Tears of great grief have clarified my vision.
I don’t think clever arguments are the best way to effect change and I’m unconvinced that gathering the right group of people can guarantee an outcome.
But I know that God’s people, repentant and responsive to His will can do battle in the heavenlies.
I am writing this BEFORE tonight’s scheduled presidential debate-I won’t be watching it–nothing the candidates have to say and no media spin can undo the knot in my stomach.
I am not surprised to find us here. But I am surprised that so many of my fellow believers are surprised.
Like captive Israel, we seem astonished that God does exactly what He says He will do.
Daniel understood his times. Daniel knew that the blame lay not on those “out there” but on us “in here”.
Pagans will be pagans.
They have no reason nor the power to act in accordance with biblical teaching.
But those of us called by grace and covered by Jesus’ blood-that’s an entirely different story.
So instead of lobbing political arguments across the aisle or pounding one another with snarky social media posts, I think we should follow Daniel’s example and storm the gates of heaven.
An appropriate response to our current political predicament starts with prayer.
And that prayer starts with repentance.
Not a general, “We’ve been so bad, God. Sorry.”
But genuine, gut-wrenching, heart breaking acknowledgement of the degree to which the people of God-me, you, us–have turned from truth and pursued our own pleasure.
For generations, we have put our faith in a political party instead of a Holy God. We have been happy to accept leaders of questionable integrity as long as our pocketbooks didn’t suffer.
We have sinned. And we are reaping the fruit of the seed we sowed.
Our only hope is the mercy of God.
I am going to be fasting and praying and begging for that mercy, like Daniel.
So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:
“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 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 ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
“Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame…The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;…The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
“Now, 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. Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath…We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.
Daniel 9:1-19 selected NIV
thelifeididntchoose 