REPENTANCE pt. 1

Day 3 of 12-Day Devotions | 5 May | Ps. Paul Magno

Identificational Repentance has always been part of our strategy and approach to intercession. Identificational Repentance is biblical; we find this prayer strategy in many of the nation-turning moments in the history of Israel - pivotal moments that allowed for nationwide Revival to occur in the life of Israel/Judah. A powerful example of Identificational Repentance can be found in Daniel 9.

In Daniel 9, Daniel discovers through the prophetic writings of Jeremiah that 70 years of exile are over. Daniel, a godly man full of wisdom in the ways of God, responds to Jeremiah’s prophetic promise by praying the promise into fulfillment. This response is insightful to the ways of God — Daniel isn’t lulled into a sense of complacency because, after all, the end of the exile has already been prophesied; instead and far from it, Daniel is stirred by the prophetic word to press-in in prayer and fasting for the release of God’s purposes. Here’s what Daniel prayed:

“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. (Daniel 9:4-6)

Daniel starts his intercessions with Identificational Repentance. The practice, and therefore definition, of Identificational Repentance in Scripture is the confessing of the sins of a nation, people, community, or family by the intercessor (whether one person or a united gathering) before the Living God. The intercessor identifies with the sin and in a very real sense “owns” or takes responsibility for the sin, even though the intercessor himself (or herself or themselves) is innocent of the sin and righteous before God.

This identification with the sin is an extension of Jesus’ ministry — Jesus, in His passion and crucifixion, identified with all our sins, owned it, and took responsibility for the totality of our sins. The intercessor does the same thing — the intercessor takes responsibility for the sin of the nation so that blockages to Revival and nationwide spiritual awakening might be removed at the pivotal point when the Holy Spirit moves to establish God’s purposes in the nation.

At United Prayer, when we gather to pray and intercede and repent for the sins of our nation, we don’t do so with a moralising, finger-pointing, self-righteous spirit. Far be it from us! Our desire is to reflect the Lord’s heart that is full of mercy and kindness, ready to stand in the gap and empower those who are powerless. When we address the sins of our nation in repentance, we do not do so with a moralising attitude, but with the attitude of righteous and faithful Daniel, who thought being innocent of the sins of his fathers and people, identified with their sins and humbly brought them before the Lord in repentance, as if they were their own sins. This is what you’ll expect at United Prayer, and we hope that you will have a powerful revelation and understanding of this simple yet profound strategy in intercession.

PRAY THIS:
Heavenly Father, make us like Jesus, our faithful intercessor who always lives to make intercession for us. May we catch the same fire that burns in Jesus’ heart for our nation. May we reflect Jesus’ feelings and perspective for the sins of our nation, that we may pray and repent with the right spirit and attitude. Father, we don’t want to miss the mark in intercession. We want to be biblical and Spirit-led; we want to be filled with a passion for Your justice, defined by Your mercy and lovingkindnesses. In Jesus’ Name, amen.