Revcort's Ramblings

Scripture Focus

“While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the LORD my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, ‘O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.’” — Daniel 9:20–23 (ESV)

Devotional Thought

Have you ever wondered if God really hears your prayers? Have you ever prayed earnestly about something, perhaps for days, weeks, or even years, and wondered whether your words were getting any farther than the ceiling? I suspect most believers have experienced moments like that. We know what Scripture teaches about prayer, and we believe God hears us, but sometimes the silence can be difficult to understand. Daniel 9 gives us a remarkable glimpse into something we ordinarily cannot see, and what we discover should encourage us to pray more faithfully.

Daniel has spent the first nineteen verses of this chapter pouring out his heart before God. His prayer is a beautiful example of humility, confession, repentance, and dependence upon the Lord. He begins by acknowledging God’s greatness, His faithfulness to His covenant, His steadfast love, and His righteousness. Then Daniel begins confessing the sins of Israel. He doesn’t attempt to excuse their behavior or minimize their disobedience. He acknowledges that the people have rebelled against God, ignored His commandments, and refused to listen to His prophets.

One of the things I find particularly significant about Daniel’s prayer is that he doesn’t distance himself from the sins of his people. He doesn’t pray about what they have done. He repeatedly says we. He includes himself in the confession, even though everything we know about Daniel’s life suggests that he was an extraordinarily faithful servant of God. Daniel understood that he was part of a sinful people who desperately needed God’s mercy.

And that is exactly what he asks for. Daniel pleads with God to turn away His righteous anger from Jerusalem, forgive His people, and restore what had been destroyed. He isn’t appealing to Israel’s goodness or suggesting that they somehow deserve another chance. In verse 18, he makes that abundantly clear: “For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.”

Then we arrive at verses 20–23, and something extraordinary happens.

While Daniel is still praying, Gabriel appears before him. This is the same Gabriel who had previously helped Daniel understand one of his visions. But this time, Gabriel brings a message that reveals something remarkable about what had been happening while Daniel prayed.

Gabriel tells him, “At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out.”

Think about that for a moment. Daniel was still praying, still confessing, still pleading for mercy, when Gabriel arrived. But Gabriel explains that the word had gone out at the very beginning of Daniel’s prayer. Before Daniel had finished speaking, God had already acted to provide a response.

What an incredible glimpse behind the curtain! We ordinarily don’t get to see what happens in heaven when we pray. We don’t see the activity of angels or hear the conversations taking place beyond our earthly understanding. But here, God allows us to see something that Daniel himself could never have known without this revelation. His prayer had been heard from the very beginning.

And notice something else Gabriel tells him: “For you are greatly loved.”

I love that statement. Gabriel doesn’t simply arrive with information about Jerusalem’s future. He reminds Daniel that he is greatly loved. Before delivering the prophetic explanation that follows, Gabriel assures Daniel of God’s affection for him.

Now, we need to be careful not to assume that every prayer we offer produces an identical response. Scripture doesn’t teach that Gabriel, or any other angel, is personally dispatched every time a believer prays. Nor does this passage promise that every answer will arrive immediately or that God will always give us exactly what we request. In fact, the prophetic answer Gabriel delivers goes far beyond Daniel’s immediate concerns and includes events that would unfold over many years.

But the passage does remind us of something tremendously encouraging: God hears the prayers of His people, and His response is not limited by our ability to see or understand what He is doing.

Sometimes we pray for healing, and the healing doesn’t come as we hoped. Sometimes we pray for a relationship to be restored, and the circumstances seem to grow worse. Sometimes we ask God to open a door, and instead He closes it. In those moments, we may be tempted to conclude that God isn’t listening or that our concerns simply aren’t important enough to receive His attention.

But unanswered questions are not evidence of an uncaring God. And an answer different from the one we requested does not mean our prayers have been ignored.

Daniel’s prayer reminds us that we approach God not because we deserve His attention, but because He is merciful. We come confessing our sins, acknowledging His righteousness, praising His goodness, and asking Him to intervene in circumstances that are beyond our control. We come because we need Him. And through Jesus Christ, we have the wonderful assurance that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing that our great High Priest understands our weaknesses and that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14–16).

Which brings me to a question I’ve been asking myself as I consider this passage: If we really believe God hears our prayers, why don’t we pray more?

Why is prayer so often our last resort instead of our first response? Why do we exhaust our own ideas, resources, and abilities before finally turning to the One who has all wisdom and power? Why do we spend so much time worrying about things we cannot control when we have been invited to bring those very concerns before the Lord?

Perhaps part of the answer is that we have become too accustomed to depending upon ourselves. We know how to make plans, solve problems, and find solutions. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with using the abilities God has given us. But when we begin to live as though everything depends upon our own strength, prayer gradually becomes something we do only when everything else has failed.

Daniel understood something better. He knew that Israel’s restoration depended upon the mercy and faithfulness of God. He couldn’t bring the exiles home. He couldn’t rebuild Jerusalem. He couldn’t undo the sins of previous generations. But he could pray to the God who was able to accomplish what Daniel could not.

And so can we.

We may never receive a visit from Gabriel. We may never be allowed to see what is happening beyond the curtain as Daniel did. But we have the promises of God’s Word, the assurance of His love, and the privilege of approaching Him through Jesus Christ.

So don’t wait until you’ve exhausted every other possibility before you pray. Don’t assume that silence means God isn’t listening. And don’t underestimate the importance of bringing your concerns, your confessions, your gratitude, and your requests before Him.

The God who heard Daniel’s prayer before he had finished speaking is the same God we worship today. He has not changed. His mercy has not diminished. And His people still need Him just as desperately as Daniel did.

May God teach us to seek Him first, trust Him completely, and make prayer a constant part of our lives rather than a last resort.

Reflection Questions

1. Have you ever experienced a time when you wondered whether God was hearing your prayers? How does Daniel’s experience encourage you?
2. What can we learn from Daniel’s humility, confession, and dependence upon God’s mercy in the first nineteen verses of this chapter?
3. Why do you think believers sometimes treat prayer as a last resort rather than a first response? Are there areas of your life where you have been relying more upon yourself than upon God?
4. How can you develop a more consistent habit of prayer, not only when you need something, but throughout your daily life?

Closing Prayer Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful privilege of coming before You in prayer. Thank You that we do not have to earn Your attention or deserve Your mercy. You are a loving and faithful God who hears the cries of Your people. Forgive me for the times I have depended upon my own strength and wisdom instead of seeking You first. Forgive me for allowing worry to consume my thoughts when I should have been bringing those concerns before Your throne. Help me to remember that even when I cannot see what You are doing, You are still at work. Teach me to pray with the humility, sincerity, and faithfulness that Daniel demonstrated. Give me patience when Your answers are different from what I expected, and help me to trust Your wisdom and goodness in every circumstance. May prayer become as natural to me as breathing, and may I never forget how desperately I need You every moment of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.