Then I said:
“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’“
Nehemiah 1:5 - 9
When Nehemiah heard how his people were suffering back in the devastated province of Judah, he mourned, wept, fasted, and prayed. Nehemiah knew that unconfessed sin was a barrier to prayer. Only after he confessed his own sins, his family’s sins, and those of his people did he ask God to grant him success before the king. God answered Nehemiah’s prayer. The Lord moved the heart of King Artaxerxes to send Nehemiah back to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls.
Are you concerned about the condition of your neighborhood or nation? Confess your own sins and the sins of your people; and then, ask the Lord to intervene.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, I confess that we have sinned against you …
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