The Book of Ezra Chapter 8 of 10 (To update)

The Book of Ezra 

Chapter 

8

¹ These are their family heads, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia, in the reign of King Artaxerxes.

(The Book of Ezra Chapter 8 verse 1)

Throughout the years my God and Father You chose those who would be worthy to enter into the land that You promised them after having had been through the testing of Egypt and Babylon. I pray that throughout the period of my testing on earth I am found worthy of appearing before You even though I am still a sinner Amen.

The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 of 10

The Book of Ezra 

Chapter 7

¹ After this, in the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, ² son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, ³ son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, ⁴ son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, ⁵ son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of the chief priest Aaron-⁶ this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses that the LORD the God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 from verse 1 to verse 6)


Oh God my Father, You know me inside out, You know my descendants, and You even know about my present. I thank You for making me as I am, however, as You know there is always an opportunity for growth and change. However, I thank You for loving me as I am Amen.


⁷ Some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants also went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 7)


Oh God, my Father, brothers and sisters everyone is welcome to come to the throne of God, the new Jerusalem, the pathway to salvation. Regardless of one's status or profession, God makes no discrimination Amen.


⁸ They came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 8)


Oh God my Father You are available for me every day of the year and I do not always come to You. I pray that You motivate me not to live without You and Your presence Amen.


⁹ On the first day of the first month the journey up from Babylon was begun, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 9)


Oh God, my Father brothers and sisters there are days in our lives which we consider as being special, such as birthdays and anniversaries or the day of our graduation or marriage, however, there are days such as that of our baptism that we may not give the same value, however, they still are of important significance and value and should be celebrated with the same fervour Amen.


¹⁰ For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach the statutes and ordinances in Israel.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 10)


Oh God, my Father, I thank You for this opportunity to reflect, meditate and pray on Your Word and to share it with others. I pray that You teach me to live every single word that You urge me to reflect on so that the Bible and its message will be alive in me Amen.


¹¹ This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to the priest Ezra, the scribe, a scholar of the text of the commandments of the LORD and his statutes for Israel.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 11)


Oh, brothers and sisters, this blog is a daily meditation of the Word of God as inspired to me by the Holy God my Father, during my prayer time. A Social Worker humble servant of God with no background in theology or philosophy. This is all the fruit of prayer. Thanks, Jesus.


¹² Artaxerxes, king of kings, to the priest Ezra, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven: Peace.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 12)


Oh God my Father, You are the only King of Kings and like You there is no other. Many have claimed to be super and powerful but none are like You Amen.


¹³ And now I decree that any of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom who freely offers to go to Jerusalem may go with you.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 13)


Oh God Father of time days minutes and seconds. When You deem that the time of our deliverance has come You will make it possible Amen. Give us the faith and trust and patience to wait for Your deliverance instead of trying to get it by ourselves Amen.


¹⁴ For you are sent by the king and his seven counsellors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your hand, ¹⁵ and also to convey the silver and gold that the king and his counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶ with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, given willingly for the house of their God in Jerusalem.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 14 to 16)


Oh brothers and sisters what appears to be the willful act of humanity with all the good and bad intentions, has the backing of the Holy Will of God, which commanded that God's people return back to the land that He had promised them. I pray that we observe events that take place in our lives seriously and pray to see the act of Your hand in them Amen, instead of seeing them and valuing them as a chance happening Amen.


¹⁷ With this money, then you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, and their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 17)


Oh God, my Father, this change of heart was indeed a blessing coming from You. Such liberty to worship and offer sacrifices to You is really a gift. I pray oh God that the time of this pandemic reaches its end so that I can also come to offer praise and worship in the temple as before Amen. Thank You, Jesus.


¹⁸ Whatever seems good to you and your colleagues to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 18)


Oh God my Father may it always be according to Your will Amen, whatever happens during our life Amen. May we always seek Your will in all the decisions of our life Amen.


¹⁹ The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 19)


Oh God my Father all that is mine has been given to me by You, therefore, I have nothing of my own but my sins. I pray on the other hand that I may use the skills and knowledge that You have given to me for Your glory and in order to be of help and support to others Amen.


