Praying Through God's Word: Micah

Micah 1:1-2:13

We thank You, Lord, that Micah was a fearless preacher of Your Word. His message was not popular: ‘Let the Lord God be a witness against you.’ He was a forthright preacher of Your Word. He knew that the people wouldn’t want to hear what he had to say to them. He demanded that they listen to him. This wasn’t only Micah’s word. It was Your word, Lord. That’s why Micah said, ‘Hear, O peoples, all of you. Listen, O earth and all who are in it’ (Micah 2:2). Teach us, Lord, that we cannot afford to ignore Your Word. Help us to listen to Your Word. You speak Your Word against us. You say to us, ‘You cannot save yourselves’ (Micah 2:3). You speak Your Word against us so that we might learn to rejoice in Your Word of salvation: ‘I will bring you together like sheep returning to the fold’ (Micah 2:12).

Micah 3:1-5:1
We thank You, Lord, for the words that Micah speaks to those ‘who hate good and love evil’ (Micah 3:2). He calls upon them to change their way of living. He calls upon them to worship You - ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord’ - and walk with You - ‘We will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.’ How do we learn to ‘walk in Your paths’? We come to Your ‘House’. We listen to Your ‘Word’. We pray that Your Word will come to us ‘with power.’ We ask You to ‘teach us Your ways.’ We pray that we will be ‘filled with the Spirit of the Lord’ (Micah 4:2,5; 3:8). We worship You, Lord. Gathered in Your House for worship, we ‘receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us.’ Through Your power, we are equipped for witness: ‘you will be My witnesses...’ (Acts 1:8).

Micah 5:2-6:16
We thank You, Lord, for Micah's words of prophecy concerning the birth of Jesus at ‘Bethlehem’ (Micah 5:2). This prophecy invites us to ‘go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ At ‘Bethlehem’, we see ‘shepherds, glorifying and praising God’ (Luke 2:15,20). We thank that Jesus, Your Son is also Jesus our Shepherd. He is the One whom the shepherds worshipped. He is the One who ‘will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord...’. He is ‘the Good Shepherd’. He ‘laid down His life’ for us. He is ‘the Great Shepherd’. He ‘was raised from the dead’ for us. He is ‘the Chief Shepherd’. He will ‘come’ again for us (5:4; John 10:14; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4). We thank You, Lord, that Jesus our ‘Shepherd’ gives us ‘strength’ to ‘do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God’ (Micah 6:8).

Micah 7:1-20
‘Who is a God like You? You forgive sin... You love to be merciful.You will again have compassion on us... You will throw all our sins into the depths of the ocean!... You will bless us... You will set Your love upon us...’ (Micah 7:18-20). When, Lord, we read these great words, we think of Jesus, our great Saviour - ‘I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean. He took my sins and my sorrows. He made them His very own. He bore the burden to Calvary, and suffered and died alone. When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last shall see, ‘twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me. How marvellous, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be: How marvellous, how wonderful is my Saviour’s love for me!’ (Mission Praise, 296).

Without the power of the Lord, there can be no Word from the Lord.

"I am filled with the power of the Lord's Spirit" (Micah 3:8). This is what makes true ministry of God's Word so different from 'prophecy' that doesn't come from the Lord. Without the power of the Lord, there can be no Word from the Lord. We need the Word, and we need the power.

Without the power of the Lord, there can be no Word from the Lord.

"I am filled with the power of the Lord's Spirit" (Micah 3:8). This is what makes true ministry of God's Word so different from 'prophecy' that doesn't come from the Lord. Without the power of the Lord, there can be no Word from the Lord. We need the Word, and we need the power.

Praying Through God’s Word: Micah

MICAH

1:1-2:13

We thank You, Lord, that Micah was a fearless preacher of Your Word. His message was not popular: ‘Let the Lord God be a witness against you.’ He was a forthright preacher of Your Word. He knew that the people wouldn’t want to hear what he had to say to them. He demanded that they listen to him. This wasn’t only Micah’s word. It was Your word, Lord. That’s why Micah said, ‘Hear, O peoples, all of you. Listen, O earth and all who are in it’ (Micah 2:2). Teach us, Lord, that we cannot afford to ignore Your Word. Help us to listen to Your Word. You speak Your Word against us. You say to us, ‘You cannot save yourselves’ (Micah 2:3). You speak Your Word against us so that we might learn to rejoice in Your Word of salvation: ‘I will bring you together like sheep returning to the fold’ (Micah 2:12).

