The Nineveh Liturgies - Day 2 (On Truth)

DAY 2 - The Nineveh Liturgies (On Truth)

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Holy Lord,

We have refused to accept truths that we don’t like, and we have attempted to create our own reality instead.

When we have run into commands of Yours that are difficult or uncomfortable for us, we have turned away from them.

We have relied upon our own sensitivity and our own judgment above all other standards.

We have chosen our own ideas of “right” and “wrong” without even asking You if You agree.

When Your opinion has differed from ours, we have decided to reinterpret You, creating a new god that is really just a golden idol hammered from the values of our culture.

We have made excuses for our failures, our temptations, and our bad choices until we can barely feel conviction. In fact, we have even tried to put the language of holiness and compassion on evil things.

As we have spent time with smart, funny, and powerful people, we have grown enchanted with their explanations for humanity and for the universe. We have let ourselves be intimidated first, then persuaded a little at a time that obedience to You is superstitious.

We have only kept the easy, comfortable parts of your gospel.

We haven't allowed You to direct us to do anything that would cost us everything.

In doing this, we have slowly hardened our hearts until we can barely feel our conscience. Right feels wrong to us now. Wrong feels right.

You say that Your sheep will recognize Your voice, but for so long we have replaced Your voice with ours, that Your voice feels foreign and threatening to us.

America has come now to the point where we cannot discern light from dark. The eyes of our souls cannot understand.

Many of those who claim to know You don’t understand Your ways. They are false teachers, saying things that feel good to us. They are persuasive and winsome, and we drink them down until we are drunk on fury, resentment, and self-reliance.

Lord, we ask You to remove the spirit of blindness from our land. No matter what it takes, no matter how painful it is, strip away the skins of the dragon we have grown around us.

We cannot see clearly without You. 

We are not wise enough or strong enough to do this without You. We need Your rescue.

Please flood America with Your Spirit. Make us discerning and sensitive.

When You expose our lies, give us courage to confess and repent. 

Teach us the joy of submission.

Ravish our hearts with whatever Your truth may be, and help us to dash our idols on the rocks.