²⁰ And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which you are responsible for providing, you may provide out of the king's treasury.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 20)


Oh God, my Father I thank You for Your divine providence from which we benefit every day of our life, for it is You who is sustaining both our bodies and our souls Amen.


²¹ "I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River; Whatever the priest Ezra, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, ²² up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred cars of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and unlimited salt.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verses 21 to 22)


Oh God my Father, Your divine providence is unlimited, for it is not the kings of this world but because of Your will that this material help was given to Your people Amen. I thank You for such help and support even to this day my God and Father, You are always there for me Amen.


²³ Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, or wrath will come upon the realm of the king and his heirs.



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 23)


In many cases oh God my Father when something is given for "Free" somewhere there is a catch that would be only seen in the tiny print of terms and conditions. The king was using Israel as a good luck charm in order to ensure the well being of his kingdom. I pray that we do not use You as a good luck charm in order to ensure the well being of our lives Amen.


²⁴ We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on any of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 24)


Oh God, my Father, this is indeed a manifestation of Your power at work at its best, for under normal conditions would a ruler have given such an exemption to such a great number without imposing financial stress on the rest of the people. Right now the government of Malta is generously giving financial support to those in need and for this, I thank and praise You, however I dread the moment that we are to pay dearly as a nation for this abundance in generosity Amen.


²⁵ "And you, Ezra, according to the God-given wisdom you possess, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River who know the laws of your God; and you shall teach those who do not know them.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 25)


Oh God my Father as in the case of Ezra, during our time's priests would be perfect judges, for they can guide us in Your ways and give us a sense of redemption and even guilt to turn away from our sinful ways Amen. I pray that our judicial system be more just and based upon Your Word Amen.

²⁶ All who will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on them, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of their goods or for imprisonment."

(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse 26)

Oh God, my Father, You gave us Your laws and the laws of the state that as human beings we are to respect so that we will have a social order. I pray for those who are abusing that social order and who are causing a lot of unrest with the police due to racial discrimination Amen.

²⁷ Blessed be the LORD, the God of our ancestors, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king to glorify the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, ²⁸ and who extended to me steadfast love before the king and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

(The Book of Ezra Chapter 7 verses 27 to 28)

Oh God my Father I bless Your name and thank You for all the wonders and ideas that You give me. As I was meditating on this verse You gave me the idea of seeing my counsellor on a longer-term than planned, for by means of this person You give me much support. Amen.

Oh God my Father I would like to end this seventh chapter of the book of Ezra with the following prayer:-

Oh God my Father I dedicate this chapter to all the priests in the Church especially to the 10 new ones that are going to be ordained today. I pray that they be people who find time for their relationship with You so that this can keep on growing and that they bear a lot of fruit. Amen. Thank You Jesus for new vocations Amen.

The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 of 10

The Book of Ezra 

Chapter 6

¹  Then King Darius made a decree, and they searched the archives where the documents were stored in Babylon.

(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verse 1)

Oh God my beloved Father many times we make declarations without having proof or reliable proof to sustain our arguments. As a consequence people tend to get hurt and maybe even scarred for life. I pray for such people that You may give them the healing that they require Amen.



² But it was in Ecbatana, the capital in the province of Media, that a scroll was found on which this was written: "A record. ³ In the first year of his reign, King Cyrus issued a decree; Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where the sacrifices are offered and burnt offerings are brought; its height shall be sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, ⁴ with three courses of hewn stones and one course of timber; let the cost be paid from the royal treasury.  



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verses 2 to 4)



Oh God, my Father, I pray that more important parts of scripture are found today, which continue to enlighten us on the way of life that we are to be living. Amen.


⁵ Moreover let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple in Jerusalem, each to its place; you shall put them in the house of God." 


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verse 5)




Oh God my blessed Father many times vessels such as chalices have been stolen from the church, however in time You disclose their whereabouts in order for them to be restored back, however for me You are my chalice the covenant of love between me and You and even though at times I am not faithful to it because I am still a frail sinner, I know that from Your end You still love me and keep me in Your sight and under Your care at all times. Thank You Jesus Amen.



