Preeminent and Precious Father, we are glad and grateful for blessing us with the privilege of entering the month of September 2024! We know that it’s because of Your goodness and grace toward us, that we are among the living today. Indeed, we appreciate You. We adore You for giving us “life and breath and all things” (Acts 17:25), not only in August 2024, but also in September 2024.

You are in a distinguished class all by Yourself

Truly, Father, You are in a distinguished class all by Yourself! There is none to be compared to You, O LORD! Before You, there was no God formed, and there will be none after You (see Isaiah 43:10b). In fact, You Yourself emphatically declared: “I, even, I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me” (Isaiah 43:11; NASB).

Indeed, blessed are You, O LORD

Indeed, “blessed are You, O LORD God Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all” (1 Chronicles 29:10b-11; NASB). Certainly, You are deserving of our thanks and praise, both now and to the day of eternity.

We bow our hearts before You

Preeminent and Precious Father, we bow our hearts before You and bless You for Your favor upon our lives. Honestly, without Your favor upon our lives, life will be futile, fruitless, fretful and full of frustration. Indeed, life will even be a big failure! For we will never ever reach our fullest potential on earth. We will be floundering and fumbling throughout our lives here on earth. When wickedness was great on the earth, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8). Moses’s bold requests to You after the Golden Calf incident were based on finding favor in Your sight (see Exodus 33:12-17). Mary became “the favored one” (Luke 1:28b) and chosen to bear the Messiah because she found favor with You (see Luke 1:30). Indeed, O Father, we cannot thank You enough that “[Your] favor is for a lifetime” (Psalm 30:5b). We bless You Lord, that Your “favor is better than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1b).

We can face tomorrow with hope

Because Your favor upon our lives is for a lifetime and is better than wealth, we can face tomorrow with hope. Yes, we can face the future – knowing that You hold the future. This is so encouraging and uplifting, especially in these uncertain times. We cannot deny it. We are living in uncertain times. Today, we hear of wars and rumors of wars. Nations are rising up against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms. There are earthquakes in various places, as well as famines (see Mark 13:7-8a). But our Lord Jesus says: “these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs” (Mark 13:8b; NASB).

Yes, we are living in uncertain times

Yes, we are living in uncertain times. But we are glad and grateful that “though war arise against [us], in spite of this [we] shall be confident” (Psalm 27:3b; NASB). We are confident in You, our God; because like David we can say “My times are in Your hand” (Psalm 31:15a; NASB). We are confident in You in these uncertain times because You will deliver us from our persecutors. Not only that, You will make Your face shine upon us and save us in Your lovingkindness (see Psalm 31:15b-16).

We can confidently commit our cause to You

Preeminent and Precious Father, because You’ll make Your face shine upon us, we can confidently commit our cause to You. We know not what lies ahead of us in September 2024. But we take solace in the fact that You know the end from the beginning. More importantly, we know that You are fully in control. You are faithfully in charge of the course of human history on earth. And You will bring it to an end, exactly as You have predicted in Your word.

You are in control of the course of human history

Because You are in control of the course of human history, we humbly and hopefully dedicate September 2024 to You. Please, accomplish what concerns our families, friends, and us in it! Also, perform Your purposes for the nation of Israel – Your chosen and cherished people! As well, carry out what concerns Your Church – Your consecrated and called-out people. In addition, we beseech You – establish Your divine purposes for Your world. A world – that’s made up of all the countries and coastlands You created under the heavens!

We pray for Your world

In these uncertain times, we pray for Your world. Ukraine and Russia are still at war. Israel is still at war with Hamas in response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on her soil. Lebanon’s Hezbollah is also increasing its attacks on Israel in retaliation for the killing of one of its leaders. Hostile Iran has also vowed to punish Israel “harshly” in retaliation for the killing the leader of Hamas on her soil. Indeed, the threat of a full-out war with hostile Iran is more real right now than ever. Also, Yemen’s Houthis have declared their readiness to strike back at Israel to avenge Israel’s strike on their soil.

You are not surprised by these developments in our world

Preeminent and Precious Father, You are not surprised by these developments in our world. No, not at all! In fact, You sit in the heavens and laugh and scoff at them (see Psalm 2:4). But this does not mean that You are detached or distant. Rather, You are deeply concerned about what’s going on in Your world. Not only that, You have a plan for Your world – which You are so eager to carry out. Your plan is to save sinners living in Your world.

