One Day Nearer: 10 Devotions in Anticipation of Jesus’ Glorious ReturnSýnishorn

Day 8: The Essentials of Effective Prayer

If we want to have a right heart before God when we come to Him in prayer, it is vital that we include confession and humility in our appeals to Him. We see both exhibited in Daniel’s prayer on behalf of the Israelites shortly before their captivity in Babylon came to an end.

Daniel sought God with “pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes” (verse 3). He prayed “and made confession” (verse 4). After acknowledging “the great and awesome God,” Daniel’s first words got straight to the point: “We have sinned and done wrong.” He was heartbroken over the sins of God’s people—sins that had led to their captivity. Notice that Daniel used the word “we,” making sure to include himself in this confession.

Daniel was a righteous man and a zealous prayer warrior. But he didn’t come before God and pat himself on the back for his seven decades of loyal service to the Lord. He didn’t blame others for God’s punishment and, out of pride, exclude himself. With a humble heart, he included himself in this prayer of confession.

To approach God humbly in prayer means recognizing we need His mercy just as much as everyone else. The closer we are to God, the more sensitive we will be to our sins. When we possess a deep love for God, our desire to honor Him will heighten our awareness of any sin present in us.

James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins...the prayer of a righteous person has great power.”

Only when we confess our sin and humble our hearts can we lift up effective prayers. This is true even for the most faithful of believers and the greatest of prayer warriors. When we pray, it is the state of our heart that God cares about, not our accomplishments.