DANIEL 9
11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. – Daniel 9:11-15
DANIEL 9 TAKING OWNERSHIP OF SINS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When sin has been born out of our selfish desires
We have gone against the Lord God Almighty
We need to take ownership of our lawlessness
That’s what happens when we admit our sinfulness.
We cannot please God unless we cut our ties with the world
Without the Spirit’s convictions, we cannot come to the Lord
Without accountability, we will continue to love sin
If we follow our nature, we would always want what God hates.
In this account, we witness Daniel’s intercessory prayer for the people of God. Notice how he uses “we” instead of “they” in his confession to God. He admits and takes accountability for what the people of God have done against the Lord. He recognizes that because of the transgression, the wrath of God is the right response to such sins. Daniel knows the Lord very well and accepts the consequences of the sins. How many of us can truly fervently confess, repent and worship the Lord all at the same time. This is probably why Daniel’s prayer is considered like Jesus’ prayer at the garden of Gethsemane.
REFLECTION
- Why and how is confession an important aspect of a believer’s prayer?
