Daniel 9:1-19
Make no mistake about it: Life is difficult, and there are no detours to get us around life’s trials. We’ll all encounter them. So the question of our lives is not, ‘How can we avoid hardship?’ The question should be, ‘How can we hold on to God when times get tough?’ In the face of great adversity, Daniel grabbed hold of God and refused to let go. How did he do it? Daniel prayed. And within his prayer we find an example that we’ll do well to follow.
First, Daniel’s prayer flowed from his knowledge of God and God’s Word. As Daniel examined the Scripture he discovered that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. The realization that this time would soon be completed drove the prophet to his knees.
Second, Daniel’s prayer was filled with confession and repentance. Notice that he prayed not only for his own sins, but for those of the nation. God had disciplined Israel because of its sins. The only way the nation could move forward was for each individual to turn from his or her sin is the same confusion and repentance. Realizing that, Daniel poured out his heart to God.
Third, Daniel pled for mercy. He didn’t demand. Instead, he humbly asked God to extend mercy to a people who didn’t deserve it. The church today needs men who will pray as David did. Indeed, prayer is our only hope.
We need men who are devoted to praying for themselves, for their families, for their church communities, and for their country.
This devotional is an excerpt from the PK Study Bible