Dare to Pray like Daniel? Daniel 9:1-27

MAIN POINT: Because God is our only hope, the people of God pray confessionally over sin.

OUTLINE:

I. Revere in Posture 1-3

A. Because of the Word

B. Because of Circumstance

II. Respond in Prayer 4-14

A. Pray on Behalf of Others

B. Pray for My Change

III. Plead for a Response 15-19

A. Plead for God’s Mercy

B. Plead for Our Only Hope

IV. Provided Response 20-27

Beyond the Walls (Grace and Growth)

Weekly Meditations:

This week, we will focus on prayer. We can learn so much from the prayers of God’s people; their prayers and scripture should inform our prayer life. I encourage you to read the passage, work through the questions, and pray.

Day 1: READ  Genesis 18:16-33

In this story, Abraham finds God telling him about a crisis that will soon overtake the city in which his nephew lives. A remarkable conversation then follows that enlarges Abraham’s understanding of God.

From the evidence in the passage, describe the relationship between Abraham and God. How did this relationship affect the way God behaved toward Abraham?

 What do you think Abraham is most concerned about? (trick question)

What motivates you to pray for others, especially those who do not follow Christ?

Abraham refers several times to God wanting to simultaneously destroy the righteous and the wicked (vv. 23–24, 28–32). Why do you think he keeps questioning God about this?

An intercessor is someone who prays for those deserving of God’s judgment. Looking at the example of Abraham, what are some of the qualities we might expect an intercessor to have?

God is not angry with Abraham for asking questions, even when he appears to question God’s justice. How does this fact reassure us when we have to pray in complex or confusing circumstances?

God still went on to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah (you can read the rest of the story in chapter 19). What thoughts and reactions might Abraham have experienced after his conversation with God had ended?

Review the passage, and summarize what changed due to Abraham’s encounter with God. Why did these changes occur?

Day 2: READ  Ezekiel 22:23-31

Ezekiel, a priest, was called by God to warn his people of God’s judgment. Already humiliated in defeat by the Babylonians, Judah was spiritually bankrupt. Like most of his fellow citizens, Ezekiel lived in exile amidst idolatry and materialism. His people, his nation, and its leaders paid lip service to their beliefs but led lives far from pleasing God. The passage is the third of three warnings in chapter 22 alone about the sin of Jerusalem and its people.

God’s grace and kindness have been removed from his own people; they now live in a spiritual “desert.” What sins have brought about God’s judgment?

The priests would have been the principal intercessors. How would their shortcomings (v. 26) have affected their prayer for the nation?

We often blame our national leaders. From this passage, all groups in society bear responsibility for the nation's state. How should this affect how we intercede for and live in our countries?

The phrase “stand before me in the gap” (v. 30) symbolizes intercession in the Old Testament. The absence of an intercessor had catastrophic consequences. Why do you think no one wanted to intercede? (don’t miss typology/forshadowing)

How do you think our intercessions (and other types of prayers) can affect world events today?

Not finding anyone to take positive action to set the nation back on course (to “build up the wall” as Nehemiah did) is seen by God as a problem as serious as having no intercessor. Alongside prayer, what else is necessary for Christians to be a godly influence on their nation?

Christians in some countries feel they can have no impact on the life of their nation because they are so few in number. How can this passage encourage believers in such a situation?

How would you like this study to change your prayer life?

These questions come from About Prayer: An Adventure with God