December 02, 2019
What do you do when you are in crisis? When the people around you are suffering? Or rebelling? When the nation you live in is spiraling downward spiritually and under the righteous judgment of God?
If you scan the Bible, you will discover that the men God used had an immediate and singular response.
They prayed.
DANIEL’S PRAYER
Daniel is a perfect example. When his nation was in bondage and great turmoil, his response was untypical of most but amazingly effective.
So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. (Daniel 9:3)
Like Nehemiah and Moses and the men and women most greatly used by God, he cried out to the only One who could help. If you study their prayers, you will find they all contain similar components.
O LORD, the great and awesome God (vs. 4)
O LORD, the great and awesome God who keeps HIs covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments (vs. 4)
I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed … we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets ... (vs. 5-6a)
Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame … You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. (vs. 7-8)
O, Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain (vs. 16)
For Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name … For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name. (vs. 17-19)
We are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. (vs. 18)
OUR PRAYERS
We cannot improve on this Biblical pattern. We should take this same approach with our great God as we cry out to Him for our lives, our families, our nation. We should do it fervently. We should do it by ourselves and with others. We should do it unceasingly.
And we should do it now.
May 08, 2025
All of us are dramatically shaped by how we view ourselves. Some have too low a perspective; some too high. To be imbalanced here is harmful in either direction.
May 06, 2025
We spend our lives trying to gain certain things and are full of joy when we get them. Our first car, our first job, our first home. Reputation, and prestige, and influence. The list is long. But is it possible to have all those things and not have the most important thing?
April 30, 2025
And then he said with a twinkle in his eye that had seen nine decades plus, “I believe this may be the best season of my life!”