3:1-5:1
We thank You, Lord, for the words that Micah speaks to those ‘who hate good and love evil’ (Micah 3:2). He calls upon them to change their way of living. He calls upon them to worship You – ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord’ – and walk with You – ‘We will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.’ How do we learn to ‘walk in Your paths’? We come to Your ‘House’. We listen to Your ‘Word’. We pray that Your Word will come to us ‘with power.’ We ask You to ‘teach us Your ways.’ We pray that we will be ‘filled with the Spirit of the Lord’ (Micah 4:2,5; 3:8). We worship You, Lord. Gathered in Your House for worship, we ‘receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us.’ Through Your power, we are equipped for witness: ‘you will be My witnesses…’ (Acts 1:8).

5:2-6:16
We thank You, Lord, for Micah’s words of prophecy concerning the birth of Jesus at ‘Bethlehem’ (Micah 5:2). This prophecy invites us to ‘go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ At ‘Bethlehem’, we see ‘shepherds, glorifying and praising God’ (Luke 2:15,20). We thank that Jesus, Your Son is also Jesus our Shepherd. He is the One whom the shepherds worshipped. He is the One who ‘will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord…’. He is ‘the Good Shepherd’. He ‘laid down His life’ for us. He is ‘the Great Shepherd’. He ‘was raised from the dead’ for us. He is ‘the Chief Shepherd’. He will ‘come’ again for us (5:4; John 10:14; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4). We thank You, Lord, that Jesus our ‘Shepherd’ gives us ‘strength’ to ‘do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God’ (Micah 6:8).

7:1-20
‘Who is a God like You? You forgive sin… You love to be merciful.You will again have compassion on us… You will throw all our sins into the depths of the ocean!… You will bless us… You will set Your love upon us…’ (Micah 7:18-20). When, Lord, we read these great words, we think of Jesus, our great Saviour – ‘I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean. He took my sins and my sorrows. He made them His very own. He bore the burden to Calvary, and suffered and died alone. When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last shall see, ‘twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me. How marvellous, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be: How marvellous, how wonderful is my Saviour’s love for me!’ (Mission Praise, 296).

Teach Us, Lord, To Live For You.

"I am filled with the power of the Lord's Spirit" (Micah 3:8). This is what makes true ministry of God's Word so different from 'prophecy' that doesn't come from the Lord. Without the power of the Lord, there can be no Word from the Lord. We need the Word, and we need the power.

"Let's go to the mountain of the Lord ...He will teach us His ways so that we may live by them" (Micah 4:2). We are taught by the Lord so that we might live for Him. Teaching and living - they belong together. We do not learn from God's Word so that we can amass more head-knowledge. We pray for a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ - a life-changing knowledge that gives us the strength that we need to live for the glory of God.

God's Word Of Love - For The Preacher And The People

"The Lord spoke the Word to Micah" (Micah 1:1).  The Word is given to the prophet. This is where true prophecy begins. It begins with God. It does not come from the mind of the prophet. It is given to him by the Lord. In this revelation, given by God to the prophet, there is "the Word" and "the vision." God speaks to us. He draws near to us. Jesus is God's "Word" to us. He is more than the words spoken to us. He is "the Word made flesh" (John 1:1,14). To "all" people, God says, "Listen ... Pay attention" (Micah 1:2). What does God say to us? He speaks "against" us (Micah 1:2). Do we need to hear this? Yes! We do. The Word that is spoken against us prepares us for the Good News of God's love. The more seriously we take the Word that is spoken against us, the more we will give thanks to God for His love. We will rejoice in this - His love reaches us in our sin and triumphs over our sin.

"The Lord will lead the people" (Micah 2:13). These are precious words. Whatever happens in our life, we must hold on to this: "The Lord will lead the people." Whatever happens to us - good things or bad things, we must not lose sight of the Lord. In the good times, let us trust Him to keep us, walking in His way, praising Him, even when we don't understand what's going on in our lives. He is there with us, every step of the way. He loves us - always and forever.

God is with us, every step of the way - always and forever.

"The Lord will lead the people" (Micah 2:13). These are precious words. Whatever happens in our life, we must hold on to this: "The Lord will lead the people." Whatever happens to us - good things or bad things, we must not lose sight of the Lord. In the good times, let us trust Him to keep us, walking in His way, praising Him, even when we don't understand what's going on in our lives. He is there with us, every step of the way. He loves us - always and forever.

We are taught by the Lord so that we might live for Him.

"Let's go to the mountain of the Lord ...He will teach us His ways so that we may live by them" (Micah 4:2). We are taught by the Lord so that we might live for Him. Teaching and living - they belong together. We do not learn from God's Word so that we can amass more head-knowledge. We pray for a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ - a life-changing knowledge that gives us the strength that we need to live for the glory of God.

