The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 to 5(To update)

 

The Book of Prophet Baruch

 Chapter 4

 

¹ She is the book of the commandments of God, the law that endures forever. All who hold her fast will live, and those who forsake her will die.

 

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 1)

 

Oh God my Father, Your Word as in the Bible, is the manual of my life. Every time I obeyed the messages that You gave me in prayer I remained in Your ways, however when I misunderstood or chose to act according to my ways I made a mess of my life. I pray that I be always guided by You and Your ways Amen.

 

 ² Turn, O Jacob, and take her; walk toward the shining of her light. ³ Do not give your glory to another or your advantages to an alien people.

 

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verses 2 to 3)

 

 Oh brothers and sisters I pray that we focus our prayers on You and only You my God and Father and not on our earthly dreams projects and aspirations that evaporate like boiling water being emitted from the spout of a kettle that is boiling which only last a few seconds Amen. Let us invest in You and Your love which is forever Amen.

⁴ Happy are we, O Israel, for we know what is pleasing to God.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verses 4)

In doing Your will my God and Father I experience the greatest of happiness and fulfillment. This is my aim in life Amen.


⁵ Take courage, my people, who perpetuate Israel's name! ⁶ It was not for destruction that you were sold to the nations but you were handed over to your enemies because you angered God. ⁷ For you provoked the one who made you by sacrificing to demons and not to God.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verses 5 to 7)

Oh God my Father, brothers and sisters, we are guilty of turning against God many times, but He has always been faithful, even when You permitted us to experience the harsh consequences of our actions. This was all part of Your plan for our rehabilitation my God and Father Amen.

 

 ⁸ You forgot the everlasting God, who brought you up, and you grieved Jerusalem who reared you.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 8)

Oh God my Father as humans we are always to feel in gratitude to You, for You created our very being Amen.

⁹ For she saw the wrath that came upon you from God, and she said: Listen, you neighbors of Zion, God has brought great sorrow upon me; ¹⁰ for I have seen the exile of my sons and daughters which the Everlasting brought upon them.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verses 9 to 10)

Oh brothers and sisters do not think that God is far away from us. He knows all that has happened to us and all that will happen in the future. He is the most compassionate and understanding of all people Amen.


¹¹ With joy I nurtured them, but I sent them away with weeping and sorrow.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 11)

Oh God my Father, we are still little children who need much nurturing. We think we are adult and mature, we speak of independence, however we are still slaves to our own passions and needs Amen.


¹² Let no one rejoice over me, a widow and bereaved of many; I was left desolate because of the sins of my children, because they turned away from the law of God.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 12)

Oh God my loving Father there was a time when I also abandoned Your ways, a time when I turned my back on You and left You to carry the cross of my salvation by Yourself. However today You have reconciled with me and You are helping me in carrying my cross every day of my life Amen. Thank You, Jesus.


¹³ They had no regard for his statutes; they did not walk in the ways of God's commandments, or tread the paths his righteousness showed them.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 13)

Oh God, my Father I fear that today 2019 we are making the same mistakes of our ancestors. We are living in such an alienated and sinful way of life that we are neglecting Your ways and Your commandments Amen.


¹⁴ Let the neighbours of Zion come; remember the capture of my sons and daughters, which the Everlasting brought upon them.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 14)

Oh God my Father, it is too easy for us to remember the bad times that were conditioned by the poison of sin, however, it is not easy to remember the good times during which we saw Your outstretched arm at work in our lives Amen. I pray that we learn to focus on the positive and learn from our previous mistakes Amen.


¹⁵ For he brought a distant nation against them, a nation ruthless and of a strange language which had no respect for the aged and no pity for a child.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 15)

During the journey of life my God and Father You make us meet many people who challenge us at times without showing mercy or compassion, however even during such moments You do not leave us by ourselves to face the moment. I thank You for being with me during such turbulent times Amen.


¹⁶ They led away the widow's beloved sons, and bereaved the lonely woman of her daughters.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 16)

Oh God, my father they even took my daughter away so far away that I cannot see her if not in the presence of a counsellor. I pray for Your justice Amen.


¹⁷ But I, how can I help you? ¹⁸ For he who brought these calamities upon you will deliver you from the hand of your enemies.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verses 17 to 18)

Oh God my Father as helpers and Social Workers or therapists and caregivers we do our best to be of service to others, however, at times we are faced with situations where we simply cannot intervene successfully. I believe that if it is not according to Your will that a time of tribulation is resolved the issue in question will persist, however when You deem that the time of deliverance is proper, our interventions will be successful Amen. May Your will be done my Father Amen.


¹⁹ Go, my children, go; for I have been left desolate.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 19)

Oh God my Father, the material world claims its defeat, its inability to help us save our souls and therefore it is sending us to You my God and Father who never refuses to help us Amen.


²⁰ I have taken off the robe of peace and put on sackcloth for my supplication; I will cry to the Everlasting all my days.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 20)

Oh God my Father You are my comforter. The world offers an image of peace, however, when I go against it, the image is no longer present. You are genuine peace, my God and Father Amen. Please help me to keep my sin before me so that I will not think of myself as being a good person Amen.


²¹ Take courage, my children, cry to God, and he will deliver you from the power and hand of the enemy.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 20)

Oh brothers and sisters let us learn to place our fears, hopes and plans in God our Father, for at the chosen time in His plan for us, He will deliver us from the clutches of the enemy Amen.


²² For I have put my hope in the Everlasting to save you, and joy has come to me from the Holy One, because of the mercy that will soon come to you from your everlasting savior.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 22)

Oh brothers and sisters feel happy and safe, for our security and consolation is in God alone and He is in control over what is happening in the world. All is under the control of God Amen.


²³ For I sent you out with sorrow and weeping, but God will give you back to me with joy and gladness forever.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 23)

Oh God my Father You redeemed us out of our sorrowful situations and gave us redemption however due to our sinful nature we went back to our ways so much that today we need a new redemption Amen.


²⁴ For as the neighbors of Zion have now seen your capture, so they soon will see your salvation by God, which will come to you with great glory and with the splendor of the Everlasting.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 24)

Oh God my Father I accept whatever You send me or permit to happen. At the present time I am not seeing my daughter however I am convinced that there will come a time when she will contact me Amen.


²⁵ My children, endure with patience the wrath that has come upon you from God, Your enemy has overtaken you, but you will soon see their destruction and will tread upon their necks.



(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 25)


Oh God my Father I realize that this virus is a consequence of Your wrath, for many times You have tried to persuade us to turn back from our sinful ways. In the case of the Egyptians, You also used the card of death when they did not want to listen Amen.


²⁶ My pampered children have travelled rough roads; they were taken away like a flock carried off by the enemy.


(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 26)


Oh God my Father I have been pampered by Your love especially during moments of crisis throughout my previous marriage where You were my only hope. I thank You for supporting me during these stressful times and even to this day Amen.


²⁷ Take courage, my children, and cry to God, for you will be remembered by the one who brought this upon you.


(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 27)


Oh, brothers and sisters let us all feel encouraged by this verse, let us all keep in mind that we have not been forgotten even though we may think that even God has given up hope on us. God knows the whole scenario of this coronavirus. He is in control. This is one of many tests Amen! 


²⁸ For just as you were disposed to go astray from God, return with tenfold zeal to seek him.



(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 27)


Oh brothers and sisters let us be humble and accept the invitation for redemption and conversion of both heart and spirit that God our Father is offering us today. He is willing to accept us into his fold even if our sins are as black as soot. He knows our heart more than we do and forgives and understands us Amen.


²⁸ For just as you were disposed to go astray from God, return with tenfold zeal to seek him, ²⁹ For the one who brought these calamities upon you will bring everlasting joy with your salvation.


(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verses 28 to 29)


Oh God my Father with every ton of sorrow and tribulation that You allow us to experience as part of our spiritual testing or formation You give us ten tons of spiritual consolation. You never permit us to experience more than we can cope with as humans, however, You always are there to carry more than half of the load Amen. 

