Daniel Prays For The People

The story goes that one time when Bill Moyers was a special assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson, he was asked to say grace before a meal in the family quarters of the White House. As Moyers began praying softly, the President interrupted him with “Speak up, Bill! … More

Prayer

At this time, Daniel was an old man, nearing ninety years of age. He had served through many changes of dynasty in the kingdom of Babylon, having been the prime minister of the kingdom under three successive kings. As the account tells us in the opening verses, he is reading the Scriptures to find out what God is going to do (vv. 1-3). Daniel was reading from the book of Jeremiah the prophet and realized that almost seventy years had gone by since Israel had been taken captive, yet there was no sign that the Israelites in Babylon were at all interested in returning to Israel. They were treated with great respect by the Babylonians, who allowed them a great deal of freedom. In fact, we know from other accounts that they had settled down and had started businesses. They had been sheep-keepers in the land of Israel, but they became shop-keepers in Babylon. Some of them had gone into business so these people were not at all interested in going back to the desolations and ruins of Jerusalem. For this reason, Daniel and some of his companions fasted and covered themselves with sackcloth, in the Hebrew manner of expressing their mourning, and began to pray.

As he prayed he fasted (v. 4), confessed his sins (v. 5), and pleaded that God would reveal his will (vv. 6-10). He prayed with complete surrender to God and with complete openness to what God was saying to him. The captives from Judah had rebelled against God. Their sins had led to their captivity, but God is merciful even to rebels, if they confess their sins and return to Him. God had sent many prophets to speak to his people through the years, but their messages had been ignored. The truth was too painful to hear. Daniel tells the Lord He has merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against you and rejected your teachings that came to us from your servants the prophets.

Application

Daniel knew how to pray. When I pray I need to come to God with complete openness, vulnerability and honesty like Daniel did. Attitude is very important.

Daniel 9:1-10 (English Standard Version)


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