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Prayer is important in a Christian life
Prayer - communion with God - is a very important part of the life of any person who claims to know Jesus Christ of Nazareth as his or her personal savior. This fact has been part of the life of believers throughout history. We can read many prayers that have been recorded in the word of God. The Old Testament contains these thoughts expressed by many individuals. Some of these prayers express gratitude for the things that have been accomplished in the life of the individual, while others express thanksgiving for the divine blessings upon the nation of Israel - the chosen nation. There are times when the person approaching the heavenly father - the creator of the universe - comes with a great sense of need for confession of personal or national sin - to miss the mark. Daniel was among the first captives that was carried from Jerusalem to the land of Babylon. Daniel 1:6. He served in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, and his descendants to the Babylonian throne. When the Medes and Persians overcame the Babylonians (Daniel 5:31), Daniel was one of three presidents (Daniel 6:2). As this man was faithful in carrying out the daily tasks of life, he did not forget his spiritual background, nor his responsibility to serve his God - Jehovah. Daniel 6:10b. Thus, Daniel was known in the realm as a praying man. The record tells us that "In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first year of his reign Daniel understood by books the number of years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish 70 years in the desolations of Jerusalem." Daniel 9:1, 2; Jeremiah 25:11. After Daniel had become aware of this prophecy, he wrote that "I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth and ashes: And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession…" Daniel 9:3, 4a. Thus, we see that this man did not approach God as some kind of special person, but in the sense of a lowly mind, needing to make his petitions and confessions known to the one who could - and would - hear his heart-cry. He began his prayer by addressing God as the one who is constant for his people - "O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments." Daniel 9:4b It is important for us to remember that Daniel was praying for his nation, even though he did not, personally, commit all of the sins that he confessed to God. He was bearing the sins of his nation before the divine throne of the one against whom the sins were committed. The captivity was the result of the nation being rebellious, and turning from the one who sent the prophets to bring them back into the desired relationship. Following this expression of acknowledgement of the nature of God, Daniel made a declaration that is difficult for human nature to declare - "We have sinned…" Daniel 9:5a. The nature of mankind seems to be plagued with the desire - and the ability - to explain away any action that is contrary to the revealed word of God. To openly confess is contrary to our inner nature! It is much easier to pass the buck . As Daniel continued his address to God, he declared we "have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments…" Daniel 9:5. As he continued, he admitted that "Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers and to all the people of the land." Daniel 9:6. As Daniel continued his prayer, he declared that "O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee." Daniel 9:7. To show the utter disgust for the sin that had brought about his present condition, Daniel repeated his assessment. Daniel 9:8. He, then, showed his confidence in the nature of God. "To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him; Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets." Daniel 9:9, 10. As he continued his "rehearsing of sins," he declared, "Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him." Daniel 9:11. It is not easy for humans to admit that we have done wrong. This man, Daniel, became a spokesman for the nation of Israel, even though he was a captive in a foreign land. How often do we pray for our nation? It is much easier to criticize the leaders of government at all levels, and it seems to give us great pleasure to recount the sins and short-comings of those who are in positions of authority. Why not spend time in prayer on their behalf, desiring God to give them wisdom and divine guidance in the decisions that are made? No, we might not agree with all of these decisions and actions, but we, often, do not possess the information that is available to them. We are given direct instructions concerning our attitude toward the civil authorities. Romans 13:1-5; 1 Timothy 2:1-4. It is important for all humans to remember the fact that "the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth, for we obeyed not his voice" Daniel 9:14. Yet the faithful servant did not lose perspective - "O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain… Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake." Daniel 9:16, 17.
Daniel showed an attitude of submission - "for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness, but for thy great mercies." Daniel 9:18b. This fact must be exhibited by all who come before God in prayer. Hebrews 4:16. The prophet, Jeremiah expressed the same thought. Lamentations 3:22, 24. What a comfort to us, today!
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