Hosea 1 Again - Praying God's Word

Please read Hosea 1 again.

Meditate on verses 10.

Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea,

which cannot be measured or numbered;

and in the place where it was said to them, “You are not My people,”

It will be said to them, “You are the sons of the living God.”

There can be little doubt that life was not turning out the way Hosea had planned. He must have felt like Moses at the burning bush, “I’m supposed to do what?!” or Peter asking, “Did You really say we can eat this stuff?” (Exodus 3-4; Acts 10).

Hosea was told to do the unspeakable for an upright Jew and prophet of God. God commanded him to marry a prostitute and have children of prostitution as an illustration of Israel’s adulterous behavior toward Him. Hosea obeyed; he married a prostitute named Gomer.

As living illustrations, their children were named to reveal God’s judgments:

- The firstborn was a son named Jezreel. God will destroy Israel in the valley of Jezreel (Hosea 1:4-5).

- The second was a daughter named Lo-Ruhamah meaning, “not pitied or no compassion.” God will not have compassion on Israel (Hosea 1:6).

- The third child was a son named Lo-Ammi meaning, “not My people.” God said to Israel, “You are not My people, and I am not your God” (Hosea 1:9).

Because idol worship was rampant in Israel and the worship of the true God was corrupted or non-existent, God was going to have no pity and totally destroy Israel. Yet verse 10 begins the theme of the remnant. The remnant was a group of people who survived the judgment by God’s divine will and reformed with His blessings. Believers in Christ understand what it means to be saved from a judgment of death to life as “sons of the living God” (Hosea 1:10).

Pray Hosea 1:10-11b over Israel and those for whom you stand guard as faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD thank You that the number of the sons of Israel

will be like the sand of the sea, which
cannot be measured or numbered.


And in the place where it was said to
them, ‘You are not My people,’


It will be said to them, ‘You are the sons of the living God.’

 Thank you that the sons of Judah and the sons
of Israel will be gathered together,


and they will appoint for themselves one leader, Jesus.

Jesus, cause _________ to appoint You as their leader.

 LORD, please make them Your sons.


In Your name, Jesus~”

Hosea 1 - Praying God's Word

Please read Hosea 1.

Meditate on verses 1-2.

The word of the LORD which came to Hosea the
 son of Beeri,

 during the days of Uzziah, Jotham,
 Ahaz, and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah,


and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

When the LORD first spoke through
Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea,

“Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry
and have children of harlotry;


for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD.”

The book of Hosea divinely reveals God’s compassionate nature and love for you. In order to better understand this prophetic writing from 2750 years ago, it is helpful to set the background of the letter in the history of Israel. In 1445 BC, Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. In 1405 BC, they entered the promised land of Canaan. The Period of the Judges followed. During this 350-year period, the 12 tribes cooperated together and were led by judges during times of crisis. The tribes united in 1050 BC and formed a monarchy led by Saul, David, and Solomon. Following Solomon’s reign, the nation divided. The northern tribes formed the kingdom known as Israel in 922 BC. It is sometimes called Ephraim. The southern kingdom was called Judah.

Hosea established his tenure of ministry by listing the kings of Judah. An Israelite himself, Hosea listed his own king, Jeroboam II. Jeroboam was the great-grandson of King Jehu. God promised King Jehu He would delay His judgment on the idolatrous northern kingdom for four generations. When Jeroboam II died around 750 BC, the judgment on Israel began. God wanted Israel to know He was judging them for their spiritual adultery of idol worship, yet His undying love would always offer them the opportunity to return to Him.

God said in Exodus 20:3-6:

You shall have no other gods before Me.

You
shall not make for yourself an idol,


or any likeness of what is in heaven above

 or on the earth beneath

or in the water under the earth.

You shall
not worship them or serve them;


for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,

 visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children,

on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,

but showing lovingkindness to thousands,

 to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

As a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7), pray Hosea 1:2 as a prayer of confession to your LORD.

“Forgive ________ and me when we commit flagrant harlotry,

 forsaking You, LORD!


Forgive my country because the land commits flagrant harlotry,

 forsaking You, LORD!


May we have no other gods before You.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Jude - Praying God's Word

Please read Jude.

Meditate on verse 3b.

Contend earnestly for the faith

which was once for all handed down to the saints.

Jude, like James, was also a half-brother of Jesus Christ who made no claim to this fact. Like James, he referred to himself as a bond- servant of Jesus Christ. A risen Savior turned a skeptical, scoffing brother into a faithful follower (John 7:1-9; Mark 3:20-21).

Jude wrote his letter because people in the church had to be warned. There were mockers in church who followed after their own ungodly lusts. They caused divisions; they were worldly-minded and devoid of the Spirit (Jude 1:18-19). These were people in church, even partaking of the LORD’s Supper as if they were believers in Jesus Christ, yet they were doubly dead, uprooted, and the black darkness had been reserved for them forever (Jude 1:12-13).