⁶ "Now you, Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and you, their associates, the envoys in the province Beyond the River, keep away; ⁷ let the work on this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site.



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verses 6 to7)


Oh God, my Father, I consider this biblical verse as a personal admonition. I feel angry at the Pope for yesterdays announcement regarding the proposed changes in the prayer that You Yourself gave us. I feel that they do not have a right to do so, however, if You are motivating the Roman Catholic Church by means of the Holy Spirit by means of Pope Francesco, who am I to object and therefore like Tattenai I am to let the elder of the Roman Catholic Church continue building on-site Amen.


⁸ Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God; the cost is to be paid to these people, in full and without delay, from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province Beyond the River.



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verse 8)



Oh God my Father You are my champion and my vindicator, You save me from the mouths and jaws of the jackals and the wolves that are ready to attack me. Right now I am surrounded by hungry wolves who are waiting for the right moment when I am found in my weakest position in order to make their final attack. I pray for Your constant protection, my God and Father Amen.


⁹ Whatever is needed-young bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests in Jerusalem require-let that be given to them day by day without fail, ¹⁰ so that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his children.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verses 9 to 10)



Oh God my Father during these times, these were the items needed in order to offer sacrifices to You, however in 2019 this is not the case, however You still appreciate if we find time to share with You in prayer and in devoting time of giving good service to those in need or maybe giving from the gifts talents and even financial means that You have generously given to us Amen.




¹¹ Furthermore I decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of the house of the perpetrator, who then shall be impaled on it. The house shall be made a dunghill.



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verse 11)




Oh God, my Father, lately there has been a proposal to alter the one and only prayer that You have given us. I pray that You do not permit this to take place Amen.  


¹² May the God who has established his name there overthrow any king or people that shall put forth a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree: let it be done with all diligence."


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verse 12)



Oh God my blessed Father, may we also consider Your decrees as being unalterable, such as decrees regarding marriage and that nobody can declare that a marriage never existed Amen. 


¹³ Then, according to the word sent by King Darius, Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what King Darius had ordered. 



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verse 13)


Oh God, my Father if the subjects of King Darius carried out their orders with diligence we are to do the same with much energy and motivation and not with dragging of feet. I pray that we consider our spiritual wellbeing as a serious issue of concern and take measures in order to address and sustain it Amen.



¹⁴ So the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of the prophet Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished their building by command of the God of Israel and by the decree of Cyrus, Darius and King Artaxerxes of Persia; ¹⁵ and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verses 14 to 15)



Oh God my beloved Father, when the rulers of the world unite in obedience with Your way, the results are outstanding. Therefore tonight I pray for unity among world rulers so that in a spirit of unity we would then be ready to be united in fulfilling Your ways my God and Father Amen.



¹⁶ The people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verse 16)


Oh God my Father when we experience separation from You and then are reunited our happiness is complete, however, when we meet You every day in time we may start taking You for granted. I pray that my joy and happiness in You and with You is always renewed Amen.


¹⁷ They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verse 17)


Oh God, my Father, I thank You for reminding me of the need of confession, for lately, I have not been to confess my sins. I pray that You make me more aware of them since due to my separation from my wife, my life has become more peaceful and stable. Amen.


¹⁸ Then they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verse 18)


Oh God my Father, I thank You for the structure and hierarchy that You have given to the Roman Catholic Church and to other churches. I pray that You bless us with more priests in order to continue being of service in our spiritual walk towards Heaven our home Amen.


¹⁹ On the fourteenth day of the first month the returned exiles kept the Passover. ²⁰ For both the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were clean. So they killed the Passover Lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verses 19 to 20)


Oh God my Father, brothers and sisters, many times challenging experiences such as the loss of a loved one, or separation makes us think about our past and reflect to the point of seeking confession and our souls feel renewed. I pray for those of us who are making a fresh experience of their faith in a more profound and intimate way Amen.


