Prayer for Forgiveness (Jan 27)
Whilst Moses receives God’s laws
on the mountain, the Israelites
are busy on the plains below.
Concluding that their leaders has
died in the presence of God, they
fashion their gold jewelry into a
replica of an Egyptian god and
turn the camp into a pagan party.
Moses returns and in righteous
anger shatters the 2 stone tablets,
destroys the golden calf and orders
Levites to purge guilty Israelites.
Though the covenant between
God and His people has been
shattered (as illustrated in the two
broken tablets) repentance and
restoration are only a prayer away.
Lord, You Alone to be Worshipped:
Now when the people saw that
Moses delayed coming down from
the mountain, the people gathered
together to Aaron and said to him:
Make us gods that shall go before
us… And he received the gold
from their hand and he fashioned
it into a molded calf. Then they said:
This is your god… that brought
you out of Egypt (Ex 32:1-4).
And the Lord said to Moses:
(This) is a stiff-necked people.
Let… My wrath burn hot against
them and I may consume them.
Then Moses pleaded with the Lord…
Why should the Egyptians say:
He brought them out to harm them,
to kill them in the mountains…
Turn from Your fierce wrath and
relent from this harm to Your pple.
Remember Abraham… to whom
You swore: I will multiply your
descendants… So the Lord relented
from the harm which He said
He would do to His people (v9-14)
Moses returned to the Lord & said:
O these people have committed
a great sin… Yet now if You will forgive their sin – but if not I pray blot me out of Your book (v31-32)
Lord, we have tendency to shape
God to our liking & make Him into
a thing for which we just perform rituals, while we live as we please.
Yet we too know that there is
only one true God and He alone
deserves to be worshipped. God
cannot work in us when we elevate
anyone or anything above Him.
Grant us a tender heart to seek
You for forgiveness; and help
us to lead with integrity. Amen.
Lord, help me to have a greater
knowledge of Your Word so that
I will always pray in alignment with
Your will. I know the power I have
in prayer is Your power working
through me. Help me Lord to
never get in the way of what You
want to do in response to prayers.
Help me to make a difference
in the lives of my friends and
loved ones. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lord, we are impressed by the
example of Moses. Prostrating
himself before the Mercy Seat,
Moses pled for the forgiveness
of the people who had given him
many heartache. He confessed
their great sin and again prayer
was successful. You God bent
down to listen to the humble
prayer of His servant and forgave
Israel. Thanks be to God. Amen.