Two-minute read.
“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,”
Daniel 9:4
Ernest desire.
Daniel, pleading for his people, wanted God to glorify Himself by an extravagant showing of grace and mercy. Guilty but repentant, Daniel prayed for the Lord to pardon and restore the Hebrew nation, giving them their land and fulfilling His promise. Daniel uses God’s covenant name, Yahweh, to claim the Lord’s mercy. Speaking for the people, Daniel confesses their sin, acknowledging the Jew’s acceptance of the practices of the surrounding culture. The nation rejected God; Daniel had no excuse for their betrayal.
Daniel prepared to approach God’s throne by fasting, mourning, and clothing himself in sackcloth. Realizing the nation had forfeited any rights to claim the Lord’s divine mercy, Daniel humbled himself on their behalf. The Jewish nation embraced idolatry, immorality, and martyrdom of the prophets, inviting the promised curses. Deserving destruction, Daniel begged God to forgive the rebellious nation. Earnestly desiring restoration, Daniel wanted God to receive the glory for showing mercy.
Following Daniel’s example, we can approach God’s throne with an earnest desire for a world turned away from the Lord. Fasting and praying for an unbelieving nation opens the door for God’s glorification. Daniel prayed for the nation’s revival, and the Lord answered immediately because of his earnest desire. Before he finished praying, God sent Gabriel with an answer, appearing to Daniel in human form, reassuring him of the Lord’s intention to end Israel’s captivity.
One man’s prayer started the restoration of a nation. God wants to answer even more than we want to ask. Humbling our hearts and approaching the Lord with an earnest desire can start a spiritual revolution. But if we don’t seek, we can’t find. Daniel’s passion for his people brought him to his knees.
“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16b
A righteous man, Daniel’s prayer hastened God’s plan of national and spiritual redemption for Israel. Fasting and praying for our country will bring miraculous healing we can only imagine. But if we don’t ask, we won’t receive. Instead of a divided nation, we can pray for unity, one nation under God. If we don’t pray and ask, we’ll never know what the Lord will do.
Journal Questions:
- How can I apply today’s devotion to my life?
- What would you pray for our country?
- How can fasting and prayer prepare you to approach God’s throne?
Prayer:
Lord, forgive us for turning from You and no longer acknowledging You in our country. Soften our hearts, make us sensitive to our sinful ways, and help us receive the grace and mercy You freely offer. Let our nation experience revival as we turn back to You. Let us experience the redemption You have for us as You did the Israelites. We need You, Lord, now more than ever. IJNIP. Amen
