Will you please turn to the book of Joel, in the Old Testament—Joel, Chapter 2.
We will read from Joel 2:25-27:
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten,
the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm,
My great army, which I sent among you.
And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and shall praise the name of the Lord your God,
that hath dealt wondrously with you;
and My people shall never be put to shame.
And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the Lord your God, and there is none else;
and My people shall never be put to shame.
Turn also to Habakkuk, still in the Old Testament, Chapter 3, verses 1 and 2:
A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, set to Shigionoth.
O Lord, I have heard Thy report, and am afraid:
O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years;
in the midst of the years make it known;
in wrath remember mercy.
And finally, take up Haggai, Chapter 2. We will read from verses 1 through 9:
In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,
Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes as nothing?
Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts,
according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, and My Spirit abode among you: fear ye not.
For thus saith the Lord of hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
and I will shake all nations; and the precious things of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.
The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, saith the Lord of hosts.
The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.
Let us have a word of prayer.
Dear Lord, we know we are in Thy presence, and this is holy ground. We pray that we all will remove our shoes and be humbled before Thee, and hear what Thou, our Lord, hast to say. Speak, Lord, Thy servants hear. In the name of our Lord Jesus, amen.
God willing, in the morning we will be sharing together on recovery. Our brother Lawrence will speak on the eternal purpose of God, and I will be on the recovery of God’s eternal purpose.
Recovery is the cry of the centuries. This cry begins with God, and it is echoed throughout the centuries by godly men and women. It is a deep calling unto deep.
Even way back in the beginning of human history, in the Garden of Eden, we hear that cry. Man, whom God created, failed. And God came into the garden to seek the fallen man, and His cry was, “Adam, man, where art thou?”
It is a cry of anguish, a cry of love, a cry of recovery. And this cry continues on throughout the centuries.
Around 2500 BC, because of the corruption, the violence, and the sin of the world, God sent the flood to destroy the earth and all the living things that were in it. But Noah and his family found grace, and they were kept through the flood in the ark.
After the flood was over, Noah and his family came out of the ark, and he offered sacrifices to God. When God smelled the fragrance of the sacrifices, the Bible says He repented of what He had done. Then He said:
I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake;
for that the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth;
neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I have done.
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest,
and cold and heat, and summer and winter,
and day and night shall not cease.
In other words, here you find the cry of God. He repented of what He had done because of His tremendous love for mankind.
Around 1500 BC, God led His children out of Egypt. When Moses, after forty years of wandering in the wilderness, looked back over those forty years, he had a prayer recorded in Psalm 90. Moses, the man of God, looked back into the forty years of wandering in the wilderness and offered this prayer:
Return, O Lord; how long?
And let it repent Thee concerning Thy servants.
The last word of Moses to the children of Israel put before them the blessing and the curse. Then he said:
Return unto the Lord thy God.
Then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity.
Return and hearken to the voice of the Lord.
This is found in Deuteronomy 30:1-10.
Then again, around 1100 to 1000 BC, we hear the cry of Ruth. She cried to Boaz:
Spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid;
for thou art a near kinsman.
Again, we find Hannah in 1 Samuel. In her anguish, she prayed to God for a son, that she might lend him to the Lord. Another cry for recovery.
Then around that time, we remember—not Samuel, I mean David. There you find David, the sweet singer of Israel. In his psalms, he mentioned this matter of restoration.
In Psalm 6:4:
Return, O Lord, deliver my soul:
Save me for Thy lovingkindness’ sake.
And again, in Psalm 51:12:
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation;
And uphold me with a willing spirit.
Not only did David say this in Psalm 6 and Psalm 51, but in Psalm 80 he also prayed:
O God, restore us;
And cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.
Restore us, O God of hosts;
And cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.
Quicken us, and we will call upon Thy name.
Around 800 BC, the prophet Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 10:20-21:
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel,
and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob,
shall no more again stay upon him that smote them;
but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
A remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob,
unto the mighty God.
Through the prophet, we also hear the cry of God:
Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel; for thou art My servant:
I have formed thee; thou art My servant;
O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of Me.
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions,
and, as a cloud, thy sins:
return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee.
This is Isaiah 44:21-22.
And because of the cry of God and the prayer of the saints, finally we find:
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come with singing unto Zion;
and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads:
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
This is Isaiah 51:11.
About 600 years BC, we hear the cry and see the tears of Jeremiah. God called His people through the prophet Jeremiah, and Jeremiah, representing the remnant—the godly ones—responded to God’s cry.
Return, ye backsliding children,
I will heal your backslidings.
