chapter 3 looking at verses 16 to 18.
Let us read through these three verses again.
Well, I'm sure this is a chapter or part of it that we've heard and known from childhood.
Most of us know the story of Daniel.
We were brought up with these sort of passages in the Bible made very familiar to us.
And for most of us, we would turn perhaps to the end of the chapter more so than other parts of it,
where we find the incident of the burning fiery furnace,
where these three were cast in and where they were preserved by the power of God
and where Nebuchadnezzar then came to express his astonishment,
as he saw not just three figures, but four figures in that burning fiery furnace.
Anticipating the New Testament age,
anticipating the way in which the Lord is with his people in all the circumstances of their lives,
however much beyond themselves these circumstances may be.
Now, these events are repeated in the history of God's people,
in the history of the world, in the history of the church.
They're also very much relevant to our own day.
And in fact, this passage itself, verses 16 to 18, you might say,
is bristling with relevance for the circumstances today in which we find ourselves,
in our own nation and other places throughout the world.
Because they set out what is a very deliberate and arrogant challenge to the authority of God,
to the rule of God, to the way in which these three men represent
God as against the paganism represented by Nebuchadnezzar and his people.
And the passage sets out for us not only how that challenge came to these three men,
but also how they responded to it, the manner of their responding,
and also how they actually stated the matter for Nebuchadnezzar,
though he, of course, was such a tyrannical ruler himself.
But they didn't actually in any way feel intimidated by his presence,
because they knew that there was a presence with them much greater than he was.
So it tells us the challenge facing us, the challenge faced by the faithful.
These three, as they represent the faithful of God,
you might say down through all the generations, including our own day,
in Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we find ourselves,
and we find ourselves facing the challenges of the age in which we live,
the challenges to our standing in the gospel, to our presenting of the gospel,
to our witness to the gospel, the standing of our insistence on the truth of God being relevant,
as we find it in the Bible, presented to the world of our day,
as it was in ages before us.
That's the first thing to look at, the challenge faced by the faithful.
And that's going to be taking account of the golden image that was set up,
but also the confidence of Nebuchadnezzar and those who governed with him,
their confidence in their own authority, in their own status, in their own power.
Second thing we'll look at is the positive response that the faithful of God gave to this challenge.
How did they face this challenge?
What was their response to it?
How do we find in their response to it matters which are relevant to our own place today?
Well, you can see the account, of course, of the golden image earlier in the chapter,
and there is undoubtedly a representation in that golden image.
It is emphasized a number of times that Nebuchadnezzar set it up.
He speaks of it as the image that I have set up, the image that I have created,
what I have actually set before the people, not just of his immediate environment,
but right, everybody over whom he at that time had sway in the Babylonian government.
He is emphasizing, this is the image that I have made,
and therefore you must bow down to it.
What did that image represent?
It wasn't just the arrogance and the grandeur of Nebuchadnezzar himself.
The image undoubtedly was intended to convey a sense of the power and authority of his rule
and of his government.
The image really, you might say, is a representation of supreme state authority,
or a state that seeks to have supreme authority over all its citizens.
That is what this image really represents.
Now, that can be either by a government such as Nebuchadnezzar had,
dictatorship, all of those types of government,
but it can also happen with a democracy that a government,
even elected by democratic means,
can still use oppressive ways by which to stem or seek to stem the truth of God,
and people living by that truth of God,
and that truth having an influence in society amongst human beings in that particular location.
And that is more likely the more you find the Bible put aside,
the more you find replacements for the teaching of the Bible in human philosophies,
in other religions,
whatever places are given to other ways of thinking,
of conclusions, of ways of looking at the world,
other than in the Christian faith.
The more you find the Christian faith put aside,
or not actually in any way given an influence in society,
the more that type of thing is going to actually be set up.
The more you're going to find the supremacy of state authority
coming to show itself more and more in the works of such governments.
Now you notice the size of this image.
We're told at the beginning of the chapter,
he made an image of gold,
whose height was 60 cubits,
and its breadth 6 cubits.
That was something like 90 feet high,
something like 30 meters high,
and around 3 meters wide.
We're not told that it was an image of a human figure.
Might have been different to that,
but others think that it would have been a human shape
or something similar to that.
But in any case, that was the size of it.
It was an enormous thing.
It was a massive construction.
