Daniel's Prayer

God doesn't change. Nor does human nature. We, like Israel, tend to forget that God (not clever people) is the One who has freed our nation from fear of famine and wild beasts. So, when we today ignore His ways. He once again withdraws His protection and turns us over to the natural consequences built into His creation. [See 1 Corinthians 10-1-13]  Many may then recognize their need and appreciate His wise, loving and sovereign  care for His people.  [See America's Spiritual Slide]   

"O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. ... O Lord, to us belongs shame of face... because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.   Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster....   As it is written... all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice... we have sinned, we have done wickedly! O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. ...   Incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations.... for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.   O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name." Daniel 9:3-19

We need to learn from history. God's people had lost their land and freedom because they disobeyed God and participated in the spreading corruption. Similar conditions have corrupted nations and devastated people whenever and wherever God's people chose to conform to the world, rejecting -- willingly or in ignorance -- the wisdom of the only King who can bring genuine peace and triumph.

Ponder this excerpt from America's Spiritual Slide

End time events fit the same Biblical patterns demonstrated in Old Testament history. Then as now, those who turned from truth to “other gods,” faced devastating consequences. The book of Judges shows the oft-repeated cycle:  

1. Peace and prosperity: God's gifts to the people He loved.

2. Apathy and compromise: They took His gifts for granted and forgot to thank Him.

3. Rebellion (humanism) and paganism: They traded God for other sources of strength. "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft." (1 Samuel 15:23)

4. Famine, war, plagues and slaver: Showing the people the inadequacy of their own resources, God would bring them back to Himself.

5. Confession and repentance: The people recognized their need for God.

6. God hears, saves and restores: He blesses His people with peace -- as long as they follow Him. When they turn to other gods, He stands back and waits.

This cycle applies not only to Old Testament times. God warned us that we could face similar destruction:

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.” (1 Cor. 10:6-10)

Yet, our times are different. The vast communication network for occult indoctrination, the proliferation of spiritual counterfeits, the acceleration of demonic activity, and today’s ignorance of occult dangers have set the stage for potential unprecedented evils. In light of Biblical prophecy, the above cycle could soon become a downward spiral leading to persecution and the cruel reign of the antichrist.

But those who know God need not be afraid. While we await His coming, our King offers spiritual protection and ultimate victory to all who trust and follow Him. So let us wear the whole Armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18), stand firm in Jesus Christ together, and “run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.…” (Hebrews 12:2-3) He has promised us,

"If God is for us, who can be against us? ... Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

"... in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:31-9