Daniel 9:1-17
Daniel’s Prayer
9 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes[a] (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian[b] kingdom— 2 in 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. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
4 I 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, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We 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. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All 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. 12 You 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. 13 Just 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. 14 The 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. 16 Lord, 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. 18 Give 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. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
When you are in trouble, where do you turn? As a child I used to be scared of the dark and would imagine all kinds of monsters hidden in my room. For some reason, they were mostly some form of crocodile. When I was scared, I would call out to my mum or dad comfort me and look after me. Of course, as I got older, I learnt to look after myself, or when that didn't work to pick up a drink or play a sport and avoid the problem. Other people have friends that they rely on and when they have a bad day, they pick up the phone and reach out to someone they trust for help. We all have ways of dealing with difficulties.
However, Daniel, when he finds himself in trouble, does not run to his parents, to friends or run away. He turns to God. In this passage, he gets news that the city that he loves, Jerusalem, will be desolate for 70 years and he is deeply upset. So, he turns to God and asks for help.
Daniel also does not hide from the responsibility of his nation who have sinned. Nor does he try to justify it or blame others; there are no excuses here. Instead, with maturity he acknowledges that God’s punishment is deserved and takes responsibility for Israel’s disobedience. Then he repents and asks for forgiveness. He calls on God for grace despite their sin and asks for him to rescue them from their own mistakes. He knew that God loved them and so he sought refuge in his arms.
What is your reaction to failure and sin in your life?
How is the Lord using your current season to draw you closer to him?
