Pray to God with the Sacrifice of a Remorseful Heart

Verses: Prayer of Azariah 1 : 1 - 22

My thoughts about the verses:

We have all been in very tough situations.  We might not being facing ultimate death like Azariah (Abednego) was facing at this very moment.  Yet, we have had times in which the only answer that we can come up with is to ask God to save us.  We ask God to hear our prayers and bring us out of the current situation.

Abednego was in a very sad part of his life.  His people the Jewish Community had abandoned God.  They had become corrupt and for this he heart felt sadness.  His people had not stood up to Nebuchadnezzar when it came to this statue which brought his heart pain.  He was overcome with a remorseful heart that wanted to plead to God not only for himself and his friends, but also for the Jewish community that needed to be set free.

He prays that God has been right in the punishment that they have received.  The community had lost focus of God.  They lived as if they no longer needed God in their life.  Many had put the world before their obedience to God.  Therefor their punishment by exile was right and befitting. 

Can you imagine what it must have felt inside the fire?  Your heart would be overfilled with emotions.  You would be sad that you were facing death.  Yet, you would also be happy that you are dying in the name of God.  Proud of yourself for following God no matter what.  You are full of remorse over the things that have happened in the pat that has brought you to where you are at.

Yet, you go to God in prayer.  You admit the wrongs of your community.  You admit the wrongs that you have done.  You pray for forgiveness for your community.  You pray for forgiveness for your friends and yourself.

Then you beginning pleading that God will deliver you.  You pray that the God that you have served with all of your heart will not forget you in this time of you need.  The only sacrifice that you can give to God is your remorseful heart.  You do realize that the sacrifice that God may ask for is your own life.

You accept that if you are to die that you have not been abandoned.  You accept that
God is with you in this moment.  You realize that it will be God’s will f you live or die.

Have you accepted this type of prayer in your life?  Have you walked into situations in which you know that you will only make it out of it if it is God’s will?  We need to remember in all things that we need to come to God with a heart full of remorse asking for forgiveness.  We have done things in our life that we should feel ashamed about yet, God has overlooked them through the power of the blood of Jesus.  With this in mind we have to remember that we are to worship God in all things.  Know that it is through Christ that we are sanctified.  There is nothing that we can do that will cleanse us from the wrong that we have done.  Yet, through the power of the Most High we can be delivered from death.  God can and will lead us into everlasting life if only we accept Jesus as our Savior.

Prayer:

We praise you God.  We thank you God for you gift of life.  We worship you with our whole heart.  Help us to accept that we do not deserve your gift of salvation.  Help us to come to you in humbleness and ask for your help.  Be with us in all things so that we may go forward as your people living for you.  In the name of the Most High we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you asked God to forgive you for the bad things that you have done in your life?  Do you go to God in prayer when things are rough?  Are you willing to give yourself over to God’s will?  Are you willing to pray for others?  What must you do today to live a closer walk with God?