Our Merdeka Prayer : Daniel 9

We are thankful to God for all that He has done for us from the very humble beginnings of CT till today where we have past the 200,000 hits mark on 24th August. In 4 days time, on 4 September 2009, we will reach another milestone - The 1st Anniversary of Calvary Today. However, it is not with rejoicing that we write this post . Our hearts are heavy as we read the latest comment by Dr Vijay in the previous post and this is what he wrote,

Dear Friends in Calvary Church.

Some of you have written and asked me some important questions which I believe is also in the minds of others. For the benefit of others here are a list of questions posed:

1 I have put so much of hope in the 19th JUNE AGM to resolve the problems within Calvary but now it is a failure. It has only made things worse.
2."SHOULD I LEAVE CALVARY?"
3."HAS GOD FORGOTTEN US?"
4."PERHAPS GOD IS PUNISHING US FOR WASHING OUR CHURCH DIRTY LAUNDRY IN PUBLIC!"
5."MAYBE CHRISTIANITY DOES NOT WORK. ALL THIS GOD TALK IS JUST A SILLY PSYCHOLOGICAL ESCAPE FROM REALITY!"
6."I HAVE LOST MY FAITH IN GOD!"
7."I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH GOD!"

No! No! No!

Dearest friends, GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOUR CRY. He is WORKING BEHIND THE SCENE.

I speak from personal experience. You need to understand the WAYS OF GOD - especially the principles of intercession. Study the Bible and you will see that after a crisis event, it often appears the Lord has deserted His people. But KNOW - it is only apparent!

The Concerned Group of Church Members have been in prayer since the last AGM for God's guidance and leading. Many of our local pastors and friends have also expressed that they are continually praying for us. We have also received news from friends that there are 70 pastors in India who have not stopped praying for us, and as such, we Calvarites must continue to labour on in prayer for our Church.

Today, as we join with our nation to celebrate our 52nd Independence Day or Hari Merdeka, we would like to borrow Daniel's Prayer from the Old Testament and make it our own prayer to God for ourselves as we step into a new threshold of maturity in our spritual understanding as we faithfully walk with God. Pay close attention to Daniel 9: 15 - 19 and cry out to God with sincere hearts.

Daniel's Prayer

1 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom—
2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.
3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:
O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands,
5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.
6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame— the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.
8 O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.
9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;
10 we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.
11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you.
12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favour of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.
14 The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.

15 Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong.

16 O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem (Calvary Church), your city (church), your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem (Calvary Church) and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.

17 Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favour on your desolate sanctuary.

18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city (church) that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.

19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city (church) and your people bear your Name.

Daniel 9: 15 - 19 (The Message)

15 "'Master, you are our God, for you delivered your people from the land of Egypt in a show of power—people are still talking about it! We confess that we have sinned, that we have lived bad lives.

16 Following the lines of what you have always done in setting things right, setting people right, please stop being so angry with Jerusalem (Calvary Church), your very own city (church), your holy mountain. We know it's our fault that this has happened, all because of our sins and our parents' sins, and now we're an embarrassment to everyone around us. We're a blot on the neighborhood.

17 So listen, God, to this determined prayer of your servant. Have mercy on your ruined Sanctuary. Act out of who you are, not out of what we are.

18 "'Turn your ears our way, God, and listen. Open your eyes and take a long look at our ruined city (church), this city (church) named after you. We know that we don't deserve a hearing from you. Our appeal is to your compassion. This prayer is our last and only hope:

19 "'Master, listen to us! Master, forgive us! Master, look at us and do something! Master, don't put us off! Your city (church) and your people are named after you: You have a stake in us!'

In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen!