The prophet encouraged the people to seek the Lord and choose to be among those who live righteous lives. Here the people were reminded of the permanence of God's word and the faithfulness of God to God's word. God's word would accomplish the purpose for which God had sent it. The same applies today - we can rely on God's faithfulness not only to God's word but to those who follow the way of the Lord.

What an amazing gift Jesus gave us when he taught his disciples and, therefore, us, how to pray! God is our Father - we are in the community, all equal in God's eyes. We ask that God's will be done - not our will. We need to live according to God's will. We learn to ask for only what we need - our loving God will meet our needs. We do not deserve God's mercy and grace, but God gives this freely
however, we must forgive others for that opens our hearts to receive God's forgiveness. We recognise that only God's grace can keep us from the evil of the world. We pray knowing that our Lord listens to us.