I am convinced there are extremists trying to take advantage of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a white police officer to create anarchy and sow division in the US.

But a recent article on Christian Post is giving me hope. It is a story about a group of white believers in Houston, Texas called Praytest.

It was started by a white Christian rapper Bobby Herring and recently they went to a black public housing complex in Houston, Texas called Cuney Homes. It was in the same area of the city where George Floyd grew up before he moved to Minneapolis.

At the complex, Praytest met with a group of black believers many who attend Free Indeed Church, pastored by Johnny D. Gentry.

In an interview with Click2Houston, Herring explained what happened next:

“One of the videos that went viral with Pastor Johnny Gentry and myself on one side facing each other, white people kneeling asking God for forgiveness and then you see my black brothers and sisters kneeling asking God for forgiveness, that was a moment that was beautiful.”

Both groups were asking God to forgive them. Both groups were kneeling before God as they did this. Herring said the white believers were also repenting of the country’s racism. When we look at America’s history, we see slavery and discrimination, and while it is easy to pick on the US, every country has a history.

Though God was obviously moving in this situation, can it have a larger impact on the US? Can people who were not directly involved in some of this sin seek forgiveness on behalf of a nation?

The answer is yes, as this is exactly what Daniel did. Because of Judah’s sin, God allowed King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to take the nation into captivity around 605 BC.

While in captivity Daniel understood from the prophecies of Jeremiah, that God would restore the Jews back to the Promised Land after a seventy-year captivity (Jeremiah 27:22; Jeremiah 29:10).

But before that restoration could take place, there needed to be one final step and Daniel understood immediately what he needed to do. The prophet entered into a time of prayer recorded in Daniel 9:

• In verse five, Daniel confesses the sin of Israel, but notice how he says “we have sinned” and includes himself in this. Daniel wasn’t even alive when God sent the Jews into captivity because of their sin.
• In verse six, he confesses the sins of the political leaders, the kings and princes who were ruling Israel before it was taken into captivity.
• In verse six, Daniel confesses the sins of his ancestors or family.
• In verse 11, Daniel confesses the sins of the whole nation.

Daniel was asking on behalf of people who were no longer alive for God to forgive them. Once this happened, the wheels were put in motion for the Jews to be restored to the Promised Land.

It led to the healing of the nation:

¹⁴ If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV)

Sources:

Prayer movement grows after white Christians kneel in repentance before black Christians for racism: Christian Post

Community joins for “Praytest in Honor of George Floyd” in northeast Houston