Jesus came to reconcile sinners to God. Since that was the reason He came and gave His life on the cross, when we are His followers, we should likewise work toward the goal of reconciliation. Reconciliation with Christ’s followers should be an urgent matter that we pursue.

Jesus set the example. He denied Himself. Jesus told us in Matthew 16:24: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

God has equipped us with the tools necessary to be His agents of reconciliation. Prayer is our greatest tool for reconciliation and restoration. We should eagerly work toward restoring broken relationships with other Christ followers.

Consider Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9:1-19:

“In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.” Why was Daniel in exile? It was not because he had sinned. It was because the leadership and vast population of the Israelites had rejected and rebelled against God by worshiping and serving false gods. Idolatry ruled their lives. As God promised He would do, He sent them into exile. God’s purpose was to get the people to realize their rebellion against Him, and to turn to Him with true worship.

How did Daniel respond to the situation? Daniel prayed: “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” Daniel didn’t resent the people whose sin brought consequences to his life. Instead, he humbled himself and sought the help of God, the only One who could help him. What consequences are you experiencing because of the sins of others? Are you and I following Daniel’s example, or are we rogue and building walls rather than bridges?

Daniel prayed: “I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.” Daniel confessed. His confession included himself, because he recognized he was a sinner. It wasn’t the same sin of idolatry that landed them in exile, but nonetheless, Daniel recognized he was a guilty sinner just like everyone else. He didn’t point fingers at others, without pointing to himself also.

Daniel continued to openly confess their unfaithfulness. Notice the inclusive pronouns he used in his prayer: “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.”

Daniel accepted God’s judgment for their sins: “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.”

Daniel pled for God’s mercy, not for their sake, but for the sake of God’s Name: “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

If Daniel could plead for the forgiveness and restoration of Israel, we should be pleading with God for the restoration of broken relationships within the Body of Christ, as well as with others.

How we pray will depend upon on how deeply we believe that we are all sinners, and that no one person’s sin is more grievous to God than another person’s.

Daniel found “equality” in the sinfulness of all Israelites. It was from that heart that he prayed for God’s forgiveness and restoration.

I am not saying we condone or approve of anyone’s sin, but that we love other sinners [remembering we are all sinners], and treat others just like we want to be treated. After all, isn’t that how God treats us?  He pours forth His love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. 

But God will also judge those who lack repentance. That is why we want to help each other walk uprightly with our great Lord and Savior.

As Daniel modeled, we need to exemplify repentance ourselves. 

Instead of being angry at other people’s sins, we need to remember that Jesus died for ALL SINS for ALL PEOPLE. We need to reflect on God and His great forgiveness. Forgiveness is the heart of God’s Good News, the Gospel!

I believe that we are too concerned about how someone else’s sin impacts us, rather than being concerned about how much the sin is impacting the sinner and the sinner’s relationship (or lack thereof) with God.

Are you more focused on someone else’s sin or your own holiness before God? When you see someone’s sin, does it break your heart, or puff you up because you think you are not so bad?

In the same way Daniel prayed, we need to bring our sin sick friends to Jesus. Not condemn them. Mark 2:4-12 provides the account of four friends who went to great lengths to bring their paralytic friend to Jesus. What was the first action Jesus took? It was to forgive the man for his sins, then He physically healed him. 

What makes the good news good?  The bad news that we are sinners makes the good news great news!

What might be holding us back from desiring to reconcile with another believer who is repentant? Reconciliation is two sided. Though it is an urgent matter for us, until it is important to the other person, we must pray and wait upon God to do His work in another’s heart.

Perhaps I can assist with your process of reconciliation with another? Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com.  

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.

Copyright 2025 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.