Jeremiah 14:1 - Prayer Tents

Jeremiah 14

Judah’s Terrible Drought

14This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord, explaining why he was holding back the rain.H1697H3068H3414H1697H12262“Judah wilts; commerce at the city gates grinds to a halt. All the people sit on the ground in mourning, and a great cry rises from Jerusalem.H3063H56H8179H535H6937H776H6682H3389H59273The nobles send servants to get water, but all the wells are dry. The servants return with empty pitchers, confused and desperate, covering their heads in grief.H117H7971H6810H4325H935H1356H1360H4672H4325H7725H3627H7387H954H3637H2645H72184The ground is parched and cracked for lack of rain. The farmers are deeply troubled; they, too, cover their heads.H127H2865H1653H776H406H954H2645H72185Even the doe abandons her newborn fawn because there is no grass in the field.H365H3205H7704H5800H18776The wild donkeys stand on the bare hills panting like thirsty jackals. They strain their eyes looking for grass, but there is none to be found.”H6501H5975H8205H7602H7307H8577H5869H3615H62127The people say, “Our wickedness has caught up with us, Lord, but help us for the sake of your own reputation. We have turned away from you and sinned against you again and again.H3068H5771H6030H6213H8034H4878H7231H23988O Hope of Israel, our Savior in times of trouble, why are you like a stranger to us? Why are you like a traveler passing through the land, stopping only for the night?H4723H3478H3467H6256H6869H1616H776H732H5186H38859Are you also confused? Is our champion helpless to save us? You are right here among us, Lord. We are known as your people. Please don’t abandon us now!”H376H1724H1368H3201H3467H3068H7130H7121H8034H324010So this is what the Lord says to his people: “You love to wander far from me and do not restrain yourselves. Therefore, I will no longer accept you as my people. Now I will remember all your wickedness and will punish you for your sins.”H559H3068H5971H157H5128H2820H7272H3068H7521H2142H5771H6485H2403

The Lord Forbids Jeremiah to Intercede

11Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for these people anymore.H559H3068H6419H5971H289612When they fast, I will pay no attention. When they present their burnt offerings and grain offerings to me, I will not accept them. Instead, I will devour them with war, famine, and disease.”H6684H8085H7440H5927H5930H4503H7521H3615H2719H7458H169813Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, their prophets are telling them, ‘All is well—no war or famine will come. The Lord will surely send you peace.’”H559H162H136H3069H5030H559H7200H2719H7458H5414H571H7965H472514Then the Lord said, “These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts.H3068H559H5030H5012H8267H8034H7971H6680H1696H5012H8267H2377H7081H457H434H8649H382015Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my name even though I never sent them. They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine!H559H3068H5030H5012H8034H7971H559H2719H7458H776H2719H7458H5030H855216As for the people to whom they prophesy—their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and war. There will be no one left to bury them. Husbands, wives, sons, and daughters—all will be gone. For I will pour out their own wickedness on them.H5971H5012H7993H2351H3389H6440H7458H2719H6912H1992H802H1121H1323H8210H745117Now, Jeremiah, say this to them: “Night and day my eyes overflow with tears. I cannot stop weeping, for my virgin daughter—my precious people—has been struck down and lies mortally wounded.H559H1697H5869H3381H1832H3915H3119H1820H1330H1323H5971H7665H1419H7667H3966H2470H434718If I go out into the fields, I see the bodies of people slaughtered by the enemy. If I walk the city streets, I see people who have died of starvation. The prophets and priests continue with their work, but they don’t know what they’re doing.”H3318H7704H2491H2719H935H5892H8463H7458H5030H3548H5503H776H3045

A Prayer for Healing

19Lord, have you completely rejected Judah? Do you really hate Jerusalem?

Why have you wounded us past all hope of healing? We hoped for peace, but no peace came. We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.H3988H3988H3063H5315H1602H6726H5221H4832H6960H7965H2896H6256H4832H120520Lord, we confess our wickedness and that of our ancestors, too. We all have sinned against you.H3045H3068H7562H5771H1H239821For the sake of your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us. Do not disgrace your own glorious throne. Please remember us, and do not break your covenant with us.H5006H8034H5034H3678H3519H2142H6565H128522Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us.H3426H1892H1471H1652H8064H5414H7241H3068H430H6960H6213