That is the cry of God. And the response of the godly ones is:
Behold, we are come unto Thee;
for Thou art the Lord our God.
This is Jeremiah 3:22.
Then we hear the lament:
O Lord, are not Thine eyes upon truth?
Thou hast stricken them, but they were not grieved;
Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction:
they have made their faces harder than a rock;
they have refused to return.
This is Jeremiah 5:3. Then the word of God says:
Thus saith the Lord, Do men fall, and not rise up?
Doth one turn away, and not return?
Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding?
They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.
This is Jeremiah 8:4-5.
But God’s love is so persistent:
I have spoken unto you, rising up early and speaking,
but ye have not hearkened unto Me.
And I have sent also unto you all My servants the prophets,
rising up early and sending them, saying,
Return ye now every man from his evil way,
and amend your doings,
and go not after other gods to serve them,
and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers:
but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto Me.
This is Jeremiah 35:14-15. And even so, God still promised them a new covenant.
About 500 years BC, in the post-exilic period, we have these three prophets: Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Again, through these prophets, we hear the cry of the centuries.
In Haggai, God called His people to consider. In Zechariah, God called His people to return. And in Malachi, He called His people to repent.
You know, the words return, restore, repent, and revive—these are words of recovery.
Then you come to New Testament times. For four hundred years God was silent, and then suddenly there was a voice in the wilderness. The cry was, “Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
This cry was taken up even by our Lord Himself. He called His people to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He came, and He accomplished the work of recovery.
Then you find the cry taken up by the apostles. In Acts 3, you find Peter saying that there is a time of refreshing, a time of restoration coming. And Paul, in Romans 8, tells us about the groaning in this universe, especially the groaning in the hearts of the firstfruits, groaning for the manifestation of the sons of God, when the whole universe will be delivered.
And thank God, when you come to Revelation 21, you hear God say, “It is done.”
So, dear brothers and sisters, recovery is the cry of the centuries. It begins with God, and it ends with God. This is the history of recovery.
Now, for this morning, we would like to concentrate ourselves on the cry we hear from three of the Minor Prophets. The first one is Joel.
Most likely, Joel is the earliest, if not the first, of the so-called twelve Minor Prophets. Most likely, he prophesied during the days of Joash.
After the nation was restored, Athaliah, that evil woman, was slain. This little boy, Joash, came to the throne through the help of the high priest. There was a restoration during that period. The temple was opened, and temple service was resumed.
Outwardly, there seemed to be a good recovery. But God’s word came to Joel. He came in the spirit of Elijah because God was not pleased with this restoration.
It was a restoration outwardly, but the hearts of the people did not return to God. We know that God is never satisfied with outward correctness. He wants that inward reality.
That nation at that time was plagued with locusts and drought. These were natural disasters, and people would take these as natural. But God, through His prophet Joel, reminded His people that these were not natural disasters. These were sent by God.
God disciplined them with locust plagues, and God disciplined them with drought. They were reduced into poverty, and even the temple service suffered greatly.
So God, through His prophet, called His people to repent. If they did not repent, there would be greater trouble coming: the day of the Lord was coming.
Of course, the immediate fulfillment was the Babylonian invasion, but we know the full fulfillment is yet in the future. Anyway, you find that God called His people. These were the disciplines of the Lord. Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth.
Now, even though they were under such distress, and even though there would be greater judgment to come upon them, God said there is a way. There is a way to escape. There is a way to recover.
In Joel 2:12-14:
Yet even now, saith the Lord, turn ye unto Me with all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
and rend your heart, and not your garments,
and turn unto the Lord your God:
for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth Him of the evil.
Who knoweth whether He will not turn and repent,
and leave a blessing behind Him,
even a meal-offering and a drink-offering unto the Lord your God?
There is a way out of discipline, and the way is to repent—not just to rend the garment, but to rend the heart—because our God is gracious and merciful.
So the prophet, representing the godly remnant among the people, responded in Joel 2:15-17:
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly;
gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men,
gather the children, and those that suck the breasts;
let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber,
and the bride out of her closet.
Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar,
and let them say, Spare Thy people, O Lord,
and give not Thine heritage to reproach,
that the nations should use a byword against them:
wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?
The only response to the call of God is to assemble and cry unto God, “Spare, O Lord, spare Thy people.”
As a result, in the following verses, you find that the Lord will be jealous for His land and have pity on His people. It is in this connection that He said, “I will restore to you the years that were eaten by the locusts.”
Now, of course, brothers and sisters, you cannot recall those years. Time has passed, and it is past. But there is a way to restore the years. God is able so to multiply the years to come that they not only cover what was lost during those lean years, but there is even more left over.
