Click here for more messages from the book of Daniel.
Click here to return to the Sermons page.

Daniel 9:1–19 (Daniel’s prayer)

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Stories and Visions, and we are currently in the visions section of Daniel. Today’s passage is one of those rare portions of the book that is neither a story nor a vision, but rather a prayer, although I suppose you could say it is a story about a prayer that took place in response to a vision. We will see how it all fits together as we work our way through the text. (Read Daniel 9:1–3 and pray.)

_______________________

We have learned so much about Daniel in our series already. We have seen that Daniel is a man of integrity, character, faith and responsibility. But we have also seen that Daniel is a man of prayer. He prayed about the king’s dream in chapter two and asked his friends to pray as well. He immediately stopped to pray and worship when God gave him the answer to that prayer. He prayed three times a day before his open window facing toward Jerusalem. He continued this practice even after the king issued the edict about the lion’s den.

Now we get to see one of Daniel’s prayers up close and personal. This is one of the longest prayers recorded in the Bible, and it is a wonderful example of prayer to us and how to pray. So let’s see what lessons in prayer we can learn from Daniel’s prayer here in chapter 9.

I. The word of God and prayer (1–4)

We begin by seeing the relationship between the word of God and prayer.

   A. Trust God’s word (1–2)

Daniel trusted God’s word, and that is what prompted him to pray. Look at verses 1–2 as we get started:

In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom—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. (Dan. 9:1–2)

Daniel gives us the time of his prayer as the first year of Darius. This was the year 539 B.C., the year Babylon fell, just as the earlier visions had predicted.

Apparently Daniel had been reading his Bible, and as he reads from Jeremiah, he understands that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. Of course, Daniel didn’t have an actual Bible to read the way we do today, but he would certainly have had access to the writings of Jeremiah and especially the letter that Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem which is recorded in Jeremiah 29 in our Bibles.

There are two places where Jeremiah speaks of this period of seventy years. The first is found in Jeremiah 25, where Jeremiah writes: “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” (Jer. 25:11–12).

This prophecy came to Jeremiah in 605 B.C., which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign and the same year Daniel and his friends were brought to Babylon. Although Babylon had been around for centuries, their rule over the surrounding nations did not begin until they conquered the Assyrians in 609 B.C. So the seventy years for Babylon had already started ticking four years prior to this prophecy.

The second place where Jeremiah mentions the seventy years is in the letter he wrote to the exiles as recorded in Jeremiah 29. Jeremiah tells us this was after King Jehoiachin was carried into exile, so this would have been around 597 B.C., shortly after the second wave of deportations that included King Jehoiachin.

In the letter Jeremiah writes: “This is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jer. 29:10–11). So when the seventy years for Babylon were completed, God confirmed he would fulfill his promise to bring the exiles back to their own land.

When did the clock start ticking for Babylon? 609 B.C. when they conquered the Assyrians. When did the seventy years end? 539 B.C. when Babylon fell to the Persians. God gave Babylon seventy years, and when the seventy years were fulfilled, God punished the king of Babylon and his nation, just as he had foretold through Jeremiah decades before.

As Daniel reads these Scriptures from Jeremiah, he has a triple advantage. 1) He has the prophecies of Jeremiah. 2) He has the visions God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, along with the visions he has already experienced himself. 3) He has the benefit of history in that the Persians had just conquered Babylon.

This is where Daniel’s trust in Scripture comes in. He knows God fulfilled his word concerning the seventy years for Babylon, because that just happened. But now he puts his trust in God’s word for the exiles as well. God had said, “When the seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.” Daniel believed God’s word, and so he was confident it was almost time for the exiles to go home (see note at end for other interpretations).

   B. Turn to God in prayer (3–4)

As a result, Daniel turns to God in prayer. Look at verses 3–4:

So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed. (Dan. 9:3–4)

Notice Daniel’s humility and sincerity in this prayer. First, he turned to the Lord; that is always the first step in prayer. He pleaded with the Lord, so this was not just rote prayer. He went to the Lord in prayer and petition; this shows prayer is more than just asking, something we will explore more in a moment. Daniel did all this in fasting, sackcloth and ashes; these were symbols of mourning and grief, which further demonstrated his sincerity.

Although we don’t always pray with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes today (Daniel didn’t either), this should be our normal experience when it comes to the word of God and prayer: we trust God’s word, and then we turn to God in prayer. Daniel’s study of Jeremiah led him to pray, and our study of God’s word should lead us to pray as well.

II. Elements of prayer (4–19)

Although Daniel’s prayer here is largely a prayer of confession, we find other important elements of prayer in it as well. He begins with adoration, followed by confession, followed by acknowledgement of God’s righteousness, followed by petition in prayer. It’s a long prayer, but we can summarize it as follows:

   1) Adoration – “You are God!”
   2) Confession – “We are wrong!”
   3) Acknowledgement – “You are right!”
   4) Petition – “Help us anyway!”