A great prophecy of the birth of Christ

"You, Bethlehem ..." (Micah 5:2-4) - a great prophecy of the birth of Christ. As we read the Old Testament, and come across passages like this, we see the hand of the Lord at work in human history. We see God, fulfilling His plan, carrying out His eternal purpose - salvation.

It is a good thing to recall what the Lord has done for us.

"Remember your journey ... so that you may know the victories of the Lord" (Micah 6:5). It is a good thing to recall what the Lord has done for us. This gives us strength to face the future with confidence in the Lord. "The voice of the Lord calls out to the city" (Micah 6:9). God is calling us to be His voice, speaking His Word to the people of our community.

Forgiven by God and changed by Him

"I will look to the Lord. I will wait for God to save me. I will wait for my God to listen to me" (Micah 7:7). Who is the Lord our God? The answer to this question is found in Micah 6:18-20. we are never wasting our time when we look to the Lord.We are never wasting our time when we wait on Him. He listens to us.He saves us. What wonderful words we have in the last three verses of Micah. God forgives our sin. He overlooks our rebellion. Better than our sin is God's salvation. Better than our rebellion is God's redemption. God is not angry forever. He shows mercy to us. God's wrath was poured out on Christ so that His mercy might be poured out upon us. Jesus took our place. He died for us. He drank, fully, from the cup of our condemnation so that we might drink, fully, from the cup of His salvation. God has compassion on us. He overcomes our wrongdoing. He sees what we are really like. He sees us in our sin. He also sees what we can become. He sees us in His grace. Overcoming our wrongdoing means more than forgiving our sin. The forgiveness of our sins is very wonderful. It is not, however, all that God does for us and gives to us. There is also the changing of our lives. God throws all our sins into the deep sea. God is faithful. When we think of the faithfulness of God, we're thinking of more than forgiveness. There's also the faithfulness of God, keeping us for Himself, working in us so that our hearts and lives may be, more truly and more fully, set apart for Him. We think of God's great salvation, and we say, "'Tis mercy all, immense and free." We know that this great change in us did not begin with ourselves. It began with God. It began with His eternal love.

God Sees Us In Our Sin - And He Sees Us In His Grace!

"I  will look to the Lord. I will wait for God to save me. I will wait for my God to listen to me" (Micah 7:7). Who is the Lord our God? The answer to this question is found in Micah 6:18-20. we are never wasting our time when we look to the Lord.We are never wasting our time when we wait on Him. He listens to us. He saves us. What wonderful words we have in the last three verses of Micah. God forgives our sin. He overlooks our rebellion. Better than our sin is God's salvation. Better than our rebellion is God's redemption. God is not angry forever. He shows mercy to us. God's wrath was poured out on Christ so that His mercy might be poured out upon us. Jesus took our place. He died for us. He drank, fully, from the cup of our condemnation so that we might drink, fully, from the cup of His salvation. God has compassion on us. He overcomes our wrongdoing. He sees what we are really like. He sees us in our sin. He also sees what we can become. He sees us in His grace. Overcoming our wrongdoing means more than forgiving our sin. The forgiveness of our sins is very wonderful. It is not, however, all that God does for us and gives to us. There is also the changing of our lives. God throws all our sins into the deep sea. God is faithful. When we think of the faithfulness of God, we're thinking of more than forgiveness. There's also the faithfulness of God, keeping us for Himself, working in us so that our hearts and lives may be, more truly and more fully, set apart for Him. We think of God's great salvation, and we say, "'Tis mercy all, immense and free." We know that this great change in us did not begin with ourselves. It began with God. It began with His eternal love.

True prophecy begins with God.

"The Lord spoke the Word to Micah" (Micah 1:1).  The Word is given to the prophet. This is where true prophecy begins. It begins with God. It does not come from the mind of the prophet. It is given to him by the Lord. In this revelation, given by God to the prophet, there is "the Word" and "the vision." God speaks to us. He draws near to us. Jesus is God's "Word" to us. He is more than the words spoken to us. He is "the Word made flesh" (John 1:1,14). To "all" people, God says, "Listen ... Pay attention" (Micah 1:2). What does God say to us? He speaks "against" us (Micah 1:2). Do we need to hear this? Yes! We do. The Word that is spoken against us prepares us for the Good News of God's love. The more seriously we take the Word that is spoken against us, the more we will give thanks to God for His love. We will rejoice in this - His love reaches us in our sin and triumphs over our sin.

God's Great Salvation Began With His Eternal Love.

