God Forgive Us!

Do you know what today is?  It is the National Sanctity of Life Sunday. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the very first Sanctity of Life Sunday.  It is always observed on the Sunday closest to Jan. 22.  Why Jan. 22?  Because that is when our Supreme Court legalized abortion in all fifty states of America.  Since that day, 60 million babies have been aborted.  60 million!  I think today would be a good day to remember  2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)  If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 

One of the purposes of fasting is repentance.  Repentance is almost a dirty word in our society.  No one seems to truly be sorry for their actions. When God was about to bring judgment on Nineveh, the king proclaimed a fast and the whole city (even the animals) fasted.  When God saw their response to Jonah's message, He changed His mind and spared the city. When Jehoshaphat was faced with an invading army, he repented for the sins of Israel and God wiped out the entire army.  

God is looking for those people who know how to repent.  In Ezekiel 22:30 (NIV) we read, “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.   Fasting and repentance go hand in hand.  Part of every Daniel Fast should be a time when we repent of our failings, our backsliding or our waning interest in the things of God.  We should also repent for the sins of our nation and stand in the gap.  What gap is that?  It is the gap between God's decree of judgment and His actual carrying out of that judgment.  So today, let's forget about our needs and what we cry out for during the fast.  Instead, let's cry out for the sins of our beloved nation and ask God to forgive our sin and heal our land.

When we couple fasting with repentance, there is a shift in the heavenlies.  Oh God, we pray for our nation that you would hear the cry of your people.  We repent for the wickedness of abortion and the millions of babies lost.  We ask you to forgive our sin and heal our land.  In your name we pray, amen!