Becoming Ms. Frizzle

I was preparing for the last college Sunday School I will teach and came across this gem that struck a chord with my heart. Imagine what a prayer for our nation would look like!

"O Lord, the great and awesome
God, who keeps his covenant of
love with all who love him and
obey his commands, 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 fa-
thers, and to all the people of the land.

"Lord, you are rigteous, but
this day we are covered with
shame--the men of Judah and
people of Jerusalem and all Israel,
both near and far, in all the countries
where you have scattered us be-
cause of our unfaithfulness to
you. O Lord, we and our kings,
our princes and our fathers are cov-
ered with shame because we have
sinned against you. The Lord our
God is merciful and forgiving, even
though we have rebelled against
him; we have not obeyed the
Lord our God or kept the laws he
gave us through his servants the
prophets. All Israel has trans-
gressed your law and turned
away, refusing to obey you.

"Therefore the curses and sworn
judgments written in the Law of
Moses, the servant of God, have been
poured out on us, because we have
sinned against you. You have ful-
filled the words spoken against us
and against our rulers by bringing
upon us great disaster. Under the
whole heaven nothing has ever been
done like what has been done to
Jerusalem. Just as it is written in
the Law of Moses, all this disaster
has come upon us, yet we have not
sought the favor of the Lord our
God by turning from our sins and
giving attention to your truth.
The Lord did not hesitate to bring
the disaster upon us, for the Lord
our God is righteous in everything
he does; yet we have not obeyed
him.

"Now, O Lord our God, who
brought your people out of Egypt
with a mighty hand and who made
for yourself a name that endures to
this day, we have sinned, we have
done wrong. O Lord, in keeping
with all your righteous acts, turn
away your anger and your wrath
from Jerusalem, your city, you
holy hill. Our sins and the iniqui-
ties of our fathers have made Jersa-
lem and your people an object of
scorn to all those around us.

"Now, our God, hear the prayers
and petitions of your servant. For
your sake, O Lord, look with favor
on your desolate sanctuary. Give
ear, O God, and hear; open your
eyes and see the desolation of the
city that bears your Name. We do
not make requests of you because we
are righteous, but because of your
great mercy. O Lord, listen!
O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and
act! For your sake, O my God, do
not delay, because your city and you
people bear your Name."

Daniel 9:4-19