Repentance

Daniel 9:7-19 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame — the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 O Lord, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. 15 Now, O 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. 16 O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. 17 Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
 
THREE aspects of this prayer are worth our attention in the church today.
    First, we acknowledge God is righteous. This means we believe all of his commands are for our good. We submit to his authority to judge us in our disobedience. We rejoice in his blessings on our obedience. Acknowledge God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
    Second, we admit the shame of our sin. Shame caused Adam and Eve to hide from God. Shame causes each of us to hide from God. It keeps us from prayer, his Word, his church and his love. Admit your shame and allow the Lord to cleanse you with his favor.
    Third, praise God’s mercy. Doing so, you praise God for his favor, the unmerited grace to forgive and wipe away your sins. As Daniel praised God for delivering his people from Egypt, you praise God’s mercy to deliver you from sin’s slavery.
    One other thing. Daniel didn’t say, “They sinned.” He counted himself among the sinners. A man whom God had so richly blessed could have separated himself from the Jews’ sins. But he knew “there is no one righteous, no not even one.”  (Romans 3:10a)
 
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”