Repent And Receive

14 hours ago

4 min read

Here we are, at the end of a week of being reminded, refreshed and regenerated in Jesus’ command and covenant to us, His Church, about prayer. We were brought to see our Lord’s sworn promise of what we will receive, as we pray. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. Luke 11: 9.

However, too many believers, too many of our Lord’s Body, are not living the promise of prayer. The Body of Christ is in a sad, sorrowful state, because of her distraction by the world. Other voices have made her move away from what her Head and Master has commanded and covenanted in prayer. Here is a clear picture of where we are in this hour, we who are the people of God. It has been revealed to us, through this time in the lives of God’s chosen people, His Israel. It comes from Judges 2: 1 – 5.

First, we must be fixed in our minds that this is specifically about God’s people, His own called and chosen people. We must accept this, as we previously did about the fact that Jesus was teaching His own, His called and chosen people, to pray. He was not speaking to the world. From the passage of Scripture, we are told that the Angel, God in His chosen Form, has come to where His people are, to speak to them about their disobedience to Him.

The place of Remembering – The Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said. Judges 2: 1a. Is it not true that Jesus has come to us, where we are, bringing back to memory, all that has been promised when in prayer, we ask, seek and knock? The Angel left the Sanctuary and Sweetness of Gilgal, to come to the Sanctioning and Bitterness of Bochim. Is this not true of our Lord, and where His Church is at the moment? Has He not come to us, where we are in our place of, disobedience to prayer?

The place of Reminding - And said: I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, I will never break My covenant with you. Judges 2: 1b. God reminds His people of facts which are eternally sealed, unshakable and unalterable. Is it not true that Jesus has just reminded us of facts about prayer, which are sealed in Him?

The place of Rebuking – And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars. But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Judges 2: 2. God is strongly rebuking His people for turning away from His Word and listening to the people around. Is this not true of Jesus, who has given us His sealed and covenanted promise in prayer? Albeit, we have opted to go the way of others, of what has become traditional talk, and believe all that has now become the norm about prayer and praying.

The place of Receiving – Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out before you: but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you. Judges 2: 3. How sad, how utterly sad! God’s people of promise, people holding untold blessings, are in this miserable state today. This is the case, because they have refused to listen and obey what God commanded them to do. Is this not true of our Lord’s Blessed Body? We, the Church, have failed to do as Jesus said about prayer and we are suffering all kinds of sick thorns in our spiritual sides. The world’s ways on prayer, which we have made our gods, are now our crippling snares. Are we not receiving, at the Hand of our Lord, what we have asked for?

The place of Repenting – So it was, when the Angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept. Judges 2: 4. All Israel heard and they were immediately subdued in heart and repented of their disobedience. Will this not be our response too? We have seen and felt, and know the failure we have been experiencing in prayer. We have been shown our friendship with the world’s ways and words, and how we have been unable to actualize the promise of prayer. Convicted by the Holy Spirit this must be our Bochim, our weeping.

The place of Returning - Then they called the name of that place Bochim; and they sacrificed there to the LORD. Judges 2: 5. The children of God, in that place of deep weeping, turned fully to their God and sacrificed to Him. What wonderful fruit of repenting and returning!

Church of Jesus, Body of Jesus, Bride of Jesus, Beloved of Jesus, with the enabling of the Convicting and Reinstating Holy Spirit, let us weep before our Lord. Let us offer to our Lord the sacrifice of each repentant member, collectively and individually.