Coffee With The Lord

Today Daniel 9 was part of my Bible reading during my time of “Coffee with the Lord.”

Each year I post this “Intercessory Prayer Guide” adapted from Daniel’s prayer for his nation in Daniel 9:1-19. Please utilize it in your personal intercession for our nation!

————————-

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 were right 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)

During “coffee with the Lord” today I was very impressed with the voice, the call, the invitation of “wisdom” (I was reading Proverbs 8 at the time, but the theme is not limited to that chapter – it is scattered throughout Proverbs 1-9).

I WANT TO HEAR WISDOM’S VOICE ABOVE THE RABBLE OF ALL THE OTHER VOICES IN OUR WORLD! I want my ear tuned and attentive to her. I want to discern her sweet tone and wholesome message among all of the other competing voices! It it a invitation to truth, insight, righteousness, wholeness, blessing, and “Shalom”!) It is a call to reject deception, temptation, self-will, sin and rebellion.

It is not a loud, strident voice (“the woman ‘Folly’ is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing” – vs. 13) – Wisdom is rather a quiet, but discernable voice in all the distracting noise and competing voices of life. She is however, discernable – you do have to listen for her!

Proverbs 8 reminds me of James 3:14-18: “if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”

I’m listening for her voice this morning! I’ll be listening tomorrow too… and the next day, and the next, and the next, and…

Fifty-two verses of deep gratitude for deliverance… David’s “Song of Deliverance” (found in 2 Samuel 22) as he reflected on God’s help, protection, defense and vindication over the years of his life! 

Don’t know if you’ve ever had a determined adversary – someone who was insanely dedicated to your destruction – David did.  His name was Saul…  Saul hunted David like an animal!  Chased him like incessantly.  Plotted to kill him.  And all of that the return that David received for vowing he would NEVER “touch God’s anointed” and do Saul no harm! 

2 Samuel 22 is a song of incredible relief – of great gratitude – for God’s protection and deliverance from a human adversary over the years!  It is filled with graphic imagery that begs for your imagination… believe me, it’s worth reading!  Here’s just a taste of its themes…

“And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.  He said, ‘The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior!  You save me from violence!  I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies… In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I called.  From His temple He heard my voice and my cry came to His ears… He bowed the heavens and came down… He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters.  He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me… He brought me out into a broad place; He rescued me, because he delighted in me! … This God – His way is perfect; the word of God proves true!  He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him! … The Lord lives!  Blessed by my Rock, and exalted be my God, the Rock of my salvation!’”

Hallelujah!  What a wonderful song of gratitude and praise!!!

Listen, according to the Bible, we all have a determined “adversary” – the devil!  He is not imaginary!  His methods are devious, his objectives are your eternal destruction, his home is hell… The Bible says, “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)  His goal, like a thief, is to “steal, kill and destroy!”  But the “Good Shepherd” – your Deliverer – “laid down His life for you” and his objective is “that you might have life and have it abundantly!” (from John 10:10-11) 

So here’s the deal… Those fifty-one verses of 2 Samuel 22 aren’t just David’s song of deliverance… They can be yours as well!!  And to that I say, Praise the Lord!!!