Praying for the People

1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;

2 In the first year of his reign, I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.

18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Golden Text: Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.—Daniel 9:17.

We know that prayer is central to healthy faith. The New Testament instructs us to pray (example: Romans 12:12). It also provides examples of people who made prayer a priority. Jesus left the crowds to speak to His heavenly Father (Matthew 14:23). The apostles were committed to prayer (Acts 6:4), as was the earliest church (Acts 2:42).

Sometimes, however, we are curious about what people actually said while praying because we find ourselves wondering about what to say when we pray. Jesus’ model prayer (Matthew 6:9–13) and unity prayer (John 17:20–26) are great places to start. Luke 22:42 and Acts 1:24; 7:59 provide more examples of the specific content of prayers in the New Testament. But the nature of those particular prayers, given the situations in which they were offered, may leave us hungering for even more insight.

The Old Testament is extremely helpful in this regard. The book of Psalms contains a rich supply of prayers that cover a wide range of topics and situations. In addition, the narrative portions of the Old Testament contain many lengthy prayers. By studying how our ancestors in faith prayed through their situations, we can learn how to pray in the situations we face.

Think about Daniel’s situation. In his lifetime, Daniel had seen God begin to fulfill His promises for His people, but this fulfillment caused Daniel to be confused. Part of the confusion and distress concerned the length of time involved in fulfillment, as we shall see. Many of us experience the same thing in our lives and the lives of our churches—things just (to our understanding) take too long!

So how do we go about praying when we long for God to intervene and “hurry up” to finish the good work He began in our lives? Daniel’s prayer in chapter 9 is a helpful place to start.

Daniel, a Jew, served as a captive in the king’s palace in a foreign land. Daniel spent most of his life there, from about 606 bc (Daniel 1:1) until at least 538 bc (1:21). More than one foreign ruler esteemed him highly (2:46–48; 5:29; 6:1, 2). More importantly, Daniel was highly esteemed by God (9:23; 10:11, 19).

Daniel 1–6 focuses on key events in the lives of four Jewish men who remained faithful to God while exiled in Babylon. Daniel 7–12 focuses on the future from Daniel’s perspective, particularly how God was to restore His people after subduing those who had oppressed them. We are concerned with how Daniel responded to the plight of his people and how his prayer can teach us to pray.

1. In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans.

This verse supplies the first clue as to why Daniel is praying the prayer that begins in verse 4 (below). That clue is the year and what it signifies. During Darius’s first year, the Chaldeans (also called Babylonians) are defeated by the Persians. That is 539 bc. Subsequently, the Jews are released from exile to return to their land.

It need not concern us that historical research has identified Cyrus—not Darius—as the ruler who took over the realm of Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:22, 23; Ezra 1; Isaiah 44:28; 45:1, 13). Cyrus did not reign alone.

Daniel 6:28 may imply that Darius and Cyrus reigned right alongside one another. Under this theory, Darius (also known as Gubaru) is thought to lead the Persian army that captures Babylon in 539 bc, and Cyrus, his king, rewards him with a regional kingship. Another theory is that Daniel 6:28 implies that Darius and Cyrus are two names for the same person.

2. In the first year of his reign, I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

This verse provides a second clue concerning why Daniel prays the prayer that follows: Daniel’s prayer is prompted by his reading of Jeremiah the prophet. The specific prophecy in question is presented briefly in Jeremiah 25:11, 12 and more extensively in Jeremiah 29:10–14. According to this prophecy, Babylon’s domination ends after 70 years, and God’s people return from captivity to experience peace and prosperity.

But why mention this prophecy in light of the first year of Darius’s reign? The answer is found in 2 Chronicles 36:22 and Ezra 1:1–4. The context of these two passages indicates that Cyrus’s takeover of Babylon has already occurred in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy as we read the text before us. That being the case, one may assume that Daniel’s prayer to follow will be one of praise and thanksgiving. At last, mighty Babylon has fallen! Now God’s people can be restored! But this is not how Daniel prays, as we shall see.

Before our text gives us the actual content of Daniel’s prayer, the author is careful to note Daniel’s state of mind: Daniel is in distress. The actions he takes before praying have something to teach us about how to approach God.

Apparently, Daniel is aware of a problem. At this point, we don’t really know what the problem is. We’ll have to dig into Daniel’s prayer below to discover that. But whatever it is, Daniel begins by setting his face unto the Lord God. Daniel does not remain fixated on the problem. He can stare at Jeremiah’s prophecy until he turns blue in the face, but focusing only on the problem (whatever it is) is not going to help. He must turn to God.

So Daniel turns to God in order to seek by prayer and supplications. This shows us Daniel’s great faith in God’s willingness and ability to act. Then Daniel supports his prayers with behavior. Daniel is not simply paying lip service to God. He demonstrates his concern through the self-denial of fasting. The sackcloth and ashes demonstrate that Daniel truly grieves. We may compare these signs of mourning with passages such as Nehemiah 9:1; Esther 4:3; and Psalm 35:13.