²¹ It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by all who had joined them and separated themselves from the pollutions of the nations of the land to worship the LORD, the God of Israel. ²² With joy they celebrated the festival of unleavened bread seven days; for the LORD had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel. 


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 6 verses 21 to 22)


Oh God, my Father I would like to conclude this meditation on the sixth chapter of the Book of Ezra with the following prayer:



I pray today for anybody who is experiencing a crisis in his belief in God that they reflect on their previous life and reflect on the good works that God has changed into their favour. On the other hand, I pray for those who have recently made a new experience in their relationship with God, so that they remain open to the Holy Spirit and never resist his ways. I also pray for those who consider themselves as being, convinced Roman Catholics so that they evaluate if they are really true believers or if they are still believing as a habit or to be socially accepted or for other reasons Amen. I pray that we all reflect on our reasons for believing in You my God and Father and I hope that we all find good reasons so that our faith will continue to be strengthened Amen. May God bless us all and help us keep the flame of faith burning now and forever. 

The Book of Ezra Chapter 5

The Book of Ezra 

Chapter 5

¹ Now the prophets, Haggal and Zechariah son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.

(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verse 1)

Oh God, my Father, even though we cannot see You with our physical eyes, although there are some who have made this rich experience, You are always there watching over us, like the Shepherd who is always watching over His lambs and sheep in order to ensure their well being. I pray that as always You continue to do so especially in this time of crisis that I am passing through Amen.




² Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set out to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem; and with them there were the prophets of God, helping them.







(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verse 2)




Oh God my blessed Father I also wish to rebuild the House of God that dwells within me. I wish to furnish it and purify it so that in my body and soul You could find a worthy dwelling place Amen.




³ At the same time Tattenal the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus, "Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?"




(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verse 3)

 


Oh God my Father, the world is full of laws and legislation that one becomes aware of them when one breaks such laws such as when a person is fined for a contravention and decides to contest it. Or when one is accused of a serious crime. I pray oh God my Father, that we adhere to Your ways as much and even more than we adhere to the ways of the world Amen.




⁴ They also asked them this, "What are the names of the men who are building this building?" ⁵ But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report reached Darius and then answer was returned by letter in reply to it.




(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verses 4 to 5)





Oh God my beloved Father I thank You for being so fair and reasonable. You made it clear to me that a letter or decree or Court Summons is to be treated likewise and not with aggression or violence. I pray that on Monday at Court I be calm and receptive. I pray that You also keep an eye on me, so that I keep calm and not lose control over myself Amen.  




⁶ The copy of the letter that Tattenal the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates the envoys who were in the province Beyond the Tiver sent to King Darius; ⁷ they sent him a report, in which was written as follows: "To Darius the king all peace!



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verses 6 to 7)




Oh God many letters are sent some with good intentions and some with not so good intentions. I pray that when we communicate in such ways we be careful not to hurt others especially when considering that communication is not reversible and that such letters can end up in the possession of the wrong persons Amen.




⁸ May it be known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built of hewn stone, and timber is laid in the walls; this work is being done diligently and prospers in their hands. ⁹ Then we spoke to those elders and asked them, 'Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?'




(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verses 8 to 9)

 


Oh, brothers and sisters to whom do we owe our religious life, our values, who inseminated this love for Jesus Christ in us if not the Holy Spirit himself. I thank You oh God my Father for having so and pray that You continue maintaining Your presence that dwells inside of us Amen.




¹⁰ We also asked them their names, for your information, so that we might write down the names of the men at their head.




(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verse 10)




Oh God my Father I publicly declare that You are my God and Father the reason for my existence. Amen.




¹¹ This was their reply to us: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.




(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verse 11)

 


Oh God my Father, if I am ever to be questioned the purpose of why I am praying by means of this blog, my reply would be very similar. I am praying to the most high and loving God. I am his servant who is being used in repair and maintenance of a Church that HE founded many years ago and which according to His Holy Will is still in existence Amen.




¹² But because our ancestors had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia.




(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verse 12)




  Oh God my Father when we live according to Your ways Your blessings will fall on us, however when we decide to go our ways we experience the consequences of our actions and end up in serious trouble Amen.