That’s not a bad prayer to pray anytime: “Lord — you’re God; we’re wrong; you’re right; help us anyway!” Let’s dig a little deeper into Daniel’s prayer now.

   A. Adoration (4)

Daniel begins his prayer with adoration and praise. Look at verse 4:

“O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands.” (Dan. 9:4)

It is always good to begin our time of prayer simply by worshiping and praising God for who he is. Here Daniel especially praises God for his power (he is the great and awesome God) and for his faithfulness (he is the God who keeps his covenant).

Before Daniel asks God for anything, he begins by praising him. This is a pattern we see repeated throughout Scripture, and it is a practice we should incorporate into our own prayer lives as well. I usually begin my prayer times singing praise songs to the Lord, but you could simply speak praises to him or even read praises to him from the Psalms.

   B. Confession (5–11)

Next Daniel moves on to confession. Look at verses 5–11 where Daniel continues in prayer:

“We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to 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.

“Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. O Lord, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.” (Dan. 9:5–11)

Notice all the first-person plurals as Daniel begins this section of his prayer: we have sinned and done wrong; we have been wicked and rebelled; we have turned away; we have not listened. Daniel identifies with the people of Israel and includes himself in the prayer of confession. We need to do the same in our prayers; we should confess both personal and corporate sin.

Notice his continued emphasis on God throughout the prayer: we have turned away from your commands; we have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name. The same is true for us today. When we sin, we sin against God. God has told us what is right, and we have chosen to disobey. In the past God spoke by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by Jesus Christ and by the completed Scriptures. God still speaks to us through his word today.

Daniel speaks of the shame that covers Israel because of their sin. He affirms that God is merciful and forgiving, even though his people have rebelled against him. He praises God’s character and throws himself on God’s mercy and grace. Daniel emphasizes that all Israel has transgressed the law. This shows the extent of Israel’s sin; it was not just a few people, or merely the leaders, but the nation as a whole turned away from God, refusing to obey.

   C. Acknowledgement (11–14)

So Daniel begins his prayer with adoration and praise. Then he immediately moves into confession. Next, he acknowledges God’s righteousness in all this. Look at verses 11–14:

“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.” (Dan. 9:11–14)

There’s quite a bit to unpack here. The curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses had been poured out on Israel, and Daniel acknowledges that God was right to do this. God did nothing he had not already warned them about in advance. He simply fulfilled the words spoken against his people through the prophets.

Two chapters in the Law of Moses particularly laid out God’s covenant blessings and curses for Israel. Deuteronomy 28 laid out the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. Leviticus 26 laid out the rewards for obedience and the punishments for disobedience. In other words, God’s faithfulness to his covenant included both blessings and curses.

Although God had disciplined his people before, nothing had ever been done like what happened to Jerusalem. Because of their unfaithfulness, God allowed his own people to be exiled and his own temple to be destroyed. This was a horrible time when many people starved to death during the siege of Jerusalem. Some even ate their own young. Nothing under heaven had ever happened like this.

This disaster was both predicted and preventable, and yet Daniel says the people still had not sought God’s favor by turning from their sins and giving attention to God’s truth. Many times, we do the same thing. We seek God’s favor without turning from our sins, but that doesn’t work so well.

Daniel insists that God is righteous in everything he does. He is righteous in everything he has done. Daniel does not blame God or make excuses. The fault has been with the people all along. The truth is, if God had not fulfilled his promise of disaster when Israel rebelled against him, he would not have been righteous, because he would not have kept his word.

   D. Petition (15–19)

Daniel now turns from acknowledgement of God’s righteousness to petition in prayer. That’s what we usually think prayer is — asking God for things. Look how long it took Daniel to get there. As he moves to petition, the focus of his prayer becomes even more God-centered. That’s interesting, because often when we move to petition, it’s all about us.

Notice the many uses of the word your in this section of the prayer. Daniel speaks of your people, your righteous acts, your anger, your wrath, your city, your holy hill, your servant, your sake, your sanctuary, your eyes, and your name. That’s a lot of focus on God, even in petition. Look at verses 15–19 with me now:

“Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.

“Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” (Dan. 9:15–19)

Daniel continues to ground his prayer in God’s righteous character. He addresses the Lord as the one who brought his people out of Egypt. This was the defining moment for Israel. God rescued his people and made his own name great. He entered into a covenant with them at Mount Sinai, and he gave them his commandments.

God was righteous to deliver his people from Egypt. He was also righteous to send them into exile in Babylon. Now Daniel asks God to continue his righteous acts by letting them go home, just as he promised in the letter from Jeremiah. God had rescued them before, and Daniel trusts that he will rescue them again.

Daniel pleads with God: “For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. For your sake look with favor on the city that bears your Name.” Daniel’s primary concern was God’s name and reputation. God had promised to rescue his people if they turned to him and sought his favor. That is exactly what Daniel is doing now.

