Prayer for Our Nation

God has never demanded national perfection; He has always called for honest confession. As far back as the days of Moses, God said: “If they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers . . . I will remember the land” (Leviticus 26:40-42).

Nehemiah knew the value of confession. Upon hearing of the crumbled walls in Jerusalem, did he fault God? Hardly. Read his prayer: “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, 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” (Nehemiah 1:6-7).

The second most powerful man in the kingdom turned himself in. He accepted responsibility for the downfall of his people. However, the scene of his personal confession is nothing compared to the day the entire nation repented in Nehemiah 9, when hundreds of people spent hours in prayer, not making requests or excuses but making confessions.

Clearing the land

Confession does for the soul what working the land does for the soil. Before the farmer sows seed, he works the land, removing the rocks and pulling up the stumps. Why? Seed grows better in prepared soil.

God’s seed grows better in a pure soul. Confession invites God to walk the land of our hearts. “There’s a rock of greed over here, Father. I can’t budge it. And that tree of racism near the fence? Its roots are long and deep. And may I show you some dry soil too crusty for seed?”

Peter models honest confession. We remember Peter as the one who ran, but do we remember Peter as the one who turned himself in? We should.

How did the New Testament writers know of his sin? Who told them of his betrayal? How did they know the details? Who told them of the girl at the gate and the soldiers at the fire? How did Matthew know Peter’s accent made Peter a suspect? How did Luke learn of the glance of Jesus? Who told all four Gospel writers about the crowing rooster and flowing tears?

The Holy Spirit? Maybe. Or, more likely, Peter turned himself in. He stopped his running, fell to his knees, buried his face in his hands and gave up.

There he is, every burly bit of him filling the door frame of the upper room, “Fellows, I’ve got something to get off my chest.” He describes that terrible morning, the fire, the girl and the look from Jesus. They hear of the cursing and the crowing rooster. He turned himself in.

Peter just couldn’t stay away from Christ! Who was the first to run to the empty tomb? Who was the first to jump from the boat and swim to Jesus who stood on the shore?

Cleansing the land

Those who keep secrets from God keep their distance from God. Those who are honest with God, however, draw near to God.

Will America ever do this? Repent like Peter? Pray like Nehemiah and his people? Will this nation come clean with God? She may, if the church leads the way.

Take note of God’s land-healing promise: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

The healing of the land begins with the people of God. The nation changes when God’s people change. The culture changes when the church changes. And that change begins when we confess our sin. Genuine national repentance says: America needs to change, and the change begins with me.