“O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act!” (Dan 9:18a)

Throughout its history, Israel sinned against God by adopting the pagan rituals and practices of surrounding nations. The forewarned judgment of God is fully executed against Israel when the Babylonians captured Jerusalem and exiled the nobility, craftsmen, scholars and the outstanding young men of Judah, one of whom was Daniel. Biblical scholars generally agree that Daniel was 12 – 16 years of age when he was exiled.

Approximately eight years later, the prophet Jeremiah sent this group of exiles a letter. This letter was a word from the Lord to give the exiles hope. It contained a promise: After 70 years of Jerusalem lying desolate and the Israelites living in captivity, the Babylonian empire would be crushed and the Israelite remnant permitted to return home.

When Darius the Mede conquered Babylon, Daniel, who was by then an old man, remembered the promise, and was moved to pray for his nation.

Is our national story all that different from Israel’s?

Today is the 14^th anniversary of the terrorist plane attacks on the United States that leveled the World Trade Center towers, crashed into the Pentagon, and resulted in thousands of lives lost. Churches swelled to overflowing with those seeking purpose and solace. We were moved, as a united people, to pray for our nation.

Our nation is still under attack, from both inside and outside forces, and is in great need of prayer.

As the body of Christ, we are called to be prayer warriors.

If we are not praying for our nation, who is?

Tucked into Daniel chapter 9 is Daniel’s prayer for his nation. I invite you to join me as we look at four elements of this powerful prayer and form our own prayer for our nation.

1. Daniel uses “we” language as he confesses the sins of his nation. (9:4-11)

Since Daniel was young when he left Jerusalem, it is doubtful he personally contributed to sins that brought about the destruction of his homeland. Yet, he opens his prayer as one of the people. He doesn’t pray for “those sinners” or set himself above his fellow Israelites. He humbly counts himself among the sinful.

In what ways has our nation sinned against God? Ask “How have I contributed to the sins of our nation?” Have we remained silent when we were to speak? Have we created idols out of fame or fortune? Have we ignored God’s desire for marriage and family? Have we made less than God-honoring entertainment choices? Write down your prayer of confession.

2. Daniel recognizes that God is just and sovereign in His discipline. (9:12-14)

God repeatedly warned His people, beginning with Moses through the prophets of the consequences for turning their backs on Him. Daniel does not blame God for the Israelites predicament. He admits that God was right to follow through with the forewarned consequences.

In what ways is our nation experiencing God’s judgment? What has our response been? Do we acknowledge our role in bringing calamity upon ourselves or do we blame God? Write down your prayer of acknowledgment that God is just.

3. Daniel remembers who God has been to the Israelites. (9:15).

Daniel remembers, praises, and gives thanks for what God has already done for His people, their deliverance from Egypt.

It is important that we remember all that God has done for us as a nation, all of the blessings He has showered upon us. What are some of the blessings? How have we seen God act in our nation? Write down your prayer of remembrance, praise and thanksgiving.

4. Daniel intercedes for his nation and calls for God to act. (9:17)

Daniel does not ask for Israel to be delivered because they had done their time. He asks God to remember His promise to deliver Israel in order to bring glory to His name. Those are two very different requests. Israel does not deserve God’s favor but Daniel asked God to remember His promise and to act on it – not because of anything Israel had done, but because of Who God is.

Our nation does not deserve God’s favor. However, as the body of Christ, there are promises that we can claim through Jesus and ask God to remember on behalf of our nation so that His name would be glorified. Write down your prayer of intercession.

“O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, Listen and act!”

#lifegivingwords #livingholy #prayforournation