Daniel's Plea for Forgiveness
Prayers that Work • Sermon • Submitted
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Background
How did Daniel pray with such conviction and confidence?
What was the basis of his expectation that God would act?
Anchored in God’s Promises
Anchored in God’s Promises
Daniel prayed after reading:
“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.
Daniel knew that God would keep His word no matter who believed Him, no matter how many people doubted Him, and no matter how many years had passed.
Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 110). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
A promise is a statement about something that will happen in the future. But the best way to remember God’s promises is to recount what has happened in the past.
In verses 4, 9, and 15 Daniel recalls God’s promises and anchors his prayer not in His or Israel’s worthiness but God’s faithfulness.
In verses 4, 9, and 15 Daniel recalls God’s promises and anchors his prayer not in His or Israel’s worthiness but God’s faithfulness.
Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 112). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
The Lord has promised forgiveness and mercy when we repent and return to Him.
The Lord has promised forgiveness and mercy when we repent and return to Him.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God loves it when His children remind Him of His promises. Why? Is it because God is forgetful? Does He need us to help Him remember what He promised us? No, there is no problem with God’s memory. But there’s a big problem with ours.
When we remind God in prayer of His promises, we also remind ourselves of the conditions under which God made those promises and of our responsibility to hold up our end of the covenant.
When we remind God in prayer of His promises, we also remind ourselves of the conditions under which God made those promises and of our responsibility to hold up our end of the covenant.
covenant.
Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 113). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 113). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
When we pray, God wants to hear a confession of our sin and our confession is always rooted in an awareness of God’s promises to forgive, redeem, and restore.
When we pray, God wants to hear a confession of our sin and our confession is always rooted in an awareness of God’s promises to forgive, redeem, and restore.
Our prayers must be anchored in the promises of God.
Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 114). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 114). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 113). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Will God forgive those who repent and turn to Him? The testimony of His Word says YES!
Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 114). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Our Prayers must be anchored in the promises of God.
Not only was Daniel’s prayer anchored in God’s Word, the motivation behind his prayer was correct as well.
Prayer should never be focused primarily upon our benefit.
Affirming of God’s Glory
Affirming of God’s Glory
A spiritually mature and effective prayer life includes a recognition of God’s grandeur, His majesty —in short, His glory.
A spiritually mature and effective prayer life includes a recognition of God’s grandeur, His majesty —in short, His glory.
In and 18, we see his affirmation of the glory of God as he asks God to turn His face back towards His sanctuary, His people, His city.
God wants man to know His glory more than we do.
When we align the motivation of our prayers with seeking that which brings God the most glory we also align ourselves with His will.
When we align the motivation of our prayers with seeking that which brings God the most glory we also align ourselves with His will.
Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 114). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
What is the glory of God? It is His nature, His attributes, His reputation, His name. It is His essence.
What is the glory of God? It is His nature, His attributes, His reputation, His name. It is His essence.
Daniel pleads with God to save His people—not because they are deserving, not because they are entitled, and not because they are to be pitied. He pleads with God to save His people for the sake of His own name and His own glory.
Daniel pleads with God to save His people—not because they are deserving, not because they are entitled, and not because they are to be pitied. He pleads with God to save His people for the sake of His own name and His own glory.
It is His nature, His attributes, His reputation, His name. It is His essence.
Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (pp. 116-117). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
When God’s glory becomes more important to us than our circumstances, we are praying in His will.
When that happens, we can trust God’s plan to be the best for us.
Assenting to God’s Mercy
Assenting to God’s Mercy
“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.
Israel was not worthy of God’s forgiveness any more than we are.
Israel was not worthy of God’s forgiveness any more than we are.
In addition to the years of failure preceeding the captivity, now many of those in captivity had embraced the lifestyles and practices of their captors.
This is about 68 years into the captivity. The younger generation had only know life in Babylon. They had heard the stories of days gone by but were thoroughly immersed in pagan culture.
Our hope is rooted in God’s mercy
Our hope is rooted in God’s mercy
When our focus is on our needs, we often do not recognize the plight of those around us but when we see ourselves in need of God’s mercy we begin to see others in the same light.
When we see ourselves in need of God’s mercy we begin to see others in the same light.
Appealing to God on Behalf of Others
Appealing to God on Behalf of Others
Daniel was trying to live his life for the glory of God, resting in the mercy of God, trusting in the promises of God.
Daniel was trying to live his life for the glory of God, resting in the mercy of God, trusting in the promises of God.
In spite of his own personal piety, Daniel knew that he still had an obligation to pray on behalf of others as well.
In spite of his own personal piety, Daniel knew that he still had an obligation to pray on behalf of others as well.
Daniel’s heart was broken because he understood that Israel, and therefore by extension, Daniel, were outside the blessings of God.
Daniel’s heart was broken because he understood that Israel, and therefore by extension, Daniel, were outside the blessings of God.
Like Daniel, the ones we intercede for may not have a clue how far they are from God’s will.
Like Daniel, the ones we intercede for may not have a clue how far they are from God’s will.
They are still accountable to God for their own choices but it is our responsibility to lift them up to God in prayer.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.