Actually, this plan is revealed in Your word

Actually, this plan is revealed in Your word. For it says: “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10; NASB). It also states: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16; NASB). O Lord, it’s so obvious that Your plan to save sinners in Your world is a great passion of Yours. That’s why Your only Begotten Son or Unique, Only One of His kind; came, suffered, and died for our sins. He paid the price for our sin debt in full. He took the punishment and the penalty we deserved.

We remember the Palestinians

Indeed, what love is this? As we pray for Your war-ravaged world, we remember the Palestinians. You love them and want Your very best for them, both in this life and in the life soon to come! Your very best for them, both in this life and in the life soon to come; is found only in Jesus Christ! Sadly, thousands of them have lost their precious lives without finding Your very best for them in Jesus Christ. Of course, this is not Your desire for them. For You have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies (see Ezekiel 18:23, 32). Moreover, Your good news of great joy is for all the people (see Luke 2:10), Palestinians included.

We earnestly beseech You on behalf of the Palestinians

Therefore, Preeminent and Precious Father, we earnestly beseech You on behalf of the Palestinians! Please, open their hearts to believe in Jesus Christ as the Only One in whom salvation from sin is found (see Acts 4:12). Open their blind eyes to see that Jesus is “the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6; NASB). Moreover, we cry out to You to alleviate their suffering by bringing a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. We count on Your promise to make wars to cease to the end of the earth (see Psalm 46:9a). Until then, we pray for Your comfort for the thousands of Palestinians who have lost their loved ones in the ongoing conflict.

O Father, we pray for the nation of Israel

And now, O Father, we pray for the nation of Israel – “from whom is the Christ according to the flesh” (Romans 9:5b; NASB). It’s only in Jesus Christ that Israel can find lasting peace and security. Please deliver them from thinking that lasting peace and security can be attained by waging war with the weapons of men. Military prowess cannot achieve these blessings for Israel. But they can be achieved when Israel turns wholeheartedly to You, their Lord and their God.

We call upon You on behalf of Your chosen…people Israel

As such, we call upon You on behalf of Your chosen and cherished people of Israel. Please, “God of Israel” (Exodus 5:1), remember Your covenant with them, and act graciously on their behalf in these days! Dear Lord, remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh (see Ezekiel 36:26b)! Reveal Yourself once again to Israel (see Genesis 35:7) in such a time as this! Restore them to Yourself, O LORD, that they may be restored (see Lamentations 5:21a)! Renew their days as of old (see Lamentations 5:21b)! Redeem Israel from all their iniquities according to Your promise to them in Psalm 130:8!

Precious Father, we also pray for wisdom

Preeminent and Precious Father, we also pray for Your wisdom for the leadership of the government of Israel to fear Your name (see Micah 6:9a). Please, turn the heart of Prime Minister Netanyahu to wherever You wish in order to accomplish Your purpose for Israel (see Proverbs 21:1). Grant that he will listen to advice and accept instruction, that he may gain wisdom in the future (see Proverbs 19:20). Also, we pray for Your comfort for the thousands in Israel who have lost loved ones in the ongoing conflict. Please, show compassion to the remaining Israeli hostages who are still held by Hamas. We pray for their safety and release from their captors in Your time and way.

We fervently pray for Your Church

And now, O Lord and Lover of the Church, we fervently pray for Your Church in these uncertain times. 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 (see Luke 4:18) to fulfill the Great Commission Charge You have given to us (see Matthew 28:18-20)! Add to our number those who are being genuinely saved through our witness for 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)! Accomplish all Your good pleasure for Your Church in such a time as this (see Isaiah 46:10b)!

You are the God declares the end from the beginning

Indeed, You are the God who declares the end from the beginning (see Isaiah 46:10a). As such, You know all that will be happening in September 2024 and beyond. We are confident that You will establish Your purpose for us in September 2024 without fail. That’s the very reason why we humbly and heartily dedicate September 2024 to You to accomplish what concerns us. Yes, Lord, perform what concerns Your Church for her to be a vibrant and victorious witness for Christ in our day.

Enact Your divine purpose for Your…cherished people, Israel

Enact Your divine purpose for Your chosen and cherished people, Israel; that they may return to and rely on You. Also, bring to pass what concerns Your world – including the Palestinians – that they may turn to Jesus, “the Savior of the world” (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14; NASB)! We pray all these things in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. For we believe that You will “do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20b; NASB). Amen.