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RUSSELL SANDERS
3-25-2024
THE PRAYER OF DANIEL
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Israel [Judah] spent 70 years in Babylonian captivity. The prophet and statesman Daniel spent the entire 70 years in Babylon. Jeremiah had prophesied that the captivity would last 70 years.
As that 70-year time period was coming near to a close, Daniel, the wisest man [my opinion] of the Old Testament, went to God in earnest prayer. He put on sackcloth and ashes, which is a symbol of deep repentance, and fasted with prayer and supplications. What was the essence of Daniel’s prayer as seen in chapter nine of Daniel?
His prayer was a prayer of deep repentance for the sins of the nation that had caused this captivity. Daniel did not just repent for the sins of the people, its leaders, or the nation as a whole. Yes, he did do that, but he repented just as though he, himself, bore the guilt. Yet, in studying Daniel’s life, it is clear that he was not guilty of those sins of which the chief sin was idolatry.
God heard Daniel’s repentance and his plea for mercy. God sent the archangel Gabriel to comfort him and to give him great revelation of the times to come.
America has also been caught up in great sin just like Israel. Idolatry is here as people worship [adore, revere] such people as movie or fashion stars, sports, political figures, money, and so forth. Our government in Washington D.C. endorses and actively promotes such abominable sins as homosexuality , transgenderism, and even pedophilia. Our present administration has thrown out all biblical morality and has barred prayer and all forms of Christian expression from our educational system. Evil has overwhelmed our national leadership.
Most of us feel helpless to do anything to stop this and reverse it, but is that really true? What can we do to fight all this evil?
We can do what Daniel did, by earnestly praying for repentance and national mercy. It might be too late to save the nation from its captivity to Satan or to prevent the judgment of destruction, but it is never too late to pray as Daniel prayed.
Prayer and the word of God can break every evil power. Nothing will change for the better in our country unless we earnestly pray and fast with deep repentance for our nation and our leadership. Pray just as earnestly as if you [or I] were the guilty party. (We have allowed the sins to happen by keeping silent!)
Some “mountains” are only moved by fasting and prayer. May God in His unlimited mercy save us as we pray and repent.
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