New years are always interesting. A nation and its people enter them full of prospect and end them often in regret that we paper over with Christmas expenditures.
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Resolutions fill the air. Perhaps the way to start a year is not with resolution but with a prayer.
I found a prayer that is a little provocative but perhaps it makes clear our confusion or worse, our perversion.
It’s a confession which is always good. Confession is an admission we are in need - need of wisdom, need of forgiveness, need of help that only God can give.
In Kansas, time unknown, at the opening of their senate Joe Wright was asked to pray. While everyone expected the usual generalities, Joe prayed:
“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those who call evil good’ but that is exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbours’ possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honoured values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Amen!”
It would be no surprise that some walked out during the prayer in protest. The big surprise is that God does not walk out on us when the confession is so concerning. When people are willing to fess up, God stands ready to forgive the repentant and offer us a better hope for things to come.
If you have to make new year resolutions, could I suggest prayer be one of them? Who knows, God may even help you keep it and the outcome might be that Christmas comes early with so many better things for life.
If you have never prayed, it is as simple as having a chat with God. The Lord’s Prayer is a good start.
Nothing is off limits because nothing will surprise God. He knows the truth about you and stands ready to help you, to change and remake you. In fact, he could even change a nation if people just took time to pray.
My prayerful blessings on all for another new year.
