Dear friends,
In these modern times many believers cannot relate to a tyrannical king who is so despicable that he even burns his own baby son as a sacrifice. Especially a king who is the son of a renowned predecessor king, one given extra years to live by God after a wasting illness…and his Christian father. His father? King Hezekiah. Our dear brother.
Well, consider this please. The modern Santa Claus Jesus gospel in the west and perpetrated throughout the digital world does not effectively address the following: deep, life threatening punishment by God in order to gain our attention; passionate crying, begging and beseeching the Lord Almighty for deliverance; and active pursuit of Him until the answer is delivered…”lest He weary me (Luke 18).”
Manasseh was the most evil Judean king ever, the longest reigning king at fifty five years, having asce
nded the throne as co-regent with his father at age twelve. Yet God…
He was saved in the dungeons of the Assyrian king who captured and deported him to their capital in chains. This, even after as most believe, he had the prophet Isaiah, his father’s favorite, sawn in half alive in a hollow tree after his repeatedly rebuke to repent (Hebrews 11). Amazing grace, indeed.
When he was miraculously restored to his throne later, he then spent his time purging the land of the evil things he initially promoted. But he was always known as an evil king. That was his moniker, even in the Word.
This is what is called The Prayer of Manasseh, King of Judah, Hezekiah’s evil son, when he was held captive in Babylon and was consequently converted to Christ. It is the title of a short penitential Psalm. It was written in Greek, and is divided into fifteen verses; and this division has been very generally adopted.
The Psalm consists of (a) an invocation of our Lord God Almighty (vv. 1–7), (b) a confession of sin (vv. 8–10), and (c) an entreaty for forgiveness (vv. 11–15).
The authenticity of the prayer has always been called into question. But we know from the content and the heart’s cry that this is a man in deep contrition and is begging and beseeching our Lord for the spiritual help that only He can deliver. Only the prayer’s archaic outdated King James type English words have been changed.
You’ll notice this is not a modern type humanistic prayer that uses God primarily as a lap dog, where He does our bidding. There is no hint of the current practice of modern narcissistic humanism.
THE PRAYER OF MANASSEH
1 O Lord Almighty, Who is in heaven, the God of our fathers, of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and of their righteous seed;
2 You who have made the heaven and the earth, with all the array thereof:
3 Who have bound the sea by the word of Your command;
4 Who has shut up the Deep, and sealed it with Your terrible and glorious Name;
5 Whom all things do dread; yes, they tremble before Your power: For the majesty of Your glory cannot be borne, and the anger of Your threatening against sinners is unendurable:
6 Infinite and unsearchable is Your merciful promise;
7 For You are the Lord Most High, of great compassion, long-suffering and abundant in mercy, and You repent for the evils of men. You, O Lord, according to Your great goodness have promised repentance and forgiveness to them that have sinned against You; and in the multitude of Your mercies have appointed repentance unto sinners, that they may be saved.
8 You, therefore, O Lord, are the God of the righteous, have not appointed repentance unto the righteous, unto Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob, which have not sinned against You: but You have appointed repentance unto me that am a sinner; for the sins I have sinned are more in number than the sands of the sea.
9 For my transgressions were multiplied, O Lord: My transgressions were multiplied, and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven by reason of the multitude of my iniquities. And now, O Lord, I am justly punished and deservedly afflicted; for lo! I am in captivity,
10 Bowed down with many an iron chain, so that I cannot lift up mine head by reason of my sins, neither have I any respite: because I provoked Your wrath, and did that which was evil in Your sight. I did not do Your will, neither kept I Your commandments, I set up abominations, and multiplied detestable things.
11 And now I bow the knee of my heart, beseeching You of Your gracious goodness.
12 I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge my iniquities.
13 But, I humbly beseech You, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me, and destroy me not with My iniquities. Neither, in Your continual anger against me, layup evil in store for me: nor pass the sentence against me, when I am in the lowest parts of the earth. For You, O Lord, are the God of them that repent;
14 And in me You will show forth all Your goodness: for You will save me, unworthy that I am, according to Your great mercy.
15 And I will praise You forever all the days of my life: for all the host of heaven does sing Your praise, and Yours is the glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
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Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,
Marc
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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!
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Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org
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