A Prayer of Ashes: Confession, Mercy, and Renewal

Today, as we gather on this Ash Wednesday, we come face to face with two unavoidable realities: our sinfulness and our mortality. The ashes we receive on our foreheads remind us that we are dust, and to dust we shall return (Genesis 3:19). But they also point us to something greater—the mercy of God, who brings beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3).

This is a day of confession, of repentance, of turning back to the One who alone can save. And tonight, we take our cue from the prophet Daniel—a man who understood what it meant to seek God with all his heart, to confess not only his own sins but also the sins of his people.

Daniel 9 is a prayer of brokenness, a plea for mercy, and a call for renewal. And it is exactly the kind of prayer we need today—as individuals, as a church, and as a nation.

1. Turning to God in Humility (Daniel 9:3-4)

Daniel writes: “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 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…’” (Daniel 9:3-4).

Before Daniel even begins to confess his sins, he does something crucial—he turns to the Lord. He pleads. He fasts. He humbles himself in sackcloth and ashes. This is what Ash Wednesday is about—it’s a turning. A realigning. A recognition that we need to come before God in humility, not excuses.

Notice that Daniel doesn’t treat his or his people’s sins lightly. He approaches God with deep reverence and humility. The sackcloth and ashes are a physical expression of inner sorrow—just as we receive ashes on Ash Wednesday.

Then Daniel confesses. We need to understand that confession is not about guilt-tripping ourselves but about realigning our hearts with God. Daniel confesses not only personal sin but also the sins of the people.

In our culture, we often neglect communal confession. What would it look like to grieve over the brokenness of the world as Daniel did? The injustices we see in our area? How many more lives do we have to lose before we do something about the guns or drugs? We know we have a problem, we know the root of the problem, but we are not doing anything to prevent the atrocities that we are witnessing.

We can all quote Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” but have share with them the grace of God. The grace that can change their lives. That should be all of our confessions.

Daniel—who was a man of faith, a man of prayer, a man who remained steadfast in a corrupt culture—includes himself in the confession. “We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled.” (Daniel 9:5) Daniel could have said, “They have sinned.” But instead, he says, "We have sinned."

This is where we must start tonight. Not pointing fingers. Not excusing ourselves. Not blaming culture, or politicians, or society. But looking inward and saying, “Lord, I, we have sinned.”

When Daniel begins to confess, he confesses how they, as a people, have not heeded the prophets, the commandments, and the ordinances of God, how they have acted wickedly and rebelled. Oh, if only we had some ministers who would be so bold to confess their sins on behalf of their people. Even in his humility, he did not revert to his flesh; he stated their sins plainly and knew they needed to repent.

You may be asking well, preacher, what about us? What should we confess and repent of? The same things that Israel did. Turn with me to Isaiah 58, where Isaiah truly lays out all their sins. Too often, we believe that we are a Godly nation that practices righteousness, and yet we oppress the workers for a non-livable wage; we need to begin to turn these old rundown hotels into homeless shelters or places for homeless Veterans. We aid other countries but turn a blind eye to our own people. That is not works of righteousness. Those are works of hypocrites.

We have devalued life. We have turned a blind eye to racial injustice. We have allowed greed, corruption, and dishonesty to thrive in leadership. We have called evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).

And yet, despite all this, Daniel prays: “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.” (Daniel 9:9) "We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy." (v. 18)

And this is the good news: God’s mercy is greater than our sin. The ashes on our foreheads remind us that we are dust. But the cross reminds us that we are redeemed. The ashes remind us of death. But Easter reminds us of resurrection. We confess not to wallow in guilt, but to make room for grace. We repent not to dwell in sorrow, but to prepare for renewal.

"O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."

Daniel prays not just for forgiveness but for renewal and restoration. Ash Wednesday is not only about mourning sin but preparing for transformation as we journey toward Easter. In these next forty days use it as a season of intentional prayer and renewal, just as Daniel did.

Because even now, God is calling us back: “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” (Joel 2:12)

Tonight, as you receive the ashes, let this be more than a ritual. Let it be a turning. A surrendering. A moment where you say, “Lord, we have sinned. But You are merciful. Forgive us. Renew us. Restore us.”

Let this be a beginning—not just of Lent, but of a deeper walk with Christ. And let us not just wear the ashes on our foreheads—let us bear the mark of Christ on our hearts.

Prayer: Lord, we come before You as sinners in need of grace. We confess that we have failed You, as individuals, as a church, and as a nation. But we cling to Your mercy. Forgive us. Cleanse us. Renew us. May this season of Lent be a time of true transformation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.