That is the way God does the work of recovery. Here you find God saying that He will restore the years eaten by the locusts.
Now, brothers and sisters, this is not just history. This is not just something to do with the earthly people of God. This is written for our admonition. We, as God’s heavenly people, find that these words are for us.
I believe that the word of God through Joel to the nation of Judah is not addressed to the church in apostasy. I believe these words are addressed to the church in spiritual declension.
The church has not gone into apostasy yet, and yet the church has left the first love. You find that outwardly everything seems to be going on as usual.
We have services—Christian services. We have meetings. We read the Word of God. We pray. There are many activities going on. Outwardly, it seems as if the temple is open and the temple services are restored.
How quickly it seems as if we are a religious people, serving God. But, brothers and sisters, God will look into our hearts. He is not deceived by any outward appearance. He can see through us and see what really is there.
Is our heart really after Him? Is our heart pure towards Him? Is He our first love? These are the things that God is looking for. He is not satisfied with outward correctness. He wants reality.
Because of this, the church today is under discipline. With the children of Israel, it was drought, locust plagues, and perhaps Babylonian invasion. But with the church today, we are under discipline. How do we know?
It is because we are in spiritual poverty. The church has the fullness of Christ. The unsearchable riches of Christ are our portion. We should experience His riches, but, dear brothers and sisters, everywhere among God’s people you notice one thing: poverty—spiritual poverty.
In a time of spiritual poverty, you may have great material prosperity. Oftentimes we are deceived by material prosperity. We think that these are the sure signs of God’s blessing, and even today people preach a prosperity gospel.
But, dear brothers and sisters, is it really God’s blessing, or are we under His discipline?
Is it not time for us to rend our hearts? Is it not time for us to gather together and cry, “Spare, O Lord, spare Thy people”?
If we do, there is hope. We believe that He is able to restore to us the years that were wasted. Brothers and sisters, as we look back over our past years, whether individually or corporately, we have wasted our years.
We need to ask the Lord to restore the years that have been eaten by locusts. If we humble ourselves, He will do it. So may the Lord touch our hearts.
The second prophet we would like to consider is Habakkuk.
The prophet most probably prophesied during the latter years of King Manasseh. You know, King Manasseh was a very wicked king, and because of his wickedness God determined to destroy the nation of Judah.
But Manasseh repented, and because he repented, God spared him and spared the nation. Then he was followed by King Josiah, and during the days of Josiah there was also a restoration.
Most likely, Habakkuk prophesied during the latter years of Manasseh and the early years of Josiah. He had a conversation with God. This book is actually a conversation between God and Habakkuk the prophet.
God opened the eyes of Habakkuk. He looked at the nation. Again, outwardly there was some restoration. Especially, we know how Josiah restored the temple, cleansed the temple, re-established the temple service, and the people began to worship God again.
Outwardly, you find there was quite a revival among God’s people. Maybe Josiah’s heart was right, but the people’s hearts did not really turn to the Lord.
So here you find Habakkuk, as he looked into the situation of God’s people, seeing violence, strife, contention, and injustice.
Our God is a holy God. He is a righteous God, and He demands that His people be righteous and holy. But instead, Habakkuk saw among God’s people strife, contention, violence, and injustice. The unjust seemed to prevail over the righteous. Things were not right among God’s people.
So he cried to God. He said, “God, why do You not do something? Why do You not correct the people? Why do You not discipline them, chastise them? This is not the right condition.”
As he cried to God, God said, “Yes, I am going to do a work, and you would be amazed. I will bring the Babylonians to come and destroy Judah, to punish My people.”
Now, when Habakkuk heard this, he was really puzzled. He was not happy with the evil conditions of his own people, and he wanted God to do something to correct them. But God said He would use an instrument even more wicked than the children of Israel.
So he wondered why God used the more wicked to punish the wicked. He could not understand.
So he climbed into the tower, and there he stood on watch, waiting for God to reveal His mind.
God said to him:
For the vision is yet for the appointed time,
and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie:
though it tarry, wait for it;
because it will surely come, it will not delay.
God said, “Yes, it is coming. The enemy is coming. They are coming to destroy the nation. It will not be delayed.”
Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him;
but the righteous shall live by his faith.
It is true that the king of Babylon was an instrument in God’s hand to chastise God’s own people. But when the king of Babylon did it, his soul was puffed up. He thought it was by his own power and by his own strength that he was able to destroy all these nations.
God said, “I know. I know his heart. But the just shall live by his faith.”
