Topical Bible: Prayer: Answered: Daniel, Interceding for the People

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In the biblical narrative, Daniel stands as a profound example of intercessory prayer, particularly in his role as a mediator for the people of Israel during their Babylonian exile. The Book of Daniel, especially chapter 9, provides a detailed account of Daniel's fervent prayer and the subsequent divine response.

Context and Background

Daniel, a young nobleman from Judah, was taken into Babylonian captivity during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. Despite the challenges of living in a foreign land, Daniel remained steadfast in his faith and devotion to God. His life was marked by wisdom, integrity, and a deep commitment to prayer.

Daniel's Intercessory Prayer

In Daniel 9, we find Daniel engaged in a profound act of intercession. Having studied the writings of the prophet Jeremiah, Daniel understood that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years (Daniel 9:2). Recognizing that the time of fulfillment was near, Daniel turned to God in prayer and supplication, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes (Daniel 9:3).

Daniel's prayer is characterized by confession and repentance. He acknowledges the sins of Israel, including their rebellion and failure to heed God's commandments and prophets. Daniel pleads for God's mercy, not based on the righteousness of the people, but on God's great compassion (Daniel 9:18). His prayer reflects a deep understanding of God's covenantal faithfulness and a heartfelt desire for the restoration of Jerusalem and the people of Israel.

Divine Response

God's response to Daniel's prayer is immediate and profound. While Daniel is still praying, the angel Gabriel is sent to him with a message of insight and understanding (Daniel 9:21-22). Gabriel informs Daniel that he is "highly esteemed" and provides him with a vision of the future, including the prophecy of the seventy weeks (Daniel 9:23-24).

This divine revelation not only addresses the immediate concerns of the exiled community but also points to the coming of the Messiah and the ultimate redemption of God's people. Daniel's intercession thus becomes a pivotal moment in biblical history, highlighting the power of prayer and God's readiness to respond to the earnest petitions of His faithful servants.

Significance

Daniel's intercessory prayer serves as a model for believers, demonstrating the importance of approaching God with humility, confession, and a reliance on His mercy. It underscores the role of prayer in aligning with God's purposes and the impact of faithful intercession on behalf of others. Daniel's experience affirms the biblical truth that God hears and answers the prayers of those who seek Him with a sincere heart.

Nave's Topical Index

Daniel 9:20-23
And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
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Library

Intercession Every Christian's Duty
... the story informs us, how remarkably his prayer as answered. ... When Daniel humbled
and afflicted his soul, and ... angel dispatched to tell him, "his prayer was heard ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/intercession every christians duty.htm

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits ...
... we asked, being persuaded that he has answered our prayers ... Thus Daniel, on whom the
Lord himself bestowed such ... hand, believers are often said to lift up prayer. ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of prayera perpetual.htm

Moses the Type of Christ.
... turn of mind,"by neglect of prayer when there ... faithful found among the faithless,
as Daniel; these men ... accept the exchange, but He answered, "Whosover hath ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon ix moses the type.htm

Christ's Priestly Office
... Daniel 9:96; Isaiah 53:3. Unus peccat, alius plectitur ... Christ our high priest exactly
answered to this type. ... shut out of heaven as shut out of Christ's prayer. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/4 christs priestly office.htm

Lydia, the First European Convert
... Daniel was a man "greatly beloved"; the Hebrew word there employed means "a man
of ... his son with many kisses and so proved that his prayer was answered. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/lydia the first european convert.htm

How to Make Use of Christ for Taking the Guilt of Our Daily Out ...
... and Daniel chRevelation 9.This considering of sin, with its due ... would rest, committing
the matter by faith in prayer to Christ ... QUESTIONS OR OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. ...
/.../brown/christ the way the truth and the life/chapter viii how to make.htm

Acts 17:16-17. Athens.
... subjects, but he could have never answered the jailor's ... neglecting the Bible, leaving
off the habit of prayer. ... Think of Daniel and the three children in Babylon ...
/.../chapter ix acts 17 16-17 athens.htm

The Barren Fig-Tree;
... but still, as Abraham interceded, God answered, 'If I ... many times did he by prayer
preserve Israel ... me, that is, pleading, arguing, interceding, supplicating, and ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the barren fig-tree.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1832 to the Beginning ...
... by protracted meetings, missionary anniversaries, and prayer meetings ... This call was
soon answered by two young men ... of the Church, and Jason and Daniel Lee, uncle ...
/.../chapter 12 from the close.htm

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... dust and ashes.' Thus, in Solomon's beautiful prayer on the ... and a north gate; and
when the people of the ... signify, and how all was most sweetly answered in the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm