Pray Like Daniel

If you read the book of Daniel, you read the story of a man who spend most of his life in captivity in Babylon, yet never wavered in his faith and trust in God. He knew the prophet Jeremiah had written that God would not allow Israel to return to their land for 70 years. In Daniel 9:1-19 we see the prayer that Daniel lifted up to God as the lengthy period of exile was about to end.

Daniel begins by acknowledging the greatness of God: O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands (v.4). Although he was a righteous man living in a wicked and ungodly land, Daniel acknowledged his sinfulness along with the nation's as well: We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commandments and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets (v.5-6). He goes on in verses 7-15 to describe the shame of not following God and the deserved exile imposed on his people. Daniel also recalls that the Lord is merciful and forgiving and pleads for this in verses 16-19.

In times of adversity, it's easy to blame others and makes excuses for our actions. To pray like Daniel means to look inside ourselves and confess our own sinfulness to God. Often we pray hoping to advance our own personal comfort. To pray like Daniel means to surrender to God with complete openness to His purpose and plan for our lives. Often we tune out the truth of God's Word; allowing our disobedience to keep us from seeking God's forgiveness. To pray like Daniel is to have confidence that God hears our prayers and is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).