Today you should read: Daniel 9
Daniel read Jeremiah’s famous prophecy, Jeremiah 29:11 (“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”) and understood it’s context. He prays to God, appealing to His greatness, their sin, and God’s promises in spite of their sin. God had promised that Jerusalem would be restored and that one day there would be a kingdom that would exist forever. There would be a King that would bring eternal reign and complete forgiveness to His people. A tension of “already but not yet” that we feel, and Jesus illustrates from His parables, as we’re learning this summer at CPC.
In Daniel’s prayer he confesses his own sins and the people’s sins. He then petitions for the good of others desiring mercy and compassion on God’s people while petitioning for God to be glorified as he adores His greatness.
We can learn a lot from Daniel’s prayer here, especially knowing how it’s some of his first words to God after the visions from the previous chapters. We should emulate Daniel’s devotion to adoration, confession and supplication in these prayers. How he praises God for who He is and what He revealed but He didn’t take light of his own sin and even the people around Him. In a day and age where we want to blame shift our own sins and judge others, what would it look like if we went to God for supplication for both? In fact, it would look a lot like Jesus’ example of prayer.
What do you need to emulate in your own prayer life from Daniel and Jesus’ examples of prayer?
By: Erik Koliser — West Campus Pastor
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