If we take Scripture as our guide and spiritual things as what determines good and bad, then we must recognize to an increasingly greater degree that God is judging this nation. Until we recognize this we will be blind to what has really going on in the United States. Until we recognize that the hand of the Lord is upon the professing Church in judgment we will be blind as to what it will take for true repentance and restoration. Until we begin to see the depths of our sin against God we will not know how to confess to Him and repent from that sin. As long as we continue in our pride and self-reliance we will not see that our very practices of religion are against God. The Pharisees and the legalists would not be humbled and broken from their self-reliance and self-effort in order to seek God in truth and love. They would not be broken from their traditions in order to receive the truth of God as found in Scripture. What was the heart of their problem? They had been turned over to a hardened heart and were in a downward spiral into idolatry and the worship of self. Instead of receiving the truth of God as set out in Scripture they twisted that truth to fit their own wicked (though devoutly religious) hearts. They were blinded to the nature of their hearts and actions because they no longer looked to the true God for all things.
15 “And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself, as it is this day– we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16 “O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us. 17 “So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. 18 “O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. 19 “O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” (Daniel 9)
Christianity in modern America is mocked and made fun of seemingly on all fronts. True Christianity is also mocked by many within the confines of the professing Church. We can interpret that in many ways and we can respond in many ways. One response would be to increase our amount of outward activity and think that God is blessing that. But how can an increased activity that is not from the true God bring His blessing when He is against a lesser amount of activity because it is not done out of a true love for Him? What we must see is that the professing Church has become a reproach to all those around us because of sin. The reason that the professing Church is the object of jokes from so many is because of sin. Instead of blaming the comedians and the intellectuals for their reproach and disdain, we must know that our sin has caused the Lord to withdraw His hand. This requires a biblical approach rather than one that the Pharisees would be happy with.
We must know that sin separates us from God and for Him to return to His people in power and glory sin must be truly repented of. Nothing less is absolutely necessary for God to return to the Church. The Church has simply turned from what it is supposed to be doing to a focus on itself in gaining numbers, money, and influence. But of course the name of God is used in those things and so it is said that it is for Him. Rather than all of that, however, the Church is to be salt, light, and then the pillar and foundation of the truth. When the Church is not being those things in truth, the society and culture has no salt to preserve it from corruption and no light to shine on the pit it is about to fall in. It will also have no foundation of truth to build on so of course it will rush headlong into grievous error. The real problem in our nation is not politicians (though that is a massive problem) but the professing Church. The problem we have with lying and corrupt politicians is a symptom rather than the real cause. The real cause is the professing Church and its idolatry.
Daniel knew the real problem in his day and it is the same problem as our day. It is the presence of sin and the absence of God. The problem, therefore, cannot be dealt with by activities and massive planning. It can only be dealt with by God. We cannot manipulate God to return to us. We cannot weep for false reasons and expect God to return. What we must do is deal with our hearts in truth and seek the throne of grace for grace. After all, what do we think we are seeking at the throne of grace? Do we seek grace for selfish reasons or the grace that exalts the glory of God? Daniel knew the heart of the issue and so he set the blame at the door of Israel which is exactly where it belonged. But he also knew that God must return and that God will only operate on the basis of grace. God will not return to a church for any reason or motive other than grace.
Notice how Daniel sought God in verses 15-19. Read the text again and note how he uses words like “Your” and “Yourself” over and over. Daniel was thoroughly God-centered in his thinking and praying. Notice also how Daniel prayed to the Lord for His sake and His name’s sake. In other words, Daniel loved God more than anything else. The reason his heart was for his nation was because his nation was God’s people. The reason his heart longed for Jerusalem is because it was God’s city. Do we ache for the Church today? Do we have inward pain over the fact that the professing Church is being mocked and made fun of? Is our pain over the fact of our own shame or the fact that we who bear His name have become a reproach? Do we love God enough to cry out to Him in prayer pleading with Him to return to His people for the sake of His name? When the professing Church is mocked, God is the One that is really being mocked. Do we hurt for His name or for our own? Do we love Him more than ourselves or not? No one can offer a class or write a book that will change our chief love. God alone can take our hearts and turn them to Himself so that the life of Christ will dwell in our souls and shine out.
If we are not praying in some way like Daniel, the problem is not in our words themselves but our hearts. We can train our mouths to say the right words, but our words are not our prayers. Our true prayers are the desires of our hearts. Even when our words are correct our deepest and truest desires are being lifted up to God. When our words do not reflect our hearts, our hypocrisy is there for us to see and it is certainly in the presence of God. We try to deny what is true of our own hearts and perhaps get involved in a flurry of activity to fool ourselves and hide the truth. However, no one can ever hide the truth before God so all we are doing is fooling ourselves.
This prayer of Daniel should produce within us a serious examination of our own hearts and motives. It should also produce a serious examination of our prayer lives. We say we have a prayer life, but is there true life to our prayers? Is the only difference between a conservative prayer and another kind of prayer in our day the words? When we pray is our heart what is truly seeking the Lord and crying out to Him? Can we in all honesty pray to God to act for His name’s sake? Is that truly the desire of our hearts? Is our deepest concern about dying churches the fact that His name is the real issue? Is our deepest concern for starting churches the manifestation of the glory of His name? Do we practice evangelism and do all the things we do out of a true love for Him or for other reasons? I dare say that no matter what else happens until we begin to cry out to the Lord from the depths of our soul with longing desires for His name we will not see the presence of God in the professing Church or in our nation. Israel spent seventy years in captivity which was what God had said would happen. When Daniel saw that in Scripture he began to pray. His true love and desire, however, was for the name of God.
Let us take another look at Daniel 9:17: “So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary.” What was the sanctuary desolate of? It was desolate of God and of people at that point. But the sanctuary was desolate of God before it was desolate of people. What would happen if the people came back and it was still desolate of God? They would still be left in the sin of their hearts and be given over to religious ritual. What does it mean for the face of the Lord to shine on His desolate sanctuary? If His face is shining on His sanctuary, then He has returned to it and His presence is there. It is something like Moses who did not want to go without the presence of God. The professing Church must begin to check its motives and intents and to seek the Lord for the presence of the Lord. Our hearts must be turned from thinking that our activities please God in and of themselves. God is only pleased in our activities if the source is from His wisdom, the power is His grace, and the motive is His love. That does not happen apart from the presence of God. The first priority of any church is to seek the presence of God. If the presence of God is not with that church, all that it does is likened to wondering around in the wilderness with no guidance or provision from God. Is the greatest desire in our hearts for the face of the Lord to shine upon us? If we don’t truly have that desire, it shows that a great darkness has set in on our hearts. Let us not pray primarily for our nation unless we are praying for the Church. Let us not pray primarily for the Church unless we are praying for our own hearts. But let us learn that we not truly praying unless we desire the presence and glory of God in our hearts, in the Church, and also in the nation. Let our hearts be given over to seeking the presence of God that we may truly pray. If our hearts and desires are not for God, even our righteous act of prayer will be as filthy rags.
God Loves... Himself 
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