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And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications… (Zechariah 12:10a, KJV)

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy (Zechariah,12:10a, ESV)

Supplication late Middle English from Latin supplicat ‘implored,’ from the verb supplicare, from sub– ‘from below,’ + placere ‘propitiate.’

Holy Father, Son and Spirit,

Our sins and iniquities separated us from You…

Isaiah 59
1  Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
2  but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.

We were lost, we were dead in our sins and transgressions…

10  We grope for the wall like the blind;
we grope like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
among those in full vigor we are like dead men.
11  We all growl like bears;
we moan and moan like doves;
we hope for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12  For our transgressions are multiplied before you,
and our sins testify against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
13  transgressing, and denying the LORD,
and turning back from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.
14  Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands afar off;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
and uprightness cannot enter.
15  Truth is lacking,
and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

We had no intercessor…

The LORD saw it, and it displeased him
that there was no justice.
16  He saw that there was no man,
and wondered that there was no one to intercede;

But then! the exceeding riches of Your grace poured down from above!
Your grace sent Jesus Christ, who was our plea for mercy.
Your grace sent Jesus Christ, who was our supplication.

then his own arm brought him salvation,
and his righteousness upheld him.

Romans 5:6  For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

O, how can it be! Amazing grace poured out on vile and unworthy sinners like us!
If we have known You, if we have known such grace,
ought we not be filled with such a Spirit?
Your Spirit of grace and pleas for mercy!
Your Spirit of grace and of supplications!
Yet how little time do we spend interceding at Your throne!
How can we say we know You or Your grace if we neglect to sit at Your feet!
Forgive us, O Lord God. Cleanse us from our sin.

Lord God, hear our pleas and supplications for Jesus’ sake!
Father of mercies, Pour out on us Your Spirit of grace and pleas for mercy!
Slain Lamb of God, Pour out on us Your Spirit of grace and of supplications!

We were once not Your people…
We once had not received mercy…

Hosea 1:6  She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. 7  But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”

8  When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. 9  And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”

But then! the exceeding riches of Your grace poured down from above!
Your grace sent Jesus Christ, who was our plea for mercy.
Your grace sent Jesus Christ, who was our supplication.

Hosea 2:1  Say to your brothers, “You are my people,” and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.”

I Peter 2:10  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

O, how can it be! Amazing grace poured out on vile and unworthy sinners like us!
If we have known You, if we have known such grace,
ought we not be filled with such a Spirit?
Your Spirit of grace and pleas for mercy!
Your Spirit of grace and of supplications!
Yet how little time do we spend interceding at Your throne!
How can we say we know You or Your grace if we neglect to sit at Your feet!
Forgive us, O Lord God. Cleanse us from our sin.

Lord God, hear our pleas and supplications for Jesus’ sake!
Father of mercies, Pour out on us Your Spirit of grace and pleas for mercy!
Slain Lamb of God, Pour out on us Your Spirit of grace and of supplications!

We had no plea but guilty.
Our mouths were stopped.
We had no offering for sin.
We were an unclean thing.
Our works were filthy rags.
We were eternally condemned.

Isaiah 64:6  We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

Romans 3:19  Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God20  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

John 3:18b whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

But then! the exceeding riches of Your grace poured down from above!
Your grace sent Jesus Christ, who was our plea for mercy.
Your grace sent Jesus Christ, who was our supplication.

Romans 3:21  But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22  the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25  whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26  It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Hebrews 2:17  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

O, how can it be! Amazing grace poured out on vile and unworthy sinners like us!
If we have known You, if we have known such grace,
ought we not be filled with such a Spirit?
Your Spirit of grace and pleas for mercy!
Your Spirit of grace and of supplications!
Yet how little time do we spend interceding at Your throne!
How can we say we know You or Your grace if we neglect to sit at Your feet!
Forgive us, O Lord God. Cleanse us from our sin.

Lord God, hear our pleas and supplications for Jesus’ sake!
Father of mercies, Pour out on us Your Spirit of grace and pleas for mercy! Slain Lamb of God, Pour out on us Your Spirit of grace and of supplications!

Like the disciples, we confess we struggle with watching in prayer for even an hour…

Mark 14:32  And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray…” 35 “…Remain here and watch.”

37  And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

40  And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41  And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?…”

But then! the exceeding riches of Your grace poured down from above!
Your grace sent Jesus Christ, who was our plea for mercy.
Your grace sent Jesus Christ, who was our supplication.

Lord Jesus, You persevered in prayer in the Garden…

Mark 14:32  And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33  And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34  And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35  And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36  And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37  And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39  And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40  And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41  And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42  Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

And You continue to persevere in prayer at our Father’s right hand as our perfect High Priest, where You never fail to plead for us…

Hebrews 7:25  Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

26  For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27  He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28  For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

O, how can it be! Amazing grace poured out on vile and unworthy sinners like us!
If we have known such grace, ought we not be filled with such a Spirit?
Your Spirit of grace and pleas for mercy!
Your Spirit of grace and of supplications!
Yet how little time do we spend interceding at Your throne!
How can we say we know You or Your grace if we neglect to sit at Your feet!
Forgive us, O Lord God. Cleanse us from our sin.

Lord God, hear our pleas and supplications for Jesus’ sake!
Father of mercies, Pour out on us Your Spirit of grace and pleas for mercy!
Slain Lamb of God, Pour out on us Your Spirit of grace and of supplications!

Please add your PRAYERS to the Lord to pour out on His people a spirit of grace and of supplications!