1In the first year of Darius son of Xerxesa (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonianb kingdom— 2in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
4I 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, 5we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
7“Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
15“Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
17“Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” (Daniel 9)
Thoughts: The prayer at the very end of the Bible is "Come Lord Jesus." It is a prayer based on the prophecies of scripture (found in ever major book in the New Testament) that Jesus will come back.
In this passage we see that Daniel has been reading prophesies of scripture- specifically Jeremiah's prophecy (25:11, 29) that the people of Israel will be brought back to the land after 70 years. He doesn't just pray- "may it be so." He agonizes over what might keep the people from not coming back to the promised land. This is an outline of his prayer:
1) We are covered in shame (5-8)
2) We deserved God's judgment (9-14)
3) We confess our sin (15-16)
4) Asking God to answer prayer for His people for His glory (17-19)
In this passage we see that Daniel has been reading prophesies of scripture- specifically Jeremiah's prophecy (25:11, 29) that the people of Israel will be brought back to the land after 70 years. He doesn't just pray- "may it be so." He agonizes over what might keep the people from not coming back to the promised land. This is an outline of his prayer:
1) We are covered in shame (5-8)
2) We deserved God's judgment (9-14)
3) We confess our sin (15-16)
4) Asking God to answer prayer for His people for His glory (17-19)
I have always found two important points: 1) Daniel was not the sinner, but he says, "WE have sinned." It is important that Daniel associates with his people- they are a team- even if they have only lost. We should pray for our churches like this. We do not blame- and shift blame to others- they did this. This divides the church and fuels an air of superiority (that we could blame another- and act innocent). Keller rightly says anger and unforgiveness is always fueled by pride.
2) He asks God to answer for His name's sake- for His glory. This is similar to Jesus' saying, "Thy will be done." Our prayers are ultimately not for our comfort but for His glory.
More prayers like this need to be said.
2) He asks God to answer for His name's sake- for His glory. This is similar to Jesus' saying, "Thy will be done." Our prayers are ultimately not for our comfort but for His glory.
More prayers like this need to be said.
Prayer: Lord, we have sinned. We are mired in a mess of apathy toward you and foolish self-sufficiency. So many have forsaken you and it shows. There is crime, violence, drug abuse and death, the devaluing of life on so many levels, hatred and discord. Even in your church there is selfishness, pride, and division. We have sinned. We have blown it. We forget how you hate sin and we are therefore covered in our sin and shame. O Lord, bring forgiveness and mercy to our land.
Draw us again back to you for your name's sake. Glorify yourself through our people who came here to escape persecution of many kinds.
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