“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Only the Lord can lift the burden of our sin and selfishness. Only he can cleanse us of the grimy muck of our lives and heart. He alone can restore us, renew us, save us.
But first we must come to him. Daniel provides a powerful example.
What We Can Learn from Daniel’s Prayer
1. We must own our sin, not our excuses
We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. ~ Daniel 9:5
2. We must own the magnitude of our sin.
This is no “oopsy” or mistake. There are no “little” sins and “big” sins. Any sin separates us from our holy God and covers us with shame.
To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel… because of the treachery that they have committed against you. ~ Daniel 9:7
3. We must see God as he is – merciful, loving and righteous. We must also see ourselves for who we are – sinful and in need of his salvation.
To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame ….To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him ~ Daniel 9:7,9
4. We must understand that our sin – even if forgiven – holds consequences.
All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him ~ Daniel 11:11
5. We appeal to God’s character, not our own
O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy ~ Daniel 9:18
Thank God for his great mercy!
Photo by Jeremy Perkins on Unsplash
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