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Dear Fellow Pray-er,
Prayer Diary for the period Thursday 3rd July – Wednesday 20th August 2025.
We continue on from our previous set of readings in the Book of Job and how the opening words of 23:3 have echoed with me at times: “If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling!” but then “But he knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I know I shall come forth as gold.” which gives me hope. We will read later in James 1:2-4: “2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Encouragement for me to keep on going when life seems tough!
Notice also the heated debate between Job and Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Job’s friends assume that God orders the world by a principle of retributive justice—if you’re wise and honour God, he will reward you with good outcomes, but if you are foolish and dishonour God, he will punish you with harsh circumstances. (Is this the prosperity gospel?) The friends witness Job’s suffering and conclude he must be guilty of wrongdoing. Job defends his integrity. While he agrees that bad deeds deserve punishment, he knows he’s innocent. So, he speculates that God must be punishing him without cause. Then a fourth younger friend, Elihu, draws a more complex conclusion about why people might suffer. Elihu says that God may not be punishing them but perhaps using suffering as a warning, or for building character. He is sure of one thing: Job is not qualified to judge God. Job seems impressed with the compassionate entreaty of this young man and does not answer him.
Then God visits Job in a powerful storm and responds to his prayers. Notice the whirlwind of rhetorical questions. God’s questions dismantle many of Job’s assumptions about justice, proving that the world is far more complicated than he ever imagined.
Job humbly admits his narrow thinking that led him to accuse God of injustice. He does not have sufficient knowledge to comprehend or pass judgment on God’s reasoning. Nor should we. But even without full knowledge of how God orders the universe, he and we can still choose to trust God’s wisdom and good character.
The epilogue tells of how God restores Job’s losses and defends his character to his friends. God says their explanations of justice were inaccurate and clarifies that Job spoke truthfully about him. While Job was wrong to accuse God of injustice, he was right to eventually turn away from his friends’ accusations and trust God. Admitting his struggle and continuing to bring his questions to God in prayer was a faithful act from Job, and God is pleased with Job’s humility, honesty, and commitment to receive answers from him.
And now, to Ezekial. Ezekiel was a priest who had been living in Jerusalem during the first Babylonian attack on the city. The city itself was spared, but the king of Babylon took a first wave of Israelite prisoners into exile including Ezekiel. The book begins five years after these traumatic events, and we find Ezekiel (who is 30) sitting on the banks of the Kebar River. We read of his call by God – what is our call from Him today? I find it challenging that Ezekial was told he must speak…...or suffer the consequences of the evil he was speaking into! And then in Ch 14:6 “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!’ How does this apply to us, to our country today?
For some reason we go on, skipping parts, until we reach the valley of dry bones – O that God in his infinite mercy would breathe His breath into our nation and raise up a vast army who follow Jesus! We end the readings for this period with the words: “I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
The New Testament readings continue in Romans and as we reach Ch 11:33-36 do read, re-read and savour the Doxology……and worship Him. Paul’s teaching on love in Ch 12:9-21 is also worth spending time on, perhaps asking God to show us where we fail in our love of others.
Next; 2 Corinthians. What a wonderful opening passage: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.” A commentator has described 2 Corinthians as ‘Strength in weakness’ This is the central message. Throughout the letter Paul turns upside down our natural expectations of the way life works. Contrary to the way the world and our own human hearts naturally function, God takes what is low, despised, and weak to accomplish his purposes. Notice too 7:10 “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” - which harks back to Ezekial Ch 14:6 above.
Now onto James - evidently the half-brother of Jesus. Notice the comment in 1:19 “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” And 3:18 “18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” Hmmm, we would do well to remember this.
Are we not fortunate to be able to draw on such a wealth of teaching in how best to lead our lives?
We do pray that the summer months will warm not only you physically but also your spirit as you draw close to Him.
With our love,
Peter & Sylvia