Hear the passion in Daniel’s petitions: “O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” Daniel echoes David in Psalm 23, who prayed, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Daniel echoed David; we echo David and Daniel when we pray the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Daniel’s ultimate concern was for God’s name and reputation, and that should be our main concern as well.

This next part is key. Notice how Daniel prays, “We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.” So far, Daniel has emphasized God’s righteousness and Israel’s sin. Now he emphasizes God’s mercy as well. He does not base his petitions on Israel’s worthiness but on God’s mercy.

We can never approach God on the basis of our own righteousness because we don’t have any of our own. We may only approach him on the basis of his own grace and mercy. As Christians we approach him through Jesus, who died for us and opened a way back to the Father.

CONCLUSION: Next week we will see God’s answer to this prayer, but for now let us look at some applications for prayer for ourselves.

1) Prayer should be fueled by God’s word and God’s promises
Prayer should be fueled by God’s word and God’s promises. Without a regular intake of God’s word in your life, your prayers will grow stale and weak.

The Bible tells us, “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14–15). Basically, you need to know God’s will to pray with confidence, and you need to know God’s word to know his will. God has made so many promises to us in the Bible that will help you when you pray.

Daniel’s faith-filled reading of God’s word spurred him on to fervent prayer. Once he discerned God’s will after reading Jeremiah, he turned to the Lord, pleading with him in prayer and petition. As we learn to know God’s will through the reading of his word, we too will grow in our fervency in prayer. When you base your prayers on God’s word and his promises, you know you are praying according to God’s will, and you know you will see God’s answer.

2) We should confess both personal and corporate sins
We should confess both personal and corporate sins. Daniel did not just confess his own sin. He confessed the sins of his people, and he included himself with them. Yes, we need to confess our personal sins to the Lord, but it is also appropriate to confess the sins of our fathers, the sins of our family, the sins of our church, the sins of our community, the sins of our nation, and indeed, even the sins of the world.

3) We should base our prayers on God’s mercy rather than any worthiness of our own.
We should base our prayers on God’s mercy rather than any worthiness of our own. This is part of what it means to pray in Jesus’ name. We do not come in our own name or according to our own merit. We do not base our prayers on how well we are doing in our spiritual walk. We do not bargain or negotiate with God. We base our prayers on God’s mercy extended to us through his Son, Jesus, and we pray in Jesus’ name and authority.

4) Prayer is more than just petition. Don’t just ask; pray!
And then finally, prayer is more than just petition. Don’t just ask; pray! Asking is a part of prayer, but it is not the only part. When we pray to God, we should also spend time worshiping and praising him, confessing our sins, and acknowledging his goodness.

Prayer is more than just asking, because prayer grows out of a relationship with God. When you put your faith in Jesus, you are brought into a covenant relationship with God; you are adopted into his family, which allows you to bring your prayers to him freely.

Too often we jump right into petition without taking the time to practice the other elements of prayer first, but the scriptural pattern, as exemplified by Daniel’s prayer here in Daniel 9, is to practice the other elements of prayer before bringing your petitions.

Many people find the acronym A.C.T.S. helpful here. A stands for adoration; C stands for confession; T stands for thanksgiving; and S stands for supplication or petition. This is pretty much the same order Daniel’s prayer followed. He began with adoration and praise. Then he moved on to confession of sin. Next he acknowledged God’s righteousness (this is similar to us acknowledging God’s goodness in thanksgiving). Then he moved on to petition.

We should commit to spending time worshiping God, confessing sin, and giving God thanks before bringing our petitions to him. You might not be able to work all these elements into every prayer, but they should all be a regular part of your prayer life. Begin working these other elements into your prayers, and you will see your relationship with God grow even stronger. Make this a motto for your own life: Prayer is more than just petition. Don’t just ask; pray!

(Note: See Matthew Henry’s Method of Prayer for even more instruction on how to incorporate the various elements of prayer into your life: www.matthewhenry.org)
_____________________________

Note: There are two main interpretations for the seventy years here in Daniel: 1) seventy years for Babylon (609 to 539 B.C.); or 2) seventy years for Israel (605 B.C. to 536 B.C.). Although both are possible, I believe Daniel’s reference to Jeremiah points toward the first interpretation. Jeremiah clearly relates the seventy years to Babylon rather than to Israel.

Why then does Daniel say that “the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years” (Dan. 9:2)? I believe the best way to understand Daniel’s statement is along these lines: “the desolation of Jerusalem would last [until the] seventy years [of Babylon were completed].” The implication is that the desolation of Jerusalem would end when the seventy years for Babylon came to a close. This interpretation accords well with the passages from Jeremiah that Daniel references.

It also accords well with the following passage from 2 Chronicles, which refers to the desolation as lasting until the seventy years for Babylon were completed: “He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah” (2 Chron. 36:20–23).

© Ray Fowler

You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this message provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For any web postings, please link to the sermon directly at this website.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copies:
By Ray Fowler. © Ray Fowler. Website: https://www.rayfowler.org

Click here for more messages from the book of Daniel.
Click here to return to the Sermons page.