WEBVTT - 2 Kings 23

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm John Stangey, and today we're in Second King's Chapter

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<v Speaker 1>twenty three, and we're reading from the English Standard version.

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<v Speaker 1>Then the King sent, and all the elders of Judah

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<v Speaker 1>and Jerusalem were gathered to him. And the King went

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<v Speaker 1>up to the house of the Lord, and with him

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<v Speaker 1>all the men of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

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<v Speaker 1>and the priests, and the prophets, all the people, both

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<v Speaker 1>small and great, and he read in their hearing all

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<v Speaker 1>the words of the Book of the Covenant that had

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<v Speaker 1>been found in the house of the Lord. And the

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<v Speaker 1>King stood by the pillar and made a covenant before

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep

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<v Speaker 1>his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all

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<v Speaker 1>his heart and all his soul, to perform the words

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<v Speaker 1>of this covenant that were written in this book. And

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<v Speaker 1>all the people joined in the covenant. And the King

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<v Speaker 1>commanded Hilkiah, the High Priest, and the priests of the

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<v Speaker 1>Second Order, and the keepers of the Threshold to bring

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<v Speaker 1>out of the Temple of the Lord, all the vessels

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<v Speaker 1>made for bail for Ashira and for all the host

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<v Speaker 1>of Heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields

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<v Speaker 1>of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. And

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<v Speaker 1>he deposed the priests whom the Kings of Judah had

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<v Speaker 1>ordained to make offerings in the high places at the

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<v Speaker 1>cities of Judah and around Jerusalem, those also who burned

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<v Speaker 1>incense to bail to the Sun and the Moon, and

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<v Speaker 1>the constellations, and all the host of the heavens. And

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<v Speaker 1>he brought out the Ashira from the House of the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord outside Jerusalem to the brook Kidron, and burned it

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<v Speaker 1>at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and

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<v Speaker 1>cast the dust of it upon the graves of the

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<v Speaker 1>common people. And he broke down the houses of the

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<v Speaker 1>male cult prostitutes who were in the House of the Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>where the women wove hangings for the Eshira. And he

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<v Speaker 1>brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah

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<v Speaker 1>and defiled the high places where the priests had made

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<v Speaker 1>offerings from Giba to bear Sheeba. And he broke down

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<v Speaker 1>the high places of the gates that were at the

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<v Speaker 1>entrance of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city,

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<v Speaker 1>which were on once left at the gate of the city. However,

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<v Speaker 1>the priests of the high places did not come up

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<v Speaker 1>to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they

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<v Speaker 1>ate unleavened bread among their brothers. And he defiled Topheth,

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<v Speaker 1>which is in the valley of the son of Hinham,

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<v Speaker 1>that no one might burn his son or his daughter

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<v Speaker 1>as an offering to Molik. And he removed the horses

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<v Speaker 1>that the kings of Juwas had dedicated to the Sun

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<v Speaker 1>at the entrance to the House of the Lord, by

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<v Speaker 1>the chamber of Nathan Molek, the chamberlain, which was in

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<v Speaker 1>the precincts. And he burned the chariots of the Sun

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<v Speaker 1>with fire, and the altars on the roof of the

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<v Speaker 1>upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made,

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<v Speaker 1>and the altars that Manassa had made in the two

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<v Speaker 1>courts of the House of the Lord, he pulled down

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<v Speaker 1>and broke in pieces and cast the dust of them

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<v Speaker 1>into the brook Kidron. And the King defiled the high

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<v Speaker 1>places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of

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<v Speaker 1>the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon the King of Israel,

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<v Speaker 1>had built for Ashteth, the abomination of the Sedonians, and

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<v Speaker 1>for Chimash, the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom, the

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<v Speaker 1>abomination of the Ammonites. And he broke in pieces the

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<v Speaker 1>pillars and cut down the ashiram and filled their places

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<v Speaker 1>with the bones of men. Moreover, the altar at beth Ethel,

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<v Speaker 1>the high place erected by Jeroboam, the son of Nebat,

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<v Speaker 1>who made Israel to sin. That altar with the high place,

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<v Speaker 1>he pulled down and burned, reducing it to dust. He

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<v Speaker 1>also burned the Aeshira. And as Josiah turned, he saw

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<v Speaker 1>the tombs there on the mount, and he sent and

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<v Speaker 1>took the bones out of the tombs and burned them

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<v Speaker 1>on the altar and defiled it according to the word

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<v Speaker 1>of the Lord that the Man of God proclaimed, who

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<v Speaker 1>had predicted these things. Then he said, what is that

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<v Speaker 1>monument that I see? And the men of the city

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<v Speaker 1>told him, it is the tomb of the Man of

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<v Speaker 1>God who came from Judah and predicted these things that

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<v Speaker 1>you have done against the altar at Bethel. And he said,

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<v Speaker 1>let him be let no man move his bones. So

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<v Speaker 1>they let his bones alone with the bones of the

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<v Speaker 1>prophet who came out of Samaria. And Josiah removed all

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<v Speaker 1>the shrines, also of the high places that were in

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<v Speaker 1>the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made,

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<v Speaker 1>provoking the Lord to anger. He did to them according

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<v Speaker 1>to all that he had done at Bethel. And he

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<v Speaker 1>sacrificed all the priests of the high places who were

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<v Speaker 1>there on the altars, and burned human bones on them.