³⁰ Take courage, O Jerusalem, for the one who named you will comfort you.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verse 30)

Take comfort oh World for the LORD GOD who has created You will take care of You even though you are destroying what He Himself created for you and made perfect. Our God is loving caring and empathetic and is aware that we do not know what we are doing Amen.

³¹ Wretched will be those who mistreated you and who rejoiced at your fall. ³² Wretched will be the cities that your children served as slaved; wretched will be the city that received your offspring.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verses 31 to 32)

Oh God my Father I thank You for Your judgment over those who mistreated me in life both present past and future. I have no strength or will to fight back. However I am ready to forgive those who merit Your forgiveness as I do for I am also a sinner Amen.

³³  For just as she rejoiced at your fall and was glad for your ruin, so she will be grieved at her own desolation.

(The Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 4 verses 33)

Oh God my Father I pray that justice be done and that my daughter will realize that my actions were not all wrong and that I had a good intention behind all my actions even the separation Amen.

 

 

The book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3

 

The book of Prophet Baruch

 Chapter  3

 

 

¹ O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, the soul in anguish and the wearied spirit cry out to you.

(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 1)

Oh God my Father, this is my prayer, my soul is in deep anguish and my spirit is also down. I have experienced many hardships in life, however, my hope is completely in You.   Amen In my heart I feel that my life can be better, however, I also know that when the time comes You will continue to reveal to me Your plans for me Amen

 ² Hear, O Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned before you. ³ For you are enthroned forever, and we are perishing forever.


(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verses 2 to 3)



Oh God, my beloved Father I pray that we all including myself admit our sins and also admit that we are sinners as much as we are humans and admit that this is the weakness of the human race, instead of denying it and putting it aside as an issue that is not important. I pray that we acknowledge and respect and love You and Your authority not only in times of need but in all times Amen. 


⁴ O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, hear now the prayer of the people of Israel, the children of those who sinned before you, who did not heed the voice of the Lord their God, so that calamities have clung to us.



(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 4)


Oh God my Father during these times of stress and darkness please listen to my voice and that of many others, rip open the heavens and terminate life on earth, for in our ways we have all been disobedient and merit the penalty of death. The situation on earth is going from bad to worse. Have mercy oh God my Father and declare the end to the way we are living and bring a Copernican revolution Amen.


⁵ Do not remember the iniquities of our ancestors, but in this crisis remember your power and your name.




(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 5)



Oh God my Father, as You know I am also passing through one of the greatest challenges of my life. As You know lately I have been facing issues at home, however, now that the separation has gone through You have given me a second chance Amen. Even though You have permitted me to experience much stress and tribulation I was never left alone and abandoned, for You were and are always with me.  I pray that You continue to form me like the potter and refine me until I am according to the image that is You image, that You want me to be Amen.



⁶ For you are the Lord our God, and it is you, O Lord, whom we will praise. ⁷ For you have put the fear of you in our hearts so that we would call upon your name; and we will praise you in our exile, for we have put away from our hearts all the iniquity of our ancestors who sinned against you.


(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verses 6 to 7)


Oh God if there exists love, it is found only in You, if security and well-being exist or can ever be guaranteed it can only be found in You and not in the world. Amen.


⁸ See we are today in our exile where you have scattered us, to be reproached and cursed and punished for all the iniquities of our ancestors, who forsook the Lord our God.



(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 8)



Oh God my beloved Father, even though such moments of exile and solitude are hard to endure, such moments enable us to reflect on where we were before enduring such hardships with the hope of making plans for the future, that is if we remain in relationship with You and believe that there is still a future to live for. Amen. I pray oh God my Father, that especially, during such moments I cling to You like a child clinging to its parents and never let go Amen.


⁹ Hear the commandments of life O Israel; give ear, and learn wisdom! ¹⁰ Why is it O Israel, why is it that you are in the land of your enemies, that you are growing old in a foreign country, that you are defiled with the dead, ¹¹ that you are counted among those in Hades?



