After a good long break from my detailed study in Hebrews, I’ve started back again in chapter seven (where I left off). As you know if you check out the How to Study the Bible post, I study the Bible by process of OICAE (observation, interpretation, correlation, application, explication). I like to add different things to this skeleton so my time in the Word doesn’t become a dry routine. I’ve been adding Greek parsing of the verbs (mainly so I don’t lose all my Greek knowledge), and I’ve also added writing a prayer at the end of each study (obviously influenced by Puritan prayer style). So, here are to prayers written on the study of Hebrews 7:1.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, Hebrews 7:1

O LORD of Abraham,
You are GOD MOST HIGH,
though all other gods are mere fabrication,
turning us from You.
Make my name in Your holy book small
so Your name might be big,
so I would not prize myself
so I would not seek after other gods.
Make me instead like Your servant Melchizedek
that my story would be so small and insignificant, but every aspect thereof would point to you
for your glory.
Take me away from my kingship over the dominion of sin
from my mastery of lust
from my perfection of deceit
from my numbing nonchalance towards the world of woes.
Place me instead, by your Spirit and grace, as a saint with ability in all righteousness
giving all to you, High King,
and directing all peoples to Your Great High Priest.

O Lord of the foundations of the earth,
You are the God of all purpose.
There is not one stray molecule, for all are in your decree.
For some mystery that could only be labeled Your desire,
You decided to purpose me by thine election before time into Your eternal story.
So often, I purposefully act against Your perfect will.
Make my purpose be to find Your will like Your servant Melchizedek.
Yet let me leave it not at discovery, but let me purposefully follow Your will.
in order that my purpose would be aligned with Thine,
in order that I would pastor my family,
and protect my family from the evil kings of sin who intend to slaughter them,
in order that we may be blessed by you great Prophet, Priest and King
to inherit Your great purposes for our us.