Daniel ’ s Great Prayer of Confession and Intercession Daniel 9

Daniel 9: Daniel’s prayer is one of the longest and most important prayers in the Bible.

Daniel 9: Daniel’s prayer is one of the longest and most important prayers in the Bible. God’s answer is one of the most miraculous and important prophecies in the Bible.

Albrecht Dürer

I. Daniel ’ s Prayer (Dan 9:1-19)

Dan. 9:1 In the 1 st year of Darius, who was the son of Ahasuerus, was a Mede by birth, and was ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans — 2 in the 1 st year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the scrolls according to the word of the L ORD to Jeremiah the prophet that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

Jer. 25:8 “ Therefore, this is what the L ORD of Hosts says: ‘ Because you have not obeyed My words … 11 This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.

Jer. 29:10 For this is what the L ORD says: “ When 70 years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place. … 12 You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you ”— the L ORD ’ S declaration —“ and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you ”— the L ORD ’ S declaration. “ I will restore you to the place I deported you from. ”

Do you have a regular time in God ’ s Word each week outside of this meeting?

Daniel uses 3 of the most important Hebrew Names for God in his prayer: “ God ” Hebrew: Elohim = The Majestic, Sovereign, Supreme Being “ L ORD ” Hebrew: Yahweh = God ’ s Personal Name, the Promise-Keeper to Israel [used 7 times in Daniel — all in Chapter 9!] “ Lord ” Hebrew: Adonai = Master, Owner

Dan. 9:4 I prayed to the L ORD my God and confessed: Ah, Lord — the great and awe- inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commandments — 5 we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from Your commandments and ordinances. 6 We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, leaders, fathers, and all the people of the land.

Dan 9:7 Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but this day public shame belongs to us: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel — those who are near and those who are far, in all the countries where You have dispersed them because of the disloyalty they have shown toward You. 8 L ORD, public shame belongs to us, our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against Him

Dan 9:10 and have not obeyed the voice of the L ORD our God by following His instructions that He set before us through His servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has broken Your law and turned away, refusing to obey You. The promised curse written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, has been poured out on us because we have sinned against Him. 12 He has carried out His words that He spoke against us and against our rulers by bringing on us so great a disaster that nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever been done under all of heaven.

Dan 9:13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not appeased the L ORD our God by turning from our injustice and paying attention to Your truth. 14 So the L ORD kept the disaster in mind and brought it on us, for the L ORD our God is righteous in all He has done. But we have not obeyed Him. 15 Now, Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made Your name |renowned| as it is this day, we have sinned, we have acted wickedly.

Dan 9:16 Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, may Your anger and wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the injustices of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an object of ridicule to all those around us. 17 Therefore, our God, hear the prayer and the petitions of Your servant. Show Your favor to Your desolate sanctuary for the Lord ’ s sake.

18 Listen, my God, and hear. Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city called by Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You based on our righteous acts, but based on Your abundant compassion. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! My God, for Your own sake, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.

Daniel ’ s prayer is a model for how we can pray: Adoration: Worshiping God (vs 4) Confession: Admitting our sins (vss 5-15) Petition: Asking for things (vss 16-19)

Daniel confessed 12 sins on behalf of the Israeli nation — 1 for each of the 12 tribes: 1. we have sinned (vss 5, 11, 15) 2. we have done wrong (vs 5) 3. we have acted wickedly (vs 5) 4. we have rebelled (vs 5) 5. we have turned away from Your commandments and ordinances (vs 5) 6. We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name (vs 6) 7. we have rebelled against Him (vs 9) 8. we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by following His instructions (vs 10, 14) 9. All Israel has broken Your law (vs 11) 10. we have turned away, refusing to obey You (vs 11) 11. we have not appeased the LORD our God by turning from our injustice and paying attention to Your truth (vs 13) 12. The injustices of our fathers (vs 16)

Daniel asked God to do 7 things: 1. May Your anger and wrath turn away (vs 16) 2. Hear the prayer and the petitions (vss 17, 18, 19)/ Listen (vss 18, 19) 3. Show Your favor to Your desolate sanctuary (vs 17) 4. Open Your eyes and see (vs 18) 5. Forgive! (vs 19) 6. Lord, listen and act! (vs 19) 7. Do not delay (vs 19)

Daniel talked to God based on 2 things: 1. God ’ s will revealed in the Bible Your commandments and ordinances (vs 5) Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name (vs 6) His instructions (vs 10, 14) Your law (vs 11) Your truth (vs 13) Written in the law of Moses (vss 11, 13)

Prayer is us talking to God.

The Bible is God talking to us!

Daniel talked to God based on 2 things: 1. God ’ s will revealed in the Bible 2. God ’ s character revealed in the Bible Dan 9:18 … we are not presenting our petitions before You based on our righteous acts, but based on Your abundant compassion.

Daniel ’ s heart had become so much like the Lord that he took upon himself the awesome privilege and heavy burden of interceding for the entire nation of Israel. One or our great privileges as Christians is to intercede for others. That ’ s what Jesus does for us!

II. God ’ s Answer (Dan 9:20-27)

Dan. 9:20 While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before Yahweh my God concerning the holy mountain of my God — 21 while I was praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the 1 st vision, came to me in my extreme weariness, about the time of the evening offering. 22 He gave me this explanation: “ Daniel, I ’ ve come now to give you understanding. 23 At the beginning of your petitions an answer went out, and I have come to give it …

Paul: “ I am the least of the apostles ” (1 Cor 15:9) “ I am the least of the saints ” (Eph 3:8) “ I am the worst of sinners. ” (1 Tim 1:16)

Dan. 9:20 While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before Yahweh my God concerning the holy mountain of my God — 21 while I was praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the 1 st vision, came to me in my extreme weariness, about the time of the evening offering. 22 He gave me this explanation: “ Daniel, I ’ ve come now to give you understanding. 23 At the beginning of your petitions an answer went out, and I have come to give it …