(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verses 9 to 11)


Oh God my blessed Father, I ask myself the same question, why did I have to experience this separation. Maybe it is because I could not suffer anymore the emotional abuse and neglect of my wife and daughter. My marriage ended up as being one of convenience, there remained no love between us and that of the last hours was also manipulative in order to stop the separation process and not because of love and care. I pray for mercy my God and Father, I did mistakes in this marriage but I am being punished more than I am worthy of. Please have mercy, my God and Father. Amen.



¹² You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom.


(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 12)


Many times oh God my blessed Father, we have forsaken the clean waters of truth and healing that flow from You in order to drink from the sinful waters of evil. I pray oh God my blessed Father, that You continue to enlighten me in my decision making so that all I do I do in Your name and under Your influence Amen.


¹³ If you had walked in the way of God, you would be living in peace forever.


(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 13)



Oh God my beloved Father, if I continued living the life I was living, I would end up so depressed, and angry that only You can imagine what my mental state would be. Now that I am going through this separation I am already feeling better and living in more peace than before. As long as You are with me I can wish for no other presence Amen. 



¹⁴ Learn where there is wisdom, where there is strength, where there is understanding, so that you may at the same time discern where there is length of days, and life; where there is light for the eyes, and peace.



(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 14)



Oh God, my beloved Father, I also pray for these qualities and for the ability to make the right choices that lead to spiritual life instead of spiritual death Amen.



¹⁵ Who has found her place? And who has entered her storehouses?


(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 15)



Oh God, my Father, brothers and sisters, that person who has really and truly open one's heart in order to receive, the wisdom and Holy Spirit of God has found a treasure that is above all treasures and is much greater than all the wisdom of the earth. I pray to at least share even a drop of Your Holy Spirit oh God my Father Amen.



¹⁶ Where are the rulers of the nations, and those who lorded it over the animals on earth: ¹⁷ those who made sport of the birds of the air, and who hoarded up silver and gold in which people trust, and there is no end to their getting; ¹⁸ those who schemed to get silver, and were anxious, but there is no trace of their works? ¹⁹ They have vanished and gone down to Hades, and others have arisen in their place.


(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verses 16 to 19)



Oh God my beloved Father, when we all appear before You when our time comes, we will all ask each other, where are those people whom we have considered as being of high status and power, before whom we bowed our heads and kissed their hands. Where is their place, where are they? People who have their spiritual blogs and who say who love You or who go to prayer groups and worship You with praise and worship. People of whom we may have had high aspirations may end up being at the end of the road on our highway to heaven, and poor and humble people who in life had nothing to gain but more to lose, people who may have had to abandon all their family and resources and were compelled to start fresh if ever they would achieve their previous status again, might be leading the way. Amen.


²⁰ Later generations have seen the light of day, and have lived upon the earth but they have not learned the way of knowledge, nor understood her paths, nor laid hold of her.



(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 20)



Oh God, my Father, as You said many of us have seen the light of many days, many others have found peace and tranquillity in nature but not all have met You in a lifetime. I pray that I am one of those whom You have met and had a relationship with Amen.



²¹ Their descendants have strayed far from her way.


(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 21) 



Oh God, my beloved Father, indeed Your descendants have fled far away from You. When I decide to do what I wish, to act on how I feel instead of on what is right and according to Your will, and going further and further away, however no distance is enough to separate us, for where I go You are there beside me or ahead of me in order to place me back on the pathway towards You Amen. 



²² She has not been heard of in Canaan, or seen in Teman; ²³ the descendants of Hagar, who seek for understanding on the earth, the merchants of Merran and Tetnan, the story-tellers and the seekers for understanding, have not learned the way to wisdom, or given thought to her paths.




(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 22 to 23)



Oh God my blessed Father, many people have been baptized into the Roman Catholic Church and even in other churches, however along the way they decided to go their way and follow their own agendas and values, they have vanished from the path of grace and wisdom to one which may be worldly and driven by human logic but not by faith Amen. Oh God, I pray for the return of such people Amen.   