God included this letter in the Bible as a letter of warning to you. Attending church and taking communion does not make a person a Christian. Examine people’s behavior; examine your own behavior.

Pray Jude 1:20-21 and 24-25 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, build ________ and me on our most holy faith.

Keep us praying in the Holy Spirit.


Keep us in Your love, God,

as we wait anxiously for the mercy of our LORD Jesus Christ to eternal life.


You are able to keep us from stumbling.


Make us stand in the presence of Your
glory blameless with great joy.


To You, the only God our Savior,

 through Jesus Christ our LORD,

be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority,


before all time and now and forever.

Amen~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

3 John - Praying God's Word

Please read 3 John.

Meditate on verse 4.

I have no greater joy than this,

to hear of my  children walking in the truth.

In all three of John’s letters, truth is a key repeated word. He wanted his readers to be walking in truth, to be fellow workers with the truth, to have a good testimony based on the truth.

The world today wages war on truth. A secular pop singer said, “I am telling you a lie in a vicious effort to get you to repeat my lie until it becomes the truth.” With an estimated 125 million singles sold, the lies propagated by this one singer are repeated over and over and over.

John exhorted his readers, “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God” (3 John 1:11).

John knew his testimony was true because he knew the Word of God (3 John 1:12).

What is your testimony? Is it based on truth or lies? What and who do you imitate? Would God call you evil or good?

Pray 3 John 1:2-4 over those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, I pray in all respects that __________ may prosper

 and be in good health just as their soul prospers.

 Let brethren come and testify
to how they are walking in the truth.

 I have no greater joy than this,

to hear of my children walking in the truth.

 In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

2 John - Praying God's Word

Please read 2 John.

Meditate on verse 9.

Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ,

 does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching,

he has both the Father and the Son.

John wrote a second letter for the sake of the truth. He loved the children of God and wanted to be sure they were walking in the truth. John commanded his readers not to greet or receive into their homes people who did not abide in the teaching of Christ (2 John 1:9-10). Greeting or joyfully receiving a deceiver is participating in his evil deeds (2 John 1:11).

God wants you to take this letter seriously. Who and what do you receive into your home? Think about the friends, movies, shows, music, internet sites, entertainers, magazines, and books that are in your home. How do they compare to the truth of God? God says do not greet or receive into your house anyone or anything contradictory to the teaching of Christ. Remember you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you (1 Corinthians 3:16). Do not allow deception into your mind or the minds of those God has placed in your care. You are commanded by the Father to walk in truth (2 John 1:4).

Pray 2 John 1:4 and 8 over those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, let me find _________ walking in Your truth.

 Father, help them obey Your commandment to do so.

 May they watch themselves
not to lose

what You have accomplished in them.

Let them receive Your full reward.


For the sake of Your Kingdom, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

1 John 5 - Praying God's Word

Please read 1 John 5.

Meditate on verse 19.

We know that we are of God,

and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

John wrote many truths in his letter for building your faith. You need these truths because your faith in God is what overcomes the world (1 John 5:4).

These truths also comfort you as you live in a world where people call good “evil” and evil “good.” It helps to know that such insanity is not a surprise to God. The words penned by John 2,000 years ago, describe the world today.

Take heart. Through John God wrote to “you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Remain strong because “the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:14). Do not doubt what you know about God because God has given you understanding to know Him who is true. If you are in Jesus Christ then you are in Him who is true. Jesus is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20).

These are doctrines to build your life on. Take a moment to reread the letter of 1 John. It is a letter written to you. Ask God to show you the truths you need for your life today.

Pray 1 John 5:18 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, as those born of You,
let ________ and me not keep on sinning.

God, keep us in You.
Do not let the evil one touch us.


For the sake of Your promises, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

1 John 4 - Praying God's Word

Please read 1 John 4.

Meditate on verse 4.

You are from God, little children,

and have overcome them;

because greater is He who is in you

 than he who is in the world.

If you are from God, then whom have you overcome? Who is God greater than? 1 John 4:1-3 says there are spirits of false prophets and the spirit of the antichrist in the world. If you are a child of God, you have overcome those spirits because the Holy Spirit in you is greater than the spirit of the antichrist. Knowing these doctrines strengthens your faith in Christ.

John also wrote about the spirit of truth and the spirit of error (1 John 4:6). If you are talking to someone who knows God, they will listen to you; if they are not from God, they will not listen to you. Do not be surprised when the world ignores the truth you want to tell them. Do not fear the spirit of error or the spirits of false prophets. They cannot harm you if you are in Christ because He is greater than any other spirit. Test the spirits to see whether they are from God and stand firm in God’s love and truth.

As a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7), pray 1 John 4:6, 13, 15, and 17 over someone who needs the love of Christ.

“LORD, please let ___________ listen to the spirit of truth,

 so they can receive Your Spirit.


May they confess You, Jesus, as the Son of God,


so You will abide in them and they in You.


Let Your love be perfected in them,

so they may have confidence in the day of judgment.

 In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell