Reflection on Isaiah 63:16-64:8

Scripture
You help all who gladly obey and do what you want but sin makes you angry. Only by your help can we ever be saved.

Observation
There is an air of desperation in this prayer as Isaiah is looking for answers or solutions to his people's crisis. Some of the answers he comes up with are:
1. God made us sin... therefore it's his fault
2. We are rebelliousness people- therefore it's our fault
3. Come down and judge our enemies-- fix it God and then we'll be good
4. We are unfit to worship
5. Nobody is faithful

There is no doubting the intensity and sincerity of this prayer. This is a man who sees his nation in ruins and wants God to fix it.

Application
When you read accounts of Israel prior to the exile,the similarities to this present age are very clear. Yet I don't pray for Australia the same way that Isaiah and other people prayed for Israel before and during the exile.

My prayers tend to be mundane, ordinary routine. I don't fall to my knees and cry out “HELP!!!!” when I pray for my nation.

Is this because even in times of financial difficulty, prolonged drought and the rest of it, we are still quite well off? What would it take for God to get my attention to pray for the nation with this kind of intensity? Perhaps I don't want to know.

Prayer
Father, I live in a land that has turned its back on you in so many ways. It's not that people are particularly evil- they just don't see how you have any relevance any more. Even those who claim to love you are often lukewarm. Lord give us fervour in calling out to you. Give us faith to see that you can turn this country around if we will cry out to you with passionate hearts. Amen.