Nehemiah 1:6-10.
In these verses Nehemiah confesses the sins of Israel as a community, including those of his father and his father’s family. Do we acknowledge and ask for forgiveness individually as well as for our community as a people of God?
If we are honest, it can be difficult to ask for forgiveness for our community. It is hard enough to repent for our individual sin, and much more for the sins of our church, community, nation, and world. After all that’s not our problem…right…wrong, Nehemiah knew that Israel was unfaithful and God was fulfilling the consequences He had warned about. He also realized that they all needed to come before God with prayers of repentance. Daniel also recognized the need for community repentance. Check out Daniel 9:3-19.
Nehemiah’s and Daniel’s examples are ones we need to put in our minds. Our culture places focus on individuals and individual achievement. Not only that, but it places blame accordingly. As the church we need to realize we are in this together. What if we began to pray and repent for our community and country for things we are doing against God. We saw the overturn of Roe V Wade which is a huge answered prayer and something we needed to repent of as a nation.
Read Luke 23:34a “And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Even from the cross, Jesus prayed prayers of forgiveness for us. Take time to write a prayer of repentance, using the verses from Nehemiah and Daniel as an example. Pray for forgiveness for the church, community, state, nation and world, for all of the sins that we commit. Let us believe and repent. Ask God to help you continue to grow as a man or woman of Godly character and integrity.