Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped. And he said, “O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people, but please forgive our iniquity and our sins. Claim us as your own special possession.” [Exodus 34.8-9]
It stood out to me today that Moses didn't pray for Israel in the third person. Instead, he prayed for Israel in first person plural.
This is consistent with Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6 (particularly 6.12): "...and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us."
There is obviously something to this! There is obviously something important about identifying with those for whom we pray.
Sometimes we get too caught up in a "personal" relationship with God that we might forget we are still part of the Body of Christ. To do this is a gross misunderstanding.
No, I am not discounting the "personal" aspect of relationship with God - not at all. However, if we genuinely understand what a relationship with God is all about, we will understand that our response as a group is just as important as our response individually.
This is precisely why we are to interact with one another. We are to influence one another. We are to teach one another. We are to take responsibility for one another. We are to care for one another - as God so loved the world!
This is an important aspect of our devotion that must always be given our attention.
Father, help me to remain mindful of my corporate responsibility and not just my individual responsibility.
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