Prayer in time of Calamity
Often when a ruler dies, his son
succeeds him to the throne.
But what happens when the ruler
has many sons? Trouble! Especially
when one of the sons has such
strong aspirations for his father’s
position that he attempts to murder
all his brothers. Gideon’s son
Abimelech attempts such a coup.
His rush actions are a prelude to 3
stormy years in power, a reign cut
short by a divinely guided millstone.
Lord, we Come to You for Help:
Abimelech killed his 70 brothers.
After Abimelech reigned Israel 3 Yrs,
God sent a spirit of ill-will between
Abimelech & men of Shechem that
the crime done to 70 be settled…
Thus God repaid the wickedness of
Abimelech (Jdgs 9:5,22-24,55-56).
And the children of Israel cried out
to the Lord: we have sinned against
You because we have forsaken
our God and served the Baals.
So the Lord said… Did I not deliver
you from the Egyptians, Amorites…
and from the Philistines? Also…
and Amalekites and… Yet you have
forsaken Me and served other gods.
So I will deliver you no more. Cry out
to the gods u chose (Jdgs 10:10-14)
But the Israelites cry to the Lord:
We have sinned. Do whatever
You think best, but pls rescue us.
Then they got rid of foreign gods
and served the Lord. And He could
bear Israel’s misery no longer(15-16)
Lord, sometimes we wonder why
evil seems to prevail and God did
not punish evil and restore justice.
But we realise God often spares
immediate punishment and allows
people time to turn from their sins.
Help us Sovereign God even as
we trust You to administer justice
that we wait for Your timing. Amen
Lord, we note the constant refrain
in Judges is Israel cried to the Lord.
But You became weary of their cries
and told them to approach the
heathen gods they had chosen.
We see confession is connected
with calamity; for suffering is
the impulse to self-examination.
Help us Lord to be specific in our
confession of sin, naming it and
seek to be purged from it. Amen.
Lord, we do not want anything
to ever separate us from You;
for there’s Nothing worth that.
Lead us to confess anything
we have done wrong and anything
that is not pleasing in Your eyes.
When I’ve worshiped other gods
or an idol, reveal it to me so that
I will confess and repent of it;
for I want to serve You only. Amen