¹³ However, King Cyrus of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt.




(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verse 13) 

 


Oh God my beloved Father, You are the one who allows us to experience tribulations and crisis, however on the other hand You are the one who delivers us out of the situation of crisis. I thank You for doing so my God and Father Amen. 




¹⁴ Moreover, the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem and had brought into the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. ¹⁵ He said to him, "Take these vessels; go and put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site."





(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verses 14 to 15) 





Oh God my Father, precious articles such as chalices that are consecrated items are to remain in the possession of the Roman Catholic Church or other churches where the Holy Eucharist is celebrated. Such items are never to be stolen Amen as in the following video clip credited to WDSU NEWS.




Case of stolen Chalices  





¹⁶ Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and from time to time until now it has been under construction, and it is not yet finished.




(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verse 16)





Oh God my beloved Father, it is more than true that the Roman Catholic Church and its followers such as myself are not the finished product but works in progress. I pray that as Master Builder You continue the design until the project reaches the aim for which it was built Amen.





¹⁷ And now, if it seems good to the king, have a search made in the royal archives there in Babylon to see whether a decree was issued by King Cyrus for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. Let the king send us his pleasure in this matter."




(The Book of Ezra Chapter 5 verse 17)





Oh God my Father some of us tend to believe in You but not in the Roman Catholic Church, however it was You Yourself who gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter and the related authority. It was You who wanted new disciples to be elected. You Yourself taught us how to pray and what to pray and You Yourself wanted us to keep on commemorating this way of worship to the very day. I pray that You keep on updating us by means of the Holy Spirit so that the Roman Catholic Church and other churches will keep on fulfilling the roles that You gave to them and keep on saving many souls from perdition Amen.




Oh God my Father, I would like to end this meditation on the fifth chapter on the book of Ezra with the following prayer.




Dear Brothers and Sisters in all the churches including the Roman Catholic Church, may all who have been given gifts by the Holy Spirit use them for the benefit of the same church and its followers. May we be active and not passive. This is a time of unity and renewal, may we all be united under the power of the Holy Spirit and let ourselves be led by Him Amen. 

 
 


 

The Book of Ezra Chapter 4

The Book of Ezra 

Chapter 4

¹ When the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the LORD the God of Israel, ² they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of families and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of King Esar-haddon of Assyria who brought us here."

(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 1 to 2)

Oh God my Father, when somebody asks to help us, one may have his or her agenda in the background. The intention may be anything but that of helping. The 'helper' may be a 'Pawn' in the hands of others as a means by which to obtain information. Therefore before accepting such help it is better to stop and pray on You, my God in order for us to discern if this source of help is from You or not before making our decision. May God bless genuine helpers and hinder the works of impostors Amen.


³ But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of families in Israel said to them, "You shall have no part with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus of Persia has commanded us."


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 1 to 3) 


Oh God my Father when You gave me this calling to share my prayers online I invited others in order to help me, however, in time You showed me that You desired this blog from me and not from others that I had appointed to help me.  Therefore I continue to bless You and praise Your name forever and ever Amen. 


⁴ Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and made them afraid to build, ⁵ and they bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 4 to 5)

Oh God my Father when You encourage us to follow Your or to take an important step in our relationship with You all hell breaks loose. The enemy starts planning to persecute us up to the point of our feeling sad and discouraged. I pray for all who are experiencing such situations to keep their eyes planted on You my God and Father, for in Your good time You will deliver us from all our crisis. Amen. 


⁶ In the reign of Ahasuerus, in his accession year, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.   



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verse 6)


Oh God my Father, blessed are we when we suffer persecution for doing what is right and according to Your will, for I prefer to be ridiculed and persecuted for doing Your will than to be condemned for not having done it Amen.


