LET’S PRAY LIKE DANIEL

So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your slave and to his supplications, and for Your sake… O Lord, listen!  O Lord, forgive!  O Lord, give heed and take action!  For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay.  Daniel 9:17, 19

The aged, exiled prophet Daniel had seen and done it all in his 65+ years in Babylon (read Daniel chapters 1-6).  While reading in the Book of Jeremiah (Daniel 9:1-2), Daniel learns that the Israelites’ 70 year captivity in Babylon is almost over (Jeremiah 25:8-11; 29:10).  Within a year or two, Cyrus the Great of Persia would be motivated by God Himself to release the Jewish captives to their homeland to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1).  How does Daniel respond to all this?  He gets down on his knees and prays one of the most impassioned prayers found in the Bible (Daniel 9:3-15). 

As we observe Daniel’s prayer, we note several characteristics of powerful prayer that we do well to emulate.  First of all it is TOP PRIORITY and FREQUENT (vs. 3a).  It is also FERVENT and SELF-SACRIFICING (vs. 3b).  Daniel put on sackcloth and threw ashes on his head as he mourned over Israel’s situation.  Daniel demonstrates that powerful prayer is CENTERED and FOCUSED ON GOD HIMSELF. 

Now we come to the crux of Daniel’s prayer (vv. 5-15) as he humbly CONFESSES to God.  Read this prayer and notice Daniel’s personal involvement and intensity.  He refuses to be the Pharisee praying, “God, I thank You that I am not like other people…”  Instead he prays like the tax collector humbly beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” (Luke 18:9-14).  Daniel closes his prayer pleading that God’s will be done for His glory and honor (vv. 16-19).

I challenge you to study Daniel’s prayer, and pray fervently for yourself, your family, your church, your mission fields, your nation and your world!

Bob Kulp