²⁴ O Israel, how great is the house of God, how vast the territory that he possesses!


(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 24)




Oh, brothers and sisters how great is our Lord God and Father, indeed there is nobody like him blessed be Your Holy and Mighty Name Amen.


 
I invite all who meditating on this chapter to click on the following video clip and prayer and give thanks to God our Father Amen.

 

²⁵ It is great and has no bounds; it is high and immeasurable.

(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 25)

Oh God my blessed Father, how great are Your ways and how great is Your love. It is beyond compare Amen.

²⁶ The giants were born there, who were famous of old, great in stature, expert in war.

 
(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 26)

Oh God, my Father, the world has witnessed the presence of many great people who were known for their voices, philosophy and even the positive acts that they had done. However, if we check our value ruler we would realize that among such popular people there were many unpopular people who by their lifestyle have a high popularity poll in the kingdom of Heaven Amen.

²⁷ God did not choose them, or give them the way to knowledge; ²⁸ so they perished because they had no wisdom, they perished through their folly.



(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verses 27 to 28)



Oh God my beloved Father, blessed are those whom You chose to walk in Your ways. I pray to be one of such persons at all times. I pray that my life will become a search for You every day of my life Amen.



²⁹ Who has gone up into heaven and taken her, and brought her down from the clouds?




(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verse 29)


Oh God my Father, throughout history there were many people who tried to destroy Christianity, and even Your chosen people, however even though many were killed, You never permitted complete destruction, for You protect Your kingdom with love might and power Amen.

³⁰ Who has gone over the sea and found her, and will buy her for pure gold? ³¹ No one knows the way to her or is concerned about the path to her.



(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verses 30 to 31)



Many times oh God my Father You have told us that You are the way, the road leading to our salvation, however, we either do not listen or maybe do not believe or we take You for granted as much as we take each other in this world of complete alienation. We say that we love You, including me, many times we are hypocrites because although we say that we love You, we are lacking in our love towards others. When it comes to helping others we tend to stop and consider if by helping others we are going to experience hardship or discomfort in our comfort zones and if so we reconsider. I pray that You give us the grace to overcome our selfish and sinful self, in order to become more like You. Amen. Thank You, Jesus.



³² But the one who knows all things knows her, he found her by his understanding. The one who prepared the earth for all time filled it with four-footed creatures; ³³ the one who sends forth the light, and it goes; he called it, and it obeyed him, trembling; ³⁴ the stars shone in their watches, and were glad; he called them, and they said, "Here we are!" They shone with gladness for him who made them.



(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verses 32 to 34)



Holy Spirit of God, love of all love, knowledge beyond all knowledge I invite You to come and dwell in me or at least leave a drop of Your presence in my soul so that I would not be selfish enough to want to claim You totally to be with me Amen. I seek You, I wish that I experience You more in my life. I cannot be without You Amen.


³⁵ This is our God; no other can be compared to him. ³⁶ He found the whole way to knowledge, and gave her to his servant Jacob and to Israel, whom he loved. ³⁷ Afterward she appeared on earth and lived with humankind.



(Book of the Prophet Baruch Chapter 3 verses 35 to 37)




Oh Lord my God and Father indeed there is no other like You. If I had to scan and search the entire planet I will still find nobody like You Amen.



I would like to end this third chapter of the Book of the Prophet Baruch with the following prayer:-



Oh brothers and sisters, do not place your trust, hopes and aspirations in the world for the world will disappoint you. Place Your trust in God alone, for there is none like Him. In every crisis and challenge or tribulation rest assured that God is in control and that He is not going to permit us to experience more than we can endure and even at that point he will be there to help us carry the bulk of the weight of the cross we are carrying Amen. He chose to pay the price of our salvation. He chose to pay the price of our salvation by permitting us to crucify Him. He took the blame instead of us even though he was and is blameless. His name is Jesus. His name is Love. Amen.