An example of one righteous man in history who prayed God's Word is Daniel.
Daniel was a man considered alongside Noah and Job (Ezekiel 14:14-20) by God. Reading through the life of Daniel, you will see he was punished for persisting in praying to only His God and in victory faced the Lions.
"'This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,' declares the LORD, 'and will make it desolate forever.'" (Jeremiah 25:11-12; see also Jeremiah 29:10; 2 Chronicles 36:20-21 and Zechariah 1:12)
Daniel begins to pray for his people, intercede for them. He begins to pray from the Word of God he was reading. He knew God would keep His promise (Daniel 9:4) The exile was to end in a few more years. Daniel spoke that promise back to God in his prayer in Daniel Chapter 9.
Daniel knew it was his people's own fault they were in the exile in the first place, because they continued to turn away from Him. He also realized the people were still sinful and had not really changed. God, though, had made a promise--70 years of exile.
While reading this passage today, take note how Daniel prays for His people. How can we learn from this prayer when praying for our nation, the world, our extended family members?
What passages, promises of God, can you pray on behalf of the people in your life?
Daniel's prayers were from the stand point of the Old Covenant (the Law), before we were bought and paid for with the life of Jesus Christ. How might you pray for others, family, cities, and nations under the New Covenant?
Today's passage is Daniel 9:1-19 (KJV).
Dan 9:1 IN THE first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans--
Dan 9:2 In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of years which, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass by before the desolations [which had been] pronounced on Jerusalem should end; and it was seventy years. [Jer. 25:11, 12; 29:10.]
Dan 9:3 And I set my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes;
Dan 9:4 And I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, Who keeps covenant, mercy, and loving-kindness with those who love Him and keep His commandments,
Dan 9:5 We have sinned and dealt perversely and done wickedly and have rebelled, turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.
Dan 9:6 Neither have we listened to and heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
Dan 9:7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us confusion and shame of face, as at this day--to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, to those who are near and those who are far off, through all the countries to which You have driven them because of the [treacherous] trespass which they have committed against You.
Dan 9:8 O Lord, to us belong confusion and shame of face--to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers--because we have sinned against You.
Dan 9:9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and loving-kindness and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him;
Dan 9:10 And we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His laws which He set before us through His servants the prophets.
Dan 9:11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, even turning aside that they might not obey Your voice. Therefore the curse has been poured out on us and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. [Lev. 26:14-45; Deut. 28:15-68.]
Dan 9:12 And He has carried out intact His [threatening] words which He threatened against us and against our judges [the kings, princes, and rulers generally] who ruled us, and He has brought upon us a great evil; for under the whole heavens there has not been done before [anything so dreadful] as [He has caused to be] done against Jerusalem.
Dan 9:13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses as to all this evil [that would surely come upon transgressors], so it has come upon us. Yet we have not earnestly begged for forgiveness and entreated the favor of the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and have understanding and become wise in Your truth. [Deut. 4:29; 28:15ff.]
Dan 9:14 Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity (evil) and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is [uncompromisingly] righteous and rigidly just in all His works which He does [keeping His word]; and we have not obeyed His voice.
Dan 9:15 And now, O Lord our God, Who brought Your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and secured Yourself renown and a name as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
Dan 9:16 O Lord, according to all Your rightness and justice, I beseech You, let Your anger and Your wrath be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. Because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach and a byword to all who are around about us.
Dan 9:17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to and heed the prayer of Your servant [Daniel] and his supplications, and for Your own sake cause Your face to shine upon Your sanctuary which is desolate.
Dan 9:18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and look at our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You for our own righteousness and justice, but for Your great mercy and loving-kindness.
Dan 9:19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, give heed and act! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.
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