"I  will look to the Lord. I will wait for God to save me. I will wait for my God to listen to me" (Micah 7:7). Who is the Lord our God? The answer to this question is found in Micah 6:18-20. Wwe are never wasting our time when we look to the Lord.We are never wasting our time when we wait on Him. He listens to us. He saves us. What wonderful words we have in the last three verses of Micah. God forgives our sin. He overlooks our rebellion. Better than our sin is God's salvation. Better than our rebellion is God's redemption. God is not angry forever. He shows mercy to us. God's wrath was poured out on Christ so that His mercy might be poured out upon us. Jesus took our place. He died for us. He drank, fully, from the cup of our condemnation so that we might drink, fully, from the cup of His salvation. God has compassion on us. He overcomes our wrongdoing. He sees what we are really like. He sees us in our sin. He also sees what we can become. He sees us in His grace. Overcoming our wrongdoing means more than forgiving our sin. The forgiveness of our sins is very wonderful. It is not, however, all that God does for us and gives to us. There is also the changing of our lives. God throws all our sins into the deep sea. God is faithful. When we think of the faithfulness of God, we're thinking of more than forgiveness. There's also the faithfulness of God, keeping us for Himself, working in us so that our hearts and lives may be, more truly and more fully, set apart for Him. We think of God's great salvation, and we say, "'Tis mercy all, immense and free." We know that this great change in us did not begin with ourselves. It began with God. It began with His eternal love.

It is a good thing to recall what the Lord has done for us.

"Remember your journey ... so that you may know the victories of the Lord" (Micah 6:5). It is a good thing to recall what the Lord has done for us. This gives us strength to face the future with confidence in the Lord. "The voice of the Lord calls out to the city" (Micah 6:9). God is calling us to be His voice, speaking His Word to the people of our community.

What does the Lord require of us?

Micah 6:8

In Micah 6:8, the question is asked, “What does the Lord require of us?”
As well as Micah’s answer, there is a New Testament answer to this question.
 * “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin” (Hebrews 9:22).
God calls us to come to the Cross. That’s where the life of faith and obedience begins.
 * “Without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).
God calls us to put our faith in Christ. It’s personal faith. Each one of us must come to Jesus - “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.” Faith is God’s gift. Each one of us must receive His gift.
 * “Without holiness, no-one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
God is calling us to become more like Jesus. Our life is to be less of self and more of Christ - and we’re to give all the glory to God.
Micah 6:8 gives us an Old Testament answer to the question, “What is holiness?”

We are taught by the Lord so that we might live for Him.

"Let's go to the mountain of the Lord ...He will teach us His ways so that we may live by them" (Micah 4:2). We are taught by the Lord so that we might live for Him. Teaching and living - they belong together. We do not learn from God's Word so that we can amass more head-knowledge. We pray for a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ - a life-changing knowledge that gives us the strength that we need to live for the glory of God.

God's Eternal Purpose - Salvation

"You, Bethlehem ..." (Micah 5:2-4) - a great prophecy of the birth of Christ. As we read the Old Testament, and come across passages like this, we see the hand of the Lord at work in human history. We see God, fulfilling His plan, carrying out His eternal purpose - salvation.

God's Eternal Purpose, Our Earthly Journey

"You, Bethlehem ..." (Micah 5:2-4) - a great prophecy of the birth of Christ. As we read the Old Testament, and come across passages like this, we see the hand of the Lord at work in human history. We see God, fulfilling His plan, carrying out His eternal purpose - salvation.

"Remember your journey ... so that you may know the victories of the Lord" (Micah 6:5). It is a good thing to recall what the Lord has done for us. This gives us strength to face the future with confidence in the Lord. "The voice of the Lord calls out to the city" (Micah 6:9). God is calling us to be His voice, speaking His Word to the people of our community.

God's love reaches us in our sin and triumphs over our sin.

"The Lord spoke the Word to Micah" (Micah 1:1).  The Word is given to the prophet. This is where true prophecy begins. It begins with God. It does not come from the mind of the prophet. It is given to him by the Lord. In this revelation, given by God to the prophet, there is "the Word" and "the vision." God speaks to us. He draws near to us. Jesus is God's "Word" to us. He is more than the words spoken to us. He is "the Word made flesh" (John 1:1,14). To "all" people, God says, "Listen ... Pay attention" (Micah 1:2). What does God say to us? He speaks "against" us (Micah 1:2). Do we need to hear this? Yes! We do. The Word that is spoken against us prepares us for the Good News of God's love. The more seriously we take the Word that is spoken against us, the more we will give thanks to God for His love. We will rejoice in this - His love reaches us in our sin and triumphs over our sin.