Prayer

Daniel chapter 9 deals a lot with Daniel’s petitioning of the throne of God for forgiveness for Jerusalem. I’m not going to sum up the chapter or really give any verses related to it; I encourage you to go read it for yourself…it wont take 10 minutes. Prayer is an important factor in any professing Christian. Hey – prayer is even important to people of other religions. How many times a day do we pray? When we do pray, what do our prayers sound like? I guess this kind of goes back to the whole, “you really learn to understand when God teaches you on a personal level,” thing. Verses 4 through 19 are Daniels prayer. When he prays he is not only sincere but he is really burdened about his sin and the sin of Jerusalem. He acknowledges that the reason they are in the predicament they are facing is solely because of their sin. I’ll get to the point. In verse 20, Daniel says, “Now why I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of God…” Do you see it yet?? No? Read it again. If someone summed up your prayers, would it sound like that? Mine wouldn’t! I have really been convicted lately about my prayer life and the sincerity and time I spend in prayer. I spend a lot of time simply talking to God, and even confessing and seeking His heart, but I don’t spend enough time praising Him in the midst of it. And I sure don’t do a whole lot of praying for my country or the sinners I encounter every day. We expect God to use us to change the people around us and lead them to Him, but how can we when we don’t even give Him sufficient time in praying for them? We don’t even give Him ample “space” in our prayer lives where we just praise Him for what He has done and what He is doing in our lives. Sure, we thank Him for the day…and the food…and that He has kept everyone we love safe, but where is the petition for change in our world? Where is the fraction of praise and blessing that He so greatly deserves?! It’s stuck between our throats and selfish heart. Daniels prayer was 15 verses of truly petitioning God for change and mercy. In the midst of it He glorified God. What’s hindering your prayer life from truly being a time of worship rather than just something you do? Think about it…