Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Hebrews 12:11
The children of Israel were suffering tremendously due to their sins against God. Thus, the prayer of Daniel. This pray is humble admission by Daniel of the sins committed against God by the children of Israel. Because God looks at the condition of our heart, we must first and foremost with godly sorrow, repent in our heart and in our actions, admit our sins, and acknowledge those things that we have done as we seek in prayer the forgiveness of our heavenly Father.
Often times, we wonder why we are suffering and can’t seem to find a break through or a solution. As difficult as it may be, an examination of our self or our actions may reveal sin in our life.
The word of God tells that when we live in disobedience to His word that God will chastise us. Jonah is one such example of this. Jonah was given a specific task by God to perform. Jonah felt he had justification for not performing this task and so was disobedient to God’s will. Due to his disobedience to God, he found himself in the belly of a great fish. At the point where Jonah came to his right mind and acknowledged his sin and prayed to God, he was delivered and went on to fulfill the will of God.
Though Daniel himself was an upright man and kept the statutes of God, he still acknowledged the sins of his people in praying for forgiveness:
Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 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.
To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth.
Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. "O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.
Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name." Daniel 9:3-19
What a humble and repentant prayer! Daniel openly acknowledged the sin which had enveloped him and his people and asked God for mercy. God deals with us on an individual basis but He also deals with His people collectively as found in his response to the Solomon's prayer:
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Saints of God, it is my humble prayer today that we put aside all isms and schisms, keep our focus firmly centered on God, stand and live for righteousness and come together in in the bond of love and peace. After all, Jesus said:
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:35
Allow the glory of God to be manifested through each of us!
(Prayer)
08/10/15
The children of Israel were suffering tremendously due to their sins against God. Thus, the prayer of Daniel. This pray is humble admission by Daniel of the sins committed against God by the children of Israel. Because God looks at the condition of our heart, we must first and foremost with godly sorrow, repent in our heart and in our actions, admit our sins, and acknowledge those things that we have done as we seek in prayer the forgiveness of our heavenly Father.
Often times, we wonder why we are suffering and can’t seem to find a break through or a solution. As difficult as it may be, an examination of our self or our actions may reveal sin in our life.
The word of God tells that when we live in disobedience to His word that God will chastise us. Jonah is one such example of this. Jonah was given a specific task by God to perform. Jonah felt he had justification for not performing this task and so was disobedient to God’s will. Due to his disobedience to God, he found himself in the belly of a great fish. At the point where Jonah came to his right mind and acknowledged his sin and prayed to God, he was delivered and went on to fulfill the will of God.
Though Daniel himself was an upright man and kept the statutes of God, he still acknowledged the sins of his people in praying for forgiveness:
Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 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.
To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth.
Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. "O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.
Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name." Daniel 9:3-19
What a humble and repentant prayer! Daniel openly acknowledged the sin which had enveloped him and his people and asked God for mercy. God deals with us on an individual basis but He also deals with His people collectively as found in his response to the Solomon's prayer:
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Saints of God, it is my humble prayer today that we put aside all isms and schisms, keep our focus firmly centered on God, stand and live for righteousness and come together in in the bond of love and peace. After all, Jesus said:
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:35
Allow the glory of God to be manifested through each of us!
(Prayer)
08/10/15
Thank you so much for this. Our church is going through Daniel and we went over the prayer a few weeks ago. It is an amazing prayer, one we should follow about the condition of our nation and our hearts. Powerful reminder of what happened to the chosen people by God and how they fell away. God judge this nation, how much about the current state of America. The church has either been too silent or even in deception lead people astray, conforming to the likeness of the world, to where there is no difference. Like Israel then, so are we. Forgetting God's commandments and seeking our own ways. May we repent as a people and as a nation before God. Acknowledge our sins, confess them, and turn from our wicked ways. We really have failed. Also thank you, I learned to new words today. Isms and schisms, different ideas and opinions. Thank you again for speaking the word of God. God bless!!
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