The Missing Link

We're nearing the end of a very contentious election season. One of the few things we can all agree on is that our country is deeply divided. In two weeks' time, all the ballots will have been counted and we will have evidence of just how divided we are. But then life will go on. One of these candidates will be the President-Elect of these United States, and we the people will turn our attention elsewhere.

In these days leading up to Election Day, many are praying for our country. There are prayer meetings and prayer groups and calls for prayer all across social media. With all this praying for our country, why are we still in such a mess? What are we missing?

Not too long ago, Al and I read Psalm 80 in our morning devotions. And then we read this commentary (which might actually make more sense to you if you take a minute to read Psalm 80):

"This Psalm is a picture of America to me. God had brought Israel out of Egypt, driven out the nations, and planted them as a vine in the Promised Land. He prospered them with blessings that were so abundant they overshadowed the mountains and extended to the sea! But the hedges were broken down. They no longer had the respect of other nations. Their produce was pilfered by others, and their power decimated. They did not have the joy and blessings that came from honoring God and humbly acknowledging that He was the source of their success. Our forefathers came from other lands for the sake of religious freedom, and our nation was founded on principles that honored God......Yet we have become despised by the nations, our economy is in disarray, and the most basic moral values are being rejected." (from In The Secret Place, a Pilgrimage Through the Psalms by Jerry Rankin, p. 173)

As I've continued to mull over this paragraph, it seems to me that Dr. Rankin has stated the obvious, and stated it very well. Our country is in a mess. We have forgotten where we have come from and turned our backs on the very principles that once made us a great nation.

One of Dr. Rankin's sentences sticks out to me. He writes that Israel "did not have the joy and blessings that came from honoring God and humbly acknowledging that He was the source of their success." (emphasis mine). The same could be said of us here in the United States. We have forgotten where we came from. We have forgotten why we were once a respected and prosperous nation. We no longer acknowledge our founding principles and have forgotten how greatly we have been blessed by God throughout our history. In short, we have forgotten God. As a nation, we have turned our backs on Him.

And so the question then becomes, is there any hope? What will it take to turn things around? Can anything make a difference? 

For the answer, we turn to the Scriptures.  To a familiar passage in the Old Testament that we often turn to when we begin to pray for our nation. 

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."  (2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV)

In its original context, this promise was given from God to Solomon at the time of the dedication of the temple. Reading verse 13 tells us that God is giving warning to the people, through Solomon, of what will happen if they forsake His ways. There will be judgment on their sin in the form of drought or locusts or pestilence. But, if the people humble themselves and pray and seek God's face and turn from their wicked ways, God would forgive their sin and heal their land.

What does that have to do with us? Although originally this promise was given to Israel at a specific time and place, there is a prayer principle here that echoes throughout Scripture. It's the principle of humbling oneself, or one's nation, before God. It's the principle of agreeing with God. Of confessing sin. Of acknowledging that sin is what God says it is.

The same principle is found in David's confession of sin in Psalm 51. David humbled himself before God. "Against You, and You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight." (Psalm 51:4)

Daniel's prayer in Daniel chapter 9 reveals this same principle. Daniel prayed, on behalf of his people, "We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances......We have not listened to Your servants the prophets.....Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame....because we have sinned against You." (Daniel 9:4-8 NASB)

Daniel humbled himself on behalf of his people. Daniel prayed. Daniel sought the Lord. Daniel confessed sin, not only his personal sin, but the sin of the nation.

Is there hope for America? Yes. If God's people humble themselves. If God's people will pray. If God's people will seek His face. If God's people will turn from their wicked ways. Then God has promised to hear from heaven and forgive sin and heal the land. 

Note that the verse does not say that if all heathen and wicked and pagan and evil people will humble themselves. What it does say is that if God's people will humble themselves, pray, seek His face, turn from their wicked ways, then God will answer.

It all starts with humbling ourselves. That's the missing link. It doesn't start with pointing fingers at others. Or with wishing things were different. Or with wringing our hands at how bad things are. Or with more social media posts to complain about this or that. The first step in changing things here in our country, the thing that seems to be missing these days, is that we who are God's people humble ourselves. Individually. Humble ourselves and pray and seek God's face and turn from our sin.

We are told that "Daniel gave [his] attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes." (Daniel 9:3 NASB)  We may not need to wear sackcloth and cover ourselves with ashes, but we do need to get alone with God. The kind of praying that will bring about a change in our country is more than a quick sentence or two rattled off between ballgames or trips to the mall.

If we're serious about wanting to see things change in our country, it's time to get more serious about our praying. It's time to humble ourselves before God. It's time to be more focused on God and less on our personal agendas and our personal schedules. It's time to stop talking about praying, and pray!

We have the instruction. We have the example to follow. We know what to do. And we have the promise of what will happen when we do. 

So, what is holding us back? 

"Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!"  (Psalm 80:3 ESV)

"O my God, incline Your ear and hear! For we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive!" (Daniel 9:18-19a, NASB)