⁷And in the days of Artaxerxes Bishlam and MIthredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associate wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia: the letter was written in Aramaic and translated. ⁸ Rehum the royal deputy and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows ⁹ (then Rehum the royal deputy, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the envoys, the officials, the Persians, the people of Erech, the Babylonians, the people of Susa, that is, the Elamites, ¹⁰ and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River wrote-and now ¹¹this is a copy of the letter that they sent):"To King Atraxerxes: Your servants, the people of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now ¹² may it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city; they are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 7 to 12)



Oh God my beloved Father, communication is one action that cannot be put to an end, for in some way or another we do it all the time both verbally and non verbally, however we need to be very careful, for when we communicate as in a letter or email, the contents of the letter can be re produced and even used as a means against us. I remember when I had to delete eight chapters of the blog of the book of Genesis, due to the fact that I had unjustly been accused of plagiarism. In many situations emails are printed or forwarded as evidence, therefore I am to be very careful in what and how to communicate due to the reaction that it can cause which can be both positive and negative. Amen.


¹³ Now may it be known to the king that, if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be reduced.


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 7 to 13) 


Oh God my beloved Father sometimes people try to project a bad impression on me by saying all kind of things about me however You have the power to turn such negative things into positive ones. Thank You Jesus Amen.


¹⁴ Now because we share the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, ¹⁵ so that a search may be made in the annals of your ancestors. You will discover in the annals that this is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from long ago. On that account this city was laid to waste.



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 14 to 15)



Oh God my Father, we do not only share the salt of the palace, we are the salt of the palace, and as Roman Catholics and Christians we are to keep on adding the salty taste of Faith wherever we go. If we go back in time Christianity had to face many trials and tribulations for Your Name my God and Father as it is still facing today, however You are always with us Amen.


¹⁶ We make known to the king that, if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.'


(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verse 16)



As the accusers informed the king, if the city was rebuilt it would be dedicated to You and no other king would have control over it. Anybody who has experienced Your interventions as did Your chosen people and those in the neghboring towns and villages, could have testified to the conquests that were achieved through Your mighty presence. Amen. When we are acting in Your presence, and according to Your will success is always at hand Amen. 



¹⁷ The king sent an answer: "To Rehum the royal deputy and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now ¹⁸ the letter that you sent to us has been read in translation before me. ¹⁹ So I made a decree, and someone searched and discovered that this city has risen against kings from long ago, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 17 to 19) 



Oh God my Father, it is a pity that many times when assessing a person or a situation we tend to focus on the past than on the present. Moreover it may be the case that the person in question may be labelled as based on situations in the history of one's family that he or she has never had a part of. Many times such outcomes are unfair and are based on reasons that are not totally valid and objective. I pray that we be more aware of such decisions Amen


²⁰ Jerusalem has had mighty kings who ruled over the whole over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll were paid. ²¹ Therefore issue an order that these people be made to cease, and that this city not be rebuilt, untill I make a decree.



(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 20 to 21)


Oh God my Father many times we tend to dwell and focus on the negative instead of on the positive as in the case of our friend the king. Instead of considering that as in the case of other kings his revenue could increase he focused on the negative facts given to him by those who were negatively biased against the project. I pray oh God my Father that I am always aware of the presence of negative biases and do my best with Your help not to be negatively influenced by them Amen. 


²² Moreover, take care not to be slack in this matter; why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?"




(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verse 22)



Oh God my Father as much as the people of these times were careful not to bring pain and suffering to the heart of their king, we also are to remain alert not to do the same to You my God and Father Amen.


²³ Thus when the copyof King Artaxerxes letter was read before Rehum and the scribe Shimshal and their associates, they hurried to the Jews in Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease. ²⁴  At that time the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped and was discontinued until the second year of King Darius of Persia.




(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 23 to 24)



Oh God my beloved Father, at the present I am also facing pressure on all sides in relation to the sharing of these  prayers online. I am sorry if for some time I would have  to stop publishing but if it is according to Your will I will continue Amen


Oh God my beloved Father, I would like to end the fourth chapter of the book of Ezra with the following prayer:



Oh God my beloved Father, any project that has your backing will experience hostility, because the forces of evil will stop at nothing to bring Your good works to an end, even this blog, however my prayer now and forever in my life will always be the same:

"May Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven Amen"