By Andrew Williams
While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel—men, women, and children—gathered and wept bitterly with him.
Ezra 10:1 NLT
Good morning fellow disciples.
Confess: to tell or make known.
Ezra the priest had just publicly confessed before the people. Here are excerpts from his prayer of Confession:
I prayed, “O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors until now, we have been steeped in sin.
That is why we and our kings, and our priests have been at the mercy of the pagan kings of the land. We have been killed, captured, robbed, and disgraced, just as we are today.
“But now we have been given a brief moment of grace, for the Lord our God has allowed a few of us to survive as a remnant. He has given us security in this holy place. Our God has brightened our eyes and granted us some relief from our slavery.
“And now, O our God, what can we say after all of this? For once again we have abandoned your commands!
“Now we are being punished because of our wickedness and our great guilt. But we have actually been punished far less than we deserve, for you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive as a remnant.
O Lord, God of Israel, you are just. We come before you in our guilt as nothing but an escaped remnant, though in such a condition none of us can stand in your presence.”
Ezra 9:6-8, 10, 13, 15 NLT
Leaders, shouldn’t we also confess our sins like this?
Wouldn’t those who we lead repent also and start honoring God the way He deserves?
Prayer: Lord God, your church has sinned, and I have sinned! We are not worthy to stand in Your presence! Forgive us, I pray, and cleanse us from our unrighteousness. Amen.