and carries us through life! “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11; ESV).
Gracious and Good Father, You are in a distinguished class
Surely, Gracious and Good Father, You are in a distinguished class all by Yourself. None, yes absolutely none, in heaven or on earth, can compare with You in holiness and majesty. Through the prophet Isaiah You asked: “To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One” (Isaiah 40:25; ESV). Indeed, Lord, none can be compared with You. Nor, can any of the works of the gods compare with Your works. Truly, “one generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4; NASB). O may it be said of us: “On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wonderful works, [we] will meditate” (Psalm 145:5; NASB)!
O Lord our God, many are Your wonderful works in our lives
Indeed, O Lord our God, many are Your wonderful works in our lives! We cannot recount them all to You. But, it was You who redeemed us from the slave market of sin and Satan. We are so genuinely grateful for this wonderful work of Yours in our lives. We could never have done it for ourselves. You have also been so patient and forbearing with us all throughout our lives. For, we have failed You; fumbled and faltered again and again. But You bore with us for many years (see Nehemiah 9:30a). It’s indeed one of Your wonderful works that we do not take for granted! For where can we find a God so forbearing and so forgiving as You, O Lord? “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared” (Psalm 130:3-4; ESV)!
Gracious and Good Father, we thank You
Also, Gracious and Good Father, we thank You for taking it upon Yourself to deliver and defend us in times of trouble (see Isaiah 38:6). Indeed, You are our deliverer and defender! Without You, we will be defenseless and vulnerable to the devourer, who has come “to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10a; ESV). Indeed, Lord, we acknowledge that we do not fully know all the many ways in which You deliver and defend us. But we do want to appreciate You for Your wonderful works of delivering and defending us in our times of trouble.
Gracious and Good Father, we need You
Indeed, Gracious and Good Father, we need You to continue delivering and defending us in a world in which lawlessness is increasing (see Matthew 24:12). Not only that, we need You to continue being forbearing with us and forgiving us of our sins. This is because we have sin and do sin (see 1 John 1:8, 10). Furthermore, Your word says: “there is no one who does not sin” (2 Chronicles 6:36; ESV). As such, we thank You for Your promise which says: “If we confess our sins, [You are] faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9; ESV). Thank You also for blotting out our transgressions like a cloud and our sins like mist (see Isaiah 44:22).
You, Lord, will continue to deliver and defend us
Because, You, Lord, will continue to deliver and defend us, as well as forgive us of our sins; we dedicate June 2023 to You! We are confident that Your purposes will indeed prevail in the land of the living. For, You are a God whose divine purposes cannot be thwarted. No person, or power, or principality has ever succeeded or will ever succeed in hindering any of Your purposes. Indeed, no one can turn Your hand back, once it is stretched out to carry out Your divine purposes. For You are the God who accomplishes all Your good pleasure or purpose (see Isaiah 46:10b). And yes, You also bring to pass what You have spoken (see Isaiah 46:11b). You are the God who does what You have spoken or purposed (see Isaiah 46:11c).
Gracious and Good Father, carry out what concerns our families
Therefore, Gracious and Good Father, carry out what concerns our families, friends, fellow-believers and us in this month of June 2023. Also, please “LORD, the King of Israel” (Isaiah 44:6), accomplish all that concerns the nation of Israel - Your chosen and cherished people in June 2023. Furthermore, “Head of the Church” (Ephesians 5:23), perform what concerns Your Church – Your called-out and consecrated people. Also, “God of all the earth” (Isaiah 54:5), in this month of June 2023, fulfill what You have planned for Your world. Made up of all the nations and lands You have created under the heavens.
O Lord, You are the maker of all things
Indeed, O Lord, You are “the maker of all things” (Isaiah 44:24). Not only that, You are the One whose “sovereignty rules over all” (Psalm 103:19)! Also, “You exalt Yourself as head over all” (1 Chronicles 29:11). Moreover, “all things are Your servants” (Psalm 119:91). This is why, Lord, we confidently approach Your throne and commit our cause to You. For You have proven Yourself to be the only God who can meet all our needs, no matter how pressing and perplexing they are.
O God of all the earth, we earnestly pray to You
Therefore, O “God of all the earth” (Isaiah 54:5), we earnestly pray to You on behalf of the world. The people of the world desperately needs Your salvation, through faith alone, in Christ alone. For “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12; NASB). Please, Lord, we beseech You; grant that the world will turn to You and be saved, for You are God, and there is no other (see Isaiah 45:22). O “Savior of all men” (1 Timothy 4:10), kindly grant that they will “receive the love of the truth so as to be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10b).
