Prayer to Be a Daniel

The prophet Daniel is often associated with apocalyptic prophecy or with lions. What characterized him throughout the book of Daniel, though, wasn’t his insight into future dates or his inspection of feline dentistry: It was his intimacy with the faithful divine One.

During the Daniel 2 crisis Daniel made the situation known to his three friends. He acknowledged the power of group prayer, enlisting his comrades to approach God together (verse 17). The same account is also marked by his prayer of gratitude (verses 20-23). Upon God’s revelation of the dream’s interpretation, Daniel thanks God, praising His wisdom and might, and recognizing Him as the answer to that chapter’s crisis. Impasses reveal your theology.

Contrasting the public crisis of chapter 2, Daniel 9 is a personal and private one in which the prophet is disturbed after studying the prophecies of Jeremiah. Daniel immediately engages the Lord in solitary prayer with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes (verse 3). The prayer of confession (verse 4) acknowledges the greatness and faithfulness of God, while regretting the sinfulness and iniquities of His people (verse 5). Note that Daniel includes himself in the sins of Israel (verses 13-15). He asks for the restoration of Jerusalem, confesses corporate guilt, and appeals to God’s mercy (verses 16-19). Heart responses reveal your theology.

Impasses, heart responses, and mortal scenarios reveal theology by prayer.

These two bookended prayer accounts are accented by a third mention of prayer in between them in Daniel 6. Prayer so characterized Daniel that even his enemies were aware of it. In fact, they could find no other fault in Daniel except one contrived through a Medo-Persian law against petitioning other gods than the king. Daniel’s prayer life (verses 10, 11) is marked by habitual devotion that is not concerned with consequences. From his youth (Daniel 2) to his golden years (Daniel 9) he honed prayer as a lifelong skill. His life was so steeped in prayer that he didn’t mind death. This devotional habit became more relevant to him than life itself. Mortal scenarios reveal your theology.

If you assume that God is a wish granter, then your prayers will be a list. If you believe that God is cheap-grace oriented, then your prayers will have no repentance. If you fear that God is legalistically oriented, then your prayers will claim no assurance. If you hold that God isn’t transcendent, your prayers will have no adoration. If you suppose that God isn’t imminent, your prayers will have no spiritual affection. If you think that God isn’t powerful, you simply won’t pray. Prayers reveal your theology.

“What a prayer was that which came forth from the lips of Daniel! What humbling of soul it reveals! The warmth of heavenly fire was recognized in the words that were going upward to God. Heaven responded to that prayer by sending its messenger to Daniel. In this our day, prayers offered in like manner will prevail with God.

“That God who heard Daniel’s prayer will hear ours when we come to Him in contrition. Our necessities are as urgent, our difficulties are as great, and we need to have the same intensity of purpose, and in faith roll our burden upon the great Burden-bearer. There is need for hearts to be as deeply moved in our time as in the time when Daniel prayed.”[*]

Humility, confession, and trust marked Daniel’s prayer life. Impasses, heart responses, and mortal scenarios reveal theology by prayer. What theology does your prayer life reveal?

[*] Ellen G. White, “The Prayer That God Accepts.” Review and Herald, Feb. 9, 1897.