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Psalm 23 reveals our
Lord not only as our Shepherd, but as the One Who is our Restorer. He
makes us lie down in green pastures and leads us beside the still
waters. Strong’s 7725 word reference is "shuwb" - to turn
back; to bring back home again; convert, deliver again; get oneself back
again; recompense; recover, refresh, relieve, retrieve, render again.
Webster defines a restorer as one who would bring back into existence or
use, reestablish; bring back to a former condition; bring back to a
state of health, soundness or vigor; put back to a former place or a
former position; make return or restitution of anything taken away or
lost; to reproduce, reconstruct or represent in the original state.
"Repent
therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that
times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He
may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must
receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has
spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world
began." (Acts 3:19-21)
"So I will
restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the
crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, my great
army which I sent among you." (Joel 2:25)
"Return to the
stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will
restore double to you." (Zechariah 9:12)
"Yet when he
(the thief) is found, he must restore sevenfold; he may have to give up
all the substance of his house." (Proverbs 7:31)
Gracious
Restorer, bring back my wandering soul and restore me in right
relationship to You. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold
me by Your generous Spirit. Set me on a path of righteousness and
restore my relationships here on earth according to Your purposes and
plans. Restore my physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. I
trust You to restore to me all that the thief has stolen from me as
well. I declare You as the Restorer over my life and over the lives of
my loved ones. Deepen my understanding of what being restored actually
means in Your eyes. Bring restoration of the Tabernacle of David in our
hearts; restore worship to what it was before Lucifer denied Your
Supremacy; restoration of the earth and your church as You intended it
to be from the beginning of time. Restore Your glory to Israel and may
the knowledge of Your glory cover the earth as the waters cover the
seas. Implant in me Your heart of restoration and cause me to walk in a
spirit of restoration, becoming a vessel of reconciliation for your
children to You, Father, and for one to another in the body of Christ.
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