O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion.
Daniel 9:18 (NASB)
In my recent readings, I was greatly touched by the solemnity and humility of Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9. It is clear from the beginning that he is coming most humbly before Almighty God to seek mercy for Israel and himself. As a nation, Israel had rebelled against God and was punished for it by Him through the hand of the Babylonians. The land was desolate, and the people were exiled. They were a proud and idolatrous people, and now they were humbled in their poverty. In the first phrase of today’s verse Daniel beseeches God, “incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see…” Daniel is seeking the attention of a God who has turned away; He does not hear or see those who have deserted Him – His ear is turned away, His eyes are shut.
O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Daniel 9:19
The prayer of Daniel is brought in the humblest means; they have nothing that they can offer to God – they know the pain of poverty, physically and spiritually. This is truly a prayer seeking mercy from the Almighty. The desperation of Daniel and his people is further seen in the opening words of the next verse; “O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake…” Take note of three “O Lords” and the three steps of their redemption that are sought – the Lord to hear, to forgive, to take action.
Dear Reader, I encourage you to read Daniel’s prayer in this chapter – I pray that it will touch you as it did me. The point that struck me was that the God of Daniel is our God today – He is the only God! We can come humbly before Him as Daniel did, yet as adopted children Jesus Christ God’s only Son – our Savior and Lord. Just like Daniel, we have nothing to offer except our petitions as we kneel before Him. He heard and answered Daniel; He will do the same for us today.
Dear Father God, I kneel before Your throne today seeking Your presence. Hear my petitions and see the needs surrounding me – I surrender all to You, seeking Your mercy. Glorify Your name before men by the works of Your compassion today. AMEN.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Devotional Treasures
