Blame shifting is common in our world today. Consider, for example, the United States’ two-party political system. Instead of taking shared responsibility for things gone wrong, the Democrats point fingers at the Republicans. The Republicans accuse the Democrats. The “right-wing conservatives” blame the “left-wing liberals.” The “left-wing liberals” fault the “right-wing conservatives,” and so on. Even those who profess faith in Jesus often fall into this trap, possessing an “us” versus “them” attitude.
The Old Testament prophet Daniel was widely known for walking faithfully with God. Despite his own goodness and integrity, Daniel didn’t consider his own thoughts and actions less sinful than those of others. To the contrary, the prophet believed that he and his fellow Babylonian citizens were in equal need of God’s grace and forgiveness. Examine the prophet’s humility displayed in this prayer (Daniel 9:4-19):
- “We have sinned and done wrong.”
- “We have rebelled against You.”
- “We have scorned Your commands and regulations.”
- “We have refused to listen to Your servants the prophets.”
- “We are covered with shame.”
- “We have not obeyed the Lord or kept His laws.”
- “We have refused to seek mercy from the Lord . . . by turning from our sins and recognizing His truth.”
- “We did not obey Him.”
- “We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.”
What can you learn from Daniel’s prayer of confession?
More:
Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23).
Next:
Count the number of times Daniel uses the pronoun “we” in Daniel 9:4-19. How many times does he ask God to forgive “them” for their sins? How can this passage serve as a model for your prayer life?
