Please turn to 2 Chronicles 29. We will begin with verse 1.
Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old; and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah.
And he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.
And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the broad place on the east,
and said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites; sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the sight of the Lord our God, and have forsaken Him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs.
Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt-offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.
Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, that His fierce anger may turn away from us.
My sons, be not now negligent; for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before Him, to minister unto Him, and that ye should be His ministers, and burn incense.
Verse 36:
And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because of that which God had prepared for the people: for the thing was done suddenly.
Chapter 31, verse 20:
And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah; and he wrought that which was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God.
And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
Chapter 32, verse 20:
And Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried to heaven.
Verse 24:
In those days Hezekiah was sick even unto death: and he prayed unto the Lord; and He spake unto him, and gave him a sign.
But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
Last time, when we were together, if you still remember, we mentioned two of the kings of Judah: King Asa and King Jehoshaphat. God willing, we would like to continue at this time. Of course, the king upon whom we will focus is King Hezekiah.
According to Jewish estimation, there were three kings who were especially honoured. One, of course, was David. Who were the other two? Hezekiah was one. Thus, Hezekiah was among the three kings most honoured by the Jewish nation.
But as we look into his background, we find that he had the worst father a son could ever have. His father was Ahaz, and Ahaz was such a wicked king.
In the preceding chapter, 2 Chronicles 28:22, we read:
And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord, this same king Ahaz.
Because of his hardness of heart towards the Lord, he and his nation were brought into humiliation. But when he was in trouble, instead of humbling himself before the Lord, asking forgiveness, and turning to the Lord, the Bible says that he transgressed yet more against the Lord—this same king.
This was the comment of the Holy Spirit: this same king. Yes, he was so wicked. Yet out of such a wicked father came forth one of the best sons, one of the best kings in the history of the nation of Judah. How could that be?
The only explanation is the sovereign mercy of God. Because of God’s love for His own people, even at this moment, with such a background, God gave to His people one of the best kings, that the line of the house of David might not be quickly extinguished.
There may be another reason. You know, when you read the Scriptures, sometimes you may think that certain things mentioned in Scripture seem insignificant. Yet a number of times, when you read Kings and Chronicles, you find that the mother of the king is mentioned.
Here again, in 2 Chronicles 29, we find:
And his mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah.
Sometimes I wonder why the mother’s name was mentioned. Of course, the influence of the father upon a son is great, but the influence of the mother is equally significant.
Hezekiah had a very bad father—ungodly and wicked—but most probably he had a very good mother. I think that was probably the reason why the mother’s name was mentioned.
Probably, when he was a child under his mother’s care, she brought him up in the fear of the Lord. In spite of everything that his father did, when Hezekiah grew up, as the Bible says, he did not depart from the way in which he was taught as a child.
Dear brothers and sisters, how important it is for sisters to realise this. It is true that when a child grows, probably in his teens, he will follow more of his father’s way and look up more to his father. But while a child is still young, he is more under the care of the mother and will look more to his mother.
If a child is instructed in the fear of the Lord in the early days of his life, even his father may not be able to change him. So I do want to encourage mothers: as God entrusts children to you, this is your opportunity.
Do not wait until your children grow up and perhaps come under some bad influence. I hope fathers are good influences too, but at least in those earliest years—which are the most important formative years—that is the time when the mother’s responsibility is great.
Evidently, Hezekiah had a very good mother. That was the reason why, when he was twenty-five and ascended the throne, he was completely different from his father. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
In the book of Chronicles especially, you find that God measured everything by David. David was God’s yardstick for kingship because David was a king after God’s own heart.
David’s heart, David’s actions, and David’s deeds were the yardsticks God used to measure everything in the nation of Judah. If you read very carefully, you will find that some kings failed completely because they did not walk in the ways of their father David. Instead, they followed the way of the kings of Israel, or even the nations.
There were other kings who did some things that David their father did, and yet their hearts were not perfect toward the Lord. They might do some things that David did, but they did not follow David all the way.
Yet there were a few, and Hezekiah was one of them, whose heart was as perfect toward God as David’s, and who did everything right in the sight of God, as David had done.
Dear brothers and sisters, we know the yardstick by which God measures us today. We are kings and priests unto God, and God has a golden reed, a measure by which He measures all our deeds and even our hearts. He measures us by Christ.
God does not give us any other standard than that of His own Son. Even though He knows our frailty, He will not lower His standard. He has given His Son to us, and His Son is in us. Because of that, He has made His Son the yardstick of all our actions, all our thoughts, and all our hearts.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, if this is the measurement by which God measures us, how we need to humble ourselves before the Lord continually. There is no place for us to be proud, in spite of anything God may use us to do or anything we may have done.
If we are all measured by Christ, how often we will feel that we fall short of the glory of God. Yet, on the other hand, as we know our weakness, His strength is made perfect in us.
God has only one standard, and He will measure everyone by that standard. One day, in the New Jerusalem, everything will measure up to that golden reed, to the standard of Christ. In other words, at that time we will arrive at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. But this has to begin today, while we are still on this earth and there is yet time for us.
Here you find Hezekiah. He did everything right in the sight of God, as David had done. As soon as he ascended the throne, in the first year and in the first month, he began his work of restoration.
His father had broken up the vessels in the house of God, closed the doors of the temple, and erected many idols. So when Hezekiah came to the throne, the first thing he did was call the Levites and the priests together.
He encouraged and exhorted them to sanctify themselves and to sanctify the temple. This was in the first year and in the first month. Within sixteen days, the temple was cleansed. Within eight days, the altar was cleansed and ready to receive sacrifices.
It was a very speedy restoration. The reason was that Hezekiah’s heart was perfect toward God, and at the same time God had prepared the hearts of the people. They joined their hearts together, and all things were done suddenly and completed very quickly.
In this, dear brothers and sisters, you find two lessons for us. One is the matter of leadership. How important it is that there be good leadership among God’s people.
The Bible says that God’s people are the flock, the sheep of His pasture. Sheep are among the most innocent animals, but they are also among the most ignorant. When a sheep gets into briars or thistles, it does not know how to extricate itself. It simply remains stuck until it is delivered.
If a sheep gets lost, it will never find its way home—never. A sheep is a most innocent animal, yet a most ignorant one. I think that is a perfect description of God’s people.
When you look at God’s people, you find that they are so innocent. Thank God for that. Yet sometimes you do feel that they are so ignorant, and how easily they can be led astray.
Dear brothers and sisters, as you look over this world and see the situation of God’s people today, everywhere you go you find how easily God’s people are led astray. In some things, you do not have the heart to blame them, because they are so innocent.
God’s people are good. All God’s children are good. They love the Lord and have a heart for the Lord. Yet you find that so many of God’s people are led astray into all kinds of things—almost unthinkable things.
You would not think that people with a little intelligence would enter into these things, and yet you find how God’s people are led into deception, into all kinds of cults and all kinds of errors. Very innocent, but how ignorant they are.
Because of that, how important leadership is. The leaders among God’s people are under-shepherds. Our Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd; He lays down His life for His sheep.
Those whom God puts into responsibility, whether in the field of ministry or in the way of government, are shepherds. God raises up teachers and shepherds. In Ephesians 4, those whom God gives to the church as gifts include apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. The word pastors is the same word as shepherds.
Those whom God raises up as elders in the church are shepherds. Dear brothers and sisters, God raises up leadership in the church, and those in leadership and responsibility are like shepherds.
Shepherds walk before the flock. They seek pasture for the flock. They should know the difference between poisonous herbs and good grass. They should protect the flock from wolves and hirelings. They should find still waters for the sheep. They should be models and examples to the sheep.
What a responsibility this is. If leadership is wrong, the sheep simply follow into death. But if leadership is right, what a blessing it will be upon God’s people.
So, dear brothers and sisters, we need to look to the Lord that God will raise up the right leadership, like King Hezekiah. Because there was such right leadership, the whole situation could change within a month.
Think of what Ahaz had done through the years. He had done enough evil. He drew the nation into idolatry, rebellion, and wickedness. Yet within a month, the whole situation could be transformed and changed because there was the right leadership.
I do believe that if God gives the right leadership, things can change very quickly. But leaders are responsible, that is true; the people are also responsible.
If you have a leader like King Hezekiah, who has a heart for the Lord and desires to lead the people back to God, yet the Levites and priests will not cooperate, and the people’s hearts are not ready, what can that king do by himself?
We need leadership, but we need a prepared people too. These two must work together. Often there is good leadership but no cooperation from the people. If that is the case, God’s work will be delayed.
But in the case of Hezekiah, he was ready and the people were ready. All these things were done suddenly, and they were done very quickly—within a month. In sixteen days everything was ready: the temple was cleansed, the doors were opened, the priests and Levites were ready to serve, and sacrifices were ready to be offered to the Lord.
Of course, the first thing to do was to offer sin-offerings and burnt-offerings. As you read, you find that these were offered not just for the king, not just for Judah, but for all Israel.
Remember that, at the time of Hezekiah, the northern kingdom of Israel had already been destroyed. The ten tribes had been taken into Assyrian captivity. Yet when Hezekiah restored the worship of the Lord, the sin-offerings and burnt-offerings were offered for all Israel—not just for the two tribes, but for all Israel.
More than that, after the offerings were restored, Hezekiah began to send messengers even to the northern cities, those cities not under his control. The northern nation had already been destroyed, but when there was restoration in Judah, that work of restoration spread even to the other cities.
He sent messengers from Beersheba to Dan, to all Israel—to Zebulun, Asher, Manasseh, and the remaining tribes—to call them to come and keep the Passover at Jerusalem.
When the messengers were sent out, they were ridiculed by the people. Think of it: the people in the northern kingdom had already seen the judgment of God upon them, and yet when they were called to come to Jerusalem and keep the Passover, they ridiculed the messengers. Their hearts were so hard.
But thank God, there were still some from Asher, Zebulun, and Manasseh who responded. They came down to Jerusalem to keep the Passover.
It is true that the Passover was not kept at the usual time. The Passover should have been kept in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month. Yet because the people were not ready, and because those coming from other places needed time, the Passover was kept in the second month.
That was irregular. Furthermore, those who came from the north ate the Passover without being cleansed. They had not prepared themselves, and that was sinful before God. Yet Hezekiah prayed, and God forgave them.
After they kept the Passover for seven days, they decided it was so good that they wanted to keep another seven days. That was again unusual. But from it all, you find how everything was restored.
Passover was foundational to the history of the nation of Israel. It was from the Passover that they were delivered, brought unto Mount Sinai, and became a nation unto God. Everything went back to the very foundation, and the foundation was strengthened.
Upon that foundation, everything was built according to God’s original purpose. Again and again, you find in the descriptions that everything was done according to the law of Moses, according to David, according to Nathan, and according to the prophets. Everything was recovered and restored to the original purpose.
That was a recovery. It was full and complete. As you read on, you find that not only was the Passover kept, but the courses of the priests were established, and their supplies were abundantly provided. People brought in their tithes, firstfruits, and all these things, and there was an abundance. Everything spoke of the abundance of the Lord. What a testimony!
In 2 Chronicles 31:20, we read:
And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah; and he wrought that which was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God.
And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
Dear brothers and sisters, here you find this matter of restoration and recovery. What must be recovered?
Apply this to our time. If God raises up the right leadership and prepares His people, through the working together of the leadership and the people, there will be great restoration.
The first thing that must be recovered is the house of God. Every sin must be purged. There must be repentance and the humbling of God’s people. If God’s people humble themselves and pray, God will build them together as a habitation of God.
