We are printing the prayer Daniel prayed for his nation.
He prays this prayer after reading the prophet Jeremiah and learns that Jerusalem would lie desolate for seventy
years. In this prayer Daniel prays, confesses, and repents for himself and his people. As you read this prayer make it your
own, for yourself and for the people of America. It is truly an awesome prayer.
Daniel 9: 4-19 (Living Bible)
"O Lord," I prayed, "you are a great and awesome God;
you always fulfill your promises of mercy to those who love you and who keep your laws. But we have sinned so much; we have
rebelled against you and scorned your commands. We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, whom you sent again
and again down through the years, with your messages to our king and princes and to all the people.
O Lord, you are righteous, but as for us, we are always
shamefaced with sin, just as you see us now; yes, all of us - the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, and all Israel, scattered
near and far wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you.
O Lord, we and our kings and princes and fathers are
weighted down with shame because of all our sins.
But, the Lord our God is merciful, and pardons even
those who have rebelled against him.
O Lord our God, we have disobeyed you; we have flouted
all the laws you gave us through your servants, the prophets. All Israel has disobeyed ; we have turned away from you and
haven't listened to your voice. And so the awesome curse of God has crushed us - the curse written in the law of Moses your
servant. And you have done exactly as you warned us you would do, for never in all history has there been disaster like what
happened at Jerusalem to us and our rulers. Every curse against us written in the law of Moses has come true; all the
evils he predicted- all have come. But even so we still refuse to satisfy the Lord our God by turning from our sins and doing
right.
And so the Lord deliberately crushed us with the calamity
he prepared; he is fair in everything he does, but we would not obey. O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name
by removing your people from Egypt in a great display of power. Lord, do it again! Though we have sinned so much and are full
of wickedness, yet because of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn away your furious anger from Jerusalem, your own
city, your holy mountain. For the heathen mock at you because your city lies in ruins for our sins.
O our God, hear your servant's prayer! Listen as I plead!
Let your face shine again with peace and joy upon your desolate sanctuary - for your own glory, Lord.
O my God, bend down your ear and listen to my plea.
Open your eyes and see our wretchedness, how your city lie in ruins-for everyone knows that it is yours. We don't ask because
we merit help, but because you are so merciful despite our grievous sins.
O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen to me
and act! Don't delay - for your own sake, O my God, because your people and your city bear your name."
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Our Lord is a merciful God. Daniel prayed this prayer
because he believed God loved His people and although they sinned against Him time and again and He brought destruction on
the nation and allowed them to be conquered, Daniel knew God loves people. Daniel so yearned for God to forgive and restore
the people because to be left in ruins did not bring honor to the God of Glory.
Our great nation was raised up by God to be "One nation
under God..." We have sinned and are bringing great ruin upon ourselves. Our sins are as grievious to God as Israel's and
we will be brought to account. God has not changed - too many continually believe wrongly that because we live in the age
of grace...that God has somehow changed His mind on sin....They believe that because Jesus paid the price of the wrath of
God for sin that God has done away with all His anger toward continual blatant sinning. Not so.
As a nation we have left the God of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob and fashioned gods out of silver and gold. Our prosperity has not been God approving of what we are....many of the
nations God destroyed in the Bible were enjoying unprecedented prosperity just before they were judged.
We have taken the blessings of God and misused them.
Even the poorest among us has it better than most of the world's population. We are free and we have abused that freedom to
make wrong choices. We have systematically expelled God from our schools, workplaces and government.
We as a nation have wanted our freedom from the commandments
of God - our actions speak much louder than our words.
The general population of America forgets God at
every turn; many go to church but do not know Him or His presence in their lives. Sin goes unabated and excuses are made for
it. Holiness is obsolete and no one has a clear definition of what holy is. Holy is not to be measured by a definition a culture
comes up with but in light of God's Word. The church in general is so far away from God that 'good works' have taken
the place of truly obeying God from the heart.
As Daniel prayed, confessed and asked forgiveness -
first for his own sin then of his people - let us who believe in the same God Daniel served - do the same and follow his example.
MKL
08-01-05
