“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer Your servant is praying before You day and night for Your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against You. We have acted very wickedly toward You. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws You gave Your servant Moses. Remember the instruction You gave Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to Me and obey My commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.” Nehemiah 1:5-9
“The overwhelming witness of the Bible is that the greatest problem for God in His redemptive mission for the world is His own people. What hurts God most, it seems, is not just the sin of the world, but the failure, disobedience, and rebellion of those God has redeemed and called to be His people, His holy distinctive people… We have to deal with the idols of power and pride, the idols of popularity and success, and the idols of wealth and greed.”
Chris Wright in his Lausanne Cape Town presentation, as cited by Manfred Kohl in “Do we care about corruption? How integrity can tame the beast of bribes and extortion” (Lausanne Global Analysis: May 2019 · Volume 8 / Issue 3).
Today I have GTP board meetings in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Pray for wisdom for us as we seek to tackle “the greatest problem” on the planet head on with God’s help.
Our walls are broken down. Churches and ministries worldwide are riddled with corruption, greed, and a lack of integrity. This represents a leading hindrance to generosity.
Nehemiah was brokenhearted by his own sins and the sins of God’s people. His prayer contains a powerful statement that points the way forward for us: “Return to me!”
What does returning look like?
I am discerning that fasting, prayer, and confession are required to deal with the failure, disobedience, and rebellion of God’s people to exhibit integrity.
That’s what God desires. It’s the only path that helps us abandon greed for generosity and shift from serving wealth to serving God.