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<v Speaker 1>Then he returned to Jerusalem, and the king commanded all

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<v Speaker 1>the people keep the passover to the Lord your God,

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<v Speaker 1>as it is written in this book of the Covenant.

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<v Speaker 1>For no such passover had been kept since the days

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<v Speaker 1>of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the

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<v Speaker 1>days of the kings of Israel, or of the kings

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<v Speaker 1>of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah,

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<v Speaker 1>this passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem. Moreover,

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<v Speaker 1>Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers, and the

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<v Speaker 1>household gods and the idols, and all the abominations that

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<v Speaker 1>were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem,

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<v Speaker 1>that he might established the words of the law that

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<v Speaker 1>were written in the book that Helkiah. The priest had

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<v Speaker 1>found in the house of the Lord. Before him, there

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<v Speaker 1>was no king like him who turned to the Lord

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<v Speaker 1>with all his heart and with all his soul, and

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<v Speaker 1>with all his might, according to all the law of Moses.

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<v Speaker 1>Nor did any like him arise after him. Still, the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord did not turn from the burning of his great wrath,

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<v Speaker 1>by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of

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<v Speaker 1>all the provocations with which Manassah had provoked him. And

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord said, I will remove Judah also out of

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<v Speaker 1>my sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will

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<v Speaker 1>cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and

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<v Speaker 1>the house of which I said my name shall be there. Now.

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<v Speaker 1>The rest of the acts of Josiah and all that

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<v Speaker 1>he did, are they not written in the book of

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<v Speaker 1>the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. His days Pharaoh Niko,

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<v Speaker 1>king of Egypt, went up to the King of Assyria

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<v Speaker 1>to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him,

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<v Speaker 1>and Pharaoh Niko killed him at Megido as soon as

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<v Speaker 1>he saw him, and his servants carried him dead in

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<v Speaker 1>a chariot from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem and

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<v Speaker 1>buried him in his own tomb, and the people of

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<v Speaker 1>the land took Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, and anointed

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<v Speaker 1>him and made him king in his father's place. Jehoahaz

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<v Speaker 1>was twenty three years old when he began to reign,

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<v Speaker 1>and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name

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<v Speaker 1>was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libna. And he

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<v Speaker 1>did what was evil in the sight of the Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>according to all that his fathers had done. And Pharaoh

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<v Speaker 1>Niko put him in bonds at Riblah, in the land

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<v Speaker 1>of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and

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<v Speaker 1>laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents

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<v Speaker 1>of silver and a talent of gold. And Pharaoh Nico

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<v Speaker 1>made Eliakim, the son of Josiah, king in the place

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<v Speaker 1>of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim.

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<v Speaker 1>But he took Jehoahas away, and he came to Egypt

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<v Speaker 1>and died there. And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the

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<v Speaker 1>gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give

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<v Speaker 1>the money. According to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted

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<v Speaker 1>the silver and the gold of the people of the

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<v Speaker 1>land from everyone according to his assessment to give it

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<v Speaker 1>to Pharaoh Nico Jehoiakim was twenty five years old when

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<v Speaker 1>he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

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<v Speaker 1>His mother's name was Zebedah, the daughter of Pediah of Rumah,

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<v Speaker 1>and he did what was evil in the sight of

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, and

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for the privilege of being able to

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<v Speaker 1>look at it today. And we're thankful Lord for the

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<v Speaker 1>privilege of being able to look at Josiah and to

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<v Speaker 1>see how passionate he was about you and the worship

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<v Speaker 1>of You and fidelity to your word. Lord. We know

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<v Speaker 1>that he was surrounded by many people who had gone

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<v Speaker 1>in a very opposite direction. But during the course of

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<v Speaker 1>his reign, you inspired him by your spirit to show

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<v Speaker 1>the people what it means to believe in you and

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<v Speaker 1>to live by faith in You. And Lord, we pray

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<v Speaker 1>that throughout the course of our lives that that would

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<v Speaker 1>be the case as well. We pray Lord that where

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<v Speaker 1>idols have crept in, that we would forcibly cast those

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<v Speaker 1>idols out of our lives. That our love for You,

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<v Speaker 1>that our faith in your son, Jesus Christ would be evident,

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<v Speaker 1>and that a passion for your truth would be something

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<v Speaker 1>that people would be able to see is very evident

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<v Speaker 1>in our lives. As we testify to our love for you, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we're grateful that we have the privilege to express love

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<v Speaker 1>toward you because of the fact that you have shown

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<v Speaker 1>your love to us in your sae On Jesus Christ.

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<v Speaker 1>And Lord, we pray that throughout the course of this

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<v Speaker 1>day that we would bring you honor and glory in

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<v Speaker 1>all aspects of our lives. We thank you for your

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<v Speaker 1>presence with us, and we commit this day to your care.

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<v Speaker 1>And we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.