Daniel's Prayer from Daniel 9
1 In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom- 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:
"O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All
"Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to
15 "Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from
17 "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."
Song excerpt from ‘Nobody Loves Me’ by Derek Webb
“I can always tell a liar
and I always know a thief
I know them like my family
because brother I’m the chief
I’m a dangerous crusader
because I need to tell the truth
so I’m turning over tables
in my own living room
then I might nail indictments up
on every door in town
because its not right or safe to let your conscience down
so I don’t care if nobody loves me but you”
All the talk of judgment and deception has made me think of this song and Daniel’s prayer. I couldn’t agree more that there are terrible atrocities going on in the modern American church. I agree that there is an almost incomprehensible movement which has reduced God’s character to a benevolent ice cream man. But I think it is imperative to follow Daniel’s example and begin with ourselves.
Daniel addressed God in humility and took part in the sin of his people. Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest prophet. Surely Daniel was in the top five. I doubt any of us could find anything wrong with him, yet he went to God and shared in the guilt of
I am sure that at some point (possibly even currently) Rebecca and I have shopped in a store that sells items made in intolerable working conditions. I know there are stores where we shop that have been accused of making products in sweatshops. I have to admit that I am part of the problem of injustice. I have to admit that some of the guilt is on me. I cannot scream about injustice without taking part of the blame. The same goes for the church. Is it consumer driven? Yes. I have to admit that I have played a role. Maybe my role was withdrawal when I should have confronted. Maybe my role was shopping around more than praying to be led. Maybe there are aspects of my role that I couldn’t possibly even comprehend without the Holy Spirit showing me. I know I am part of the problem.
So what is the solution? Let us look at the true and greater Daniel. Jesus Christ not only identified himself with sinners, he became sin for us. He was baptized with sinners and crucified with thieves. Daniel obeyed at the risk of his life. Jesus obeyed at the cost. Jesus emptied himself to serve his fallen creatures. The only reform that will change hearts is gospel reform. Let us humbly repent for our part of the problem as we try to lead others to Christ. Let us wash the feet of those who would betray us. Let us lay down our lives and die for those we believe are wrong. God tells us in Micah 6 that it is good to love mercy. I know there are times when it is merciful to point out another’s flaw, but may God give us the grace to always be merciful and winsome in the pursuit.
Father, the church exists because our husband ransomed our hearts. We are literally the wife from hell. Forgive our pride. Forgive our wandering hearts. We come to you because of your mercy and your goodness. We rest only in your promises and faithfulness. Thank you for the gospel. Thank you for your son. Thank you for turning away your wrath and welcoming us as sons and daughters. Father, forgive us for hating our brothers and sisters. Forgive us for our pride and unbelief. Forgive us for making our ownership more important than your possession. Lord, you are perfect and righteous in all your judgments. We do not deserve mercy, but we ask for it boldly in the sacrifice of Christ. Teach us to act justly. Teach us to love mercy. Teach us to walk humbly before you. Lord, let us all see our part in the sin of the church. Revive us. Restore us. Reform us. Make us hungry for your word and your righteousness. Make us long for your justice to be shown to the world. Teach us to really love the poor. Give us your heart. Fill your church with your Spirit. We need you more than we know. In Jesus Name, Amen.
5 comments:
Danny, this is so good. It made me think of something Allen always points out about prayer. He asks us to think about the things we pray for and the things we neglect to pray for. And he points out that the first thing we should be praying for daily is for God's Kingdom to come. We are much more inclined to pray for our individual needs (and wants).
I recently read a statement that is so true. I can't remember which book I read it in. But it said that prayer is the means by which God's will is done in the earth; not the means by which we get our will done in heaven.
In the area of genuine humility, it is SO crucial for us to be constantly reminded that we are a part of the problem. There certainly isn't a perfect church at this point. But the fact is, if there was, we would mess it up by going there (unless we think WE are perfect).
Thanks for the reminder.
My comment has nothing to do with this post, sorry. I'm commenting on the comments made about preaching balance.
As a peacher who has delivered hundreds of sermons over the last five and a half years, I can say from experience that biblical accuracy and balance are my toughest challenges. Many times I feel pressure to preach "the whole cousel of God" in thirty minutes because someone may be in attendance who has never heard a single word of The Word. If someone hears me preach just once, I don't want them saying, "James only preaches about grace," or, "James only preaches about hell."
Secondly, I admit: I have a big problem with most of the TV evangelists. When I hear them preach it sounds like an episode of Oprah Winfrey wrapped up in a church setting. The messages (and I know I'm generalizing) revolve around self-fulfillment, self-gratification, and, well, self. I have one member at Bethel who is a devout Joyce Meyers and Joel Osteen fan. At various times she tells me how my last lesson reminded her of something Joyce Myers said. I guess that's my issue with the TV people. They're not saying anything that a thousand preachers aren't saying on any given Sunday. If I'm saying what Osteen or Meyers is saying, why am I not on TV. I know why: I use words like repent, sorrow, submit, and authority.
Oh, well. Looks like I'll just have to keep posting blog messages and wait for Joyce Meyers to stop scratching her nails down that chalkboard...I mean wait for her to stop preaching.
the second coming might be soon. james and i agree wholeheartedly.
I do not want to justify myself, only God. Forgive me for any pride, unmercy or lack of compassion that has been in my heart. Any real discernment that I have received has been from God and my prayer is that I only use that to glorify Jesus my Savior.
I am so thankful that I have been led out of legalism and then guided out of places that teach license. All the Glory and Honor goes to God.
The Lord used several Ministries to allow me to see the deception and I am thankful to those men who have stood faithful at a great cost. However, I know that each of them have been given that grace by God to make that stand.
God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14
Todd, I am thankful for you and what God has done in your life. I have never thought of you as prideful. I believe you are sincere and speak from deep conviction. And I respect that.
I attend a church where I definitely do not agree with every method used for church growth. What I don't agree with causes me an ongoing internal struggle. But what has kept me there this long is that the Gospel is being preached. Neither legalism nor license is taught. There is a strong emphasis on the Kingdom of God and how we can cooperate with God in His purposes and make a difference not only in individual lives, but in the community we live, pointing unbelievers to Christ.
After coming out of a place that was completely focused on those already there and preserving THEIR truth and purity, this concern for others, and how we can cooperate with God in serving, has been very inspiring to me. And I have grown spiritually in this environment. That does not mean God will keep me there forever. But in spite of the fact that there are human issues, I know God has had a purpose in me being there for whatever season He designates.
Wherever there are human beings, there will be error. But we are called to serve and minister to others and to be in community with other believers. If we do that, I believe it will necessitate encountering issues and struggles. We should definitely strive for doctrinal purity, but not through isolation and withdrawal.
How can we follow Jesus' example and wash each other's feet if we are not in community? Maybe Jesus used foot washing as an example because washing another's feet is sometimes a messy proposition.
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