Penciled Prayers: People of the Book

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, "It shall be well with you"; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, "No disaster shall come upon you"'" (Jeremiah 23:16-17).

Father, so many of Your people are listening to prophets You have not sent and teachers You have not called. So many names come to mind. I realize, Lord, I may be wrong about some. I also realize, Father, there are many more of who I do not know. Father, is the growing number of false prophets and false teachers, and the aberrant teachings they bring an indication that Your judgment of Your household has begun? If so, what a wrathful judgment it is!

O Lord, so many who claim to know You have turned away from You, preferring to have their ears tickled by unscrupulous men. Instead of seeking Your voice and truth in Your Word, they choose the vanity of false hopes and the false promises of a trouble-free life.

Father, please stop the mouths of those who speak of visions created in their depraved minds, and then blaspheme You by attaching "thus says the Lord" to their lies. Lord, while I don't want harm to befall any person, I ask that You make them mute for a time--speechless until they repent of uttering lies--false words that deny, not affirm, a desire to live by the two greatest commandments. And please stop up the ears of the those who listen to false prophets and teachers. O Father, protect Your people from this onslaught of wickedness coming from pliers of falsehood. Help Your people to be less emotionally driven, less driven by feelings and desires, and more driven by an insatiable desire to understand Your Word because of their genuine love for Your Word.

Even the demonic book of the demonic religion of Islam refers to Your people, Lord, as "people of the Book." Father, bring those who are Your people who have drifted from a reliance on Your truth back to Your Book. Correct their eyes and ears, their ability to see and hear, their ability to discern truth from error. Help Your people to recognize the wolves in their midst. Give them the courage to fight and chase off the wolves instead of foolishly and sinfully trying to tame the wolves and coddle them as pets.

And Lord, for those who are drawn to false prophets and teachers like mindless flies drawn to dung or deadly flames, because they despise Your Word and have created a blasphemous and idolatrous Jesus in their imagination to suit themselves, please do not utterly destroy them. Please bring them to genuine repentance and faith, and an understanding and knowledge of the truth.

Do these things, I pray, for Your own glory, Father, and for the magnification of the name of Your Son. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.