“Conviction” is one of those multi-layered words that individuals may accept in one instance, yet reject in another. Most people have convictions – “fixed or firmly held beliefs” – regarding what they accept to be true or not true, yet many reject the word when it comes to an awareness of something out of order with their attitudes or actions. I offer this as a prelude to what I really want to write about – a Holy Spirit conviction about an attitude deeply ingrained in my thought processes which, frankly, is wrong! …and the graciousness of God does not allow us to nurture or adhere to those things in our lives that are sin. I think most of us prefer dwelling on the grace and mercy found in Jesus and would rather not recognize that our sin nature is still in residence.
I love reading the Bible, particularly with the supernatural dynamic which the Holy Spirit brings when we ask. I had an explosion of light from the book of Daniel recently that brought (and continues to bring) both excitement and conviction. Interestingly, Daniel has not been one of my favorite books because I viewed it as containing both simplistic children’s stories and prophecies far too deep for my understanding. Yet, in that simple story of Daniel and the lion’s den, I recognize a tactic of the enemy, which he continues to use to this day—and that is to undermine and attack Christians in one of our most effective weapons of warfare – prayer; he will do whatever it takes to keep us from praying!
Daniel lived an exemplary life in the midst of moral corruption, idolatry, and rebellion. His people, the Israelites, broke covenant with God and were exiled to a pagan land, where he attained a position of authority without compromising his faith. For this reason, Daniel’s prayer in chapter 9 touches my heart in some significant ways; his prayer was birthed from reading scripture—the writings of Jeremiah.
Recognizing the passage of time and acknowledging that the number of years, written prophetically about the desolation of Jerusalem, were about to be fulfilled; Daniel sought the Lord in prayer, with pleas for mercy—as a man in mourning, clothed in sackcloth and covered with ashes. Instead of sitting back as an observer, this godly man fell on his face before the Lord, making confession and interceding for his people—he not only believed the prophecies, he partnered with God in prayer for their fulfillment!
What amazes me most about his prayer was his willingness to identify with rebellious Israel—they were his people, and, although most turned their hearts away from God, he did not separate himself from their rebellion. “We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets….To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame….your people have become a byword among all who are around us.”
It is remarkably easy, as Christians, to point out the sins, errors, faults, and disagreements we have with other Christians—effectively separating ourselves and insinuating superiority. I am particularly aware of my less than noble attitudes now that we have left a wonderful church, moved across the country, and are presently looking for a new church home. Yet the apostle Paul writes, “For just as the body is one has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). That is not to say we are perfect in practice or doctrine; rather, like Daniel, we must be acquainted with scripture and the times we are living—willing to fall on our faces before our righteous God in repentance, interceding for God’s people to entreat His favor, to turn from iniquity and rebellion, and to gain insight through truth—the Holy Spirit ignited Word of God.
One phrase that catches my attention, “your people have become a byword among all who are around us” (Daniel 9:16), touches a vulnerable place in my heart. I have heard many people who do not put their faith in Jesus Christ (and some who do) condemn doctrinal differences, radical actions, mistakes, and errors in judgment made by some Christians—using their behaviors as an excuse to invalidate all believers and Christianity, effectively making our faith “a byword among all who are around us”. A little voice inside me screams, “But I’m not like that; not all Christians are like that!” I do not want to identify with those who offend. …and yet, that is not the heart, or the attitude, Daniel demonstrated. His impassioned cry was, “For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name” (Daniel 9:18, 19).
Our God is a “great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him”—and He relates to his people both personally and corporately. Paul, in his concluding remarks on equipping for spiritual warfare, instructs, “…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). We are a family, and as with all families, there are many “issues” and different things going on in each person’s life. Our responsibility to the family is not to judge or create “us and them” divisions in our minds; instead, God calls us to stay alert and make “supplication for all the saints.”
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