Friday Devotional
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Friday, October 17 – PRAY ACCORDING TO GOD’S MERCY TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments.” (Daniel 9:4) Believers have the promise that God will keep His covenant and mercy to those who love Him and keep his commandments. If we meet the requirement, God is forever faithful to His Word. Daniel identified with his countrymen and made confession on their behalf, reminding God of His mercy and compassion. God’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours that it is difficult to comprehend the vastness of His lovingkindness toward those who have surrendered their lives to Him. God had shown Himself strong in the ongoing events at Babylon. Another miracle, the handwriting on the wall (Chapter 5) that was given to Belshazzar, the reigning king at that time, was interpreted by Daniel. True to His word, the Lord allowed the impenetrable city to be conquered by the Medes that very night! Then later under Darius a test was again given to Daniel; and the Lord rescued him from the mouth of the lions! Miracle after miracle! The exiled people of God were beginning to see how their stiff-necked rebellion had landed them into slavery. Daniel noted from the writings of Jeremiah that the seventy years of exile which God had decreed for chastisement, was about to end (Daniel 9:1-2). So he gave himself to prayer and repentance on behalf of his own sins and those of the exiles. Jesus invites us to do the same. We first confess our own sins, then those of the culture in which we live. God promises, on the basis of His compassion (not any merit of our own) that He will hear and answer. Even though the Lord had promised that after seventy years were completed He would cause them to return to their homeland (Jeremiah 25:11 and 29:10), the prayers and fasting and supplications should still take place. God has caused blessing after blessing after blessing to fall on America, but we should never presumptuously go our own way, turn our backs on Him, and expect the blessings to continue; but that is what is happening today in many areas of our culture. Christians are commanded to stand up against the killing of babies, the sin of sodomy, the breaking up of families, etc. Daniel admitted (verse 8) that shame belonged to them, and beloved, shame also belongs to us today. The greatest sin is to reject God, and we have done this in many ways. Let us return to Him with contrite hearts, acknowledge our iniquities, and beg for mercy. Today’s Prayer: Father God, to You belongs all honor and glory and praise forever and ever. Forgive our sin and heal our land as well as our individual hearts, for Jesus’ sake. Read and meditate on Daniel Chapter 9. What is God speaking to you?
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