Daniel's Prayer in Behalf of Israel

Memory Verse: “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.” Daniel 9:19

     Let’s look at Daniel prayer found in Daniel 9:1-19. It has been ten years since he’s had the vision, given him in Daniel 8.

     1. What had Daniel been studying? Daniel 9:2 “In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to __________ the prophet, that he would accomplish __________ __________ in the desolations of Jerusalem.” The first year of Darius was 539/538 B.C. In chapter 8:1 The third year of Belshazzar was 551 B.C. this would be about 11 years.

     2. What was the seventy years that Daniel was wanting to know more about? Jeremiah 29:10 “For thus saith the Lord, That after ________ ___________ be accomplished at __________ I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to _________ to this __________” Daniel, was studying Jeremiah’s prophecy about Israel. They were to be in captivity 70 years, then they would return to Jerusalem. During this time Babylon had fallen to the Medo-Persian Empire but the Jews were still in exile in Babylon.

     3. What condition was Jerusalem in during these seventy years? Jeremiah 25:11 “And this whole land shall be a ___________, and an ______________; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” We need to keep this question in our mind as we study this lesson. Why did God let The Jews be taken into captivity? Now with this question in mind let’s look at Daniel’s prayer. And the attitude in which he prayed.

4. How did Daniel come before God in prayer? Daniel 9:3 “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with __________, and _____________, and ___________:” People in bible times often came before God with sack cloth and ashes to show they were humbling themselves. With deep humiliation, tears and searching of his heart Daniel prayed, and the hand of faith reached upward to God, he grasp hold on the promises of God. Daniel, set a good example in how we should come to God in prayer humbling ourselves before God. The seventy years were about up and he wanted to see this prophecy fulfilled.

     5. Daniel was concerned the 70 years in Babylon was almost up; but he could not see God’s people doing any better in their walk with God. Daniel 9:4 (first part) “And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made _______ ____________, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the ___________ and __________ to them that ________ _________, and to them that _________ his _____________;” Verse 10 “Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.”

God’s covenant and mercy is for whom? Those who love God and keep his commandments.

    6. We are to love God and keep his commandments. How do we love God? 1 John 5:3 “For this is the ________ of ________, that _____ __________ his _________: and his commandments are not grievous ...” This includes love for God and love for our fellowman.    

1 John 4:11 “Beloved, if _______ so __________ _____, ____ ought also to _______ one _________.”

The first four commandments show our love for God. The last six show our love for others. Question to ask yourself, do I love God? Then, I will keep his commandments. Do I love others? If not, I need to pray that God will give me that love. We can not keep the commandments by ourselves. We need God working in us. So, pray for that help that can only come from above.

     7. In Daniel’s prayer he said the Jews had done what? Daniel 9:5 “We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done ____________, and have ____________, even by __________ from thy ___________ and from thy judgments:”

Precept is another word for “The Word of God” or “The Bible.”  Daniel says Israel is no longer living up to what God desires of them. They had lost their Peculiar, Holy Character, as God’s chosen people. They needed only to confess and forsake.   

We Confess – When we confess, God will pardon or forgive. This is another word for Justification. – We Forsake, turning away from sin, God gives Mercy. This helps to keep us from sinning or committing Sanctification.

     8. God wants a Holy people unto Himself. 1 John 1:8, 9. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we ______________ our _________, he is faithful and just to __________ us our sins, and to ______________ us from all ___________.”

If we are clean of all unrighteousness, at that point we are righteousness. When we get up from our knees and sin, we must confess that sin again. We should not have to keep going over the same sin. We need to overcome that sin with God’s help and stop sinning.

     9. We need to now go on to what?  1 John 2:5 “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God ____________: hereby know we that we are in him.” Read Philippians 3:13 – 15.  Paul gives us steps to climb to reach perfection or sanctification.

2 Peter 1:5 – 10 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your __________ virtue; and to ___________ knowledge; And to ______________ temperance; and to ___________ patience; and to _____________ godliness; ⁷And to ____________ brotherly kindness; and to __________ _________ ____________. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.”

     10. What if we backslide or fall in our walk with God? Hebrews 6:6 “If they shall ________ _________, to ___________ them again unto ____________; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

Repentance is being sorry for a sin and turning away from it. It is art of confession and forsaking sin. I did not cover every verse, due to lack of space in this lesson. A lot of them have been repeated, in different verses. Please take time to read and study what is said in all of Daniel 9:1-19

     11. In Daniel 9:7, He tells the condition of Israel. What had happened to all the people?  “O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, __________ _________ the ____________ whither ____________ hast __________ ________, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.”

Israel was scattered among all nations of the heathen, only part of them went to Babylon. They were a people with out a country. They weren’t citizens of any country, therefore, there was no hiding place. Jerusalem was in the hands of Heathen.  Jerusalem and God’s people were a reproach to God’s name. His sanctuary was in ruins. It once held The Ark of God, The Mercy Seat. Angel feet had trodden the streets of Jerusalem. Daniel is wanting “The Prophecy” to be fulfilled, that Jerusalem and the temple be rebuilt and his people returned to Jerusalem.

     12. Why was Israel in captivity, anyway? Daniel 9:10, 11 “___________ have ____ ___________ the ___________ of the LORD our __________, to __________ in ______ __________, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.  Yea, ________ ___________ have ________________ thy ________, even by departing, that they might ______ _________ thy __________; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.” Upon several occasions, The Judgments of God had fallen upon Israel, for their transgression. Disobedience will surly bring the punishment of God. Our lives can be a reproach on God. Our lives should be a blessing and show God’s love. People should see that we love and serve God, at all times. Just like Israel of old, we need to call on God. Repent and Obey His voice, for The Judgment is coming soon.

     13. Obedience to The Law is Sanctification. How are we sanctified?

John 17:17. “____________ them __________ thy ________: thy __________ is __________.” We need to read and study, God’s Word. This is the only way we can know God’s desire for our life. Take time to read His Law again.

 Exodus 20:1 – 17 And see where we may be falling short.

     14. Why was Israel taken captive? Daniel 9:11 (First Part) “Yea, all ___________ have __________ thy ___________, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.” Had Israel obeyed God they would never have been taken into captivity for 70 years.

The next lesson we will be on is: Daniel 9, the rest of the chapter.