…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. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. (Daniel 9:2-3)
Daniel is a model of godliness in so many areas of life. One area that shines out is his prayer life. In Daniel 2, in the midst of a crisis, Daniel immediately turns to prayer. In Daniel 6, after prayer is basically made illegal in the empire, we read:
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before (6:10).
Daniel 6:10 gives us a glimpse of a godly man’s prayer life. It is disciplined without being ritualistic. It is passionate and persistent. Daniel went to his upstairs room, faced Jerusalem (his homeland and the focus of many of his prayers), got down on his knees, prayed to God and gave Him thanks. Daniel made a habit of doing this three times a day. Again, it is was not empty ritual or begrudging duty. Rather Daniel disciplined his life to seek God daily, to enjoy His company, to petition Him for the desires of his heart.
In Daniel 9, we again see Daniel’s prayer life up close and personal. Daniel is reading Scripture, the prophecies of Jeremiah (which tells us how quickly Jeremiah’s words were recognized as God’s words), when he suddenly understands that God’s judgment on Jerusalem would last seventy years. At this time, Daniel had been in Babylon approximately 66 years. His heart is immediately stirred. He realizes that the 70 years is almost up so he drops to his knees and pleads for God to keep His promise, to not forsake His people, to forgive their sin, and to restore Judah back into the land. So many things struck me about Daniel’s prayer:
- It is motivated by his reading of Scripture and the promises of God.
- It is passionate–Daniel pleads with God in prayer and petition.
- It is accompanied with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. The humble attitude of Daniel’s heart was reflected in his actions.
- It is the fruition of many years of faithful prayer.
- It is answered in a miraculous and powerful way.
I realized this morning that one reason my prayer life is so weak is because my heart is so distracted by worthless things. I lack passion because I lack focus. Daniel’s focus was on the restoration of Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day facing Jerusalem. His heart beat for his nation and for his God. His heart was broken over his own sin and the sin of his people. And more than anything, I think Daniel knew that, even though he had political position and power in Persia, any restoration of his nation would have to come from God.
I think of our own country. We are in desperate times. I wonder where we are heading, what this nation will look like in 10, 20, 30, 40 years (my lifetime and my children’s lifetimes). It seems like there are an endless number of fronts to defend against the world’s assaults. It is overwhelming. Yet instead of turning to prayer, I often turn to worry or fear or put my hope in political candidates or campaigns. I would be wiser to turn my attention to the Lord, to develop a regular habit of praying for my family and for our nation three times a day–getting on my knees, thanking God for His provision and power, and pleading with Him to bring revival to our land, to our church, to my own heart.
Passion emerges out of focus. Power in prayer emerges out of faithfulness in prayer.
O Lord, teach me to be a Daniel!