The Book of Small Prophets Hosea Chapter 14

THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET

HOSEA 

CHAPTER 

14

1. Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. 2. Take words with you and return to the LORD; say to him, "Take away all guilt; accept that which is good, and we will offer the fruit of our lips.

(Book of Small Prophets Chapter 14 verses 1 to 2)

Oh God, my Father I also pray that You take away my guilt for I am also a great sinner, even though I confess my sins, time and time again I am still weak and end up repeating the same sin again and again. I am afraid that I also offer You lip service and that when I will face the final test in Your presence, I will not be worthy of appearing before You because of my sins. Amen. 

3. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more, 'Our God' to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy."


(Book of Small Prophets Chapter 14 verse 3)

Oh God my Father You are my only saviour and nobody or nothing can match or take Your place. Some may give their achievements unlimited value more than they really deserve. I pray oh God that 

I always keep this though in mind that neither work, career or even family can ever be an idol that competes with You my God and Father. Amen.



4. I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. 5. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily, he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon.


(Book of Small Prophets Chapter 14 verses 4 to 5)


Oh God, my father you love us so much, even though at times You vent Your anger like all parents as myself but in truth Your love is never ending my God and Father. Amen.



6. His shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like that of Lebanon. 7. They shall again live beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom like the vine. their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.


(Book of Small Prophets Chapter 14 verses 6 to 7)



Oh God once You deliver us our spirits will be renewed again. We will experience Your beauty so much that i twill reflect on us. We will start living in Yor presence again and we will have new life in us and be fruitful in all levels both the material and the spiritual. I thank You, my God and Father, for never giving up one me Amen.



8. O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; your faithfulness comes from me.



(Book of Small Prophets Chapter 14 verse 8)



Oh God my Father You have always been true and faithful to me but I have not always been true to my commitment. I pray for forgiveness oh God my Father.



9. Those who are wise understand these things; those things; those who are discerning know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.


(Book of Small Prophets Chapter 14 verse 9)



When meditating on Your Word or 'Good News' You make me aware of many issues that I had never stopped to reflect on them before. You enlighten me with a new perspective of how to view the world in light of the teachings found in Your Bible, the teachings of the Church and the messages that You pass on to me every time I meditate on Your 'Good News'. I thank You for such precious moments my God and Father. Amen.




I would like to end this last chapter of the book of the Prophet Hosea with the following prayer:-



Oh my, God and Father, I thank You for the many times that I have lost count of that You saved me out of my moments of Egypt crisis and pain. I ask for Your forgiveness for not always being faithful to Your Word, when You were always true to me. You love me so much. 


Thank You my God and Father

Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 3

Book of Small Prophets

Amos 

Chapter  

3

1. Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: 2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 3 verses 1 to 2)

Oh God, my Father I thank You for being in a relationship, with me throughout all these years, even before you created me, I was already part of Your plan for my salvation.  As one of Your many sons on earth, I welcome  and accept, Your chastisement for I know that I merit it and am also aware that it will help me grow both in my relationship with You and also as a human in my inner self Amen.


3.Do two walk together unless they have made an appointment? 4. Does a young lion cry out from its den if it has caught nothing? 5. Does a bird fall into  a snare on the earth when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground when it has taken nothing? 6. Is a trumpet blown in a city and the people are not afraid? Does disaster befall a city, unless the LORD has done it?




(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 3 verses 3 to 6)


Oh God, my Father there is nothing that is beyond Your control or that You are not aware of. You have control over everything and everyone, however, even though You have such authority You do not abuse it, by forcing us to love You and others and to live according to Your ways. Amen. 




7. Surely the LORD God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.



(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 3 verse 7) 



Oh God, my Father You love us so much that You always prepare us in some way for what is to happen next in our life. You create circumstances that raise our awareness so that nothing will come as a surprise Amen.  




8. The lion has roared who will not fear; The Lord God has spoken who can but prophesy?


(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 3 verse 8)




Oh God my Father during our times, we are so alienated, that even if a lion roars nobody will ever notice. People are going unnoticed and later on they are, being found dead in their homes, in the village core where the community is a close one. We are so centred on our self or on those of our inner circle that we are not aware of others who might be in needs. Our ears are blocked so that even if we hear Your prophesy it will not be effective. I am very sorry oh God my Father and plead for Your forgiveness Amen.    



9. Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod, and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, "Assemble yourselves on Mount Samaria and see what great tumults are within it, what oppressions are in its midst."


(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 3 verse 9)


Oh God, my Father our Mount Samaria can range from our inner self to our family or inner circles. A mountain is a high place where we can have a bird's eye view of the location. Likewise, from our vantage point, we can stop and look at our inner self and reflect on what could be creating chaos in our life, possibly our sins and seek to repent and change our ways Amen. 



10. They do not know how to do right, says the LORD, those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.



(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 3 verse 10)



Oh God my Father some of us for some reason practice self-harm on themselves intentionally and at times unintentionally. When biting one's fingernails one is harming the fine tissue beneath the nail and at times causing the finger to bleed. One may say that one is tense or anxious and when in such a state without being aware one, bites the nails and damages the skin. However, there are others who perform acts of self-harm such as whipping oneself which can have negative consequences on the body especially on a long term as in the following video clip that I recommend to be seen after it has been seen by parents.



Film showing acts of self-harm 



11. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: An adversary shall surround the land, and strip you of your defense: and your strongholds shall be plundered.



(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 3 verse 11)



Oh God my Father, the adversary is the evil spirit of Satan who is on the loose and is always ready to make us sin and turn against You my, God and Father. During such moments of prayer, I am still tempted more and more to do what is not according to Your will. God have mercy Amen.  


12. Thus says the LORD; As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who live in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part of a bed.


