PRAYER LESSON 150

 

Confessing National Sins

We live in a society that can best be described using the old expression, "Going to hell in a handbasket." We Christians look on our society and see the changes occurring and wonder if there is any hope for us as a nation. We feel helpless to stop the slide down the slippery slope that we seem to be on. Everything is upside down, good has become bad and bad has become good. All the old vices have now become legal, and prayer and acknowledgment of God in public are forbidden.

Out of our helplessness comes a word of advice from the Old Testament prophet Daniel. Daniel recognized that the reason for their having to live as captives in a foreign land is because they had, as a nation, offended God. From the nation's leaders on down, they all had disobeyed God and even worshiped other gods. So, Daniel begins to confess, not just his own sins, but the sins of the nation.

The whole chapter 9 of Daniel's book is his confession and his repenting of the nation's sins. In verses 5-7 he says, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 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. "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame. Then in verse 11, he adds, All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.

We could use these same words when praying for our own nation. We as a nation have committed the same sins as the Israelites. As individuals, we may be innocent of many of these sins, and may be just as righteous as Daniel, but if we don't confess these sins, who will?

We have a responsibility as citizens to care about the welfare of our country. One way we can carry out that responsibility is to pray for our nation and its leaders. We can also seek God's intervention in our affairs, by confessing the sins of our nation and its leaders.

Remember that when Daniel confessed the sins of the nation and repented of their national sins, it was not very long before God restored his people to their own lands. It seems the answer for our country is the same. If we don't repent as a nation, why would God do us any favors, and if we believers do not do the confessing, who will. It's time for us to stand up by falling to our knees.