Prayer life
"Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favour on your desolate sanctuary " (NIV) Daniel 6:17
Life under the sun is composed of many facets, some of which are physical and also of the unseen. The visible world was made of the invisible. Prayer forms a very key part of the spiritual life. Jesus the originator of Christianity used prayer as a key pillar in his ministry. Someone rightly said, “What an individual is in secret (on his knees before God) that is who he is and no more.”
One of the pillars of prayerful life in scripture was Daniel. Daniel planned, committed and executed prayers unto the Lord against all odds during his time on foreign land. What can we learn from Daniel? His posture in prayers was so humble and dependent on God even in persecution. Daniel sought God’s presence and prayed three times a day and as his regular custom (Daniel 6:10). He knelt in prayer, appreciated God through giving thanks and his face was set towards the Lord God.
What do you ask in prayers, your interest or God’s interest? Daniel sought God’s glory. God is righteous, great and awesome because He keeps His covenant. Mercy and forgiveness belong to the Lord. The ultimate goal of our prayer must bring a state of glory to God.
Daniel sought for God’s mercy and acknowledged the sin of his people. We have sinned and committed iniquity, done wicked things, and revolted against God’s authority, departing from His precepts and judgments. We plead for mercy and forgiveness but not to give justifications and defence of our sins before God. But this will only be granted if we acknowledge and repent of our sins. (1 John 1:9; Acts 8:22)
Daniel sought God’s will. Heavens respond when we pray according to God's will. Daniel received assurance an answer to his prayer (Daniel 9:20-23). The angel Gabriel appears to Daniel assuring him that his prayer has been heard and that he will be given understanding regarding the subject of his prayer. We can have confidence that if we pray like Daniel, our prayers will also be heard and answered according to God’s will. Keep praying from a faithful and sincere heart to God.