Coffee With The Lord

Today my Bible reading during “Coffee with the Lord” included Daniel 9:1-19 – an exemplary intercession on the part of Daniel for his nation and people. It really serves as a “pattern prayer” for our nation! I offer this repost I developed several years ago from that passage to guide your intercessory prayer and mine…

An Intercessory Prayer Guide for Our Nation – Adapted from Daniel 9

“O Lord, You are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill Your covenant and keep Your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey Your commands. But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against You and scorned your commands and regulations. We have refused to listen to Your servants the prophets, who spoke on Your authority to us as a nation – its leaders and its people.

“Lord, You are in the right; but as You see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us who stand under your judgment.. O Lord, we are covered with shame because we have sinned against You. But You are merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against You. We have not obeyed You, we have not followed the instructions You gave us through Your servants the prophets. We have all disobeyed Your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to Your voice.

“So now Your promised judgment has been poured down on us because of our sin. You have kept Your word and done to us and our rulers exactly as you warned. Every judgment You promised as a result of our sin has come true. Yet we have refused to seek Your mercy by turning from our sins and recognizing Your truth. Therefore, You, oh Lord have brought upon us the disaster You prepared. Lord You wereright to do all of these things, for we did not obey You.

“O Lord our God, You have brought lasting honor to Your name by rescuing Your people over and over again. But we have sinned and are full of wickedness. In view of all Your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn Your furious anger away from our nation and its people. Other nations mock us because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors.

“O our God, hear Your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For Your own sake, Lord, smile again on us!

“O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open Your eyes and see our despair. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of Your mercy.

“O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! For Your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for the sake of Your people and our nation!”

(An adaption of the New Living Translation for personal and corporate intercession for our nation)

ONESIPHORUS … Does that name mean anything to you?

Probably not in a personal way… But if you’d had the privilege of a personal conversation with Apostle Paul late in his life – while he was in prison in Rome, just before his martyrdom – He’d have told you just how much this guy and his entire household (probably meaning the members of the church that met in his house) meant to him!

Here’s what Paul had to say about it in 2 Timothy…

“You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord show mercy to the household of ONESIPHORUS, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains! On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus!” (2 Timothy 1:15-18)

People who help others – especially “older saints” – in their time of loneliness and need are very special! Their concern is like a “cup of cold water” on a hot day to a thirsty throat! It’s like the healing hand of Jesus extended and touching you – more than that – it’s like His loving presence, His comforting voice in the time of deepest need. Not only did ONESIPHORUS get involved in helping Paul… his entire “household” (probably the people from his congregation or “church”) ministered to his need! They were “the body of Christ” in Paul’s deepest need. How did Jesus Himself say it… “As you have done it to the least of these, you have done it to Me!” (Matthew 25:40, 45)

Oh what a challenge! What an honor to be an ONESIPHORUS (or a member of his household)! Gotta tell you… I want to be one! And as passionately as I want to be a member of his household… I want to avoid like the plague being like the others Paul mentions in the province of Asia… especially like Phygelus and Hermogenes who forsook Paul in His time of need… there were ashamed of him… ashamed of the gospel (see 2 Timothy 1:8 and 15)!

The word for me today is PERPETUATE!

Listen to Paul’s tribute to Timothy’s family members: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and now I am sure dwells in you as well!” (2 Timothy 1.5)

Will you join me in a holy determination, sustained effort, and sincere prayer to PERPETUATE the faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to the next generation?