Prayer of Repentance

At this point in Daniel’s life, he had seen it all. He saw his home destroyed, he was immersed in a completely new counter-culture, his identity constantly threatened, his friends thrown into a furnace, himself thrown into a den of lions, and yet persevered as a man of prayer and a devout follower of Yahweh. Now, in his 80’s, he rediscovers Jeremiah’s prophecy about the restoration of Jerusalem.

This prayer is not about praying for himself, but he takes on the burden to pray for Jerusalem. Prayer is not just about you; we are called to pray for other people and other nations (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Let’s look at the key elements of Daniel's prayer: confess and repent (today) and remember and restore (tomorrow).

Confess Repentance

In Daniel 9:1-10, Daniel engages in a practice of repentance. The Hebrew word that most closely approximates “repent” or “repentance” is translated into English as “return,” which basically means “to turn around and go in the opposite direction. In theological contexts, the implication is to turn from a road characterized by rebellion toward God to a road characterized by obedience. The emphasis is upon actions that necessarily proceed from turning one’s orientation toward God. - Lexham Bible Dictionary.

Daniel does not waste time trying to make excuses for the sin of his people. He recognises that Israel as a whole “have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from [Yahweh’s] commandments and rules.” (verse 5). Sometimes we can tend to make excuses for our own sin or try to rationalise our way out of taking responsibility, but this only causes us more pain! Being ignorant of our own brokenness and rebellion towards God means that we give God no room to restore us. We will continue in our own pride and in the consequences of continuing in sin.

See this quote below from Tyler Staton on the importance of clear confession:

“One of the names thrown around for Jesus is the great physician. But a doctor can’t heal you without an accurate diagnosis. If you show up to a great doctor and describe yourself as “generally sick,” they’re not gonna be able to do a lot for you. To confess is to say, “I want to name my symptoms, completely and comprehensively, because I want healing, completely and comprehensively.” – Tyler Staton, Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools.

Prayer for today

Father, on the knowledge that you are a good God, slow to anger abounding in love, I ask that you teach me to establish repentance in my life. The power of repentance acknowledges my deep desire and need for you and gives you room to restore me.