As the United States of America continues to reap the consequences of our own wrong headed and sinful decisions, perhaps we will feel enough pain to do what we should do, repent, confess, and plead with God for His mercy and revival, corporately. It is past time for pastors to take the lead in this sin burdened society and lead our congregations, large or small in prayers of confession and repentance. I have just a few thoughts that may be helpful as each congregation cries out to God.
These suggestions are from the Scriptures, specifically the book of Ezra, when he prayed and confessed the sin of his people. They are heart attitudes that must be ignited by the fire of the Holy Spirit. We can not just pray as a kind of "duty" rather we must sense His Spirit burdening us and compelling us to respond in prayer as we see the dreadful condition of our nation. May He so act quickly upon our hearts.
First, we must by the Spirit have a sense of guilt, and an urge to confess. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will come and convict the world of sin and He must convict us as well of the depth of our wrongs. As He convicts us of sin, our responsibility becomes glaringly apparent and confession is the natural outflow. Anytime the Holy Spirit convicts us, we have a sense of culpability and wrong, with a sense of shame and a godly sorrow that drives us to confess and turn from wrong. This is what we need to sense today to pray rightly.
Secondly, we must acknowledge Gods patience and mercy. Our sins today are of the grossest sort. They are an offense to God and are destroying people. There is perverse actions and worldviews. Evil doers are allowed to run unrestrained, robbing, beating, burning, perjuring, bearing false witness, killing children in the womb, false gospels and prophets, schools are teaching and affirming homosexuality to kindergarten age children. You can add to the list I know. Yet, in light of this and more, God is showing remarkable, wonderful patience with us. His mercy endures forever, but the day is coming when His patience will be withdrawn. Today is not that day thankfully, and we still have time, time to repent, turn, pray and implore His mercy and reviving. Christ Jesus is our merciful High Priest, who is and will intercede for us as we seek Him and pray for the nation and for His Spirit to be poured out. Know that day by day we are the objects of His great mercy, though we don't deserve any of it.
Thirdly, ask forgiveness based on His Person and promise. He promised that if we His people will pray, turn from wrong ways and seek His face, He will have mercy, forgive our sin and heal our land. This promise flows from the perfect nature of God. He is merciful, and He is just and righteous in all His ways. He waits for His people to seek Him out, acknowledge our sin, and be truly humble and repentant. His Covenant is sealed in the blood of Christ, and God will never go back on His promise. The road may be long and difficult, but ultimately God will execute perfect mercy and justice and fulfill His covenant.
America is in desperate need of repentance. We seem to be looking everywhere for answers, and have forgotten the foundations of our nation. We are a nation founded upon biblical principles and the precepts of the christian faith, that at one time permeated or whole culture. It was the worldview that for our citizens and way of life, brought cohesion to a diverse people. But we have long since forsaken those principles and are now unraveling as a society. Our healing isn't to be found in government. Our form of government is an excellent one, but it is now being manipulated and trampled upon by corrupt and ungodly individuals, hungry for power and fueled by a utopian, globalist, and delusional vision for America and the world. Renewal does not come from the top down, but bubbles up from beneath.
This is where pastors and the church of Christ can take true leadership by calling people to prayer, fasting, intercessions and lamenting. Perhaps God will have mercy on our once great nation and revive His people to spiritual fervency and godliness once again. If not us, then who?