Lord and Lover of the Church, we fervently pray for Your Church
Also, Lord and Lover of the Church, we fervently pray for Your Church in these dark and difficult days. We sincerely acknowledge to You that, Your Church desperately needs an awakening from You. The Scripture says to the first century believers at Rome and to us: “it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep” (Romans 13:11; NASB). Yes, awaken Your Church from her sleep. This is a time of harvest for Your Church. Your word says: “He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame” (Proverbs 10:5; ESV). “The Lord of the harvest” (Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2) declares that “the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35; ESV). But sadly, Your Church is sleeping.
O Lord, please awaken Your Church
Therefore, O Lord, please awaken Your Church from our sleep to gather in souls for Your kingdom in such a time as this! Arouse us from our spiritual apathy to be about our Father’s business! Anoint us afresh to fulfill the Great Commission Charge which You have given to us (see Matthew 28:18-20)! Add to our number those who are being genuinely saved through our witness of Christ. Even as You did in the days of the apostles (see Acts 2:47b)! Assure us afresh that in the Lord our labor is not in vain (see 1 Corinthians 15:58)!
O God of Israel, how can we forget to pray for the nation of Israel?
“O God of Israel” (Psalm 8:26), how can we forget to pray for the nation of Israel, the people “from whom is the Christ according to the flesh?” (Romans 9:5b; NASB). Indeed, it is to the patriarch of this nation that You made this blessed promise. “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you, I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3; NASB)! Truly, without Israel, the world will be without the Messiah, the Savior of the world; devoid of Your blessings. Your word says: “Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean” (Romans 11:12; ESV)! In other words, Israel is at the very center of all You that You have purposed for mankind on planet earth.
Gracious and Good Father, we fervently pray for the nation of Israel
That being the case, Gracious and Good Father, we fervently pray for the nation of Israel. Through Your Holy Spirit, enable present Israel to delight to know Your ways in truth (see Isaiah 58:2b)! Delight sincerely in the nearness of God, not superficially (see Isaiah 58:2c)! Draw near to You to minister to You (see Ezekiel 43:19)! Desire more of You in their lives! Depend on You in all their battles against their enemies, not on their own abilities (see Judges 7:1-8)! Devote themselves to pursuing righteousness which is by faith, not by works, so as not to stumble (see Romans 9:32)!
Gracious and Good Father...You are not done with Israel
Indeed, Gracious and Good Father, contrary to what many profess, You are not done with the nation of Israel. In fact, great and glorious is the future You had planned for Israel. You Yourself spoke of the great and glorious future awaiting Israel and Your untiring resolve to fulfill it. “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations will see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give” (Isaiah 62:1-2; ESV)!
We thank You, LORD
We thank You, LORD, for this great and glorious promise concerning Israel’s future. For, it will most assuredly come to pass at Your appointed time. The nations of the world and their kings will witness it and be amazed at Your love and great goodness toward Israel.
We pray also for Your believing children who are being persecuted
Now, O Lord our God, we pray also for Your believing children who are being persecuted in the nations. Your Word exhorts us! “Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body” (Hebrews 13:3; NASB)! We pray in particular for the tens of thousands of Christians who have been imprisoned in camps in North Korea. Loving Father, we bless You that You are the Sovereign Ruler over all the nations, even over the Hermit kingdom of North Korea.
Lord, sustain Your persecuted believers in their imprisonment
Therefore, please, Lord, sustain Your persecuted believers in their imprisonment! Strengthen their faith in You, even as You did for Paul in his second imprisonment in Rome (see 2 Timothy 4:17b)! Show them compassion in the sight of their persecutors! Shield them from all the enemy’s fiery darts to make them compromise their conviction and confidence in You! Stand by them, even as You stood by Paul in his imprisonment for the cause of the gospel (see 2 Timothy 4:17a)! And O Lord, be pleased to save some of their persecutors – changing them from persecutors of Christians to preachers of Christ!
You are the God who declares the end from the beginning
Indeed, You are the God who declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done (see Isaiah 46:10). As such, we are glad and grateful that You know all that will be happening in June 2023. That’s why we humbly and heartily dedicate it to You to accomplish what concerns Israel, Your Church, and Your world. We believe, Gracious and Good Father, that “[You are] able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20; ESV). Therefore, “to [You] be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:21; ESV).