In other words, all these judgments are coming. They are sure to come. But how are you going to go through all this? You have to believe that God is working out His purpose. God knows. You may not understand. You may be puzzled. God does things in a strange way, but He is working out His purpose.
So do not faint, but have faith. The just shall live by faith, and you can go through it.
Because of this, the prophet stood with God. Then we come to Chapter 3, his prayer:
O Lord, I have heard Thy report, and am afraid:
O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years;
in the midst of the years make it known;
in wrath remember mercy.
Even though it is the work of judgment, do it in order to fulfill Thy purpose. But in wrath, remember mercy. This is the prayer of the prophet.
For though the fig tree shall not flourish,
neither shall fruit be in the vines;
the labor of the olive shall fail,
and the fields shall yield no food;
the flock shall be cut off from the fold,
and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength;
and He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet,
and will make me to walk upon my high places.
That is the song he sang.
So, brothers and sisters, what is this to us? What do you see among God’s people today? What do you see in yourself? What do you see around you?
We are God’s people. We are here to represent God. We are here to express His holiness and His righteousness for the world to see. But instead of that, what conditions do we find ourselves in?
If we really see ourselves with the eyes of God, we see violence, contention, strife, and injustice. Is it not true among God’s people today? How we are divided. We swallow one another. We fight against each other. There is much corruption going on, evil going on.
There is no testimony to this world. On the contrary, we find the world seems to overcome the church and take hold of the church.
Is this not God’s judgment upon His church? When you see the worldliness of the church, when you see the world seeming to overcome the church, remember: this is judgment.
Judgment begins with the house of God. Judgment has already begun with the church. After God has judged the church, He will judge the world.
Now, how are we going to go through these difficult days? The Word of God is: “The just shall live by faith.” This is a time when we cannot live by sight. If we live by sight, we will faint. We will be discouraged.
I remember that hymn written by Charles Wesley, I think: “Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me.” That is faith.
We see all these things around us, and how are we going to go through? It is by faith. The Lord is our joy. The Lord is our strength. It is only by believing in Him that we are able to get through.
So what should be our prayer in these days? I think we should take up the prayer of Habakkuk: “Revive Thy work in the midst of the years.”
Now, strangely, if you compare Habakkuk 2:3 with Hebrews 10:37, you find something very significant.
In Hebrews 10:37:
For yet a very little while,
He that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry.
But My righteous one shall live by faith.
Then you turn back to Habakkuk 2:3:
It will surely come, it will not delay;
but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Now, in Habakkuk, you find it is “it.” “It will surely come. It will not delay.” And the “it” refers to the work of God—the work of judgment. Judgment will come, and the just shall live by faith.
But the Holy Spirit, in Hebrews 10:37, quoting Habakkuk, changes the word it into He: “He that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry.” We know that He is Christ.
So, brothers and sisters, here we know our Lord is coming back. Even though there is judgment going on in the church and in the world, and greater judgment is coming, thank God, we know that He—our Lord—is coming soon, and He will not delay.
Because of this, it gives us great hope. The just shall live by faith.
And finally, Haggai. The prophet Haggai prophesied after the return of the remnant from Babylonian captivity.
The children of God were in Babylonian captivity for seventy years. In the mercy of God, God opened a way for them to return to Jerusalem, to rebuild the temple, that God might have a name on this earth.
But unfortunately, you find that the majority of the children of Israel remained in the land of captivity. They did not bother to return. They had established their businesses and their homes. They were able to worship God in their synagogues, and they were satisfied with their condition.
They were not interested in God’s name, interested in God’s right, interested in God’s purpose. So the majority did not respond to God’s call. They remained in the land of captivity.
But thank God, there was a remnant. Their spirits were stirred by God, and they were willing to leave everything and return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple for God.
In other words, they had a heart for God, a love for God. They were willing to sacrifice everything for the name of God, and they returned to rebuild the temple.
But after this remnant returned, when they started, they met difficulties. They were attacked by the enemies and accused by the enemies. Their hands were weakened, and the work of rebuilding the temple was stopped for about fifteen years.
During those fifteen years, they had not forgotten why they came back. They came back for one purpose only: to rebuild the house of God. They still remembered. But they said, “This is not the time. We are waiting for a convenient time. Then we will build God’s house.”
But they needed to be occupied anyway. So during those fifteen years, they began to build their own houses, and they built beautiful houses—panelled houses.
So God sent the prophet Haggai to them and challenged them. He said, “You say this is not the time to build the house of God. Is it time to build your own panelled houses? You leave the house of God in desolation, and you build your own houses. Consider.”
Four times, God called His people to consider. Consider what you have been doing during those fifteen-odd years.