In our day, sackcloth and ashes are not staples of mourning practices in the Western world. But throughout the ages Christians have remained committed to fasting, that is, abstaining from food or other activities to focus on God (Acts 13:2, 3; 14:23). Indeed, there are countless symbolic gestures by which we can convey to God that our prayers are sincere. [See question #1, page 304.]

Half a century of rule by the atheistic Communist Party left China with a serious ethical gap. China has embraced capitalism to an extent, but without the Christian perspective that provides the ethical structure that keeps Western capitalism in check. The result is an epidemic of corruption in China. Increasing numbers of both government and business personnel are being prosecuted for graft, bribery, extortion, and even murder.

Another sobering trend in China is a widespread loss of the respect for the elderly that had been a hallmark of Chinese culture. The government has started publicly shaming—even imprisoning—people who neglect their aged parents.

Godly people do not need the threat of punishment to force them into doing right. This was certainly true of Daniel. He was concerned about his fellow Jews. He pled with God for the prophecies of national restoration to be fulfilled. Then he did what he could to confirm his seriousness: he donned sackcloth and ashes and began fasting. The situation was beyond Daniel’s control, yet he took the steps he could to show God where his heart was. Small gestures are yet significant today. —C. R. B.

4. And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments.

Daniel demonstrates that he truly knows the God to whom he is praying: he is praying to the Lord, the God of Israel. He is praying to the God who beckons us to petition Him, but who is also worthy of being feared. This God holds life and death in His hands, so we dare not address Him flippantly. [See question #2, page 304.]

Even so, this dreadful God is gracious. He keeps His covenant with His people and shows them mercy. Here Daniel helps us understand two aspects of God that we may have difficulty holding alongside one another. Daniel does not shy away from either attribute, but prays to the God who is both gracious and dreadful simultaneously.

This is the God we must fear as we seek His mercy—the God whose mercy we must seek even when we fear Him most. These attributes are not somehow in competition with one another inside of God. Rather, they reflect the unique nature of the God we serve.

God demonstrates His mercy especially to those who love Him and keep his commandments. We should not think of commandment-keeping as an outdated Old Testament principle that has somehow been superseded by grace. In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” See also 1 John 2:3; 3:22, 24; 5:3; Revelation 12:17; 14:12.

5. We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments.

Instead of offering a prayer of thanksgiving for fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy, Daniel begins by confessing sin (here and in v. 6). The sinner’s proper response to God is confession. We remember that the Babylonian captivity had come about because of sin. Daniel realizes that Judah’s restoration is to be accomplished by repentance.

It is important to note how Daniel identifies with the sin of the people. We know from prior accounts that Daniel is a man of exceptional character and devotion to God. Yet Daniel knows that God’s people rise and fall together. So he prays we have sinned because he knows something important about God’s purpose in the world. [See question #3, page 304.]

In forming the nation of Israel, God was not trying to create merely a bunch of righteous individuals. Rather, He was creating a holy society. The laws He gave were not only about personal piety, but also about social justice and communal witness. The Israelites are to bear witness to God’s purposes in all aspects of their lives. If Israel produces only a few righteous individuals, then it fails. The communal life of God’s people must shine like stars in the sky (Daniel 12:3; Philippians 2:15). But Daniel knows that his fellow Jews have failed in this regard, and he does not consider himself to be above them.

6. Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

Daniel also knows that Judah has had every chance to remedy the situation of unholiness. God has not left Israel alone to slip into sin without realizing it. God has sent prophets to warn them. These prophets went to all strata of society, from king to commoner, to communicate God’s message. But neither the northern kingdom of Israel nor the southern kingdom of Judah heeded them. [See question #4, page 304.]

7. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

As Daniel wraps up the confession part of his prayer, the contrast between God and His people comes into sharp relief. God is righteous, and all His people are (or should be) ashamed of themselves because they have sinned.

We can now summarize the features of Daniel’s confession. First, Daniel knows to whom he is praying. Second, Daniel knows how he stands in relation to God. Third, Daniel knows he must pray not only for himself but also for others. Fourth, Daniel accepts responsibility for the sin of God’s people, not just for his own. Fifth, Daniel confesses sin to God, neither hiding nor ignoring it. Sixth, Daniel acknowledges that the sin of Judah, Jerusalem, and Israel has a history. Part of that history is God’s consistent warning.

These six features have obvious application to our prayers today. Having established all six, Daniel is in the right frame of mind to make his request.

The secular world was delighted just a few years ago when the child abuse scandal rocked the Roman Catholic Church. Similar crimes take place in secular society, but the fact that they were taking place in a religious institution made the news especially “juicy.”

