Daniel 9:4 “And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,”
As Daniel begins his APPEAL to God for God’s people with a broken heart, let’s not miss the APPROACH as his prayer begins with ADORATION. Before asking for anything, he acknowledges to God how GREAT and AWESOME He is! This acknowledgment goes back to what Moses had said about God in Deuteronomy 10:21, as he stated, “He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.” David acknowledges the same high description in 2 Samuel 7:23. Later, the Psalmist would direct praise in Psalm 99:3, saying, “Let them praise Your great and awesome name for You are holy.”
As we think about our prayer life, please remember that HOW YOU THINK ABOUT GOD DETERMINES HOW YOU PRAY! As Daniel offered adoration to God, he knew two wonderful things about God: 1. that God was POWERFUL. 2. That God is a PROMISE KEEPER. This would impact what he would be asking, as He knew what God’s character was.
Learning to pray means learning not just HOW to pray but learning about WHO you are praying to.
Daniel’s approach to God is so revealing of how we should approach God as we come boldly to the throne of grace in times of need. From Daniel and other OT saints like Nehemiah, we learn we must always approach our awesome God with adoration before asking for anything.
Important TIP for praying: Adoration precedes asking!
Continue strong with a dynamic prayer life!
And remember to DATE THE WORD!