A Model for Intercessory Prayer

Ezra 8—10

One would think that after the return to the way of life of their ancestors, God’s people would settle down and finally obey the Lord. Wrong! Just as happened soon after the Temple of Solomon was constructed, God’s people wander from the ways of the Lord.

Ezra is a model for intercessors. Without finger pointing, as a true priest, he represents the people before the Lord and expresses the sins of intermarrying as though they were his own personal sins. Jesus did the same. For our sake, “He who knew no sin, [became] sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Ezra desires to lift the people to God. This kind of prayer moves God. In Jesus’ name, pray the same way.

Nick reads the one-minute Firestarter.

The Reading for Today

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This is the Seventh Week in Easter, Year B
Tuesdays are dedicated to Hebrew History and “The Writings.”
During the remainder of the Easter Season, we read the Book of Ezra.

Daily Bible Breaths

This week: version for Children and Families

God As Lord of the Nations

Monday of the Seventh Week in Easter, Year B    Ezekiel 31—32

Nick reads the one-minute Firestarter.

Using the image of a ship, as Ezekiel did in the case of Tyre, he prophesies the destruction of ancient Egypt. Another ancient power will come against Egypt, Assyria, likened to a great cedar tree. Chapter 32 is a lamentation for Pharaoh and Egypt as poetically powerful pictures describe the downfall of this formerly strong nation.

God is in charge of all the nations. They will rise and fall in their own manipulative power. Only those nations truly dedicated to the Lord will have a power that cannot be taken away from them. It means living in the Kingdom of God and not in the kingdom of the world. We are citizens of a heavenly kingdom with roots sunk deep in the earth right now.

As you pray, feel the divine Kingdom of which you are a special citizen. Pray for this hurting world.

The Reading for Today

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Mondays are dedicated to the Prophets.
During the Easter Season, we read Ezekiel.

Daily Bible Breaths

This week: version for Children and Families

“Zenith” – An Alphabyte

Alphabytes are object meditations that move through the alphabet two times
in the course of the fifty-two weeks in the year.
“Zenith” introduces the Seventh and Last Week in Easter.

Nick reads the Alphabyte.

A half-year has passed since its nadir when winter’s cold in the north
    felt the warmth of Advent’s first candle.
A tiny light won over the enveloping black.
Each day the Sun pushed aside the dark on either end of winter’s day and night, passing through springtime’s midway point, on to the summer-zenith
    soon to come.

Nadir of Lent becomes zenith of Ascension.
Disciples dizzy from the upward look strain to catch a final glimpse of
    their Master disappearing behind the clouds.
From the contemplative, downward gaze upon God’s nadir descent
    as the Christ in the manger,
    to the upward stretch of the eyes to see him
    in the zenith of the skies,
    God’s grace in Christ moves wider and fuller into the year, into life.

What is completed, is beginning again.
Wait with Mary and the apostles in novena days.
The Spirit is coming into the nadir-bottom of your soul,
    lifting you now to the zenith-height of heaven’s life.