Perhaps the more important aspect of the crime was the fact that the church stonewalled when accusations were made. The Boston Globe, right in the Catholic Church’s backyard, so to speak, reported, “For decades church leaders kept horrific tales of abuse out of the public eye through an elaborate culture of secrecy, deception, and intimidation” (www.boston.com).

The world was appropriately shocked, and the church hierarchy should have been. As months went by, more stories began leaking out. Gradually, the harsh glare of publicity forced the church to confess its corporate sin of covering up the private sins of some of its priests.

The Catholic Church’s difficulties with this sin demonstrate how hard it can be to confess sin, especially when the confession needs to be a public one. Daniel’s confession in his prayer was done privately, but he was praying on behalf of the Jewish people, whose unholiness was “an open shame.” Are there other open shames in the body of Christ that the church overlooks? —C. R. B.

17. Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.

Verses 8–16 (not in today’s text) offer Daniel’s lengthy recounting of the sins of God’s people. The wrap-up of the prayer is verses 17–19. These two segments build upon one another in ways that involve repetition.

Central to Daniel’s request is that God hear and respond. Daniel knows that God does not have to heed his petition. God is not obligated. His people have practically disowned Him, and He warned them long ago that disobedience on their part would result in rejection on His part (Leviticus 18:28; Deuteronomy 28:15–68).

But Daniel also knows that God is merciful and will listen to his earnest prayer. So he asks for a response. He petitions God to show favor upon God’s own sanctuary for God’s own sake.

A cynic may read this passage as slick salesmanship on Daniel’s part: Daniel wants something from God, so Daniel presents his request as if God is the one who stands to gain. A better reading, however, is that Daniel is acknowledging what has been true all along: the temple sanctuary belongs to God, but the people have acted as if it were theirs to do with as they pleased. Similarly, they forget that they exist to fulfill God’s purposes in the world, not their own. The future of the Jewish people depends on their recognizing this. [See question #5, page 304.]

18. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

Daniel intensifies his petition in two ways before submitting its basis. First, he asks God not only to hear his request but also to see for himself the desolations. Second, Daniel draws God’s attention specifically to the city of Jerusalem. This city, like the temple, is attached to God’s name. Forgetting this fact led to Judah’s demise (1 Kings 11:36; 2 Kings 23:27).

Daniel comes before God knowing that Judah is empty-handed in terms of righteousness. Nothing Judah has done or will do can earn God’s favor. Daniel cannot appeal to Judah’s holy accomplishments as bargaining chips. The ultimate basis of Daniel’s appeal is God’s great mercies. It can be ours as well.

19. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Daniel concludes his prayer with a sense of urgency as he entreats God four times. He asks God to hear, forgive, and act, doing these quickly (defer not). Notice that Daniel does not make his petition because the Jews are weary of their affliction or worthy of intervention. Rather, Daniel asks God to act because God has an important mission for His people to accomplish, and God’s reputation in the world is connected to that people.

God took a risk by attaching His name to Israel. By their actions His name is either lifted high or dragged through the mud. In closing his prayer by drawing attention to God’s name, Daniel acknowledges that the Jewish people now remember (or should remember) why they exist. Their task is to be eager to live up to their namesake.

While Daniel was still praying, God sent the angel Gabriel to answer the prayer (Daniel 9:20–27). In short, Gabriel told Daniel that the punishment had been multiplied by 7. So instead of being restored fully after 70 years, God’s people were to be restored after “seventy weeks” (or “seventy sevens”). There is some debate over how to interpret this number, but we can at least say that it involved the distant future from Daniel’s perspective. This was not an arbitrary punishment by God. In Leviticus 26:18, God warned Israel that He would punish her sevenfold for disobedience.

We are to remind ourselves, as Daniel did, that God’s purposes for us are not complete. Though the power of sin was defeated on the cross, it still rears its ugly head in our lives. Christ is the fulfillment of our hope, but we await a day to experience the fullness that God has in store for us in the heavenly Jerusalem.

Until then, we can follow Daniel’s lead in prayer. We draw near to God not only in speech but also in action. Fasting and signs of contrition can help as we own up to individual and corporate sins, confessing them to God and one another. We must renounce all thoughts of entitlement, as if God were obligated to answer our prayers to our liking. We must commit ourselves to Him and remain true to His purpose for us in this world, for it is the Christian who bears the name of Christ. We were saved not for comfort or pleasure, but for God’s mission for the church.

O God who hears our prayer, teach us to pray like Daniel. Like him, we are often baffled by Your timing. We cannot see the big picture, and we get hung up on the details. Please give us the faith to wait for You. We confess to You our sins, we submit to You our unworthiness, and we call upon Your mercy. Hear us when we pray, for Your name’s sake and for the sake of Your world, in Jesus’ name, amen.