You leave the house of God desolate, and you build your own houses. But do you have a good time? You do not. You are in need. You put much work in, and you gain little. Your pocket has holes. Nothing satisfies.
Do you not understand why it is so? Consider. Set your heart upon it. Think about it, for how you do it.
Then the second “consider”: “Now consider. Go to the mountain, cut the trees, prepare the materials, and start to build the house of God.”
So the remnant listened to the prophet. They began to work, laid the foundation, and started to work. But within a month, they were discouraged.
Why? Because as they began to rebuild that house, they knew for sure that no matter what they did, they would never be able to restore the temple to the glory of the temple built by Solomon.
They were just a remnant. They were poor. What could they do? They could only build a very small house. That was all they could do. So some of them began to say, “Why bother? We cannot restore it to its former glory.”
They were really discouraged and had dropped the work from their hands. So the prophet again prophesied to them and said, “Now, you have seen the house before, and you look at this house that is going to be built. It is so insignificant. But remember: be strong. Be strong and work, because I am with you.”
“I, who led you out of Egypt, have not left you. My covenant is still with you. And remember: the latter glory of the house is greater than the former glory.”
In other words, even though the house you are building is so insignificant, yet there is only one house. Whether it is the tabernacle Moses built, the temple Solomon built, or now the second temple you are building—and then the real house of God which our Lord is building—it is all one building.
It is just one building in process. You are part of the process. It is not lost. It is heading toward that which God is after. Eventually, you will find the latter glory of the house is greater than the former, when you see the New Jerusalem.
Is not the latter glory of the house greater than the former house? So be encouraged.
They continued to work. But then again, they were discouraged. They said, “Well, before we laid the foundation, yes, we were in poverty. Now, after we have started, we are still in poverty. Why is it? Where is the Lord’s blessing?”
The prophet said, “Consider, consider, consider the days before you laid the foundation. Yes, you were under discipline. But now, since the foundation is laid, the blessing of God is coming to you.”
So the remnant was encouraged, and you remember how the house was rebuilt.
Now, brothers and sisters, again, this is for us. As you look into the church today, is it not in Babylonian captivity? The church has been in Babylonian captivity for centuries.
But thank God, there is a remnant. As a matter of fact, in church history you find throughout the centuries, especially since the sixteenth century, God has been doing a work of recovery. You find remnants coming back.
As a matter of fact, even in the first century you had a remnant. All these centuries you have those who return—who return to the simplicity of Christ, who return to the Word of God, who return to the pattern of the New Testament.
Throughout the centuries, there has always been a remnant there, and this remnant comes back for God’s testimony.
Brothers and sisters, may we be the remnant in our time? Have we come out of Babylon, out of confusion, out of captivity? Have we returned to Jerusalem, the city of peace?
Have we returned to purity, to the simplicity of Christ? Is it not our desire that we shall return and rebuild His house, a name for Him, a testimony for Him—not for ourselves, for Him?
Are we willing to pay any cost to rebuild His house? Is it not for this purpose we come together?
But, brothers and sisters, again, the adversary, the enemy, is around us. He is trying to discourage us, to attack us, to destroy us, to stop the work that we are doing.
Brothers and sisters, was there a time when the Lord’s call really came upon you to leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem? Was there a time when you really left all to follow the Lord?
Was there a time when you really had the house of God in your heart? Was there a time when you really gathered with some others, praying together and seeking the Lord together, that His testimony might be upon this earth? Was there such a time?
And now, after some years—maybe fifteen years, maybe twenty years, maybe more, maybe less—is it because of opposition? Is it because of difficulties that you have laid aside the work that you ought to be engaged in?
You have not forgotten, but maybe you say, “This is not the time.” And now you are occupied with building your own house.
What are we occupied with today? Is it the house of God or our own house? Is it His testimony or our testimony?
Is it not time that we consider? Is it not time that we be strong and work? Is it not time that we look forward to see that the latter glory of the house is greater than the former?
So, brothers and sisters, we are living toward the very end of the recovery work of God.
There is a promise. God promises He will recover His eternal purpose among His people.
May this be our prayer: that we pray, “Revive Thy work in these days,” and that we will be strong and work.
Shall we pray?
Dear Lord, we know Thy heart is to recover. Lord, we just pray that Thou wilt give this heart to us, that we may be of one heart, one mind, one spirit, one soul within.
We pray that during these days Thou wilt put within our hearts a cry—Thy cry—that we will echo. We will offer it, and with it we will offer ourselves, that Thou wilt do Thy work of recovery, even in us and through us.
To Thee be the glory. In the name of our Lord Jesus, amen.