Ohana Prayer 228 – Ecclesiastes 10

1 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

8  Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.

9  Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.

10  If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.

12  Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips.

16  Woe to the land whose king was a servant and whose princes feast in the morning.

17  Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time— for strength and not for drunkenness.

20  Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

Praise the Lord, Jehovah who is just and righteous, our Heavenly Father, we extol your holy name. Your eyes watch over those who do right, and your ears are open to their prayers. Who may ascend your holy mountain? Who may stand in your holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not appealed to what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully. We are grateful for receiving blessing and vindication from God our Savior. Remind us to be in awe of your holiness for you turn your face against those who do evil; You will punish the wicked and erase their memory from the earth.

Lord Jesus, Let us not be led into temptation but be delivered from evil. Save us from the snare of sin. Remind us not to act recklessly, speak foolishly, provoke quarrels, and spread conflicts. Give us upright hearts and help us to guard them above all else for everything we do flows from them. We confess that we are far from being perfect so please forgive us for our transgressions and guide us to learn from our mistakes.

In our fight against the pandemic, remind us not to give up our position and mission when encountering setbacks, or facing unfair treatments. We must adhere to the biblical principles and maintain the character and temperament of Christians, not to achieve desired result by any means and lose the creditability as believers of Christ.

Holy Spirit, forbids our tongues from evil and our lips from telling lies. Let no perverse, filthy talks and cursing words come from our mouths. Help us to be wise in doing good things and stupid in bad things, pursue peace and harmony, speak only words that are helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Holy Spirit, test our talents and teach us to use them to serve God. Let our spiritual tools remain sharp and through which we may develop good spiritual traits, and effectively apply the words of the bible to resist sinful thoughts so that the roof of our spiritual temples will not leak or cave in. Thank you that you live within us forever.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.