In the lifetime of our Lord Jesus, at the beginning of His public ministry, He entered into the temple in Jerusalem and cleansed that house. At the end of His public ministry, He did it a second time.
These two occasions sum up His feeling toward the house of God. His heart was always upon the house.
My Father’s house.
And:
My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers.
The Lord’s heart is always upon the house because it is God’s purpose to dwell among His people. Dear brothers and sisters, this has not changed. The heart of our Lord Jesus is to dwell among His people.
Today, the house is no longer a physical one. Today, the house is a spiritual house. It is built with living stones, such as we are. Yet the heart of the Lord is upon that house. How He loves to dwell in peace and rest in that house.
But, dear brothers and sisters, a cleansing is needed. Sometimes you almost feel that the doors to the house have been closed. When people truly desire to worship the Lord, where can they go? Where can they find the Lord among His people?
If we truly want the presence of the Lord, if we truly want to see His glory, there is nothing more important than that His glory fill the house. What is a house if there is no glory? It is empty.
For His glory to fill His house, there needs to be much cleansing and much humbling before the Lord.
Then there will be the sacrifices. In 1 Peter 2:5, we are told:
Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Not only are we built up together as a house in which the glory of the Lord may be manifested, but we are also a holy priesthood. Holy means set apart. We are a priesthood set apart unto God—otherworldly, not belonging to this world or to what is common.
How we need to be sanctified and set apart, that we may serve together. In the case of Hezekiah, the Levites sanctified themselves more diligently than the priests. They really put the house into shape.
How we need to set ourselves apart to serve the Lord. This must be restored: a holy priesthood—not merely a few priests serving, but a priesthood. In other words, all God’s people must serve as a priesthood.
There is a service for everyone, and we serve together in coordination under the High Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is now represented by the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit is manifested in the midst of His people, we serve together as a priesthood. There are no discordant notes, no disjointed things, and no distractions. When the Holy Spirit is leading His people in priestly service—whether in praise and worship, prayer, or sharing—everything is gathered together as one priesthood.
Then there are the sacrifices. Of course, we offer spiritual sacrifices. All the sacrifices in Scripture are various expressions of our Lord Jesus: whether sin-offering or trespass-offering, peace-offering, meal-offering, or burnt-offering; whether a bullock, a lamb, a goat, or even a pigeon. They are all various expressions of Christ.
In other words, we gather together as a priesthood to offer unto God the Christ whom He has revealed to us. Brothers and sisters, when this happens, what riches we experience in the house of God. There is no lack of supply. Everything is abundantly supplied.
Do not forget: this is not just for the nation of Judah. It is for all Israel. In other words, it must overflow. It is not merely for a small company.
When the presence of the Lord is there, and the abundance of the riches of Christ is manifested, it must overflow. We can never be exclusive. We can never think only of ourselves: “Oh, if only God is with us, we do not care whether God is with other believers.”
Brothers and sisters, no. We are one body. We are one nation. That is why, in the recovery work of Hezekiah, it had to spread to all Israel.
Many rejected it. They even ridiculed the messengers sent out by Hezekiah, and this will happen. But some will be touched and drawn together into this worship, this prayer, and this recovery.
We believe that the same thing can happen in our days. How we need to look to the Lord that He will give us the right leadership and a prepared people. Every one of us is responsible.
We can never just look to those in leadership and say, “It is all your fault.” It is true that they bear responsibility, but we also need to look within ourselves and see how prepared we are, how far we cooperate, and how far we support the leadership, that we may work together for the glory of the Lord.
Then, in chapter 32, we read:
After these things, and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to win them for himself.
You know, it always happens. Whenever God is working, whenever something is recovered to the original design of God, it will be severely tested. Spiritual conflict comes immediately.
Do not think that if we are faithful, we will have smooth sailing. No. If we are faithful, you will find that the enemy will come.
