Daniel’s Prayer

March 10, 2013 Background Scripture: Daniel 9 Lesson Passage: Daniel 9:4 – 14, 17 Daniel’s prayer in Chapter 9 is a model of intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer is made on behalf of someone else and not just the petitioner. Here in Chapter 9, the transgressions and shortcomings of others as well as the petitioner are acknowledged in details and not just as general statements. The righteousness of God is acknowledged and upheld as the only true and eternal holiness. God’s righteousness is the standard of holiness. The petition (or request) is in perfect accordance with the word of God including the timing of it. The request is made for the period of time following the punishment interval that God decreed for His people through the prophet Jeremiah. There is no attempt to circumvent God’s divine will or judgment but rather an open acceptance of it and therefore the petition is made in accordance with it. Daniel acknowledged that all Israel was guilty before God of transgression against Him and His righteousness. Daniel also acknowledged God’s perfect holiness. In other words, this prayer also included statements of worship. We can never speak with God in a manner where we are cognizant without worshipping Him for who He is. To presuppose that we can simply go to God and announce who we are and how and why we are coming and begin to make our requests known is to not truly recognize His holiness which is always worthy of our worship. Daniel further acknowledged that Israel’s current state of distress was the result of their disobedience towards God. This is not a mere assumption on Daniel’s part. God had made it very clear in the Law He gave to Israel through Moses what the consequences would be if Israel transgressed His commandments. Israel was warned that those consequences would come upon them and they had indeed come just as God had foretold. Israel had no right to petition God, however, Daniel did so because of the privilege that had been granted to them to do so. True prayer is always a privilege that God extends to those who are called by His name. Having acknowledged God’s holiness and worshipped Him and confessed the sins of Israel, Daniel then made his request known to God. Daniel requested what God had promised through the prophet Jeremiah. According to God’s prophecy through Jeremiah, Jerusalem would be restored after Israel had been punished in a foreign land for seventy years. Seeing that the time had been fulfilled, Daniel requested the removal of the shame that was imposed on God’s people as a result of their disobedience to His covenant. The request was not for special favor but for the fulfillment of the prophecy to be completed through the restoration that was promised. God’s punishment was right and sufficient and now restoration was being requested so that God’s people could serve Him again to the glory of His name. Israel’s sin had brought shame to the name of God and their punishment had brought shame to them. The requested restoration would set things right as they were at the beginning. Daniel prayed a sincere intercessory prayer on behalf of all Israel. Robert C. Hudson February 27, 2013