A Prayer for Discernment in the Day of the Lord
"Sure, here is the King James Version of Amos 5:18-20: Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?" - Amos 5:18-20
Heavenly Father,
In the stillness of this moment, we come before You, our hearts heavy and our spirits yearning for understanding. As we reflect on the profound words of Your prophet Amos, particularly his warnings in Amos 5:18-20, we feel the weight of his message resonating within us, stirring a deep sense of solemnity. “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.”
Lord, we acknowledge the awe-inspiring nature of the day of the Lord—a day that heralds Your righteous judgment and the fulfillment of Your promises. Yet, we must recognize the duality of this day. It speaks of both Your justice and Your mercy, Lord. It compels us to examine our desires and intentions. Are we, like the Israelites, seeking the day of the Lord for our own comfort, while ignoring the call to repentance that it represents?
Father, grant us wisdom to comprehend the true essence of that day. Help us to not be swept away by a desire for blessing without a genuine heart of repentance. Just as Amos cautioned against the presumptuous longing for Your coming if they were not prepared, teach us, O Lord, the seriousness of seeking You wholeheartedly. We often desire Your intervention, yet we overlook our need for transformation. The day of the Lord is indeed a day of reckoning, and not merely a light of hope and joy for those unrepentant in their hearts. Help us to discern our own hearts, Lord—show us any unclean ways within us, that we may come before You with pure motives.
In Your mercy, remind us of the imagery used by Amos: “As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.” This powerful metaphor elucidates the futility of escaping judgment without reformation. How often we run from one threat to another, seeking comfort in false securities, only to find that true safety lies in You? We confess, Lord, that we have leaned against the walls of our own understanding, only to feel the sting of sin biting at our heels. Please forgive us for our attempts to escape Your truth rather than embrace it.
Oh God, may the darkness of the day of the Lord awaken our spirits. May we not be found wanting when the time comes, having clung to our sin rather than to Your grace. Help us to realize that darkness marks not just judgment, but also an opportunity for introspection—a chance to turn back to You and seek the light that only comes through genuine repentance. Illuminate our paths, Father; let us not be blind to our own condition. Give us hearts that seek after righteousness, that hunger and thirst for Your justice and mercy.
We breathe in Your grace today, Lord, and we exhale our need for You. May our hearts resonate with the cry of the psalmist: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Let us be instruments of Your peace, reflective polls of Your love amidst the encroaching darkness. Teach us to hold fast to You, the true source of light amidst the shadows, and to engage in your work of reconciliation with a fervent spirit.
As we wait for the day of the Lord, let it be a day of preparation and readiness. We pray for our families, our communities, and even the nations, that they may hear and heed Your call. May we be ever vigilant, living in anticipation of the day when we, as Your faithful servants, shall stand before You in a bright future, knowing that we prepared our hearts in this dark time.
In Jesus’ name, we pray,
Amen.
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Amos 5:18-20 Artwork
Amos 5:18-20 - "Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?"
"Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?" - Amos 5:18-20
Amos 5:20 - "Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?"
Amos 5:18 - "Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light."
"Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?" - Amos 5:20
"Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light." - Amos 5:18
Amos 5:21-27
Amos 5:24 - "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream."
Amos 5:13 - "Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time."
Amos 5:10 - "They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly."
Amos 6:5 - "That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;"
Amos 5:7 - "Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,"
Amos 2:5 - "But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem."
Amos 5:17 - "And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD."
Amos 5:9 - "That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress."
Amos 5:5 - "But seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought."
Amos 5:4 - "¶ For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:"
Amos 5:21 - "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies."
Amos 5:25 - "Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?"
Amos 5:23 - "Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols."
Amos 5:27 - "Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts."
Amos 5:1 - "Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel."
Amos 5:14 - "Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken."
Amos 7:5 - "Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small."
Amos 5:15 - "Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph."
Amos 5:2 - "The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up."
Amos 5:26 - "But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves."
Amos 5:19 - "As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him."
Amos 4:5 - "And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD."
"But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." - Amos 5:24