Daniel 9 - a prayer for now

Dream. August 13 - I saw a book that was lying on the floor and next to it lay a torn page.  I knew that the book on the ground was a Bible, so I went over to it to pick it up.  I saw that it was open somewhere in the middle of the book.  As I leaned down, I saw that it was open to Daniel.  I looked more closely and it was open to Daniel Ch 9 -10.  Ch 9 was on one side and Ch 10 on the other.

This morning when I woke up, I did not remember the dream.  I picked up my Bible and opened it.  The page that it opened to was Daniel 1.  (I had not been reading that book recently.)  This reminded me, and I recalled the whole dream. 

Lord, I have read Daniel 9 again, Daniel’s pray of repentance for the sins of his people.  I know that these chapters are apropos to our current sinful state as a church in America.  I am not sure though how to apply it.  Do you just want me to pray Daniel’s prayer?

Lord, help me to understand the dream … what do you want me to take from this and why do you want me to remember it?

This is a prayer to PRAY!  Don’t just read it and agree, but pray it!  Pray for your people, the people of America who are called by my name.  They look to leaders to rescue them, but I am the only one who can rescue, and I cannot rescue them until they call out to me – until they are aware of their need.  They do not know that they are in over their heads.  They are not aware of the danger – fairly confident that they will be able to handle it with the help of leaders and politicians.  But until they realize that the danger is real and that I am their only savior, they will not cry out to me. 

Cry out to me that I will come, but also cry out to me that the people around you will realize their deep need. 

There is a numbing and resignation that has occurred.  Many of the people say, “There’s nothing we can do.”    For others there is an indignation and anger that they call “righteous anger.”  It is not righteous, for it is not my heart to destroy those who are deceived.  Neither response – resignation or indignation - is correct.  Read Daniel 9 to determine the appropriate response.

Daniel 9, paraphrased from the Amplified, as a prayer for now:

³ And I set my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes;⁴ And I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession and said:

“O Lord, my God who is worthy of honor, respect, and worship, You are a covenant-keeping God, who is full of mercy and loving-kindness, remembering mercy for those who love You and keep Your commandments!  [And also remembering mercy when we mess up and fail to obey You!]

⁵ We [your people in the USA] have sinned and rebelled, turning against Your ways, in so many ways, setting aside Your commandments and ordinances in favor of our own ways.

⁶ We have stubbornly refused to listen to and heed the warnings issued by Your servants, the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our leaders, [our pastors and our forefathers, and to all the people of the land.]

⁷ O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us belong confusion and humiliation in this day—[throughout our nation and the people who call themselves by your name.]  We are put to shame because we have sinned against You and refuse to acknowledge our sin.

⁸ Even our leaders are filled with confusion and shame, because we have sinned against You [and refuse to listen when our leaders attempt to bring correction.]

⁹ To You, Lord God, belong mercy and loving-kindness and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against You;

¹⁰ And we have not obeyed Your voice, Lord our God; we have not been walking in the way of Your laws, which You set before us through [Your Word and] your servants the prophets.

¹¹ Yes, all of us have transgressed Your laws, Lord, turning aside – [paying attention to other voices instead of Your voice – to find excuses to not obey Your Word. Therefore, there is a curse that attaches to the sin – the curse that is the opposite of the blessing that comes when we walk in Your righteousness.  The curse is because we have sinned against You.]

¹² Unless we return, this curse will affect all of us, [from leaders on down to the least of us.]

¹³  Even though we see the evil that has begun to come upon us, we have not earnestly begged for forgiveness and entreated the favor of the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and have understanding and become wise in Your truth.

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity (evil) and [unless we repent it will be] brought upon us, for the Lord our God is uncompromisingly righteous and just in all His works which He does; and we have not obeyed His voice.

¹⁵ And now, O Lord our God, Who brought Your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and secured Yourself renown and a name as at this day, Our Lord God [who established this nation as One Nation Under God,] we cry out to You and confess that we have sinned, and we have done wickedly in Your sight by not following Your ways.

¹⁶ O Lord, according to all Your righteousness & justice, I beseech You to let Your anger and Your wrath be turned away from [Your people in America – the people here who are called by Your Name. ] Do not let us and our leaders become a reproach and a byword to all who are around about us.

¹⁷ Now therefore, O Lord our God, please listen to and take heed of the prayers of Your servant and my supplications! And for Your own sake, too, cause Your face to shine upon Your sanctuary which is desolate.  [Lord, please shine with love and mercy on your Church in America!]

¹⁸ O my God, please be patient with us and incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and look at our desolation and the look with mercy on [the Nation which was called from its infancy by Your name]; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our own righteousness and justice, but because of Your great mercy and loving-kindness.

We cry out for great mercy in the midst of our repentance. [We cry out for repentance before the great calamity!]

¹⁹ O Lord, we cry out to you to hear us! O Lord, forgive us! O Lord, give heed to our cries and act with great mercy and loving kindness, to bring us back to You! Please do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God, because [Your chosen ones in this nation] are called by Your name.

- Help me, Lord, to understand the ways of your kingdom and the response in heaven to the prayers of your servants.  I want to be aware of the spiritual battle that causes me to want to shrink back from the high call of prayer and the high call of calling upon your name for mercy on behalf of the people whom you love.