Ezekiel 36:37“Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock.
Daniel 9:2-3 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. 3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
A few days ago, I shared a quote from B.J. Willhite, and today I want to delve deeper into his powerful insight. He wrote, “The law of prayer is the highest law of the universe—it can overcome the other laws by sanctioning God’s intervention. When implemented properly, the law of prayer permits God to exercise His sovereignty in a world under the dominion of a rebel with free will, in a universe governed by natural law.”
Prayer is the key that unlocks the storehouse of God’s promises. Ezekiel 36 reveals a profound truth: God had declared that Israel would be restored as a nation, yet He said, “I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them” (v. 37). Even after declaring His sovereign will, God still expected prayer to bring it to pass.
This principle is vividly illustrated in Daniel 9. Daniel recognized through Jeremiah’s prophecy that the appointed time for Israel’s deliverance had arrived. Instead of merely declaring the promise, he humbled himself with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes, pouring out a prayer of repentance. Daniel stepped into God’s prophetic plan through prayer!
Why does God require prayer? Because in a world where human free will reigns and natural law governs, prayer gives God the legal right to intervene. It is the divine principle that allows heaven’s will to be executed on earth.
Yeshua (Jesus) taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Prayer’s purpose is to align earth with heaven and open the door for God’s intervention.
God has positioned us for this moment — “for such a time as this” — to usher in His Kingdom. If we truly grasp our roles as Kings and Priests of the Most High, we will walk in His prophetic plan, expecting Him to move supernaturally. Invite Him to move into your life, family, and every situation you face. By doing so, you are granting God the authority to intervene powerfully in every area of your life.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
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Last week, we discussed the significance of Jerusalem in the culmination of the age. Here, we’ll continue to scratch that surface. The word “Jerusalem” is so rich with meaning that a single devotion will only begin to unpack it; there are so many etymological approaches. But most agree that the root letters at the end, שלם (shalem) spell a Hebrew word requiring numerous English words to fully comprehend including, “perfect”, “complete”, “sound”, “whole”, “harmony”, “peace”, etc. In addition, the concept of payment is present, as לשלם (leshalem), “to pay”, also suggests “reward”.
When God set apart the Seventh Day it was after He Himself had worked for six, and then rested. Shabbat is therefore, “primordial” in a real sense, something established from the beginning of time. This makes the pattern of working six days and resting on the seventh something fundamental to human existence, and something exceedingly blessed.
The expectation of the coming Kingdom of God is intimately connected with the restoration of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. The preceding passage describes Zion in labor, as once again, we find the metaphor of birth used to convey this scriptural promise. It is a national gestation which will not be aborted, but will come to fruition. But first, before this labor begins…a “male child” is born… This can be none other than Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, Israel’s King, Himself, arriving beforehand, (on a donkey, at that), quite some time before the labor which gives birth to the nation; and causing the prophet to wonder if a nation can be born in a day.
Yesterday, we began our series of devotions focused on the birthing of the Kingdom. Continuing to develop these insights, let’s look at day 2 of creation and its focus upon water.
Here’s an interesting fact about American church history that you may not know. Years ago, when the first New England churches were designed, they were built with clear windows rather than the stained glass ones we see so often today — and the graveyard was usually built in the churchyard, which would normally be seen from the pulpit. Why?
For several years now, I’ve been focusing on the Kingdom of God, a central theme of Yeshua’s preaching [Luke 4:43], and will be offering a series of devotions on this topic with particular emphasis on our present season, which I believe portends the birthing of this Kingdom. A study of the gestation process from conception to birth yields insight as a natural parallel into the historical process we’re witnessing and taking part in. This theme will be developed in the coming days.
Yeshua (Jesus) began His earthly ministry by being baptized in the Jordan river. The word Jordan in Hebrew is “Yarden” and its root is “yarad”. It literally means to descend, which would make sense being that the Jordan descends from over 8,000 feet from Mount Hermon to the Dead Sea which sits more than 1,000 feet below sea level.