And undoubtedly, that was intended to be very intimidating,
to represent the authority,
the supreme authority of Nebuchadnezzar,
and the government that he presided over,
and to represent that to the people,
so that as soon as they saw the image,
they would think,
this is such a massive authority.
We have to bow to this.
We have no option.
We've got to actually let this be our master.
And of course, you find that down through history.
You can still go to places like North Korea today,
and you'll find huge statues there,
according to photos at least you've seen.
You'll find huge statues of the present leader,
the former leader, the leader before that,
who are, of course, revered as gods.
And the gigantic proportions of these great statues
are intended just to keep people's minds focused
on their need to bow to the leader,
to actually give all due place to his authority,
the authority of his government, or else.
And or else is the case with Nebuchadnezzar's figure as well.
Because not only did he erect this gigantic edifice,
he accompanied it with laws
that really are pretty much to do with persecuting anybody
who refused to comply with his instructions.
Laws that are reinforced, you might say, with persecution.
Anybody who does not bow down to this image that I have built
shall be cast into a burning, fiery furnace.
That is the threat.
That is the intimidatory word and declaration
of the supreme leader.
You have got to do this, or if not, this will be the result.
And you'll note that in the list that are given there,
when he sent word out to gather,
the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the councillors,
a few times these various official figures are mentioned.
And the reason for that is that the political
and the judicial officers of the nation
of the empire are actually all there
so that they're all gathered here
so that everybody will understand
this is the official policy.
This is what all of these figures
are themselves vowing to uphold.
That is why they're chosen.
That's why they're there.
Now you can step from that into our present age.
And you might say, well, there's no gigantic figures like that
on the streets of London or in Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Yes, but remember, these are representations.
And the principle of this is really what you must take with you.
And you see it down through the ages.
You don't just look at this as something relevant
to Nebuchadnezzar's day.
And because there's no such giant figure
erected now in our particular society,
it doesn't mean these things are not relevant anymore.
State authority is still very much a thing
to be watched and to be feared
when it's used excessively.
And there are arguments and inducements,
as you very well know today,
to try and present the state's power to us
in a way that seeks that we comply with it.
In a way that would cast its shadow over us, if you like,
so that we would actually feel obliged
to bow to the authority of the state,
even when it means that we are required
or so-called required to do things
which we know are against our conscience
or against our Christian knowledge, particularly.
I'm not suggesting in any way
that our situation is really in any way
at the level of which it was here
or in North Korea or something like that.
We value the freedoms that we have.
We value the liberties that we still enjoy in our society.
We value the things that we very much take for granted
sadly every day, myself included,
but that have been bought for us at such great price.
Even people, as we remember recently,
going to war and giving their lives in war
to protect these freedoms.
However, there are very many inducements
and pressures brought to bear,
even by the state and by figures of the state
and by proclamations and laws of the government
that are themselves contrary to what you and I
as Christians believe in
and would want to see upheld
and would want to see as the policy of the government,
certainly on religious and moral issues,
particularly moral and spiritual matters.
Arguments such as, you know,
it's fine for people who want to follow their own religion.
The state will not bother with that.
If you want to keep your own religion,
you can actually do that as long as you do it in private.
But of course, the argument following on from that
is that you have to keep religion out of public life.
You have to keep the Christian religion,
especially out of public life,
the Christian faith,
even to the extent sometimes,
and it's happened on this island,
where people who are church officers,
by that I mean elders in the church particularly,
are really regarded as disqualified from public office
because they have that office in the church.
Now that has happened in recent times,
in our own locality.
And the argument being,
not only are you a Christian,
but you're an elder in the free church,
and the free church is against same-sex marriage,
seeking to uphold the teaching of the Bible,
which excludes that.
The free church is against many other aspects
of immoral lifestyles.
And therefore you,
because you're an elder or a minister in that church,
you shouldn't actually be given a place
in any council chamber
or in any organization
that wants to present things politically.
Thankfully, that's all too rare,
certainly in our own locality,
but let's not in any way imagine
that it can't occur again
and even more forcibly.
So state religion,
keep it out of public life,
keep it out of our education,
keep it out of schools,
keep it out of universities,
keep it out of all of those areas of public life,
keep it to yourself,
keep it private,
follow it by yourself,
whatever religion you have,
but don't let it actually in any way
appear in public life
or have to do with
how you carry out your public office.
That's the situation we're facing.
And I don't need to tell you
that state legislation has
and is continuing to propose
legislation,
which you and I know is very contrary
to the teachings of Scripture,
to the Christian ethic,
to our Christian standards
on which this nation,
this Christian state,
is largely founded.
And of course,
not only that,
but persecution
takes many different forms.
You don't actually have to have
a burning, fiery furnace
threatening you
before you can think of it
being persecuting.
Discrimination
is persecution.
Denial of justice
is persecution.
Laws that are enacted
contrary
to Christian liberty
is persecution.
Just last week,
a candidate for
Liberal Democrats
and constituency in England,
just last week,
he said that
he had faced
what he called
direct harassment
and hostility
from activists
in his own constituency party,
the Lib Dem constituency party
in that particular constituency.
Now,
he's a former BBC journalist,
a man called David Campanal,
and he has himself
reported from places
where there has been war
in Europe in recent times.
But he said that
in facing this direct harassment,
he's now facing
the very strong possibility
of removal
as a Liberal Democrat candidate
because of his Christian views.
We're supposed to be a country
of liberty of speech
and liberty of thought
and liberty of religion.
This is the reality.
This is what you get
when that is pushed aside.
And he went on to say
that there is a movement
in Britain
that wants to undermine
the Christian foundations
of our constitution,
that wants to remove
all references
to Christianity
from the way
in which our national life
is guided and built.
It's happening in education.
It's happening
in the council culture
at work in universities.
It's there in business.
It's in the law
and in schools.
So he said,
I want to rally all people.
Step up.
Now is the time
to engage.
Well, there's a man
who knows
the Nebuchadnezzar situation.
There's a man
who can actually relate
directly in his own experience
to verses 16 to 18
of Daniel 3.
There's a man
who doesn't look at that
as just a fact of history.
There's a man
who knows that
that opposition,
that attitude
is alive
and well
in our present society.
And he's calling on people
to stand up,
to get real,
to realize
that this is a movement
that's underway,
that has been underway
for some time.
And that if we don't
actually stand up
for our Christian values
and our Christian ethic
and our Christian principles,
then we're going to be swamped
one of these days
if this movement
and these similar movements
are allowed
to carry on.
So there's the challenge
facing the faithful.
Here is the command.
Fall into line
with these proposals.
Fall into line
with our view of marriage.
Fall into line
with our view
of the sanctity of life
or otherwise
abortion on demand.
Fall into life
with our policies
on whatever else
subjects they may be,
even if they're contrary
to our Christian understanding.
And if you don't,
then we'll make it
really difficult for you
and your work,
your employment,
your access to justice,
all of these things.
These are real things.
That is the real situation.
And I'm not using
this pulpit, God forbid,
as a political platform.
Far be it.
I have never taken
the view
that I should
in any way
align myself
with any political party,
even if there was
a political party
that I might be strongly
inclined to support,
which there isn't.
This is something
that the preaching
of the gospel
has always sought
to include
when injustices abound,
when there are threats
to liberty of conscience,
to liberty of speech.
That is part
of the gospel message
by which we counter that.
And you can see
the arrogant confidence
that's in Nebuchadnezzar's
insistence
on bowing to this image.
See the last part
of verse 15 there.
If you do not worship,
you shall immediately
be cast into a burning,
fiery furnace.
And then he says,
and who is the God
who will deliver you
out of my hands?
Who is the God
who will deliver you
out of my hands?
And that's the same,
pretty much the same feature
that you find
in anti-gospel movements
today,
especially when they gain
in political influence
and political power.
You see,
when you lose
things like
biblical humility
and a biblical attitude
to the views
of other people,
when you lose
that freedom
that's given
to people's choice
of who they follow
and what they believe,
not talking about
freedom just now
in terms of relationship
with God,
but freedom
in a free society,
once you lose these,
you don't set up
a vacuum.
You set up things
such as arrogance
and pride
and self-assertion
and even subversion.
And you'll find them all
in our society
around you today.
The threat,
the challenge
faced by the faithful.
And you don't have
to go very far
in the world
in our day and age
before you come across
that thing
challenging you
to your views.
Challenging you rights
as a Christian.
Challenging why it is
that you think
you're right
and not other people.
The challenge
faced by the faithful.
But look at,
secondly,
the positive response
of those faithful
to God.
Ch'adrach, Meshach,
and Abednego
answered and said,
O Nebuchadnezzar,
we have no need
to answer you
in this matter.
And it didn't mean
that they weren't
going to answer.
They were refusing
to answer.
These words really mean
that the matter
is plain enough.
They didn't need
to think too much
about it.
They didn't need
to really think
how they were going
to respond
to this.
It was actually
there already
in their minds.
They were so firmly
in their view
of their God
that that's what
really immediately
came to the fore.
So the first thing
you find here
on that part
is a deep
knowledge
of God.
How do you face
this movement
in our society?
How do you face
ungodliness?
How do you face
movements that seek
to usurp
the Christian principles
on which this nation
and our society
was founded?
How do you face
that arrogance?
How do you face
that pride,
that self-assertion,
that subversion,
that challenge
to authority itself?
How do you face
it?
First of all,
you face it
by a deep
knowledge of God.
These men
had a deep
knowledge of God.
You cannot go out
and face that world
without having
a deep knowledge
of God,
without seeking
that your depth
of understanding
of the Bible
is something you
add to day by day,
something that you
actually find
increasing day by day.
You don't actually
set out as a Christian
to face the things
in the world
without really thinking
too hard about
where you are
in your Christian
knowledge,
where you are
in your relationship
to God
or to Jesus.
The more you
and I are
schooled in the
things of God,
the more you
will actually
be then prepared
as these men
were to face
and to respond
to the challenges
that they faced
and we face
in our age.
And that's why
our place
in the church
is so important.
The value we place,
I should say,
on what the church
is to us,
what the teaching
of the Bible
is to us,
what Christian
fellowship is to us,
what worship is to us,
what the preaching
of the gospel is to us,
what sharing together
and understanding
and discussion
on the Bible
is to us.
All of that,
you see,
is part of the
strengthening program
by which God
deepens our understanding,
deepens our relationship
to himself,
deepens our relationship
to one another.
You couldn't put
a wedge
between Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego
as three believers
in God.
They were bound
together closely
by the truth
which they believed,
by the God
in whom they believed.
Not only that,
but you couldn't put
a wedge between them
and their God either.
Because here they are
facing this great challenge.
Here they are
facing this intimidation.
Here they are facing
this threat,
this threat of persecution.
All the things
we've mentioned.
And what do they do?
They express,
firstly,
their knowledge of God.
They tell
this pagan,
authoritative king
about their God.
O king,
Nebuchadnezzar,
if this be so,
our God,
whom we serve,
is able to deliver us.
But if not,
O king,
we will not serve
your God.
So that's the first thing,
the deep knowledge
they have of God.
They have no doubts
whatsoever
about God's ability
to do the impossible.
What they would regard,
maybe,
or we would regard
as the impossible.
That is to deliver them
out of a burning,
fiery furnace
if it so happened
that they were thrown
into it.
We have no doubts
whatsoever
of God being able
to keep us,
to maintain us,
to protect us
in that environment.
We know
he can do that.
He's our God.
We know
what he's like.
But then,
you see,
they said,
well,
even if that is not
the case,
we are still
going to serve him.
And they make it
very clear
that whatever happens,
our God,
whom we serve,
is able
to deliver us
and to deliver us
from your hand
or out of your hand
also,
O King.
Not only do they have
this unashamed confidence
in God,
but they're carrying it
through
into facing
the threat
of Nebuchadnezzar
and facing
the authority
of Nebuchadnezzar.
They're really presenting
the authority
of their God
as vastly superior,
supreme,
in fact.
Now,
it is important
that we
regard
that they are
actually
respecting
the king
to a certain extent
as the king.
That itself
is rather
important,
I think,
in the context.
They actually
speak respectfully
to him
and
the old
Puritan commentator
Matthew Henry
has some very
significant words
to say on that.
I'll just read to
what you find
in his commentary
on Daniel.
This is what he says.
They did not speak
out into any
intemperate heat
or passion
against those
that did worship
the golden image.
They did not
insult
or affront
them,
nor did they
rashly
thrust themselves
upon the trial
or go out
of their way
to court
martyrdom.
But when they
were duly called
to the fiery trial,
they acquitted
themselves bravely
with a conduct
and courage
that became
sufferers
for so good
a cause.
They keep
their temper
admirably.
They do not
call the king
a tyrant
or an idolater.
The cause
of God
needs not
the wrath
of man,
but with
an exemplary
calmness
and sedatedness
of mind,
they deliberately
give in their
answer,
which they resolve
to abide
by.
And Matthew Henry
is reminding us
of whenever we
respond to
even such
arrogancy,
such
self-presentation
of grandeur
as you find
with Nebuchad
Neser
or others
in this world,
even when you
find self-confident
secular
pronouncements,
whether it's
from government
or whatever,
we don't
actually respond
in kind,
even if they
are unkind
to us.
What
Matthew Henry
was reminding
us of
is that
there is a
great need
to maintain
respect,
respectful
language,
temperate
language,
tactful
language,
loving
language,
all the
things that
will really
in many
ways disarm
the person
who really
wants to
be provocative,
who wants
you to be
provocative
back in
response,
who wants
you to
actually lose
the plot,
so they
can then
say,
well,
if that's
your
Christianity,
look at
what it's
doing to
you.
You have
to pray
that God
will keep
you calm,
keep you
in every
way as a
Christian should
be and
facing,
whether it's,
and I'm just
talking here,
of course,
about direct
speech between
us and
those who
are against
the gospel.
There was no
social media
in Nebuchadnezzar's
Day, of
course,
many, many
generations
afterwards.
There is
nowadays,
and it is
not against
social media
as such,
but its
misuse is
obvious to
us all,
and one of
the things
that very
much lends
itself to
is
disrespectful
language,
disrespect of
other people's
views,
talking people
down,
treating them
with contempt,
all kinds of
nasty language
presented to
them, and
sometimes you
don't even
know a face,
you don't even
know who's
doing it.
people's
and we
have to be
careful with
all that,
especially our
young people,
we have to be
careful and
train them
into how
dangerous social
media can
be if we
allow it to
actually get on
top of us.
Anyway,
that's by the
way, but
hopefully not
an unimportant
by the way.
But of course,
Nebuchadnezzar,
they were facing
face to face,
and this is
nevertheless how
they actually
respected,
in one sense,
his own place
as king
over the
whole of
the empire.
So the
Shandarugan
confidence
met by a
deep response,
a deep
knowledge of
God.
But finally,
in the
positive response,
you find a
determined
commitment to
God in
verse 18.
You see,
this is really
so important,
so interesting,
how it's put
and how they
put it.
He's saying,
they're saying,
if this is so,
if our God,
whom we serve,
is able to
deliver us from
the burning,
fiery furnace,
and he will
deliver us out
of your hand,
O king.
That is something
we absolutely
believe in,
they're saying.
But if he
doesn't,
if he doesn't
believe,
if he doesn't
actually deliver
us from the
burning,
fiery furnace,
if he doesn't
deliver us out
of your hand,
and in his
wisdom and
providence,
I'm just adding
to the words,
but this is the
sense of them,
in his wisdom
and providence,
he does himself
allow this to
go ahead,
and we be
thrown into
the burning,
fiery furnace,
be it known
to you,
O king,
we still will
not serve
your gods
or worship
them,
the golden
image that
you have set
up.
In other
words,
they're taking
the worst
case scenario
and they're
saying about
the worst
case scenario,
they're saying
this is not
going to make
any difference
to our
allegiance,
it's not
going to make
any difference
whatsoever to
our view
of this image
or change
our view
of our
God.
We will do
what we've
always done,
we will
honour
our God.
it made
no difference
whatsoever
to them,
whatever
threats they
were faced
with,
and it
made no
difference
whatsoever
who was
making the
threats,
even king
Nebuchadnezzar.
They knew,
you see,
that the
king could
issue a
command there
and then
that their
life be
terminated.
but the
one thing
he could
not compel
them to
do was
to worship
the image.
He could
take their
life,
he could
not take
their
conscience.
He could
take their
life,
but he
could not
take their
allegiance
to their
God.
And that's
one of the
great lessons
of the
story.
Whatever
that world
out there
will do
to you,
whatever
it threatens
you with,
whatever
finally it
may actually
impose upon
you,
the one
thing it
cannot do
is remove
your Christ,
your Jesus,
your allegiance
to him
and his
care for
you.
The cost
of resistance
to oppression
and persecution
and ungodliness
is always
set fairly
high.
and the
more the
persecution
increases,
the greater
the cost
inevitably
is going
to be.
But denying
God is
catastrophic.
Denying
God is
catastrophic
to any
individual,
to any
society,
to any
group of
people,
to any
church
group,
whatever it
might be.
God
is
going to
be.
And all
the way
through the
days of
the apostles,
when they
were threatened
by the
religious
authorities of
that time,
and they
were told
not to
say anything
or preach
again in
the name
of Jesus.
They said
to them,
whatever is
right in
your eyes,
we cannot
but speak
the things
which we
have seen
and heard.
we are
not going
to be
untrue
to our
God,
despite
whatever,
despite what
you may
say to
us.
That was
their view
as well,
very much
the same
in principle
with Daniel's
views.
Now,
this really
is so
relevant and
significant,
as I said
at the
beginning
today,
tonight,
on this
particular
passage.
And as
you try
and bring
into your
own mind
the relevance
of this
for today,
it really
raises a
lot of
questions,
doesn't it?
How do
we respond
to any
threats?
And it's
not just
a matter
of our
own life
personally.
You may
never
personally
feel the
bite of
opposition
as others
do.
You may
never
actually
feel
what's
happening
in our
society
to other
Christians
elsewhere,
such as
this man
David
Campanel
that I
mentioned
that was
in the
Christian
Institute
reports
last week.
We may
never have
that personally
to stand
against.
We may
never have
to experience
that personally,
but we are
bound up
together as
Christians with
the Lord's
cause and
with such
people who
stand true
to the
Lord.
That's why we
pray for
them and
we remember
them and
even if
possible send
messages to
them for
their
encouragement.
all of
that is
so significant,
so important.
But the
principle is
this.
Whatever
happens in
our own
experience,
in our
own nation,
our own
society,
our own
locality,
the one
thing we
must never
ever even
think of
doing is
being untrue
to God.
How we
express that,
the language
we use,
all of that
is so
important.
But the
truth itself
is the
most important
thing of
all.
And as
we live
out the
truth,
and as
we seek
to promote
the truth,
as we
seek to
witness to
that truth,
may it be
so that
you and
I,
together and
as individuals,
will find
increasingly
that spirit
of Shedrach,
Meshach,
and Abednego,
who said,
in their
days we
must say
devourge.
Even if
it's the
case that
God will
not keep
us from
the persecution
from the
fiery furnace,
be it
known,
we will
not bow
down to
these images
or worship
your gods.
And that's
not being
legalistic,
that's not
just being
thrown
religiously,
simply
being
true to
God,
simply
standing
on the
foundation
he has
given
us,
his own
truth.
Because
when truth,
as Isaiah
puts it,
has fallen
in the
street,
somebody's
got to put
it back
on its
feet.
And if
you and I
don't do it
as Christians,
well,
we shouldn't
be surprised
if no one
else does
it.
So here's
the Bible's
appeal to
us tonight.
Know what's
going on
around you,
know what's
going on
in government
and proposals
for legislation,
know what's
going on
and the
events that
take place
in our
land,
check out
all the
websites,
the Christian
Institute,
Christian
Concern,
all of
those that
you give
where you
get access
to what's
going on
and good
advice and
all sorts
of things
that help
you as a
Christian to
face up
to the
reality of
what's
happening.
And as
you do
so,
be inspired
by these
three faithful
men and
be inspired
so that
their stand
will also
remain our
stand in
our day as
well.
Let's pray.
Lord,
we thank
you that
your word
has its
own way of
making an
appeal to
us to
be faithful
to you in
our day
as so
many
were in
days gone
by.
Lord,
we pray
that you
would empower
us and
equip us
with the
right knowledge,
with the
right spirit
and attitude,
but especially
with that
deep understanding
of your
word that
these three
men had in
their generation.
Lord,
we ask that
every effort
that we make
to stand
for your
truth,
to promote
your glory
and your
praise in
our society,
that you
would be
pleased to
accompany that
with your
power and
blessing.
We do
pray for
those in
authority over
us,
Lord.
You have
given us
that command
in your
word to
pray for
those who
are set
over us.
We would
want to
do it,
oh Lord,
not out of
a mere
sense of
duty,
just because
it's required
of us,
but out of
a true
and a
true and
spiritual
concern for
their
well-being,
for the
well-being of
your church
in our
land,
for the
well-being of
our fellow
citizens,
who may be
bowing down
to other
gods or
none at
all.
Grant these
mercies to
us, we
pray now.
Hear the
prayers of
your people,
hear silently
and also
spoken,
for Jesus
sake.
Amen.