The Lord said:
Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
The Lord did not promise that the gates of Hades would not open. He did not promise there would be no attack. But He did promise that the gates of Hades would not prevail against it.
Immediately, there was a great testing. King Sennacherib of Assyria came with his army into the land of Judah, intending to break through and destroy the nation of Judah, as Assyria had destroyed the nation of Israel.
By all human calculation and outward appearance, this would be the case. At that time, no nation could stand against the king of Assyria. Assyria had destroyed many nations.
It was not merely boasting when the king of Assyria said, “What god of what nation could deliver them from my hand?” He had destroyed many nations. But their gods were no gods.
Hezekiah realised that he had no power to stand against Sennacherib. He did what he could. He redirected the water so that it would be brought into the city and the enemy would not have it. He built up the wall and raised towers. He did everything he could, and he should have done so.
Yet in spite of all he had done, he knew that it was no match for Sennacherib. He did what he should do, and then he trusted the Lord.
We will not go into the details. If you want the details, you must go to 2 Kings and also to Isaiah, for there you will find the historical account. Chronicles does not give us the historical details; Chronicles gives us the spiritual history.
Sennacherib sent his general to Jerusalem to lay siege to the city and to blaspheme the name of the Lord, as if God were like the other gods, who were no gods at all.
One thing King Hezekiah did was to ask the people not to answer—not to answer. But he and Isaiah cried to the Lord and prayed.
God answered their prayers. In one night, God sent an angel into the camp of the Assyrians and killed one hundred and eighty-five thousand. So Sennacherib returned to his own land. While he was worshipping in the temple of his god, his own sons murdered him.
God delivered Hezekiah and the nation of Judah in a miraculous way.
Brothers and sisters, the same thing is true today. Wherever there is recovery among God’s people, you will find there will be spiritual conflict. It will come right away. Immediately, you will be surrounded by the enemy, as it were.
In one sense, we should do everything that we can. That is our duty. But on the other hand, we know that we are no match. Thank God, we know where to go. We put our trust in the Lord and pray. There is nothing too hard for the Lord. There will be victory.
But then, when Hezekiah was thirty-nine years old—he came to the throne when he was twenty-five—after the Lord had done so much to him and through him, he became sick.
God sent the prophet Isaiah to him and said, “Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” God was calling him, and then something happened.
Instead of accepting God’s will, he wept before God and said, “Lord, remember all the things that I have done for You. Let me live.”
Instead of submitting himself to the will of God, he wanted to stay and enjoy what God had blessed him with. God sent the prophet to him and said that it was time for him to go, but Hezekiah did not want to go.
Because he wept much before God, God’s heart was touched. God sent the prophet back, healed him, and gave him a sign. The dial of Ahaz went back ten degrees.
What a wonderful sign it was—a most marvellous sign. Yet, dear brothers and sisters, it was the saddest thing that could have happened to King Hezekiah.
When his time was right, that was the time he should have gone. If he had left at that moment, what a history he would have left behind—untarnished.
But because he wanted to enjoy himself, instead of yielding to the will of God, he was healed and given a sign that was most miraculous. How could the sun go back ten degrees? It was a great miracle, and yet a great tragedy.
Dear brothers and sisters, our time is in God’s hands. If our course is not finished, we will not go; we should not go. But if our course is finished, it should be the happiest thing for us to go.
Look at Paul. When he wrote Philippians, he told the Philippian believers that he was in a strait. He was in prison in Rome, waiting for Nero’s judgment, and it was possible that this was the end of his course.
Paul said, in effect, “If this is the end, oh, I would love to go. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain, because I shall see Him face to face.”
But then he said, “When I think of you, I feel that probably the Lord wants me to stay. It is for your sake.”
Yet in 2 Timothy, during his second Roman imprisonment, before he was sentenced, he knew that the end was coming. At that time he could say to Timothy:
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith:
henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved His appearing.
Dear brothers and sisters, if our course is not finished, we will not go; we cannot go.
