The Praying Prophet

Sunday Service

Daniel 9:1-19

In the first half of this chapter, the Spirit of God recorded one of the greatest but most overlooked prayers in the Bible. In Daniel’s epic prayer for God to restore His exiled people to their homeland, we see TWO ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS of effective, God-honoring prayer that we need to emulate whenever we find ourselves in difficult, frightening situations.

1. THE MOTIVE FOR PRAYER (vv. 1-3)
The promises of God motivated Daniel to pray. Daniel’s study of the prophet Jeremiah, who witnessed the fulfillment of God’s promises, prompted Daniel to follow with a time of prayer.

2. THE MODEL FOR PRAYER (vv. 4-19)
Daniel prayed the character of God, confessed his sin, and then petitioned God to glorify Himself. Daniels’ desire was that God’s will be done on earth.

Thank God for granting you the privilege of prayer. Ask Him to help you imitate Daniel’s example by claiming the many hope-filled promises of Scripture and calling upon the Lord and seeking Him with all your heart (cf. Jeremiah 29:11-14).