S154P15 – Sincerity in prayer: Daniel
Dan. 9:3-6
Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.”
I have prayed the way many of us have prayed. We take that time to be alone with the Lord and share with him our needs as well as our appreciation for all that He does. It is a time when we can be alone with God and share moments of intimacy with our Father. Prayer is how we communicate with him, and the way we manage that communication matters. We might protect that time zealously to make sure that we have these moments alone with the Lord, and that is not a bad thing. He wants that intimate time with us. However, this passage and other scriptures call into question whether my prayers ever should be about just me.
Daniel was saying a prayer not just on behalf of himself but also on behalf of his people. It is the kind of prayer we have read from prophets and kings, from leaders in God’s kingdom throughout the scriptures. These individuals recognize their responsibility to intercede on behalf of the group. When I pray for myself, I may not be praying from the same position of leadership, but the truth is that I am a member of the body. If I pray for things I need, perhaps I should recognize that need among the body and pray for us. If I pray for forgiveness for myself, perhaps I should ask for the body to be forgiven as well. It is a question of whether my requests of God serve only myself or the body and his kingdom.
When Jesus taught the people how to pray, his prayer did not include the words “I” or “me.” [Mt. 6; Lk. 11] It has always struck me that the prayer is about the group. The one praying for a need to be met is praying for everyone’s needs to be met. The one praying for deliverance from sin is praying for everyone’s deliverance. These prayers are about the body. They cover all the saints the same way Daniel’s prayer was about all of Israel. You do not need to be a leader responsible for others in the body to include the body in your prayers. Father, help us to make sure that our prayers are not just about “me” but are about “us” and the greater impact on your kingdom.