Scripture to Read: Daniel 9:4–19
Daniel was a man of prayer because he knew God’s covenant with the nation of Israel, which God had given to Moses. Daniel also knew the writings from the prophet Jeremiah and the prophecies shared through Jeremiah. So, because of Daniel’s intimacy with God and His Word, Daniel knew what to pray as he petitioned God. Daniel started his prayer by setting the proper foundation in Daniel 9:3, “So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.” Daniel gave his full attention to our Lord so he could seek Him in intimate conversation. Then, Daniel prayed for three things. First, he confessed the sin of the nation of Israel in Daniel 9:4–10. Daniel talked to the Lord in Daniel 9:11–14 about God’s loving discipline He had brought upon the nation of Israel. Daniel also prayed for the nation of Israel, stating that though the Lord had disciplined them for the 67 years they had been in exile, they still “have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth,” (Daniel 9:13). The Israelites continually rebelled even through God’s loving discipline. Then, Daniel asked the Lord for His mercy upon Jerusalem in Daniel 9:16. In Daniel 9:17, Daniel asked God for His face to shine on His Holy temple, which Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed years earlier. Daniel also sought God’s mercy for the people of Israel. As we pray, we must always be specific, knowing our Lord is listening (Romans 8:26–27).
Challenge & Application
• What did you learn today from Daniel’s prayer?
• How can you pray more specifically in your time with the Lord, and how does God encourage you through Romans 8:26–27?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!