NKJV 365 / God Answers Fervent Prayer

NKJV 365 Day Reading Plan

Day 154 of 365 God Answers Fervent Prayer Do you ever feel as if your prayers bounce off the ceiling rather than reaching God? If so, consider carefully the prayer of Daniel for the release of his people from captivity (ch. 9). It is a testimony to the fact that God answers prayer-in His time and according to His purposes-as the angel Gabriel announced (9:24, 25). However, God does not answer any and every prayer as the one praying would like. Why, then, did He respond to Daniel's? Here are some observations: 1. Daniel's prayer was the result of his study of Scripture. The timing of Daniel's prayer is highly significant. It came "in the first year of Darius," around 539 b.c. (9:1). That was the year in which Babylon fell to the Persians, a truly astounding event that must have sent Daniel back to the Scriptures to search for understanding. As he studied the Law, he found the reasons for Judah's exile (9:11-13; compare Lev. 26; Deut. 27; 28). He also found a promise of restoration-if the people repented of their sins (Lev. 26:40-45). 2. Daniel confessed and repented of his people's sins. By all appearances, Daniel was a man of faith who lived a life of utmost integrity, both before and after being deported to Babylon. Yet despite his own personal innocence, he confessed to numerous sins as a member of God's wayward people. Four times he told the Lord, "We have sinned" (9:5, 8, 11, 15). This is a powerful example of corporate confession, in which one accepts personal responsibility for the sins of one's people (see Lam. 1:18). 3. Daniel fasted and prayed for a period of time. The Bible does not say exactly how long Daniel's prayer of confession lasted, but it was probably more than a day, as he refers to fasting (9:3). He also demonstrated his remorse for sin in a very tangible way by wearing sackcloth and smearing himself with ashes. Clearly he wanted God to know that he was sorry for the sins of his people. Only after this prolonged period of confession did Daniel ask the Lord for mercy (9:16, 17). . . . He asked only that the Lord would act on behalf of His own interests (9:18, 19). James said that "the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16). Daniel's prayer seems to be a case in point. Not long after Daniel prayed, Cyrus issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding the temple (2 Chr. 36:22, 23). Was there a connection between Daniel's prayer, Cyrus's decree, and Jeremiah's prophecies? Gabriel indicates that there was (9:23-25). Prayer is not a gimmick by which we charm or coerce God into giving us what we want. Prayer is a sober-minded acknowledgment of our true situation before the Lord and an admission of our need for His divine help. Are you prepared to pray like Daniel? Taken from NKJV Study Bible Daniel 9:15-19 NASB 15 "And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself, as it is this day-we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us. 17 So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. 18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name."