During the time of the Reformation, Melanchthon, the theologian of the Reformation, was of a very weak constitution because he lived a very ascetic life. At one time he was literally dying.
Martin Luther went to see him. Martin Luther had a very strong personality, and he went in and said, “You cannot die. You simply cannot die, because God still needs you.” In the name of Jesus, he commanded him to live, and Melanchthon lived.
Dear brothers and sisters, our time is in God’s hands. If our course is finished, let us go very gladly, because we shall see the Lord. There is nothing for which we should linger. That is the best thing that can happen.
But if our course has not finished, we cannot die and we will not die. Unfortunately, so far as God was concerned, when Hezekiah was thirty-nine, his course was finished. God told him to put his house in order and go, but he did not want to go.
God yielded to him. You know, our God is not stern and inflexible in many things. Our God is very sympathetic. When Hezekiah went before the Lord, the Lord could not bear it any longer, and He gave him fifteen more years.
But notice what happened during those fifteen years.
In those days Hezekiah was sick even unto death: and he prayed unto the Lord; and He spake unto him, and gave him a sign.
But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
Because he forced God to his will, he felt that he was so strong that he could make God do what he wanted. He became proud. He did not give glory to God as he had done before.
During those fifteen years, two things happened. First, when the king of Babylon heard that Hezekiah had been miraculously healed, he sent messengers to express sympathy and joy.
At that time Babylon was just rising as a nation. Babylon and Assyria were enemies. Assyria was the great empire at that time, while Babylon was just coming up.
When the messengers of Babylon came to see Hezekiah, outwardly it was to show their joy with him, but probably there was an ulterior motive. Hezekiah was so proud that he showed the messengers everything he had.
God left him to test him, and he failed in the test. Because of that, God said that the nation of Judah, with all its riches, would be taken into captivity to Babylon.
But thank God, Hezekiah humbled himself before God. Because he humbled himself before God, these things did not happen in his lifetime; they happened later.
The second thing was that during those fifteen years, his son Manasseh was born. Manasseh succeeded him after he died, and Manasseh was one of the most wicked kings the nation of Judah ever had. Because of the sins of Manasseh, God was determined to destroy the nation.
Dear brothers and sisters, this should be a lesson to us. How we need to yield ourselves to God’s will. If we resist God’s will and insist upon our own will, woe to us if God gives it to us.
As the psalmist said:
And He gave them their request;
But sent leanness into their soul.
Such a good king, such leadership, and yet toward the end he became selfish and proud. He left behind a nation that was doomed to destruction. This should be a real warning to us today.
Shall we pray?
Our heavenly Father, there is no place for us to stand but to repent in dust and ashes. Oh, we ask Thee, Lord, that Thou wilt keep us ever humble before Thee, because our eyes continually see the Lord.
Lord, we cannot be proud if we see Thee. We have to repent if we see Thee. So, Lord, we do ask that Thou wilt be continually before our eyes, that we may serve in humility and in oneness.
Oh Lord, we pray that we may love Thy will above all things, even above our lives and our enjoyment. Lord, we want Thy will to be done in our lives, that we may serve our generation according to Thy will.
O Lord, we pray that before our time comes, we will live and do Thy will. When our time is up, O Lord, give us that desire to see Thy face.
We commit one another into Thy hands. We believe that Thou art doing a work among Thy people today. Thou art preparing for the return of the King.
Thou art restoring Thy house. Thou art restoring the holy priesthood. Thou art restoring spiritual sacrifices. Thou art restoring Thy riches in Thy body. Thou art restoring the oneness of the body of Christ, that all-inclusiveness.
O Lord, we know that Thou art doing such a work, and we pray that we may be actively involved in Thy work. Whether Thou dost desire us to be in a place of leadership or in a place of support, we ask that we may work together as one.
May Thou be exalted. May Thy glory be manifested. May the day come when Christ shall return, and we shall be with Him forever.
O Lord, bless Thy people. We ask in Thy precious name. Amen.