And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy (Nehemiah 12:43).
Father in heaven, You are a God of redemption and rebirth. You bring restoration out of ruins, renewal out of rubble, reinstatement out of rejection. We praise You for Your great mercy and grace.
We thank You for the extensive record of Your attentive love and compassion for Your people—how You rescue, how You renew, how You restore. We thank You for the hope and the encouragement it gives us.
How awesome You are, mighty God! You have shown us that even when we fail, and wander away from Your shelter, You rebuild Your walls of protection and provision around us when we return to You with humble hearts and contrite spirits. You erase ugliness and desolation, bringing beauty instead of ashes...and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:3).
Father, we pray for tender and obedient hearts that desire to follow hard after You (Psalm 63:8 KJV). But like Solomon, we acknowledge our natural inclination towards disobedience, and we ask that when we stray You turn our hearts back to You, and that You hear us in Your mercy when we cry out to You (2 Chronicles 6:12-39).
Lord, we lift to You those areas of our lives that have been left devastated by circumstances, or others' actions, or our own wrong choices. We know that nothing in our lives is beyond Your redemption. We have Your promise that [Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them (Hebrews 7:25).
Heal and restore us spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Free us from captivity. Restore the places long devastated. Renew the ruined cities (Isaiah 61:4). Help us, by Your great strength and power to raise, out of the rubble, a temple of praise, offering sacrifices of thanksgiving, and rejoicing in the great joy You give.
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