(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 3 verse 12)


Many times oh God my Father, You rescue us from our sins and their related consequences such as drug addiction or obsessive-compulsive disorder, however, we already may have done great harm to our minds and bodies and even our souls. Therefore our healing process will take longer, however ,You my, God are not limited by time and therefore You can heal us whenever You want to Amen.


13. Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob, says the Lord God, the God of hosts: 14. On the day I punish Israel for its transgressions, I will punish the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground. 15. I will tear down the winter house as well as the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall come to an end, says the LORD.



(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 3 verses 13 to 15)



Oh God, my Father I pray that You bring down Your wrath on us Your Church for we truly deserve it even in 2016. We have defiled the churches by being people who do not live what we have professed to believe. Our lives at times are contrary to what we are to live and then we come to church to receive You without no feeling of contrition. We are defiling the sanctity of Your presence in the Church.  I also pray that You tear down the riches and well-decorated areas of the Vatican and also the summer and winter houses, for even the Vatican has been contaminated by the sinful acts that have taken place.  I believe that You would never have chosen such a rich place to dwell in but somewhere reserved quiet and holy far away from the business of mankind, however, a place where all can come and have fellowship with You.  



Oh God, my Father I would like to end this third chapter of the book of the prophet Amos, with the following prayer.



Oh God my Father today I thank You for having called me to follow You. Even though I am a sinner. I pray that baptise the Roman Catholic Church and other churches with a new baptism. Cleanse and renew our souls with the power of the Holy Spirit so that we may be renewed in spirit and in faith Amen. Strip down anything and anyone that stands between You and us and that is hindering us from living our faith as we are to be Amen.


Thank You Jesus.  

Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 2

Book of Small Prophets

Amos 

Chapter  

2

Before reflecting on the second chapter of the book of the Small Prophet Amos I would like to share the following joke:-

Two prophets met on Mount Zion. One was a small prophet and one was a more established prophets. The more established prophet started boasting that his blessing was greater than that of the smaller

prophet. In protest the small prophet proclaimed that God created us all equal. The popular prophet replied " Ok then why are you referred to as a 'Small Prophet'!

1. Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom. 2. So I will send a fire on Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet; 3. I will cut off the ruler from its midst, and will kill all its officials with him says the LORD.


(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 2 verses 1 to 3)


Oh God my Father if Moab is to be judged in such a way, for having burnt to lime the bones of the King of Edom, how much more do we deserve to be burnt for the lives that were taken in the gas chambers and the beheadings and cases of rape and murder that are taking place in the world. In the name of such perpetrators I plead forgiveness both for myself as a sinner and even for the word at large Amen. 



4. Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes, but they have been led astray by the same lies after which their ancestors walked. 5. So I will send a fire on Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.


(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 2 verses 4 to 5)



Oh God my Father we also merit Your fire, for we have also broken Your commandments, one after the other .You told us not to kill and we commit murder, abort our young ones, meddle in embryos that contain life, meddle with the course of nature, wars, uprisings, injustice, poverty, corruption among many other which result in a lack of love which is the greatest commandment of them all Amen.



 6. Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals-7. they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way; father and son go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned; 8. they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink wine bought with fines that they imposed.


(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 2 verses 6 to 8)



Oh God my Father if You had to take into consideration our sins today, they are very similar to those of yesterday. I pray that as humanity we aim to improve and not become worse than our predecessors. Amen. 



9. Yet I destroyed  the Amorite before them whose height was like the height of cedars, and who was as strong as oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. 10. Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.


(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 2 verses 9 to 10)



Oh God my Father, words are not enough to thank You for the wonders that You have performed and are still performing in my life. On reflecting, I remember important events that took place, where the enemy was defeated, as in the time that I was unemployed. This was a big and powerful enemy, that You uprooted from the earth and destroyed from above. Oh God, there is none like You. I thank You, God my Father.


11. And I raised up some of your children to be prophets and some of your youths to be nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel says the LORD.


(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 2 verse 11)



Oh God my Father You did all things well, we needed vocations and You gave us vocations, we cried out for rain and may other issues and You responded to them. However, on the other hand, have we remained faithful in our commitment to You, my God and Father. This is an answer that we all have the responsibility of answering. At times oh God with Your divine help I have stood firm but at other times when I did not place my focus on You I sinned again and again. Mercy and forgiveness my God and Father. Amen. 



12. But you made the nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, "You shall not prophesy." 13. So, I will press you down in your place, just as a cart presses down when it is full of sheaves.



(Book of Prophets Amos Chapter 2 verses 12 to 13)



Oh God if You had to analyse our lives You would find many faults, however as humans, we always try to do our best to live according to Your ways. 



14. Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain their strength, nor shall the mighty save their lives; 15. those who handle the bow shall not stand, and those who are swift of foot shall not save themselves, nor shall those who ride horses save their lives; 16. and those who are stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, says the LORD.


(Book of Small Prophets Amos Chapter 2 verses 14 to 16)



Oh God my Father, if we ever had to stimulate Your anger, even though You are a kind and merciful Father, I could not imagine the terror that we would experience, for even though humans may think that with all the advances in nuclear energy, warheads and arms, we cannot stand a chance against You and the forces of heaven. For You are in control of both the natural and even the supernatural. If You were to command the sea to cover the earth, nobody on earth could ever stop You. Amen.


Oh God my Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-



Oh God, my Father I pray for mercy, mercy and more mercy! For although there are many good people on the earth, there are also others, whose hearts are determined to invoke evil and sorrow in our hearts. I pray also for such people who for some reason have their hearts filled with hurt, anger and sorrow and have been possessed by the spirit of evil in order to wreck harm and destruction on others. May we have peace and tolerance and love, even if our team does not win the Euro-Cup or the World Cup we do not need to vent our anger on others and harm innocent people and destroy other's property Amen.